XYZ Topeka Fall 2012

[ everything for Topeka families ]

mega families the conscious choice p 24

ode to the apple recipes, orchards, events & MORE p 14

30 + family events inside

Fall 2012

tton-o stormont-vail & cotton-o’neil

three levels of care

s of Stormont-Vail HealthCare provides a variety of levels of care. If a medical need occurs when your primary care physician is not available, you have three options: Mild

The ClinicModerate at Walmart by Stormont-Vail Severe

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

Located inside the north Topeka Walmart and providing minor health services without an appointment for patients ages 18 months and older. Staffed by advanced practice nurses and a physician assistant.

Mild

Moderate

Cotton-O’Neil ExpressCare Severe

With three locations in Topeka and one in Osage City, these urgent care clinics, complete with lab and X-ray services, are available to patients of all ages who need treatment for a minor illness or injury.

You do not have to be a Cotton-O’Neil patient to be cared for at ExpressCare.

ExpressCare – Croco: 2909 S.E. Walnut Dr. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends ExpressCare – Urish: 6725 S.W. 29th St. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends ExpressCare – North: 1130 N. Kansas Ave. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays

ExpressCare – Osage City: 131 W. Market 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Stormont-Vail Emergency and Trauma Center

Open 24 hours a day, every day, and designed for sudden, serious injury or illness. Located one block west of Eighth and Washburn.

Call Health Connections’ Ask-A-Nurse at (785) 354-5225 evenings and weekends for help finding the most appropriate level of care.

stormontvail.org

o’neil

XYZ Magazine | Vol. III • Issue II | Fall 2012

[ what’s inside ]

f ca 44 Imagination

• the Keen Eye takes us to the city

• Fall Reads woos us with William

Allen White Award nominees

• the Art Project aims to blow you

away

• The kids of Topeka have been talking body parts in Heard + Noted • What’s the Story carries a lot of weight and hopefully brings a lot of words.

38 NOTO for all ages

18 the Potwin ghost crew

A group of Potwin neighborhood youngsters is aiming to put the normal in paranormal.

14 this is what Fall 29 fine art fun tastes like A birthday party where kids create Apples, apples, everywhere – fall’s “superfood” has a super following.

Learn how to turn this common household fruit into some serious fun.

22 gamer’s cave The Garcias have turned a former crawl space into every kid’s dream media room come true.

24 mega families Three Topeka families are more than tripling the national average in size and proving that bigger has its advantages.

their own masterpieces as party favors? We already want to know more.

The popular Arts District is not just for First Fridays and adults.

Kids can explore this Topeka gem too (with caution, of course).

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 letter from editor 6 family calendar

30 full potential

8 - F.A.B. - Find A Babysitter

One local family has been forever changed through one of the programs offered by TARC.

12 environmental parenting

32 day trip Farm adventures are just a car ride away.

34 mom networking M.O.P.S. and other local organizations are giving a new meaning to networking.

22 cool kid’s room 29 cool kid’s bday 32 day trip 41 d.i.y. sewing 42 recipe 45 I was a tweenage food critic 44 - 47 imagination section

[ letter from the editor ]

[ everything for Topeka families ]

free-fall b y J a n i c e Wa t k i n s

I

equate fall with the literal meaning of the word. Fall (verb): “to drop or descend under the force of gravity, as to a lower place through loss or lack of support.” Autumn, as perhaps more appropriately referred to in order to avoid confusion, conjures images of leaves and those gross, sticky, green balls falling from the trees and oddly enough, my sister falling from a swing set when we were kids on the first day of this aptly named season and breaking her arm into a million pieces preceding a triple-dog dare from yours truly.

Consider then an alternative form. Fall (noun): “a becoming less; a lowering or decline; a sinking to a lower level.” Here is my true autumn/fall/harvest, however, you’d like to refer to this personally disastrous season — such is the season when I have to attempt to pick up the pieces from glorious summer and become a “real” mom again. Fall brings the need for consistent scheduling; dinners at a reasonable hour - at the table, with food groups other than hot dogs and potato chips; remembering to nightly review homework folders; attending PTO meetings, parentteacher conferences and extra-curricular activities and not having the extensive heat to blame for my profuse sweating, while tripping in high-heels (no longer flip-flops) and always arriving five minutes late; and always preparing — yet unsuccessfully managing — to Pinterest-up the holidays.

Kerrice Mapes Publisher Leah Sewell Art Director Janice Watkins Editor-in-Chief Writers Annie Brock Rio Cervantes-Reed Tony Davis Lacey Gerhardt Cale Herreman Nicole Huckins Josh Luttrell

who has to endure each seasonal version of ‘Janice’, as I prepared to bring this glorious Fall XYZ to your eager hands, I was reminded that fall is a new adventure. Apples are ripe for the pickin’, farm adventures are to be had, ghosts are to be hunted down, masterpieces are to be made, families are ready to grow, and so much more. I have been trying to teach my kids to explore through the world of fiction and literature for so long that I may have forgotten there are real world adventures to be had. So, I will put my book down (for now), wrangle up my kids and go exploring, with the goal of making our own fall adventures and living down my former fall reputation. Besides, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that no one will care once winter comes storming into town anyway.

Leah Sewell Erin Snethen Regina Stephenson Janice Watkins Photographers EJ Drake Sarah Long Megan Rogers Julie Velez Art + Production Leah Sewell Advertising xyztopeka@gmail.com 785.249.3126 Kerrice Mapes Rio Cervantes-Reed

Marketing / Website Social Media / Distribution Rio Cervantes-Reed Kerrice Mapes

Fortunately, for my kids and my husband

cover

Heather McKee Janice Watkins

by EJ Drake edrake photography

by EJ Drake

Kerrice Mapes

calendar Heather McKee

Enjoy — Janice

Ward Meade Windmill

Bailey Marable

Photographer EJ Drake was struck by the contrast of the windmill against the sky at Ward Meade Park, so much so that he wanted the image to look more like a painting than a photograph.

Administration Elizabeth Bell Reprints + Permission No part of XYZ may be reproduced in any form without prior consent from seveneightfive designs. For permission requests, call 785.249.3126 or email kerrice@seveneightfive.com XYZ MAGAZINE xyztopeka@gmail.com P.O. Box 750491 Topeka, KS 66675

[ our gang ] our staff would love to hear from you! have something to say? email xyztopeka@gmail.com

YOUR CHILD CAN

Learn a new

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Language

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1 5

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8 11

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Children love MUZZY,

an online way to learn languages through a fun storytelling experience.

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 Free with your library card  Choose from 8 languages  For early and pre-readers

16 1. kerrice mapes | Publisher 2. Janice watkins | Editor-in-Chief 3. leah Sewell | Art Director 4. regina stephenson | Writer 5. annie brock | Writer 6. nicole huckins | Writer 7. lacey gerhardt | Writer 8. Megan rogers | Photographer 9. EJ Drake | Photographer 10. justin marable | Art

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Grown-ups can learn a new language too, with the Mango program.

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18 11. Sarah Long | Photographer 12. Bailey marable | Writer 13. Cale herreman | Writer 14. rio cervantes-reed Marketing Specialist 15. heather mckee | Calendar Editor 16. TONY DAVIS | Writer 17. Erin Snethen | Writer 18. Josh Luttrell | Writer

Start learning your new language at

www.tscpl.org [click Research, then Databases, select MUZZY or Mango]

1515 SW 10th Avenue | Topeka, KS 66604-1374 | www.tscpl.org 785 580-4400 | M–F 9 am–9 pm | Sat 9 am–6 pm | Sun 12 pm–9 pm

© TSCPL 2012

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community calendar fall 2012 compiled by Heather McKee

Dia de los Muertos - Sept. 21 - Nov. 2 Various Times + Locations This month-long celebration will introduce Topeka to the meaning behind Dia de Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” There are plenty of ways to participate in Topeka’s first Day of the Dead celebration, including mask-making, face painting, puppet shows, poetry readings and more! The celebration culminates with a street fair on October 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in NOTO. The street fair will feature two complete blocks of vendors and a full line-up of entertainment, including Aztec dancers and art exhibits open to the public. Bring your lawn chairs!

Have an event you want to see featured here?

We want to get your family-friendly events listed in our calendar. Just contact our calendar editor at mckee.xyz@gmail. com. Your event could be featured online and/or in print. Please keep in mind that we publish on a quarterly schedule.

Next issue December 2012 - March 2013

leadership summit

www.diadelosmuertostopeka.com

Aaron Douglas Art Fair Sept. 22 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

FREE The Aaron Douglas Art Fair will feature music on two stages, face painting for kids, and a children’s tent, which will include a chance to color and create your own t-shirt. This year’s fair will also present interactive art. Come check out over 40 artists’ work and make some of your own. www.aarondouglasartfair.com

See Me Save Consignment Sale October 8 - 13 Topeka Masonic Conference Center, 2300 SW 30th St. See Me Save is a Topeka-owned, whole-family seasonal consignment sale.

You’ll find clothing, accessories, toys, household items and so much more. This is also a great way to earn cash on your gently used items. Public sale starts Oct. 10 at 10 a.m.You can find more information and a complete schedule at seemesave.biz or on Facebook at See Me Save Consignment.

September 29 | 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Boys and Girls Club, 550 SE 27th FREE “Building Leadership Skills to Develop Social Changers”, a leadership summit, sponsored

by Women Empowerment, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka is open for all area middle school girls. This event is free and includes food, breakout sessions and prizes. Registration accepted through the day of the event. www.womenempowermentks.org

Take in a little

Flat Stanley Jr. - Helen Hocker, December 7

THEATRE

The Nutcracker - TPAC Dec. 1 + 2 (KS Ballet Academy) | Dec 7 -9 (Ballet Midwest)

(for the whole family!)

How I Became a Pirate - TCT Academy, Oct. 12 - 21 Laughing Matters, Jr. - TCTA, Oct. 27

Polar Express December 8 | 6-8 p.m.

Velma K Paris Community Center ALL ABOARD! Join Kyler, Topeka’s beloved story time reader and singer, on a magical journey to the North Pole. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served and PJ’s are the preferred attire. Each child will receive an admission ticket in the mail to attend the event. “The bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”

Pre-register before Dec. 4 with the City of Topeka Parks and Recreation.

