Going Green: Cheap and Easy

Green is the new pink! Everyone is going green, switching to environmentally friendly vehicles and becoming more conscious of their carbon footprint. For a young L.A. mom, some of these things are far out of reach. As much as I would love to trade in my Jetta for a hybrid, I just can’t. Nor can I cover my rooftop with solar panels. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t lifestyle changes you can make that are too impossible to put together.
Stores everywhere are getting involved to make going green easier for you. Here is a list to help you get involved, make some great cheap and simple changes in your routine, and be a part of the process so that not just our children, but our children’s children have somewhere left to live on this place called Earth.

1. COFFEE
Whether you make coffee at home or you are one of the millions who wait in line at 9am during the Starbucks rush, here are a few tips to make things better for the Earth.

If you like to save money and make coffee at home there are two ways to go. First, Starbucks VIA is a delicious blend of micro ground coffee, 100% natural Arabica beans (unlike Folgers), and roasted in regions all over the world. Columbia roast is rich and smooth with a walnut-like taste for all of the medium coffee drinkers. For something bolder try the roasty-sweet Italian or Decaf Italian roast or the light bodied, low acidic, darkest and boldest one of all, the intense and smoky French Roast. These small packets require 8oz. Of hot water, and mix in completely, without an energy using coffee machine. Try these other flavors: Vanilla, Cinnamon Spice, Mocha, and Caramel.




Now I know someone people are strung out about instant coffee, and still can’t accept the fact that Howard Schultz’s people finally figured out how to do it naturally. So for you, I have something else for the home bodies. Try a Crema Coffee Press made from 30% post-consumer plastic. This nifty little guy, take ground coffee, and through a metal filter, strains the grinds from the water, leaving a beautiful cup of coffee, with no energy and none of that burnt metal taste that machines give off. Pick one up at any home goods store, and your local Starbucks store.



Now, for my line zombies, at 9am, standing inside Coffee Bean or Starbucks, here’s a quick tip for you! Bring your own cup. It’s simple isn’t it? You save a cup, a lid, and a sleeve! All of those three products would just be thrown away once your triple grande no foam extra hot three pump mocha was in your belly. And to thank you for bringing in your own mug or tumbler, Starbucks will take 10 cents of your drink. Not a big deal, but if you’re in there enough, it adds up. If you don’t have a travel tumbler, guess who has them? You guessed right: Starbucks, and there are always some on sale!




WATER:
A daily vital source we need to survive. Plastic throw away bottles are one of the biggest pollutants of our beaches. Before there was plastic bottles, there was still water, so why is it that i seems to be the only way to transport or buy water. Well good news! It’s not. You can pretty much pick up a reusable water bottle anywhere and everywhere. Use a Britta filter to fill up water in your sink, store it in your fridge, and use that to fill up one or more reusable water bottles. Have them pre-ready, so when you’re running late to school, work, the gym, or an outing with the family, they are always cold, full, and clean.



Another amazing thing I discovered this year is the Bobble. I know what you’re thinking: sounds like a toddler toy, but it’s far from it. The Bobble is a bottle that filters water as you drink it. Did you get that? Let me say it again…It filters water as you drink it! Wow! The filter (your choice of any color) removes chlorine and contaminants from tap water, giving you a clean, crisp, and fresh taste. One filter is equivalent to 300 water bottles. So by using a great tasting and great looking Bobble, you are saving about six trash bags of plastic. This fantastic invention is only $9.99 and comes with one filter, replacement filters are 2 for $9.99. Get them at Old Navy, Target, The Container Store, or online.





SHOPPING:
Appoximately 1,200 plastic bags are used per US resident each year, making a whopping 500 billion petroleum-based plastic bags that threaten wildlife, pollute oceans, and cloglanfills each year. Of this, only 1-2% of the bags in the US make it to the recycling center. Thousands of aquatic animals, and over a million birds die each ear due to the over population of plastic liter. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of the ocean. Paper bags are not the other alternative. Their production costs the lives of 14 million trees a year. You can stop this now!

As moms, we are always trucking around a size XL purse, diaper bag, or tote. We can think of anything to fill it’s interior, but leaving a little extra space in it when we run to the drug store, or happen to pick up a small souveniour on a family vaca. Carrying things by hand or stuffing your already stuffed purse just a tad more can make all the difference. Reduce your 1,200 bags to 0.




Almost every shopping store now carries reusable bags. I started to collect them at the register’s of Banes and Noble, Trader Joes, Ralphs, Walgreens, Target, and Old Navy. Now when I know I’m going to have a larger shopping trip at the market to get groceries for the house. I pull out the bags from my trunk, which are all neatly folded into one bag, and participate in the fight to end plastic pollution.



P.S. You can even keep a smaller sized reusable bag tucked at the bottom of your purse for when you are out and about.

If you do happen to have some plastic bags lying around at home, or you forgot to bring your reusables, and couldn’t carry your purchase, have no fear, you’re not going to hell! Most recycling centers and some stores, including Pavilions, collect and recycle these bags. As long as they are put in the blue bin and not the black, we can all breathe a little easier.


Taking these little steps to making our lives greener will benefit not only the lives of our children now, but the lives of our children when they are older. Educating them now about the effects we have on our Earth and what we can do about it is important. Get them involved with these home changes. Let them carry the bags, or buy them a fun reusable water bottle to match their personality and style. Let them know they are a part of the change and make them feel good about their choices. Get them involved with the recycling. Assign each child, or person in the household an item: glass, aluminum, paper, plastic. Let them take charge of that product’s recycling storage so that they feel important. Who knew going green could be fun, easy and affordable.

Echolalia

Echolalia is the repeating or echoing of words or sentences. This can occur in people from all walks of life: infants, children with autism, Alzheimer patients, and other brain disorders like schizophrenia and Tourettes Syndrome. Echolalia is divided into the two forms immediate and delayed, in which both of those forms can be broken down into the two categories of Interactive and Noninteractive.

B.F. Skinner’s theory of memory based language shows how Echolalia in infants is a normal part of language development. What is inputted into the brain, must be outputted. A child hears Lxy and parrots back Lxy. This mimicry is how children form one to one associations to objects and people. If a mother points at a dog and says “dog,” the child associates the phonology of the word with the image of the dog, and then echoes back “dog.” Noam Chomsky’s theory of language being rule based took into account that some language was memorized, and some were based on rules such as inflectional and derivational morphology. When a child reaches the next developmental stage in language, they should be able to adhere spontaneous dialogue with the words they had learned to echo. For example, a mother says “Look at that dog.” In another situation the mother says “I want you to sit down.” If the child has had normal brain development, they would be able to form the sentence, “I want that dog,” without having heard that sentence word for word. An autistic child with Echolalia would not be able to form this sentence because there is no processing taking place. This is the fine line of where Echolalia becomes a development or a disorder.

Echolalia is a very crucial part of child language acquisition and is broken down into a taxonomy in order to describe the age ranges. “The examiner (1-6 months), the experimenter (7-12 months), the explorer (12-24 months), and the exhibitor (3-5 years) captures the nature of normal language development” (Fahey). These stages are expressed through babbling, gurgling, echoing consonant-vowel sounds, as well as through high and low pitches and tones. “[The Echolalia] phase begins around 18 months of age when a child has mastered imitating words and is just beginning to imitate phrases. Experts tell us that Echolalia peaks around 30 months of age, and declines significantly by the time a toddler turns 3” (Laura). At age three a child is able to use language conversationally and spontaneously by processing the words to respond to questions or to express their own thoughts and feelings. “You should get the sense that your toddler is listening to your responses (most of the time), and that she is thinking about what you say” (Riddle). Children emerging from the echolalia stage should be able to respond with short answers to questions such as: yes, no, okay. Also a good sign of breaking out of echolalia is the use of personal pronouns. Because mimicking is part of normal language development, parents must be aware of signs that the child is not processing or thinking about what is being spoken to them. Toddlers love to mimic, especially because it is easy, it is good practice, they may not understand what you are saying to them, or because it is pleasing to the ear (Riddle). Red flags other than short responses and pronouns, is the lack of responding to their own name, “or not turning to pay attention to you when you speak” (Riddle).