Parents as Teachers play times These free play times are available to parents with children birth to age five living in the USD 501 school district.

Locations: Quinton Heights, 2331 SW Topeka Blvd., Mon.11-12 a.m., Tues. 6-7p.m., Wed.10 -11a.m. and Thurs.10 -11 a.m.

Pine Ridge, 1100 SE Highland, Mon.1-4 p.m., Tues.1-4 p.m., Thu.14 p.m., and Fri. 9:30 a.m.

-12:30 p.m.

Visit pat. topekapublicschools.net for more information.

Veronica’s Room, TCTA Studio, Nov. 9 - 17 Madeline’s Christmas, TCTA, Dec 7 - 16

Spooktacular Saturday | October 20 3-6 p.m. | Velma K Paris Community Center This Halloween-themed event will feature a Pumpkin Derby at 3 p.m. (registration begins at 2:30 p.m.), a Hallo-weenie roast for the first 200 people at 4 p.m., a pumpkin launch at 5 p.m. and plenty of games for the kids. The evening will close with a Trunkor-Treat. Children can register for the pumpkin launch by bringing a pint sized pumpkin with their name on it to the event. Fee for the Pumpkin Derby is $5. Call 862-1630 by Oct. 12 to preregister for the Pumpkin Derby. www.parks.snco.us

Tails on the Trails November 3 | Shawnee North Community Center | 10 a.m. | $30 Tails on the Trails is a dog-friendly 5K walk/run and family event to raise money for the Helping Hands Humane Society. Don’t have a dog? You can rent one for the day! The Helping Hands Humane Society brings dogs, who are available for adoption the day of the event.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/tailsonthetrail

Check Topeka’s full events calendar, topeka365.com for more events

F. A. B. (find a babysitter)

by Rio Cervantes-Reed

XYZ mined its sister magazine, seveneightfive, for the best upcoming events for you and your partner, or for a Girls or Guys Night Out (GNO) in Topeka. Call the babysitter, get a cab on standby and have a F.A.B. time!

NOTO (North Topeka Arts District): Every Wednesday, Jam Session at the Dip: Serendipity invites you to bring your instruments and your chops and join in on stage! It’s always a good time, you never know what’s going to happen, and you never know what kind of talent is going to walk in the door. And like great music it all comes together. It’s... serendipity!

the seveneightfive showcase. Fourth Thursdays are for country music and good fun with 94.5 Country Live.

NOTO a GOGO | Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 | Enjoy a progressive shopping excursion with a six-course meal at Serendipity and a six-stop shop crawl with special savings for participants. Get your tickets early, availability is limited! Call 785-430-3157 for reservations, $20 per person.

Every Thursday, Nightlife in NOTO: Shops are open late, and there is live music and great drink specials at Serendipity (820 N. Kansas). First Thursdays, bring your dancing shoes and enjoy soul, R&B, and rock with Slow Ya Roll. Second Thursdays you’ll be rockin’ & rollin’ with Chris Aytes & the Good Ambition.

Third Thursdays you’ll appreciate the best performances from up and coming performers and veteran troubadours courtesy of

NOTO Blues & BBQ Streetfest | Sept. 30 | This 2nd annual event features live music by Hadden Sayers, The Kris Lager Band, and the Josh Vowell Band. Shops, galleries and businesses on N. Kansas Avenue will be open for browsing + shopping! Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy barbeque + beverages that will be available for sale. No coolers allowed. $10 admission (children under 12 free).

Topeka Civic Theatre

done it” before the end? Tickets go on sale to the general public on October 2.

(785-357-5211 reservations):

or

visit

www.topekacivictheatre.com

for

Legally Blonde: The Musical | Through Oct. 6 | puts Elle’s adventures at Harvard Law School to music! Tickets are on sale now. Grab your favorite blondes, and brunettes & redheads and go!

A Christmas Story | Nov. 23 - Dec. 23 | You can take the kids to this one, or not. Holiday fun for all ages, this staging tells the classic story of Ralphie and his adventures with his Ryder BB gun, the school bully, and his father’s “Major Award.” Tickets go on sale November 14.

And Then There Where None | Oct. 19 - Nov. 3 | is a killer of a thriller from the classic Agatha Christie. Can you guess “who

Laughing Matters | Nov. 9 + 10 | improvisational comedy is always a great choice for date night or GNO. Enjoy table service from the full bar. Doors open at 7p, show starts at 8p.

Topeka Performing Arts Center

Hall, Kansas Expocentre, 17th & Topeka. Come back Saturday evening for Girls Night Out, 6-9p, admission is $10 at the door.

(Call 785-234-2787 or visit www.tpactix.org for tickets): Henry Rollins: Capitalism | Oct. 2 | If you were a punk (or a poseur) in the early ‘80s, you probably remember Rollins performing with his band Black Flag or the late ‘80s with the Rollins Band. He is now touring all 50 state capitals and D.C. with his original spoken word performance. Tickets are on sale now.

Junior League of Topeka Merry Market | Nov. 16 + 17 | Grab the girls and do your gift shopping (or pick up something for yourself, you deserve it) at the Merry Market at the Agricultural

Mulvane Art Museum’s Artful Dining | Through Nov. 30 | Choose from several themed events, each providing an opportunity to enjoy various artful creations of varied mediums, including flowers, paint, poetry, jewelry and music. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available at each location. Tickets range from $35 to $65 depending on the event. Purchase tickets by calling 670.1124 or visit washburn.edu/artfuldining. Proceeds from Artful Dining benefit the Mulvane’s exhibit and education programs.

for more F.A.B. events, visit seveneightfive.com

the skating rink

W

hile learning to ride a bike is a major benchmark for most children, I can remember with more clarity the days I spent at the local skating rink strapping wheels to my uncoordinated feet. There is something magical about seeing a rink packed full of people, gliding around – almost like a school of fish – while the sound system blasts funky beats and the spotlights and disco balls dazzle.

It was part of my summer tradition growing up; every Wednesday was spent swimming at the public pool, and every Friday saw me and a group of my friends eagerly pushing through crowds to find enough bench space to swap our street shoes for skates.

Some of my fondest memories center around the mixture of activities at the rink. Whether it was waiting my turn to take a run at the high score of a classic arcade machine, eating entirely too much snack bar food, or taking part in skating limbo, I was always engaged, and even though I was, in fact, inside a controlled environment, I felt unrestrained and free for some reason.

Now that I am a father of a two and three-year-old, I want my sons to grow and experience some of the same joys I once held as a boy. Earlier this year, my family and I went on a little camping trip, which happened to be at a campground that had its own old-fashioned skating rink. Despite the emphasis of many around me on building the largest campfire known to man to charbroil marshmallows, I had a singular goal – I was going to take my boys skating for the first time.

My sons were a little skeptical when they first saw daddy strapping these strange contraptions onto their feet, but once they were out on the floor, I got to see this once-ina-lifetime sight. The look on their faces as they struggled every second to keep their balance and maintain forward motion, well, they were terrified, exhilarated, and loving every second of it. Even though they never lost their death-grip on daddy’s hands, I could tell they felt free, just as I had all those years ago, as a slightly older boy.

XYZ TOPEKA

b y To n y D a v i s photo by EJ Drake | edrake photography

go skate! (& take your kids) Starlite Skate

301 SE 45th St Prices: Friday Night 7:30 pm - 11 pm $6 9 pm - 11 pm $5 Saturday Morning Learners 10 am - 12 pm $4 Parents skate free Saturday Matinee 11-1 $4, 1-3 $4, 3 -5 $4 Stay All Day Saturday 11 am - 5 pm for $6.

Hot dog and drink included!

Saturday Night 7:30-11 $6 9-11 $5 Sunday Matinee 1-3 $4 3-5 $4 Sunday “Bargain” Night 7 - 9:30 pm $4

SK8Away

815 Fairlawn Rd. Public skate times and prices: Friday Night Sessions 7:30-11 pm, $6.50 or 9 – 11 pm, $5.50 Saturday Learner’s Session 10 am–12 pm, $4.50/child Parents skate free Saturday Matinee Sessions 11 am – 1 pm, 1 – 3, or 3 – 5, $4.50/session Saturday All Day Skate 11 am – 5 pm, $6.50 (skaters must be to the rink by noon) Includes skate rental, slice of pizza and 12 oz. soda Saturday Night Sessions 7:30–11, $5.50 or 9–11, $4.50 (can include all-you can eat pizza buffet) All-you can eat pizza/soda and skating $12.00 Sunday Matinee Sessions 1 – 3 or 3 – 5 pm, $4.50/ea.

XYZ xyztopeka.com

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horse love

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when the dream of owning a pony becomes a passionate reality

by Annie Brock • photos by Megan Rogers | Megan Rogers Photographie

ew little girls exist who, at one point or another, haven’t desperately wished to have a pony. For some girls, the closest they’ll ever come to riding a horse is in their imagination as they flip through the pages of Black Beauty, but at Rocking V Ranch, just south of Topeka, the ubiquitous childhood fantasy of becoming a bona fide horsewoman (or horseman) can become a reality.

Laura Curry, mother of 7-year old Elise, proudly watches her daughter trot a horse around a practice ring, as a Rocking V riding instructor offers pointers and critiques. As a girl, Laura participated in the sport, and was happy to discover her daughter loves it as much as she did.

“She really enjoys the sport,” says Laura, of the Western-style riding in which her daughter participates.

“It’s fun and rewarding. It’s a childhood dream for little girls.”

Rocking V Ranch

Western riding is comprised of a variety of different events.

Some of these events include, Western Pleasure, a group event in which a horse’s control and poise is demonstrated against other horses; Halter, an event in which the horse’s build and form is judged as it’s handler leads it around by a halter; Reining, a fast-paced event in which the horses are guided through difficult maneuvers and patterns by their riders; and Showmanship, where the handler of the horse is judged

7325 SW 93rd St. Wakarusa, KS (785) 256-7009 www.rockingvequinecenter.com

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on his or her appearance, control, and grooming of the animal.

riding has given her some serious selfconfidence.

12-year-old Topekan, Jordan Vandervort, is turning her childhood hobby of riding horses into an impressive Western-riding résumé that she hopes one day will score her a spot on the Kansas State University equestrian team. Jordan has been showing horses since she was just 4-years old.

“It’s made me feel better about getting out there in front of people and doing things. It’s a confidence-booster. And being able to know I am capable of controlling a live animal is a cool feeling, too,” says Jordan.

“Every kid needs to be involved in something, and this is what I fell in love with,” says Jordan about her sport.

Not only does she love riding, but she’s also really good at it. She most recently participated in the Palomino Youth World competition where she, along with her horse, DaLite, racked up a 3rd place finish in Western Pleasure, a 6th place finish in Halter, and a 7th place finish in Showmanship in her 18 and under division. (Yes, that’s in the world.)

Jordan has found much success with her horses inside the arena, but she also has a deep connection with them

outside of the competition. She loves to go for rides when she’s feeling upset or stressed, and says that, “horses can tell when you’re upset.”

For Jordan, riding isn’t just a stress reliever, it’s helped her build character in a variety of ways. Thanks to performing in front of crowds of people and judges,

Surrounded by white fencing and dotted with red barns and stables, Rocking V Ranch offers an idyllic setting for kids to try both Western and English-style riding lessons. Coaches include Jackie Bayer, an English riding instructor with over 25 years of experience, and Missy Hood, a world-champion Reiner. The Rocking V instructors cater to children and adults of all ages, interests, and ability levels.

Think you might be interested in trying riding? Jordan has some advice for you: “Go do it. Get out there and try,” she says. “Most people who get on a horse end up loving it.” XYZ TOPEKA XYZ xyztopeka.com

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fall abundance

Environmental

Parenting

how to dispose of the bounty once the kids have had their fill

by Heather McKee • photo collage by Heather McKee

F

all scatters autumnal colors through the skyline and trees lining the streets. As those auburn, yellow, and eventually brown leaves scatter to the ground, they can become a cheap and easy source of fun for the kids – a leaf pile. Once the kids have easily exhausted themselves and the fun has been depleted to a scattered yard of crunchy irritation, the dilemma often comes in the clean-up and the best way to address the building piles, without adding unnecessary waste to the landfill.

The Shawnee County Refuse Department considers “grass, leaves, tree trimmings, bushes, limbs, etc.” as yard waste and suggests that such material be used as compost as often as possible. The department recommends using grass clippings and leaves on your yard to provide natural nutrients to the soil and avoid adding the easily disposable “waste” to the community landfill.

Consider that the average trash bag takes 100 years or more to decompose in a landfill. If you bag your leaves and grass clippings and leave them for curb-side pick up by the sanitation truck, it will take at least 100 years for the waste to finish the decaying process and return to the earth as dirt. By purchasing biodegradable trash bags, the decomposition process can be reduced to about 200 days, depending on the environment.

It is best, however, to research biodegradable bags before purchase and what disposal method your local landfill uses.

Composting in your yard is a great alternative to bagging leaves and will result in an added bonus come spring gardening. The Shawnee County recycling division, as well as the K-State Extension office, offer composting bins to residents. Along with leaves and small twigs, you can compost grass clippings and other yard waste, in tandem with food waste and paper products.

Composting is actually quite simple. To compost, you create layers of the various types of waste, keep the compost pile moist, and “stir� the pile once a week. Diligence to the compost pile should result in an easily added nutrient to the soil for future flowers and a garden.

Mulching is yet another option to disposing of leaves and creating an added benefit for your lawn. Mulching does require the purchase of a mulching mower, but it is a great investment. As the leaves break down, following mulching, this creates a natural fertilizer in your grass and helps accelerate the growth process, without the use of harsh chemicals and treatment.

It is important to remember that leaves can be an added benefit to your yard and the environment, if disposed of in an eco-friendly way. Rake the leaves up, jump in and then decide on a family project for disposal. XYZ TOPEKA

[ feature ]

this is what

Fall tastes like.

by Regina Stephenson • photos by Sarah Long | Joyful Photography

Malus domestica,

a member of the rose family, was one of the first tree varieties to be cultivated. Hearty and tasty, its fruit is one of the most popular in the world, both on the table and in our literature and prose. You may know it best as a “plain-ole” apple.

Apples are a pretty concrete staple of my childhood Fall: crunching on the secret stash in my bedroom, being punished for pelting my younger

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brother with them, playing miniature soccer with the ones in the school yard. Even this year I have a solid weekend set aside to can, mash, pie, slice, candy and juice alongside my mother-in-law as we harvest from her trees.

The constancy of the apple seems to come from its general ability to endure. Apple crops this year have blossomed even as pumpkins, corn and beans have stilted, choked and died. That virility is why my and my

apple pomme ä p f e l яблоко m e l a manzana t o f a a

husband’s parents grow these trees.

While my in-laws try their hand at subsistence farming, my own enjoy the hands-off landscaping.

Ripened apples in the autumn also mean a price dip in the grocery stores for shoppers eager for raw fruit. Whether you get them from the organic, natural twist of tree in your backyard or from a corporate grocery bin, chances are you will, at some point, put an apple on the supper table or in a backpack lunch.

While apples are incredibly easy to put in a bag and send—no refrigeration, preparation or packaging required—you don’t have to feel a bit neglectful for packing this superfood. Apples pack a whollop of Vitamin-C, and the acids burn away enough germs that, especially if your kiddos are lazy about brushing, it can become a protection against plaque and gingivitis. I’m not advocating dropping the toothbrush just yet, because apples have a naturally

This superfood also has a super following. Here are a few family-friendly applebased events that you can check out:

Or to take a stroll in the orchards and pick your own delicious treat, visit:

— Louisburg Ciderfest —

— Rees Fruit Farm —

Sept 22-23, Oct 29-30 9-6

Hwy 24 and Hwy K4

The annual Ciderfest continues for another great weekend of craft booths, live music, barbeque and other good eats. There’ll be lots of fun, family activities like a petting zoo, Picking your pumpkin, hayrides, watching kettle corn being popped and much more.

Visit and enjoy some very fresh apple cider.

(785) 246-3257

— Apple Festival — Sunday Oct 7, 10 to 5 Ward Meade Park Since 1980, celebrating all things apple with foods, live entertainment, town square

high sugar content, but every prevention against dental bills—er, gum disease—helps.

While variety is the spice of life, there are over 7,500 varieties of apple, and numerous ways to make them up. If you’re looking for some cheap family entertainment, though, have your kids help you make some apple dishes.

Aside from apple butter, sauce, dumplings, pie, crisp, dehydrated apple chips, caramel and candied apples, there’s always the creative option of letting your miniature chefs create their own dishes, like my personal favorite, Jack-o-Apple (bite a face into the apple and then cover it with dessert toppings).

No matter how you choose to take part in the fruit of Malus domestica, be sure to enjoy some of the local attractions like festivals and orchard celebrations - they’re both family friendly and easy on the budget. How do you like them apples? XYZ TOPEKA

reenactment from the turn of the century, quilt show, petting zoo and more.

Open: Mon-Sat 8-5:30; Sunday 1-5 *Stop by the store and pick up an apple cider slush

— 86th Street Orchard — 5332 NW 86th St (785) 246-1442 Open: May - October; Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9:00am to dusk, or by appointment XYZ xyztopeka.com

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Granny Smith takes a dip:

How to make your own caramel apples b y J a n i c e Wa t k i n s • p h o t o s b y S a r a h L o n g | J o y f u l P h o t o g r a p h y

C

aramel apples can be a year-round treat, but with the bounty of the orchards with the crisp, cool weather, they are a particularly prevalent fall pleasure.

Yolanda Del Real, manager of Hazel Hill Chocolate notes that really all it takes is sugar, milk and butter, although she adds a handful of dark chocolate to make the coating darker and smoother.

“It has to be homemade – the caramel has to be nice and fresh,” Del Real lovingly says.

For the best results, Del Real recommends heating the coating slowly, over two hours, adding milk and ensuring not to bring the coating to a boil.

“It takes a lot of patience,” she laughs. “And Granny Smiths are the best. They hold up to the heat.”

Once the apples are complete, Del Real notes that you can add whatever topping the next day, after re-dipping, such as peanuts, pecans, or almonds, but her personal favorite are the Snicker-coated caramel apples.

While the art of the caramel apple may be difficult to perfect, here is an easy recipe, without the need to unwrap hundreds of tiny, wrapped caramel pieces:

1 cup butter (no substitutes) 2 cups packed brown sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla 8 -10 wooden sticks 8 -10 medium tart apples

Insert 1 wooden stick into each apple. In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball stage) about 30-40 minutes, and for a softer caramel, cook just to a few less degrees. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture; turn to coat. Holding by the stick, sprinkle with nuts or whatever you desire while the caramel is still warm (work quickly - the caramel sets up fast). Set on generously buttered wax paper to cool (make certain to generously butter the paper). Note: if making a double recipe make two recipes in two separate pots. XYZ TOPEKA

Although your homemade caramel apples are probably amazing, nothing beats the tried-and-true deliciously crisp and achingly sweet apples to be found at Hazel Hill. Make a stop at Hazel Hill one of your family’s fall traditions.

Hazel Hill Chocolate Traditions 724 S. Kansas Ave. Downtown Topeka (785) 215-8883 hazelhillchocolate.com XYZ xyztopeka.com

17

the Potwin ghost crew

This pack of kids is a crack team of investigators of unknown phenomena: the Potwin Paranormal Society

by Cale Herreman • photos by Megan Rogers | Megan Rogers Photographie

I

t’s a late summer evening in the Potwin neighborhood of Topeka. The sun is ducking behind the trees and houses.

The air is abuzz with cicada music. On the sidewalk, a boy is trying to tie a brick around a girl’s ankle, to see if she can run with it. His knot quickly unravels. Two yards down, someone announces that they’ve found a rabbit hole and a pack of kids runs to explore the find. Just the normal stuff.

Except that this pack of kids is a crack team of investigators of unknown phenomena: the Potwin Paranormal Society, or POPS, and they have been waiting to be interviewed. Evan McHenry, 10, introduces himself as the Lead Investigator and Founder, while some of his associates decide who should

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“It’s not fake, nothing is fake.