When a child does not leave this stage of echolalia, and its is constant in their language to the point that the responses don’t match the situation, is a sign that the child has motor planning issues. This is represented in both delayed and immediate echolalia. “Immediate echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases that occur immediately or very soon after the original words are spoken” (Laura). This is seen in response to a yes or no question. The mother may ask the child, “are you thirsty?” and the child will respond back “are you thirsty?” in replace of yes. Immediate echolalia is mostly used with intent and is not just short-term memory input, like the example before. If the child was not thirsty, they would not echo the question back. None the less, Immediate echolalia is very tricky to those who interact with the child. “Knowing the person very well would appear to be the key to understanding their specific use of immediate echolalia” (“Echolalia in Children with Autism“).

Delayed echolalia on the other hand, taps into the long-term memory and can make the child appear near genius from their recital of TV commercials, songs, or even parental commands. “[It] is the repetition of verbal messages that were previously heard and which are repeated after a time delay of several minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or even years” (Vicker). It is easy to spot an echolalia speaker because the syntax and vocabulary may seem advanced or out of place. In Delayed echolalia, not only are the words memorized but the “person’s inflection, tone of voice, and volume” (Laura), can be utilized as well. For example a child may say to their mother, “Let’s put your shoes on,” as an indication to her that the child wants to go outside. This echolalia speaker may use this sentence because they may have heard their mother say this many times before they were about to go outside. With this type of echolalia, different situations may trigger different responses stored in the brain. “In these cases echolalia is representative of how these children process information. They learn in ‘chunks’ without processing meaning of individual words. This learning style is called a ‘gestalt’ style of language acquisition. Children who learn this way also process the sensory and emotional components of the event” (Laura).

In “gestalt processing,” the child memorizes the whole instance of what they hear as a chunk. The child may also store a mental tag with the chunk, such as a key word, which can be associated with the memorized chunk. This type of processing is very common with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). “Typical brains are wired to attempt to obtain meaning from social dialogue. Instead the child with ASD will snatch the phrase or dialogue from his memory when something triggers the associated recall” (Vicker). For instance, a mother might be outside tending to her flower garden and while doing so, makes the comment, “I really should be washing my car.” The child witnessing this may now associate flowers or gardens with the phrase, “I really should be washing my car.” This goes back to the Skinner vs. Chomsky debate in 1958. Gestalt language falls under the Skinner way of thinking by “learning it in chunks rather than the tiny component sounds and specific meaning of each individual sound or word” (“Echolalia in Children with Autism").

Delayed echolalia breaks up into two categories: Interactive and Noninteractive. Interactive scenarios exist between the speaker with echolalia and another person, where as no interactive is for personal use of the speaker. According to the 1984 publication of Analysis of Functions of Delayed Echolalia in Autistic Children by Barry Prizant and Patrick Rydell, there are eight functional categories of interactive echolalia.


1. Turn Taking: Utterances used as turn fillers in an alternating verbal exchange.
2. Verbal Completion: Utterances which complete familiar verbal routines initiated by others.
3. Providing Information: Utterances offering new information not apparent from situational context (may be initiated or respondent).
4. Labeling: Utterances labeling objects or actions in environment.
5. Protest: Utterances protesting actions of others.
6. Request: Utterances used to request objects.
7. Affirmation: Utterances used to indicate affirmation of previous utterance.
8. Directive: Utterances (often imperatives) used to direct another’s actions.
(Prizant & Duchan, 1981)

For some examples of interactive echolalia we can look at the most common ones. In verbal completion a child may be told to wash his hands, and while washing them the child utters, “Good boy.” This is a typical response from either a mother or teacher and it has embedded in their mind that it is a reinforcement of the completion of an act. In directive echolalia a child may go up to an adult and sing a song or echo a chunk of a movie, to indicate which DVD they want to watch. Because they have no means of communication other than what they have heard and memorized as chunks, their ways of communication can be out of the ordinary. As in the interactive category of providing information, a child may be asked, “What do you want for lunch?” The child is not able to process and construct the words to make sentence to express his needs, so the child might sing a song from a lunch meat commercial in order to indicate he wants a sandwich for lunch. It is the key words that the child with echolalia catches, as in the above instance “lunch.” There are only six no interactive categories.