We’re actually doing this.” - Evan McHenry be in the pictures the photographer will shoot. These are media-savvy young people. A local newspaper had already done an article on them, and they seem disappointed that it referenced the classic 1984 movie Ghostbusters.

“We’re nothing like [them],” Skylar Kendall, 10, insists.

“We’re not trying to find ghosts and suck them up in huge vacuums.”

Their methods owe much more to TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.

Around a year ago, Evan saw some strange things in his house. “Stuff coming off shelves, doors closing, weird noises … the trash can lid in the kitchen flew off on its own. I kind of wanted answers, and I started watching those TV shows, and I thought, ‘Gee, why don’t I do that?’”

Not long after, Tanner Ham, 9, says, “He came over with a camera … and we went ghost hunting in my basement. And I felt a presence, and I felt a cold spot.”

Since then, they have grown in members and racked up the strange phenomena.

Ann Palmer, 10, relates one of her experiences, “We were looking in the basement, and I kept feeling like somebody kept playing with us. So we went down into the basement, into a corner, and we were just standing in the dark, videotaping.

And they had a pool table in the middle, and the pool balls

were moving under the cover, and it was creepy.”

A fascination with ghosts and the paranormal is pretty normal for kids, but POPS brings rationalism to their adventures. There are always cameras for recording, multiple investigators, and even a burden of proof. One of their crew, Bannon Palmer, 12, holds the job title ‘Debunker,’ and tries to prove that the evidence isn’t of paranormal origin. She has a more restrictive view of ghosts than most of the group. “I think that they’re real, but I don’t think that they can interact with people that are living. I think they’re around, but we can’t see them.”

Skylar, however, urges tolerance of spirits. “When you’re feeling creeped out by the ghosts in your house,” he says, “you just have to consider: they’re people. They’re not trying to harm you, you have to learn to accept them for who they are - you have to learn to live with them.”

“We’re showing people what’s it’s really like,” Evan insists. “It’s not fake, nothing is fake. We’re actually doing this. We don’t have scripts and stuff.”

The group then goes to the basement to demonstrate their methods. They put on their head lamps and hold their cameras. As lights are turned off, though, their formerly serious faces protest to turn on the lights, and screaming, laughing, and running around ensue. Just the normal stuff.

XYZ TOPEKA XYZ xyztopeka.com

19

[ music ]

jazz/funk fun excellent dance party tracks

A

s a professional aunt, even though I don’t have my own children, I’m pretty well aware of the

by Regina Stephenson ups and the downs and the oh-my-gosh-stoptouching-her-put-that-down-pick-those-up-touch-it-and-findout-for-gosh-sakes-blow-your-nose-and-how-can-you-have-togo-you-just-got-out-of-the-bathroom of being with kids.

My favorite part of hanging out with my babies –er, well, my sister’s babies—is when we get to experiment with music fun.

They’re really excellent dancers, but music with too much jump in it can sometimes lead to more oh-my-gosh-stop-touchingher-put-that-down-etc.

Enter the Dave Matthews Band. What I would argue as their best album, Busted Stuff, also doubles as my favorite jamming album with the kids. With a dark tone, but a lilted beat, there’s enough funk to get everyone tapping a foot (or spinning in crazy circles- hey, whatever floats their boat when they get their dance on, right?) without getting wildly out of hand.

Dave Matthews Band is called a “rock” band, but Busted Stuff has a pretty diverse range of sounds on each track. In this case, “rock” is a stand-in for “jazz funk classic fun.” DMB uses several different instruments in any given song, including saxophone, flute, guitar, electric keyboard, drum set and mandolin. For my inquisitive oldest nephew, it’s prime learning time without the crummy sing-song of normal “kid” music. I can relax and enjoy the grown-up riffs while he’s bragging that he knows that instrument is a “SAXophone.”

The lyrics are full of imagery that entrances young children with castle-and-cloud type ideas, but still hint at adult themes.

Although she can’t say “juxtaposition,” I think that’s what my imaginative niece loves the most—the stark contrasts between some of the mental pictures that DMB presents. The darker themes are, fortunately, lost on them.

When the children grow into teens who will appreciate the more adult metaphors, then I will fully accept the consequences of being the edgy aunt: awesomeness. In the meantime, my youngest nephew will dance on, oblivious to everything except the main issue: it’s great music, and provides a solid hour of peace.

X Edgy Aunt Reggie

XYZ TOPEKA

sing-a-longs

[ music ]

b y To n y D a v i s

L

ike many parents, I have heard practically every nursery rhyme and learning song around.

I swear sometimes that I have heard the classics on repeat so many times that the lyrics are engraved in my soul, so I’m always on the lookout for new music for my children. And while it isn’t exactly new, the 2006 release of Jack Johnson and Friends: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George was something I recently stumbled across and decided to give a listen.

The first song on the album, “Upside Down,” is fairly well known and was played quite a bit on the radio soon after it was released, but it is definitely not the only song worthy of an ear turn.

The music is all a collection of (mostly) acoustic guitar and light percussion with a mix of upbeat

The best part – at least for me – is that the music is simple enough for my young sons to enjoy and sing along to, but not mindless in the manner of most current children’s music; I even catch myself singing along without intending to join in the singa-long.

A great bonus – when purchased digitally – the album comes with a downloadable PDF coloring book. XYZ TOPEKA

785.233.5577 * 17th & Medford

Your MoSt

and mellow tunes. My children particularly like “We’re Going to Be Friends” and “The Sharing Song,” which, along with several other tracks, are upbeat and have educational lyrics for small children.

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266-0375 | www.mommyandmetopeka.com XYZ xyztopeka.com

21

cool kid’s room

gamer’s cave

by Regina Stephenson • photos by EJ Drake | edrake photography

Do your kids know the Garcias? They want to. With a billboard-esque TV and a surround sound system that rivals most private movie theatres, every kid on the block wants to hang out at the Garcia house.

It’s hard to believe that little more than a decade ago, when their family first moved to Topeka, they didn’t even have a TV. These days, the top floor of the Garcia residence holds the TV, the surround sound with speakers built into the walls, four game consuls, a closet dedicated to RockBand equipment and countless video games shelved in the wings of what was formerly the Garcia attic crawlspace.

“About three years ago, we were doing renovations on the other side of the house on the same floor, putting in an upstairs laundry room,” mother, Ximena Garcia said. “Around that time, our son David asked my husband, ‘Can we just get a couple of beanbags and a TV (for the other room)?’ and we

agreed, but then I started reading some articles and getting ideas.”

With a 60-inch flat screen TV, custom cabinetry, curtains and a professional grade surround sound system; the room feels more like a small theatre than a former attic crawl space.

David, 16, enjoys hanging out with his friends or playing solitary games in the family media room. They even cut a small door in the back of David’s closet, just big enough for an agile teen to sneak through into the media room.

“David plays FIFA, listens to music and will be watching a video all at the same time,” said Christopher Garcia, 13. “We probably use it an hour to two hours a day during school, or

farm adventures

cool kids

David, 16 Christopher, 13 Jacob, 10

F

arm adventures are ripe for the picking in fall. Picking - pumpkins, that is - is just what Reyner Farms offers. With a slogan of “homegrown fun and farm fresh adventures” this seasonally-opened farm is a short car ride from Topeka. Located in Wetmore, Reyner Farms is open for their busy season from September 29 through October 31.

“This will be our twelfth season for the pumpkin farm,” says owner Brenda Reyner. “I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, I just didn’t know that it would involve pumpkins, but I love pumpkins!”

three to four in the summer, playing video games and stuff.”

The other Garcia kids also enjoy the media room, if a little less. Lauren, 19, doesn’t use it much since she’s at college for most of the year, but when she’s home, she has the run of the traffic control since the main entryway is through her room.

Jacob, 10, is most likely to play on the painted-on chalkboard, or with the artistic wall abacus, mostly because it’s hard for him to elbow around his two older brothers to get to the TV screen.

“I barely get to use it,” Jacob said. “We had to make rules like ‘no screen time’ (when we got the media room) or else Chris and David would just always play on it.”

After three months of building and “a lot more than we expected” in price, Ximena said the family is generally pretty satisfied with the results of their media room renovation. She also holds that the room has brought her older sons together, forcing them to agree on activities in order to use the space.

“It’s fun to see them playing together and getting along,” Ximena said.

“I don’t think that’s it,” said Christopher. “But it’s a lot better than two beanbags and a TV.” XYZ TOPEKA

As a self-proclaimed crafter, Reyner had initially conceived the idea of holding an open house on the farm surrounding her house and decided to grow pumpkins to fit with the fall theme. From there, the neighbors and community kept asking for tours and more pumpkins and she and her husband, Doug, turned it into the business that it is today – a fullfledged seasonal pumpkin farm.

With new attractions every year, this year boasts the debut of the John Deere combine slide, to accompany the already popular pumpkin sling shot, corn cannon, trike track, tire mountain, tree house and play area, wagon ride, farm animals and more.

In anticipation for each open season and at the conclusion, Reyner is always in awe.

“I can’t believe this is my farm,” Reyner proclaims.

“I love it!”

Seasonal hours are Sept. 29 – Oct. 21, Saturday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday: 1 -6 p.m. and new Friday hours, Oct. 12, 19 & 26: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.. For more information call (785) 866.5712, or visit renyerspumpkinfarm.com. XYZ TOPEKA - by Janice Watkins | photo by Josh Rouse

[ feature ]

mega families 4 or 5 or 6 (!) kids? Why some parents make the choice to fill their homes with a teeming brood and all the love that ensues.

by Annie Brock • photos by Sarah Long | Joyful Photography

W

alking up the drive of the Bidwell of couples marrying – and subsequently having babies – later home, there’s no mistaking it - in life, the number of children in the average U.S. family has dropped to just 2 – a statistic that super-sized families like children live here.

Well-loved toys lay scattered on the grass and a row of bicycles stand at the ready waiting for their young riders to hop on and take them for a spin around the neighborhood.

The relative quiet of the temporarily-abandoned playthings outside gives way to the commotion of a large family as the front door swings open and the Bidwell children emerge from all corners of their rambling two-story home.

In the midst of an economic downturn and a growing trend 24

xyztopeka.com XYZ

the famous Duggar clan of Arkansas are eschewing in favor more children, and, as three extra-large Topeka families see it, more love to go around.

Jennifer and Robert Bidwell triple the national average with six children, ranging in ages from 11 to 2. The Bidwells didn’t set out to have a big brood. The couple jokes that once they managed the transition from two to three children – and shifted from man-to-man to a zone defense – adding more children was no big deal.

continued on page 26 >>

Clockwise from top left: 9-year-old Emily Bidwell gets a kiss from little sister Kailyn, 3. | Jennifer and Robert Bidwell rely on their bond to raise a family of 6 children. | The Bidwell sisters take their bikes for a spin.| 12 feet means lots and lots of shoes. | Three of the Bidwell brothers (left to right) - Cori, 6, Sterling, 11, and Josiah, 8, stop for a hug. | Robert Bidwell soothes his son.

AS A PARENT YOU WANT YOUR CHILD

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL.

Family Service & Guidance Center is here to help by providing services that can help your child overcome behavioral and emotional obstacles to achieving success.

Family Service & Guidance Center also provides parents with the support you need to raise a happier, healthier child.

Help your child develop their unlimited potential. Call 785-232-5005 today. “...because every child deserves a happy childhood.”

Family Service & Guidance Center Improving children’s lives since 1904 785.232.5005 • www.fsgctopeka.com @fsgctopeka

785.232.5005 • www.fsgctopeka.com 325 SW Frazier Ave • Topeka, KS 66606

Sure, they must make financial sacrifices, such as not going out to eat very often and purchasing used cars, but to the Bidwells it’s a small price to pay for the advantages that having many children brings.

“Every day is an adventure,” says Robert, father of the Bidwell clan and a civil engineer with the Department of Transportation.

Jennifer, a stay-at-home mom, adds that she takes comfort in knowing when Robert and she are gone someday her kids will always have family, “They have ties, connections, relationships with each other,” she says.

The Bidwell family runs like a well-oiled machine, thanks in large part to Jennifer’s smart phone. As she puts it, “If my phone were to die and I didn’t have my calendar, we’d be in serious trouble.”

The children complete chores determined by a rotating chore chart that includes a much-appreciated week off from chores every six weeks (FYI: kitchen duty week is “the worst”). The children are also expected to do their own laundry, and are responsible for getting their homework done without any hounding from mom or dad.

The Wood extended family. | photo contributed

“I don’t subscribe to any specific parenting philosophy,” says Jennifer, “For us it’s about choice and accountability.

Independence is absolutely essential. We teach them how to make good choices when they’re not being watched, and sometimes we have to let them fail to learn.”

Indeed, the Bidwell children have learned that their household works best when they all pitch in. Recently, after coming to a consensus about a new video game they wanted, the children opened a lemonade stand to earn the money to get it – and with all of them pitching in, it was a venture that took only two days.

The Bidwell kids will tell you that it’s not always easy to deal with such a wide variety of moods and personalities each day, but, at the same time, that seems to be what makes life in their bustling house so much fun.

As Emmy, 9, puts it when asked what the best part of having so many siblings is, “there’s always someone to play with.”

Although, as oldest child, Sterling, (and the only Bidwell kid with his own room) points out, while casting a meaningful glance at his siblings, “It is hard when some people keep getting into our rooms and breaking our stuff.”

Unauthorized room entries aside, the Bidwells will tell you that they are one really big, really happy family.

“We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination,” says Jennifer, “But we love each other, and that’s the most important thing.”

Julie Cowles of Topeka is the mother of five children, ranging in ages from 9 to 1, and couldn’t agree more, “Yes, my house is never clean, but in 20 years it really won’t have mattered.

As long as your children’s needs are met, especially with lots of love that really is what it’s all about.”

In addition to their own five children, the Cowles family has had 11 foster children come through their home. And while Julie and her husband, Jasen, are not planning on having more biological children, they do see more children in their future through adoption.

The economic realities of having five children haven’t escaped the Cowles, but as Julie says, “The rewards outweigh what we have had to give up.”

The Cowles save money by cloth-diapering, making their own baby food, and sticking to hand-me-down clothing, but they do splurge on special day trips – like to Worlds of Fun or the movie theater – and have found that some of their fondest memories come from family game nights held right in their own living room.

“We both love children. Watching them grow is such a blessing,” says Julie, “Having a big family isn’t for everyone, but for us it is right.” continued on the next page >>

The Wood children know that when mom yells out “SOH!” (Code for “Save Our House”) they are to drop whatever they’re doing and start cleaning.

Mega Families cont. >>

Having a big family suits Jeanette Wood too, who, along with her husband, Joseph, raises (and home schools) her 11 children on a 16-acre farm just outside of Topeka. The children range in ages from 24 to 1, and their oldest son and his wife are soon expecting the Woods’ first grandchild.

Consisting of both biological and adopted children, the Wood family runs a trucking business out of their home, and everyone, even the kids, do their part to help the business succeed. In fact, 14-year old Josiah, a budding financial wizard, even helps with the company payroll. The other kids pitch in, as well. Each of the children do different jobs around the Wood homestead, which include tending to the garden and orchard, taking care of a variety of animals (including bees, horses, dairy cows, goats, sheep, and ducks), and butchering meat for the family to eat. Daughter Bethany, 17, has more technology-focused responsibilities like helping her mom blog and tweet and assisting in maintaining the family-business website.

The Woods have to be organized – running a business, a farm, a household, and homeschooling their children – is a big daily operation, but just like any family, sometimes they are caught with a messy house and unexpected company on the way. The Wood children know that when mom yells out “SOH!” (Code for “Save Our House”) they are to drop whatever they’re doing and start cleaning.

Elijah, 19, says that his favorite part of living in a big family is, “the diversity of the kids. You have so many people who like so many different things.”

Diversity is also a valuable part of being the mother of many for Jeanette who says, “It’s important to me as a mom that my

kids are different and unique. I want to find out their interests and help them succeed.”

The newest addition to Wood house, Daniel, is just one-year old and came to the family through adoption. Daniel has been diagnosed with Duchenne’s disease – a terminal form of muscular dystrophy for which there is no cure. Most boys diagnosed with Duchenne’s will die before reaching their twentieth birthday, and Daniel’s form has proved particularly aggressive, but you won’t ever hear Jeanette putting an expiration date on her son’s life.

As Jeanette holds the little boy with tousled brown hair and an infectious smile, and administers medicine through a feeding tube that snakes into his nose, she says confidently, “I just know how unlimited God is. One of the things that was really clear to me when we adopted Daniel was that disease doesn’t number our days, God does. God has numbered all our days. I’m not guaranteed tomorrow with any of my kids.”

And, in similar form, none of Daniel’s many siblings seem to dwell on how his illness has altered the dynamic of their large family either. When asked how Daniel has changed their lives, his siblings exchange knowing smiles with one another, and cite the laughter and happiness that having a baby in the house has brought to the Wood clan.

“It’s a lot louder and a lot more fun,” says sister, Sarah Grace, 12, “We just smile more.”

“I won’t be surprised at all if Daniel outlives me, because I know God can do that. But if he doesn’t, I’ll be okay. Because the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” says Jeanette.

And the Woods have been given a lot to smile about. After moving from California to Topeka four years ago, they are embracing their new home and watching their business expand. And, like the Bidwells and the Cowles, they don’t really dwell on the financial constraints or the demand of having lots of children, rather they focus on all the goodness that a house full of people – and full of love – can bring.

XYZ TOPEKA

cool kid’s bday

fine art fun

by Nicole Huckins • photos by EJ Drake | edrake photography

T

here’s a new option in Topeka for that special birthday experience of the artsy variety - Paint Therapy Uncorked. It began as an idea sparked by a friend of Margie Mudge more than a year ago. Finally, in May, after hours of research and even painting for the first time, she was able to open her dream studio.

“When I’m having a tough day, I come in here and paint, and I find a release,” Mudge explains, regarding her newly found appreciation for art therapy and her desire to share this with Topeka.

Stylish and cozy, the brightly colored studio is open and perfect for large groups of kids and parents getting together.

Just a stroll through the gallery will get the creativity flowing, and parents will be pleased to leave any messiness behind.

The two-hour painting party begins with the birthday boy or girl choosing a piece of artwork or theme they would like to re-create. Then Mudge delivers step-by-step directions, allowing the birthday party attendees to create their own personalized masterpiece. Popular birthday pieces so far have been a cupcake, a butterfly, and a purse, but any of the displayed artwork can be chosen for the party. Mudge is constantly adding new pieces, so no two parties need be alike.

“I can see personality come out when people start painting,” Mudge says of the young artists’ freedom to express themselves. “One young lady took so long to draw the tree trunk - she was so particular!”

Many add their own flair and colors, or decide to paint something completely different than the selected piece. The artists can also paint on a variety of canvases, such as tiles, glass, or a transfer to a t-shirt.

After the painting session, there will be plenty of time for a game or a scooter race before cake, ice cream and presents.

Although food and drink is not provided, any food, drink or decorations the parents wish to provide is acceptable.

Paint Therapy Uncorked is a great celebration atmosphere for the next budding artist, where kids and parents will dually be amazed at their very own creations. “I’m so happy doing what I do,” Margie exclaims “and everyone leaves happy.” This party is guaranteed to give the kids of all ages a memorable experience, one they can even take home with them to cherish. XYZ TOPEKA

plan your party Paint Therapy Uncorked 2130 SW 29th Street Topeka, KS 66614 785.231.9778 (Margie) www.painttherapyuncorked.com Cost is $250 for a minimum of ten children and adults and an additional $25/person.

You provide your own food and beverage and Paint Therapy Uncorked provides the fun and clean-up.

Each guest leaves with his or her own masterpiece.

XYZ xyztopeka.com

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full potential

how TARC gives infants & toddlers a boost

by Lacey Gerhardt photos by Megan Rogers | Megan Rogers Photographie

At

15 months, Jackson Thomas is a certified bundle of energy. He makes quick work of his newly acquired walking skills as he scurries about the room. Ten months ago, Jackson’s parents, Megan and Matt Thomas, were worried that the vision of their son toddling around the living room may never come to fruition.