1. Non-focused: Utterances with no apparent communicative intent or relevance to the situational context.
2. Situation association: Utterances with no apparent communicative intent which appear to be triggered by an object, person, situation, or activity.
3. Self-directive: Utterances which serve to regulate one’s own actions. Produced in synchrony with motor activity.
4. Rehearsal: Utterances produced with low volume followed by louder interactive production.
5. Label: Utterances labeling objects or actions in environment with no apparent communicative intent.
6. Self regulatory: Message may have no direct relationship to the situation but the person with ASD has soothing memories associated with the message and repeats it to self regulate. (Prizant & Duchan, 1981)

These no interactive categories are more extreme and harder for a parent or teacher to respond to. For an example of Self-directive, the child might be jumping on his bed and say angrily to himself, “How many times have I told you not to jump on the bed. Don’t make me count to three.” The child then responds to their own commands and stops jumping on the bed. In the functional category of labeling a child with echolalia may see an open window, and even though it is over 80 degrees outside, he might be walking around saying “Close the window, it’s cold inside.” Although the child is not cold and makes no attempt to close the window, it is a label mechanism in order to learn objects.

Echolalia in autistic children needs to be better understood to help them break through this stage and onto better language development. Echolalia is a developmental stage for every young learner, it just so happens that those with autism get stuck at the level of development for a longer period of time. “The value of echolalia for the person may be that the echoed words and significant cues become stored information for the person to refer to later as internal rehearsal of the event” (“Echolalia in Children with Autism" ). It seems that echoing is rewarding to the child because it encourages them to match what others say. Where children with autism get stuck in this echolalia stage, it may identify to be a good sign toward their future language growth. It can be used to teach children to name objects as well as being “a functional step in the person with autism’s cognitive and language development” (“Echolalia in Children with Autism" ).

Echolalia is a disorder in which many techniques are being used to help associate children with the appropriate answers to questions. Schreibman and Carr taught children with echolalia to say “I don’t know,” when a what, how, or who question was asked. The phrase was then reinforced immediately. “The researchers found that training a child to respond to an unknown question with “I don’t know” in a few instances, led to the child being able to use this new phrase appropriately when asked other questions they did not know the answer to” (Hefner). The Cues-Pause-Point Method for Overcoming Echolalia was developed by McMorrow and Foxx in 1986. Step one is to select ten questions from three content areas: Identification, Interaction, and Factual. The questions are asked and the responses are recorded. Step three is to “teach the person to verbally label word cards or picture cards that will be used to prompt the correct answer to the questions” (Hefner). In step four the questions are asked and the correct prompt card is then pointed to, allowing the child to know what to answer. All thirty questions must be correctly answered for three consecutive sessions. Step five eliminates the prompt cards from the matching questions. Step six lessens the reinforcement to the child with echolalia and step seven is to ask other questions and observe their responses. Although dealing with this type of language disorder can be tricky and frustrating, it is all about practice and reinforcement. A general approach to responding to a child with echolalia, would be to ask a question like so: “Do you want a cookie, yes or no?” If the child echoes back the last word which is “no,” the speaker should accept that response and not present the child with a cookie. If the child looks upset, responding with “It looks like you changed your mind. If you want a cookie, say ‘yes’ ” (Hefner). It must be understood that echolalia is a functional step in both toddlers and children suffering from autism and this learning condition should be supported and handled with positive strategies in order to allow the child to grow and learn on their own.








"Echolalia in Children with Autism." Educational Toys & Resource Guide to Child Development. Bright Tots® Inc. Web. 09 May 2010.

Fahey, Kathleen. "At What Age Should Echolalia Cease?" Speech Pathology. 10 Apr.2006.Web. 07 May 2010. .

Heffner, Gary J. "Echolalia and Autism." BBM Autism Support Network. Center for Autism Training at GSSH, July 2000. Web. 8 May 2010. .

Laura. "Echolalia……….What It Is and What It Means." Teachmetotalk.com. 01 June 2008. Web. 07 May 2010. .