At a routine doctor’s appointment when he was only four months old, a Nurse Practitioner noticed an involuntary movement in Jackson’s eye. The next few months became a whirlwind of appointments and consults for the Thomas family. Because Jackson’s doctors were not initially able to determine exactly what was causing the eye movement and feared additional developmental issues for Jackson, he was referred to TARC’s Children’s Services to involve him in the Infant to Toddler program.

The Thomas family met with Nicole Torneden, a Family Service Coordinator and Early Childhood Special Educator, when Jackson was four and a half months old and together they created an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Based on this plan the family works with Nicole during in-home meetings every few weeks to achieve milestones and goals that TARC and the Thomas family have jointly set.

As Jackson continued to hit his milestones, the meetings became spaced further apart, but will continue until Jackson is three and he is able to be assessed within the school district.

“It’s an opportunity to work with kids and help them meet their full potential,” Torneden said.

Jackson’s visits typically begin with a review of the family’s plan. Then much of the time is spent observing Jackson in his natural environment. These meetings have taken place both in the Thomas home, as well as Jackson’s daycare facility.

Following the observation, the family brainstorms ideas to keep the IFSP in motion.

While all of that may be typical of a “Jackson Thomas” visit, there is no “typical visit” when it comes to how these home visits are conducted. For all children in the in the Infant

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Toddler program, the plans and visits are customized to meet the needs of the children receiving services. They are worked into the child’s natural and daily routine to ensure that the program goals are able to be as effective as possible.

The Infant Toddler program is not the only program offered within TARC’s Children Services. Three additional programs are offered to children and families within the community: the Children’s Residential Program, which matches children with developmental disabilities who need out-of-home placements with supportive families to meet the children’s needs; the Parents and Children Together (PACT) program, which helps parents with cognitive limitations build and develop parenting skills, through the support of coordinators and a monthly parent group; and Special Parents and Respite Kare for Kids (SPARKK). According to Cathie Huckins,

pediatric specialists, including Early Childhood Special Education Teachers, such as Torneden, speech language therapists, social workers, physical therapists and occupational therapsists.

“Each of these staff has experience focused on infants and toddlers and their development,” Huckins adds.

Director, Children’s Services/Assistive Technology, the SPARKK program began in 2003 to help address the needs of families who requested respite support. SPARKK is an evening event that gives those caring for a child with disabilities some time to themselves while the child is being cared for in a safe and nurturing environment.

Through the creation of these four Children’s Services programs, over 730 children are served by TARC each year. The Children’s Services staff is made up of 27

When the Thomas family began their journey with TARC, they were unsure of what lay ahead for Jackson.

Thankfully Jackson has been growing and developing in a typical manner, with an eye condition known as nystagmus. During his TARC visits, an individual with additional eye specialty may attend and track his progress.

The Thomas family has been happy with the support they have received from Torneden and others from the Infant Toddler program.

“We are so thankful for them,” Megan Thomas said. “They have been an amazing source of knowledge and support for us.” XYZ TOPEKA

W

a park for all

hile those that know of the existence of this hidden gem often refer to it as the TARC Park, the park’s full name is The Topeka Active 2030 Club Wright Place to Play Park. Members of the Topeka Active 20-30 Club shared a vision with the TARC staff in 2006 and together they dreamed about a playground that would allow all children to be able to play side-by-side. This group identified the need for a playground that would have activities for children birth to 12 years of age, support a range of abilities and promote skill building in all areas of development. Accessible equipment was integrated throughout the playground and the surface of the playground allows children to crawl and use walkers or alternative devices to move about. The playground is a welcoming place where children of all abilities can interact, play, learn and have fun together.

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by Nicole Huckins • photos by Sarah L ong | Joyful Photography

day trip!

by Nicole Huckins • photos by Sarah L ong | Joyful Photography

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opekans will often find themselves Kansas City bound; sometimes for a soccer tournament, or even to do a little shopping at Legends. With an abundance of activities and sights heading east on 1-70, it might be easy to miss the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, but this farm is a must-see attraction for families, even if you have to detour to the Overland Park area while in KC. Built in 1978, and renamed “Deanna Rose” in 1985 after the first Overland Park police officer killed while on duty, the farm resembles a small 19th century prairie town. Upon entering, one will take note of the one-room schoolhouse, dairy barn, tee-pee and earthen lodge. The other side of the town includes the bank, general store and ice cream parlor, which is particularly crowded on those hot summer days.

Topeka mom, Nicole Twemlow recently spent some time in KC seeking child-friendly activities.

“I really enjoyed our family trip to the Deanna Rose Farmstead, it was cheap and entertaining for children as well as the adults,” she noted.

There are over 200 different animals to be discovered on the farm, as chickens, rabbits, horses, goats, pigs and ponies all call the farm home. Twemlow’s 5-year old son, Elias said his favorite attraction was ‘’the HUGE peacock”, opposed to the bald eagle and horned owl that are also housed on the farm.

There are also several animals on display that the kids can get up close and personal with, including a petting area and a cow milking demonstration in the barn.

“The mini nature trail is a must see if you visit the farmstead,” Twemlow observed, consisting of a butterfly garden and a perfect picture-taking spot on a bridge.

Other popular attractions are the tractor tricycles, baby goat bottle-feeding, and pony rides. Many families take a stroll around Grandpa Bob’s pond, where fishing is the premiere pastime. And youngsters will thoroughly enjoy the playground area, complete with two huge slides that descend from a silo.

The Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is surely a stop to be made while in the KC area, where families can spend the day or just a few hours. Although Fall has arrived, it’s still a great time to explore the Farmstead, learn about the animals and take in a history lesson or two. XYZ TOPEKA

tips for your trip: • The weekend admission prices are $2 per person with 2 and under free, but from Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays) the admission price is free for all visitors.

• The activities inside do cost a minimal amount, but you can save by buying the combo pack for $10 that includes mining, a wagon ride, a pony ride, a bottle of milk for the goats, and fishing.

• Be sure to stop in and visit the old country schoolhouse. Often there is a teacher providing lessons to kids, including an arts and crafts activity. Not to mention it’s a great time to get a history lesson of life on the prairie, when children really did walk five miles in the snow to school.

• October is a great month to visit the Farm before it closes for the winter on October 31st. Pumpkin Hallow begins September 28th and includes a pumpkin patch, hayride, maze and additional Fall-themed activities. During the weekends in October, the Farm offers Night of the Living Farm, where trick-or-treaters can go through a haunted barn and haunted hayride. (There is an additional admission fee for each event.)

• Since outside food and drink are not permitted inside, there is a park near the east entrance that many families frequent for a picnic lunch while visiting the farm.

• Deanna Rose Information: Address: 13800 Switzer Rd Overland Park, KS 66221 Phone: 913-897-2360 Website: http://www.opkansas.org/Things-to-See-And-Do/ Deanna-Rose-Childrens-Farmstead/

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mommy networking

by Lacey Gerhardt • photos by Sarah Long | Joyful Photography

How some Topeka moms are finding each other and in the process, finding new levels to the joys of parenthood.

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t’s around 9 a.m., the third Tuesday in September, as the women begin arriving at Covenant Baptist Church. Some of them are members of the church, but many are not. Some of them carry covered dishes and most have a toddler, a baby, or both in tow.

The women drop off their children for childcare, convene in another room, and spend the next two hours enjoying each others’ company, including a short reprieve from the demands of their tiny tots.

This group is known as Mothers of Preschoolers (M.O.P.S.). This national organization is individually sponsored by churches throughout the country, giving the mother members opportunities to meet and network with each other a few days each month.

The group meets formally on the first and third Tuesdays of the month for a small meal and time in small groups to network and listen to a speaker or participate in a group craft. All the while, their children participate in the MOPETTES program, where they experience a preschool-like setting with classes organized by age group.

While the meetings are sponsored by and held within a church, the groups themselves are non-denominational and accept any member, regardless of religious affiliation or not.

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“Everybody is making the same mistakes and we’re supporting each other through it.”

-- Amanda Yorkey, mom of two and founder of the Shawnee County North Moms Group

The small group time is a chance for the them to sit together and catch up on each other’s lives, as well as provide the women an opportunity to seek counsel or support from the other women regarding their families and answer any questions.

“I like to joke that it’s a break from the kids,” Lynette Chada, mother of three and co-coordinator for the 2012-13 M.O.P.S. group at Covenant Baptist says, “but it’s a community of moms trying to support each other. Every mom is not alone.”

On the groups “off ” weeks, the members still meet for playdates and nightly events to help strengthen their bonds with one another.

The M.O.P.S. group at Covenant Baptist Church is not the only group in Topeka.

Northland Christian Church also has M.O.P.S. groups, including an evening group so that working moms are able to benefit from the support of a group.

While the M.O.P.S. group is formally recognized, several other ways exist for stay-at-home parents to network with other stay-at-homers on a local, and even much broader level.

A group of moms at a La Leche League playgroup

For Amanda Yorkey, stay-at-home mother of two, it all started when she wanted to host a small-scale Easter egg hunt for her children. She emailed a few other mothers she knew who stayed home with their children and encouraged them to email any friends who might be interested. From the success of the Easter egg hunt, the Shawnee County North Moms Group was born.

The group meets a few times a month for playdates at the park and lunch. The group also plans day trips throughout the year.

The Shawnee County North Moms Group is non-sanctioned and less formal than parenting groups such as M.O.P.S., but Yorkey sees her group as just as important and impactful.

“It makes me a better mother,” Yorkey says. “It makes me put my children first.”

Just as with the M.O.P.S. groups, the support the mothers receive from each other is invaluable in the friendships formed and socialization skills their children are able to cultivate during the playdates and lunches.

A playgroup meets at Gage Park’s Animal Land. Making connections with other moms helps kids form social connections as well.

continued on page 37 >>

Fall just wouldn’t be the same without it.

W O G

GARY’S

PUMPKIN PATCH Fall Festival

OPENS OPENS SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 28TH 30TH Just 10 min. from Topeka

Admission to the Fall Festival (Includes all activities except bon fire)

$9.95 plus tax (children under 2 yrs. are free) www.garys-berries.com

1

16 17 &

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N OWIN SH

Oct 12 - 21| ALL AGES

A t c t @

Adults $10 | Full-Time Students $8 Children 12 & under $6 / (plus tax)

Terrific songs like “A Good One To Boot,” “You’ve Got to Talk Like a Pirate,” “Pirates Dot Aaargh!,” and many others will have the audience rolling in the aisles and leaving the theatre secretly wishing for Braid Beard and the gang to one day pay them a visit.

Purchase tickets today! Call 357.5211 or online topekacivictheatre.com *** Don’t miss LAUGHING MATTERS JUNIOR, an all-youth Comedy Troupe that performs comic sketches and games guaranteed to make you laugh.

OCTOBER 27 | Tickets $5 (plus tax)

Shop Free on Friday 1-6 and Saturday 9-3 at Topeka Expocentre’s Ag Hall.

Girls Night Out, Nov. 16, 6-9 pm.

Tickets $10 at the door.

Champagne Breakfast, Saturday Nov. 17th, 8-10 am. Pre-sale Tickets, $5.

Tickets at door, $7.

continued from page 35 >>

through the same thing. It’s nice to talk to people that you have something in common with.”

Because these groups are not as organized for the sheer purpose of being a networking event, it can take an additional effort to maximize the time spent with other parents.

“You have to maximize your time at practice,” Becker says. “If you want to get to know other moms you can’t just sit in your car and read a book.”

“We get support from each other,” Yorkey says. “Everybody is making the same mistakes and we’re supporting each other through it.”

Just as stay-at-home moms need support, working moms and dads also need support in parenting and building a parenting community. At times, those who work outside of the home have to get a little more creative in looking for those networks.

One way is to use their children’s extracurricular activities as an opportunity to network with other parents.

Practice fields can be a great place for parents to interact with one another and lean on each other for support because typically everyone there has children around the same age and with at least one common interest.

“We all end up having similar issues,” Hollie Becker, mother of three, says of the other parents attending their children’s practices. “If I mention something about one of the boys being sick, usually one of the other moms will have just been

In the days of modern technology, social networking also plays a big part in the opportunities that parents have to meet other parents and meet other parents and find support. Both the M.O.P.S. group and the Shawnee County North Moms Group have Facebook pages that they use to keep their members aware of their activities and to invite and encourage others to attend. Websites, such as Meetup.com, allow parents to search out play groups in their area. Additional websites such as Babycenter.com and thebump.com provide message boards that give parents the opportunity to interact with other parents on a global level. They provide groups specifically created to meet any parent’s need, such as the child’s age, the parenting method that they are using, and areas of the country in which they reside. They also provide message boards for parents suffering from loss, or children with special needs.

Regardless of how parents choose to network, they are doing it. Networking is no longer just three-piece suits and business cards. In the full-time career of parenthood, it is much more about play dates and fellowship – found in a sundry of ways throughout the community. XYZ TOPEKA

where do I begin looking for ways to connect with other moms?

I

t’s hard to dispute the benefits of networking in any form, but the difficulty often comes in taking the first step. We’ve gathered some information on several of Topeka’s parenting groups and other ways to find information and find the right network for you.

Capital City Moms is a locally organized group of mostly stay-at-home moms from Topeka. The group was formed to encourage friendship among moms and children. There are no membership limits and interested participants are encouraged to attend one or two monthly events before joining. For more information visit www.capitalcitymoms.org.

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is an international organization, designed to provide resource information and support. To find a local chapter near you, visit www.mops.org.

MOMS (Mothers of Multiples) Topeka is a group designed specifically for mothers, or expectant mothers of multiples. The group hosts playgroups, mom’s night out and family events. For more information, contact Angela at info@MOMStopeka.com.

SilverMoms is a newly formed group of women who will work as an offset of the SilverbackKS group and assist in planning advocacy efforts for moms in the community. For more information, visit the SilverbackKS Facebook page.

MOMS Club of Topeka is a support group designed specifically for the stay-at-home mother, or parent, to create the same opportunities for friendship and network, just as a working parent would have. For more information visit www.topekamomsclub.com.

Other ways to network are available outside of the typical mom or parenting group. Parents of Teachers hosts free play times for parents with children age birth to age five living in the USD 501 school district each week, including a “Just Me and My Dad” group. Engage your children and the other parents simultaneously. For more information call (785) 274-6480.

Groups exist for nearly every parent, from parents of children suffering from illness to parents who drive a specific kind of vehicle. Visit the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library’s wall of brochures and information, for additional information about groups and resources available. XYZ TOPEKA XYZ xyztopeka.com

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NOTO for all ages

by Cale Herreman • photos by Megan Rogers | Megan Rogers Photographie

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owntown North Topeka isn’t what it used to be.

North Kansas Avenue was once known for its bars and vacant buildings, but it’s been gentrified with the establishment of the NOTO Arts District. The planting of art galleries and shops has grown into quite a draw: the monthly First Friday crowd packs the sidewalks, as people chat, laugh, and buy. The concentrated energy of this two-block area is something Topeka has needed for a long time.

On a recent First Friday evening, there were plenty of young adults and middle-aged people on the scene, but not many children. How family-friendly is this thing, anyhow? Can a local attraction filled with (potentially fragile) art and (often breakable) antiques be a good place to take the kids?

Well, would those kids like a bottle of pop? SodaWorks, purveyor of fine vintage beverages, is always a hit with young and old patrons who find the mini soda shop inside Rusty Haggles Antiques, 826 N. Kansas. Browsing in the antique shop’s collection is certain to trigger questions in curious young minds.

Jean Gardner, co-owner, insists, “We don’t get uptight. Kids need to be curious, and they need to look and see!” As for concerns about children’s potential destructiveness, she wisely adds, “We hope that parents are respectful, and watch what’s happening.”

The area has plenty of eye candy for kids. The window of Mayking Cakes and Confections features a few colorful and delicious-looking edible creations. The stairwell leading up to Gravity Gallery is a rainbow bridge to the sky. There is a bathtub on the corner in front of The Eclective that sprouts a garden of metal flowers. Across the street sits a vacant building with a facade decorated with “NOTO Hide and Seek.” Kids could spend a long time looking for the

Inside The Eclective, 900 N. Kansas, families will find a very welcoming environment.

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“Kids need to be exposed to this early. Get them interested in wanting to play around with paint and crayons.

That’s how I learned to paint: going to different galleries, and looking at work that I liked.”

— Shelly Bedsaul, NOTO artist

seemingly random objects attached to the wall.

The eye-catching art on display is always changing, as new artists are featured and works are sold. Fortunately, it’s arranged in a way that leaves a lot of open floor space, which gives children room to move around, and parents the ability to easily keep an eye on them.

There’s even a colorful corner toward the back with a table adorned with paper and crayons.

In the smaller space of Foole’s Dream Studio, 833 ½ N Kansas, artist Shelly Bedsaul is also very supportive of young visitors.

“Kids need to be exposed to this early.

Get them interested in wanting to play around with paint and crayons. That’s how I learned to paint: going to different galleries, and looking at work that I liked.” She invites children to inspect the art on display, and is happy to let visitors watch her create. Incidentally, Bedsaul is something of an art pioneer, having

established her studio on North Kansas many years before the Arts District got started.

An even older place is Topeka Carnival Supply, 839 N. Kansas. The tall, narrow, spooky space is jam-packed with costumes, masks, hats, and macabre toys. Browsing here could lead to an interesting Halloween costume, a history lesson, or chasing younger siblings with rubber spiders.

A great way to wrap up a day of exploring is a meal at Bradley’s Corner Cafe, 844 N. Kansas. The cafe serves down-home food, with a decent kids’ menu. The Wild West mural and décor ensures that kids will have something to look at until their order arrives.

Yes, NOTO has plenty to offer families, as long as everyone is in the mood to explore. There are so many places to visit, and new shops, galleries, and centers are coming in the near future. Everyone should come and see, with a child’s sense of wonder. XYZ TOPEKA

imagination

I overheard Bebe, (age 6), playing with her Barbies. This is the conversation her dolls had: “Hello, Skipper.”

“Hello, Barbie, what’s new?”

“Well, nothing much except” (now in a scary voice) “I’m now a zombie!”

“Eeeeeeek!” screamed Skipper.

(I don’t remember my sisters playing with their Barbies like that.)

– submitted by Shannon

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one end of the house to the other or we have to sit in time out.” I asked Natalie, who said, “Well, we can’t like Missouri...Dad will get mad!” Dad was proud!

– submitted by Adrianne After a performance this afternoon, I am sitting with my granddaughter and she looks at my chest and the following conversation ensues: Lala: “Mama, you gots glitter all over your boobies!!!!”

Alex (6) randomly approached and placed a hand over my eyes “I’m letting you not see as your consequence.” – submitted by Amie

Me: “Yes sweetie, I do.”

Filling in for my daughter Natalie’s (6) Sunday school class, the topic was rules and what happens when we break them. I asked each child what was a rule in their house and what might happen if they broke it. One child responded, “We can’t run from

I love my concrete little thinker. After a very messy chocolate mishap he had to have a bath. I noticed a couple of mosquito bites on his rear end.

“Wow, Davis (5), those mosquitoes really like your booty. Do you think

xyztopeka.com XYZ

Lala: {BIG SIGH - looking down her top} “My glitters haven’t come in yet!” – submitted by Cyndi

heard + noted what Topeka kids are saying it tastes good?” I teased. He replied, very seriously, “You know Mom, I’ve never tasted my butt, it might taste good.” – submitted by Summer Last night Sophia (5) saw a photo of her new baby sister right after she was born. She said, “She needs a bath.” And then she asked, “What has she be playing in?”

– submitted by Melissa Did your child say something witty, funny, cute, repulsive or profound? Share it with us on Facebook (search “XYZ Heard and Noted”) or email us: xyztopeka@gmail.com

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d.i.y.

lunchtime style: sandwich wrap tutorial by Erin Snethen | photos by Zach Snethen

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he school year is here and you can’t let your kids walk out the door with just any old sandwich bag, especially one that would get thrown away! Laminated cottons are perfect for quick and easy clean up and you can open the wrap to also use as a placemat.