Prizant, B. & Duchan, J. (1981) The Functions of Immediate Echolalia in Autistic Children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 46, 241-249.

Riddle, J. "Life With Little Children." Web log post. Wordpress. 08 Oct. 2007. Web. 7May 2010.

Vicker, Beverly. "Functional Categories of Delayed Echolalia." Access Autism. Indiana Resource Center for Autism, 2009. Web. 8 May 2010. .

The Mirror Stage

"The child, at an early age when he is for a time, however short, outdone by the chimpanzee in instrumental inteliigence, can nevertheless recognize as such his own image in a mirror" (Lacan 441).


(my son Tyler in the mirror after a bath)

Ever since my son could focus his eyes on an object, he was able to identify himself. The mirror seemed like a magical place where the being on the other side of the glass was their best friend. At nine months he was waving to himself when we would pass any reflective object in the house. It was like seeing an old friend. There was excitement and joy across his face when he would pass by that beautiful baby in the mirror. At one year he began to walk, and give big, sloppy, open mouth kisses. It wasn't long before we found him laying a wet one on the bedroom mirror. "Give yourself a kiss," we would say, and with both hands on the glass, he would lean in for a kiss. At 17 months, each night when he was pulled from his bubble bath and wrapped in a towel, we would spend a few minutes reflecting in the bathroom mirror. He loved seeing his wet curls stuck to his head and his clumped up eye lashes. Now at 21 months, he doesn't even look twice at himself. Sometimes he gives a wave or a smile, but his new thing is watching videos of himself. He pulls the chair into the bedroom, points to the computer and says "Tyler! Tyler!" Where we then sit and watch home videos of him in the bathtub or in the yard playing. He gets so excited watching himself, and I always wonder what is going on in that sweet little head of his. He knows that little boy playing on the screen is him. How does he know that it's a video and not real life. How does he think he got into the computer? It never seems to matter to him. All that matters is how it makes him feel when he sees himself happy.

Jacques Lacan's phenomenon "The Mirror Stage," is not just a step in development. "it illistrates the conflictional nature of the dual relationship." This dual that Lacan implies, is one between the Ego and the body, the real vs. the imaginary. The baby, as early as six months, is able to recognize himself through his own uncontrollable body movements.

"This moment in which the mirror stage comes to an end inaugurates, by the identification wiht the imago of the counterpart and the drama of primoedial jealousy. The dialectic that will henceforth link the I to socially elaborated situations" (Lacan 444). Lacan's term meconnaissances (misrecognitions)means a false recognition of the baby's image.







Lacan, Jacques. "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience." Literary Theory: An Anthology. Second Ed. Julie Rivkin & Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2004. 441-446. Print.

Snack Pick of the Week: Peter Rabbit Organics

Peter Rabbit organic fruit snacks are an awesome on the go snack for babies 6 months and up. Even my 21 month old toddler loves them! They are all natural fruit snacks with no added sugars or preservatives, just pure fruit! There are three great flavors: Mango, Banana and Orange...Apple and Grape...Strawberry and Banana. The best part about this snack is not what's inside but what's outside. This fruit puree snack is in a convieninet pouch. Yes! I said it...a pouch. That means no spoon, no spills, no mess. My son is the messiest eater ever. Every spoonful of applesauce seems to reach his shirt and never his mouth. But this snack has a small opening where the smooth sauce is easily sucked up without a splash or spill. The pouches are BPA free, but the lids are a little small. They can be tightened back on, but make sure you throw it away if you don't plan on using the lid again because it's a perfect size to get lodged in the throat. These smooth fruit treats are great for the long car rides, or just out and about at the park. The only place I have ever seen them though is Starbucks. They carry the Orange Mango Banana and the Apple Grape. So when you're on the run, grab your latte and your child's healthy mess-free snack at the same time!



www.peterrabbitorganics.com/fruit-snacks

www.amazon.com/Peter-Rabbit-Organics-Strawberry-3-5-Ounce/dp/B0026KP4GC

Elevator Anxiety

I've always wondered why on earth the emergency button on the elevator panel was all the way at the bottom. It usually sits next to the alarm button or call button. The emergency button varies in design. Sometimes it looks just like the other buttons but has a red trim and a small red center. Sometimes it's pushed out farther than the others, and in that case it is always big and red. Other times it's a pull/push lever or button. Meaning push to stop, pull to run.