Sandwich Wrap materials: Laminated Cotton or Oilcloth (find at your local fabric stores and online – you can even let your kids pick out their own fabric or pattern):

(2) 14” x 14” pieces

3/4”-wide Velcro

(2) 2” strips

Craft Tape Matching Thread Hand sewing needle or sewing machine

Sandwich Wrap instructions: 1. Create your own pattern using the template provided. Cut two sandwich wrap pieces out of laminated cotton or oilcloth. Choose one wrap piece for outside and the second wrap piece for the inside.

2. Top Velcro: to attach loop side of Velcro (soft side), place the wrong side of Velcro to the right side of outside piece along placement line. (Velcro will be folded away from the wrap once completed) Stitch 1/4” from raw edge.

3. Bottom Velcro: on outside piece, using hook side of Velcro (rough side), secure Velcro in place with craft tape. Stitch in place.

4. Right sides together, using a 1/4” seam allowance, stitch both inside and outside pieces together, leaving top section open. Press your seam allowances to one side, using low heat, along stitching line. Use the opening to turn the complete wrap to the outside.

Pressing will keep your corners nice and sharp.

5. To close top edge, fold raw edges to the inside using 1/4” seam allowance as a guide. Make sure your top Velcro is folded out. Stitch seam closed 1/4” from folded edge.

6. Place a yummy sandwich in the middle of wrap! Using Foldline #1 as your guide, wrap your delicious sandwich, securing with Velcro.

7. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. On occasion, wash on delicate or hand wash cycle. Hang dry. XYZ TOPEKA

printable tutorial: xyztopeka.com/d-i-y-sewing/

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[ recipe ]

ninja soup recipe and photo by Josh Luttrell

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ikujaga is a Japanese take on traditional beef stew, and is a dish I learned to make when I first started cooking as a teenager. Traditionally most of the liquid is cooked off and you are left with the meat and vegetables; however, I love the broth in my version of the dish so I make sure there is a lot of it. The dish itself is a mix of sweet and savory flavors with just a hint of heat. It’s really easy to make, tastes better the next day, and makes a perfect dinner soup on a cool Fall evening. Around my house we call it Ninja soup, which is how I convinced my children to try it. They both love it now.

Nikujaga (Ninja Soup) 4oz Beef sliced very thin. I recommend freezing the beef for a little bit so you can cut it into thin strips - the thinner the better.

3 medium sized new potatoes peeled and diced 2 carrots chopped 1/2 red onion (any onion will work) 3 cloves garlic minced 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/5 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (white is okay too) 3 cups water 1 dried birds eye chili pepper with seeds removed. You can substitute red pepper flakes or omit if you don’t like the spice. Remember that simmering liquids for a long time can really bring out the heat in peppers, so adjust accordingly.

Pepper to taste Vegetable or olive oil

Add enough oil to the pot to just coat the bottom. On medium high heat sauté the garlic for about a minute. Add the beef and sauté until mostly browned. Season with pepper. Add the carrots, onion, and potato and cook for two minutes. Add the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and birds eye pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. * The broth in this recipe is fairly sweet. You can start with a little less brown sugar and then adjust the amount right before you start simmering. This recipe makes about three big bowls of soup. It is, however, easily doubled.

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imagination

keen eye

There are 6 little differences between these two photos.

Can you tell what they are? b y J u l i e Va s q u e z | J u l i e V P h o t o g r a p h y

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imagination

Fall reads b y T o p e k a a n d S h a w n e e C o u n t y P u b l i c L i b r a r y Yo u t h S e r v i c e s staff member Jason Lamb • photos contributed by TSCPL

School starting can mean only one thing: Reading the William Allen White Award nominees!

Grades 3rd - 5th

Every year, a committee of educators and librarians select a list of nominees for two grade categories. Then, kids read at least two and vote for their favorite. The award was named after a famous journalist and publisher from Emporia.

Started in 1952, it was the first kids’ choice book award in the country! So, kids, get reading and get out the vote! [http://www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbookaward] Below are the 2012–2013 nominees in the two categories.

Prairie Peter Pan: The Story of Mary White by Beverley Olson Buller William Allen White’s daughter, Mary, died at 16 but lived a full, eventful life full of spunk.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm Turtle, an eleven-year-old girl, comes out of her shell in 1930s Key West.

Emily’s Fortune by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Orphan Emily is going west, but an underhanded uncle has other plans for her.

Star in the Forest by Laura Resau After Zitaly’s undocumented father is deported, she finds a dog that might be her dad’s “spirit animal.”

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Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Behind the veil of cerebral palsy, eleven-year-old Melody is super smart and remembers absolutely everything.

Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings Rufus gets a guinea pig instead of a dog, but this pet is anything but a regular rodent!

The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco Kids at school call her special ed. class the Junkyard, but Trish learns that her class is full of special talent.

Grades 6th - 8th The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger Dwight makes a finger puppet to talk to classmates, but this puppet speaks for itself.

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Zora and Me by Victoria and T.R. Simon Bond

i was a

tweenage

Authorized fictional account of how Zora Neale Hurston’s love of story grew while growing up in Eatonville, Florida.

Food Critic

Local food reviews by food aficionado Grant, age 11.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

The Basics:

Caitlin, who sees the world through an Asperger’s lens, tries to find “closure” after her brother’s death.

Blind Tiger

417 SW 37th St. 267.2739 Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11a – 11p Friday + Saturday: 11a – midnight www.blindtiger.com American, casual dining with award-winning brews for the parents.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz Hansel and Gretel leave the confines of their own tale to journey through other Grimm tales.

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret Trying to help a dog tied up with no food and shelter, two boys are led on an adventure into deep dark secrets.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain

by Barbara Kerley Mark Twain’s daughter tells stories of her father and his eventful life.

Candy Bomber by Michael Tunnell In the years following the Second World War, U.S. Air force pilot, Gail Halverson, dropped candy for the children of West Berlin.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Abilene has to go to Manifest, Kansas, to live while her father finds work during the Great Depression and discovers much about the seemingly sleepy town. Kansan Vanderpool won the 2011 Newberry Medal for this book!

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fter seeing the Blind Tiger commercial, I asked my mom if we could go there for dinner sometime. When we pulled up, the parking lot was full so we knew a lot of people were there; a sign of a good restaurant.

Ambiance + Service: When we went in, the décor was very cozy -- kind of like a ski lodge.

We were greeted and seated right away. Even though there were lots of people there, it’s a big place so it didn’t seem crowded. Bonus - there were also lots of TVs to watch.

Food: They had a kids’ menu with games and activities on it, plus the usual menu items: chicken fingers, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, etc. I opted to order something off the adult menu. There were lots of options on the menu: a bison burger, barbecue, steaks, sandwiches and more. I ordered the fish-n-chips with cod fillets hand-dipped in The Blind Tiger’s own County Seat Wheat beer batter. I figured that was as close as I am going to get to trying their award-winning beer for a few years. My dad ordered the Rib Tip Platter and my mom ordered the Cobb Salad.

After we ordered, my mom and I decided to go look around. They

had a nice deck, but it seemed like it was more of a grown-up area.

We saw a sign listing all the awards their beers have won. We saw the big containers they make the beer in. They look like they could hold a lot of beer.

When our food arrived, I thought it looked delicious! Mine came with green beans with bacon in them and seasoned french fries. When I took the first bite, it was really good, especially with the tartar sauce. I tried my dad’s rib tips with barbecue sauce and thought it was pretty good. My dad loved it. His came with fries and coleslaw. He ate and ate, but still had to bring a lot of it home. My mom thought her salad was really good as well.

Last Thoughts: We had a humorous waiter named Carl who took great care of us.

He made sure all of our food got to us quickly and correctly. Our drinks were always filled up and he was very efficient. He made our experience at Blind Tiger even more enjoyable. XYZ TOPEKA

imagination

strawpaintings project and photos by Bailey Marable B a i l e y i s a n a r t t e a c h e r a t R o y a l Va l l e y H i g h S c h o o l a n d m o m t o Ka s s y, 1 1 , Wi l l o w, 4 , a n d 1-year-old Olive.

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ne day in children’s art class, I was showing all these great watercolor tricks.

Me: “Look how different the paint looks when you brush it on wet paper versus dry paper.”

Students: “Cool!”

Me: “Look how cool it looks when you tap your paintbrush to splatter the paint.”

Students: “Really cool. Can we do that?”

Me: “If you sprinkle a little salt on the paint while it is still wet, look what happens!”

Students: “Whoa! awesome!”

That is

Me: “If you take a straw and blow at the wet paint, look at the interesting lines you can make!”

(One) student: “Nice. I’m going to use that straw to make a tree!”

This moment changed my life. What a cool idea. What a great project for kids of all ages! What a perfect XYZ project!

You will need: Watercolor paper (I like to cut 4x6 or 5x7 pieces), watercolors, a jar of water, India Ink (if you are brave and want a really black black), a paintbrush, salt, tape, and a straw.

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I like to prepare my paper by taping it down. This makes a nice border when the project is done. It also helps to stretch watercolor paper before you get started. Wet the paper down with a thin layer of water (brushed on with a paintbrush). Let that water dry before you start the painting. I recommend painting a background in blues or using yellow, orange, and red. I would try out some of those tricks pictured above and fill the page with color.

Think about the sky as you paint this background; blend colors together using a clean wet paintbrush. Allow this painting to dry before moving on.

After your background is filled and dry, get out a small dish of India ink, or use your black or brown watercolors.

Paint a trunk shape off to one side of the paper (just half a trunk will work great). I usually give tips about the trunk being fatter at the bottom and thinner at the top. You could glance outside at a tree to help get it right! Then brush on some branches, going from the trunk to the middle of the paper. While the paint is still wet, blow the paint away from the branch and trunk. If the paint doesn’t move easily, add more. The lines created from the exertion of a good breath of air make excellent twigs and branches!

You may even wish to add leaves or make a tree for each season, leaving a frame-worthy finished product when complete. XYZ TOPEKA

what’s the story?

by Justin Marable

Where is the man taking his home and why? How did he acquire the power to lift his home?

Make up a story for this picture! If you’re really proud of it, send it to XYZ Magazine and we’ll print your story.

That’s right, you can be a published author. So get scribblin’! xyztopeka@gmail.com

Want your child to be a featured artist in XYZ and/or Warehouse 414?

Contact Bailey Marable at baykivo@gmail.com