In almost EVERY elevator I have been in, these buttons are at the bottom of the panel directly finger pushing level to a toddler. Obviously, whoever designs elevators lives at home with cats and not a rabid 20 month old toddler boy with enough energy to even wear Richard Simmons out. I've been working on Tyler in public places. Teaching him to stay with my in crowded places. How to keep his hands to himself. But come on! You stick a two and a half foot tasmanian devil in a confined space with a big bright red button that is exactly eye level and you expect them not to push it? It screams PUSH ME! Set off the alarm! Get the big loud firetruck to come!

Luckily, (knock on wood)We have not had the pleasure of Tyler actually going through with it, but we have had some extremely close calls. It just blows my mind sometimes when I think of how this world is evidently not baby friendly in any way shape or form. Or maybe this has nothing to do with the kids and everything to do with the guy in the camera watching all the mothers inside the four foot circumference running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to block that tiny little finger from pushing the button from hell.

Of course another country invented this...

Travel Town

Where: 5200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles (only a couple miles from the zoo)
When: Monday-Friday: 10am-4pm
Sat & Sun: 10am-6pm
Price: FREE!

Website: http://www.traveltown.org/index.shtml

This is one of Tyler's favorite places! Not only is it close and convienient, but it costs nothing and during the week it is EMPTY. This is not an all day trip, so if you are driving out of your way to come to Travel Town, squeeze in a couple of the following with it: LA ZOO, Observatory, Gene Autry Museum, or the Pony Rides.

Don't come empty handed even though admission is free. Donations are always appreciated, and the cute little train ride that encompases the whole area twice is three dollars per person. Children under 19 months are free. A cute little old man dressed in a conducter's suit takes the train around every fifteen minutes so you can't miss it! There is also a penny press machine by the train ride if you're a collector as well. There are four coins to collect, and a penny album is sold at the gift shop.






The gift shop is very small but heavily packed with 90% of it's items being Thomas the train and VERY expensive. I usually go for the simple items: small toy train or a snow globe. You can never go wrong with a snow globe.

There are about six large trains still on the tracks that can be looked at and climbed on. Some are only open for tour dates, but they are just as beautiful to look at from the outside. There is a children's warehouse which isn't all that fun but does have some other locomotive and automobiles's placed inside. There's a train table and padded floor to tumble around on i guess, but Tyler never seems to be interested in it. The highlight of travel town really is fun little train ride and climbing up into the big trains.





There is also a large grass area to have a picnic. If you are plannning on staying long, bring food because there is nothing offered there except a drink vending machine. Travel Town is also great for birthday parties. My nephew had one of his parties here and it was a big hit! The grass area is great for the kids to run around on and there is nothing bad that kids can get into. There are available tables and shade. I'm not sure on the cost but if your child loves trains, this might be a good optiond instead of the park.

Kidspace

Where: 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena CA 911103
When: Right now Kidspace is closed Mondays, but will be open 7 days a week starting in June. Tues-Fri: (9:30am-5pm)/ Sat & Sun: (10am-5)

* weekends are much more crowded than early weekdays!!

How much: $10 for adults and children/ Under 1: free

Things to keep in mind!
1. pack a lunch and save some money!
2. bring a second change of clothes..they will get wet!
3. don't bother with a stroller...you can't bring it inside anyways.

Take a look at the website for upcoming events and annual pass information
http://www.kidspacemuseum.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index


Kidspace Childen's Museum is located in Pasadena right next to the Rose bowl. It's really easy to get to and has a huge parking lot so you don't have to worry about any fees from a parking structure or getting towed or ticketed on the side of the road. I was a little confused at first on where to go, because the lot is so large, but when you see the "kidspace" symbol, all you have to do is follow it like a yellow brick road. Instead of finding Oz, you find a magical world built just for toddlers and kids! Although it seems a little pricey to charge both children and adults the same price, it still is worth it once you're inside. Of course I am a single child parent, so for a family of three or four, this can get pretty pricey!

I first want to start by saying that I grew up spending alot of my early childhood years at Kidspace. My mother took us often, and I even had the privelege of having a birthday party here. Except when I got inside I immediately called my mom and said, "Um..I think I went to the wrong place..." This was nothing of what I remembered. In fact there was nothing that remotely resembled the old kidspace. Late that night, my mom and I looked up Kidspace on wikipedia, and lo and behold it was moved to another location and completely refurbished in 2005. Don't get me wrong, it was the coolest place I had ever taken Ty! It just wasn't the memory I had as a young girl that I wanted to now share with my son. There was no firetruck, or news station where you can broadcast yourself on a tv after dressing up in the many costumes. There was no beach sand to play in, or underground tree house to crawl in. And there wasn't even the store to take you mini shopping cart and buy all the plastic food you could ever dream of. This was a new kidspace, and it would involve making NEW memories that would now be especially just for Tyler.







I don't want to go into too much detail about this place because then I would leave you with no surprise. This is a fantastic place that caters to the imagination and developing minds of kids. The museum is more like a hands of nature center. Where you are transformed into a bug in this extra large world. With countless climbing activities, the building also has different sections for learning about the earth: from earthquakes and avalanches, to digging for fossils and decomposition. There are tons of tanks with scorpions, beetles, tarantulas, milipedes, and cockroaches. They even have a black light room to see some of these critters in a new way. The coolest bug exhibit was the bee hive! A ten foot tube that reaches to the ceiling interacts as a highway for honey bees. This tube then leads back down into the hive where a piece of glass allows you to witness the hive being built in the making.

After we explored and plundered all we THOUGHT we could, we fumbled into another room full of rocks, leaves, pinecones, and everything else nature! Although this room is very hands on, and is for a children a little older than my 17th month old, we were still able to enjoy the fish tank and turtle tank. ("Turtle" is one of Tyler's first words). In the center of this room there is a always someone to answer questions or just explore with you. The staff is very friendly and helpful.



Outside the adventure only begins. Toddlers are able to enjoy a small water playground, where they can fill buckets, splash, and even take a ride on a slide. Bring another pair of clothes if you plan on letting your child explore in this area. For the older kids, there is a race track where you can jump on a tricycle and race around. Farther up the hill is a nice shallow pond where we saw some families playing with boats and buckets. A small vegetable garden and watering cans, allows the children to interact with the vegetation and be apart of the nature. A big water wheel, bridge, and waterfall adds aesthetic beauty while a climbing area gives older kids a little more of a challenge.

In addition to the outside area, and the exhibit itself, there is a small food window all specializing in snacks and lunches for children, an event room where they hold presentations and shows, a gift shop/store, and my favorite: the toddler room! This play area is built tough for the falling, jumping, tumbling, toddlers we love. The room includes: a small slide with a crawl through house, magnets boards with tons of colorful magnet shapes, a velcro wall with soft blocks, puzzles, books, toys, blocks, and rubber mats to go crazy on! This is the only area of kidspace where there is no shoes allowed (so where some clean socks) :D

Los Angeles Zoo

When: 10am-5pm
Where: exit Zoo Drive on the 134, or take Griffith Park.
How much: (13+) $13, (2-12) $8, (under 2) FREE!

*Stroller rentals are available
-single: $7 per day
-double: $11 per day

As a family we can never get enough of this place. For $60 we got the couples membership that allows us access for one year. Tyler is under two so he is automatically free. The membership is worth it if you live close and want a fun activity to get you out of the house. We try and make it to the zoo about once a week, and our trips are no longer than an hour or two. Sometimes before I go to school, I will take Tyler for a walk. I get exercise and he gets to take in all the sights and sounds. It's a win-win situation.

for membership pricing and details click here:
http://www.lazoo.org/membership/categories_benefits.html

Every outing to the zoo is a new experience in it's self. You never know what animal is going to be performing for the crowd or shying away. It's always differnet and always changing. The more we take Tyler to the zoo the more he is recognizing animals and exhibits. He watches their activities, and spots them out to us by pointing. He even does his trademark, "oooooh!"






Not only is the zoo a visual exhibit, but an interactive one. Every trip to the zoo, we stop at one of the many penny presses and add a new animal to Tyler's collection. The souvenier stores sell the penny collecting book, and for 51 cents, we take home a little momento of our adventure.

A couple downers are all the construction thats been going on to build the Pachyderm Forest exhibit, Reptile and Insect Interpretive Center, and the Rainforest of the Americas exhibit. The other dissapointment is the petting zoo that has not been open any of the days we have gone.

The los angeles zoo is a very kid friendly place and always has something new going on. During Christmas there were actual reindeer that accompied Santa Claus. If you want to give your child a real Christmas experience, the Los Angeles Zoo is the place to go. They even had a huge artic portrait where you could climb into the scene for a fun photo.

Griffith Park Pony Rides

What: The Griffith Park Pony rides. Including Wagon rides, and Train rides.
Where: Los Feliz and Riverside Dr.
When: Tuesday-Sunday (10am-4pm)
How old: 1+
How much: $3 pony rides/ $3 wagon rides/ $2.50 train rides
Phone #: 323-664-3266

I was really hesitant about taking Tyler to the Griffith park pony rides because he wasn't to keen on getting anywhere near a friend of mine's one year old mustang. The good thing was that these ponies were no taller than my chest, and much less intimidatng than the already enormous mustang. We approached a booth where a very nice man informed us of the two different pony rides. The first ride, the "beginners" ride, was held in a gated off circle, where the ponies were all linked together and you are able to walk right beside your little one as they enjoy the ride. The man continued to inform us that if there were any problems with our son getting on the pony, he would be happy to reimburse our three dollars.

Everyone there was very friendly and helpful, approaching me as I approached the gated ring. Tyler was fastened into the saddle, and instinctively grabbed onto the leather horn in front of him. I was so proud of my little guy I could cry. I had a smile plastered to my face as I walked with him round and round, showing him how to gently stroke the horse's hair. There wasn't one second where he showed signs of fear or disinterest. He rode that pony for his first time like a champ!





After conquering the beginner course, Brian (Tyler's father) and I debated whether or not Tyler would be able to go on the real pony ride without having a meltdown. The main pony ride goes around a scenic track guided by a wooden white fence. Only this time, mommy wouldn't be by his side. Mommy wouldn't even be there to help him in the saddle. We agreed it was worth a shot and spent another three bucks for the slow lane pony ride. By my surprise, Tyler slid into the instructors arms without a peep. The man placed Tyler on the pony, belted him in and Tyler busted out a huge smile! I was so relieved and so enthralled that this was going exactly how I had hoped.

And off he went, Just a boy and a horse, slowly walking along together. Brian and I followed along in the wagon path, waving and taking photos. The best moment was when a pony trotted by in the fast lane, and Tyler belted out some "ooh's and aah's." We had a blast!








Not only does this attraction have pony rides, but a horse drawn wagon ride and a little train ride. This Griffith park attraction also comes with free parking, picnic tables, and a snack bar fully equipt with hot dogs, hamburgers, and other entrees. It is also a great way to introduce trains and horseback as a way of transportation. You can even teach your child how to respect these large animals by showing them proper care and love!

Welcome to L.A. Mommy

Finding fun and cheap ways to entertain and educate your children is not as far of a reach as most may think. As a mother in Los Angeles, we are blessed and should be grateful for all of what surrounds us. My name is Ashley. I am a full time student, with a full time job, who just so happens to be a round the clock mom. My 16 month old son, Tyler, is the love of my life, and the reason I am able to survive each crazy day. Before I head to school or after I get off work, I am always searching for fun and creative ways to entertain Tyler, and get him interacting with his environment. I believe the best way a child can learn about their world, is through experience rather than lecture. Even though my son will not remember our daytime adventures, I know they are developing his mind, improving his coordination, and enhancing his love for the world. What more can a mother ask for?

Here is my guide to the best baby and toddler attractions in Los Angeles. There is no gift greater than the gift of knowledge, so let's teach our children culture, language, love, and all the beauties of nature that we sometimes forget to acknowledge. Enjoy!