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July 22, 2011
Free admission for wildflower tribute day
Looking for something different to do this weekend?
Sunday (July 24) is Tribute Day at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Admission for the day is free and there are a variety of activities for all ages, including “Wildflowers,” a children’s play put on by the folks at ZACH Theatre. I have not seen the show, but a mom I know recommends the show highly for kids 3 to 10 (she also says some 2-year-olds might enjoy it as well.)
The play tells the story of a young Lady Bird — and it is in the AIR CONDITIONED auditorium at 11 a.m. Lucas Miller, the “singing zoologist” who is also an author and songwriter, will be performing from 1 to 2 p.m. in the same auditorium and there will be a book signing in the store after the show.
Images: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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May 31, 2011
Thomas the Train rolls into the Long Center
It’s hard to find a pre-schooler who’s not a fan of Thomas, Percy, James or any of the other characters on the island of Sodor. So it’s a good thing that parents will have three chances this week to see the Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage musical at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
In “Thomas Saves the Day,” the little engine and his pals set out to save the Magic Lantern Festival, teaching kids about the importance of working together and being open to discovery. The 90-minute show is at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday. Tickets start at $19 are available at www.thelongcenter.org, by calling 474-5664 or at the 3M Box Office, 701 W. Riverside Drive at South First Street. Groups of 10 or more should call 457- 5161 or email groupsales@thelongcenter.org. For more information about the show, visit www.thomasandfriends.com.
The Mama Drama blog has one pair of tickets to give away to the performance of your choice. Just add a comment below as to why your child is a super Thomas fan by 2 p.m. today (Tuesday), and we’ll pick a winner.
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April 12, 2011
Austin writer produces show by moms for moms
Motherhood really is a sister thing.
For as much work, love and angst that we put into it, we also need to share it all with each other, and then laugh and cry about it. And that is the spirit of this month’s local stage production “Listen To Your Mother Austin.”
Born out of an event founded last year by writer Ann Imig in Wisconsin, “Listen To Your Mother” has expanded to five cities, including Austin and Los Angeles. Produced by Austin writer Wendi Aarons, the April 30 show takes 13 essays by local women that capture the breadth of the maternal experience: one writer grapples with her son’s autism, another comes to grips with her teen daughter’s pregnancy and yet another hunts through her house for the source of the ever-present smell of urine.
“It’s just like motherhood,” said Aarons. “You go from joy to sadness. It’s a real roller coaster.”
Aarons and her production partner Jennifer Sutton selected the cast from 40 submissions and live readings. They hope the show, purposefully timed around Mother’s Day, will become an annual event.
Based on Aarons’ description of the auditions for the show, be sure to bring tissues. This one promises to be a tear jerker.
This year’s Austin cast includes: Kristin Armstrong, Kimberly Cockrill, Julie Coombes, Jenny Lawson, Cathy Hale, Kathryn Harrison, Diane LeBleu, Blythe Jewell, Krystin Crain Johnson, Esther Mizrachi Moritz, Elizabeth McGuire, Jennifer Newcomb Marine and Gigi Ross. Aarons and Sutton will emcee and read at the event as well.
“Listen to Your Mother Austin” will be performed April 30 at 1 p.m. at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave. Tickets are $14 and available online at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1468976749.
Proceeds from the event after costs are covered will be donated to Any Baby Can.
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November 5, 2010
Laurie Berkner coming to Paramount
When my oldest daughter was about a year old, we stumbled upon Nickelodeon’s Noggin cable network. More importantly, we stumbled upon “Jack’s Big Music Show.”
Ayanna was smitten by both the show’s puppets and the music videos that punctuated every episode featuring Laurie Berkner — Ayanna’s first music crush.
Known on the kids music circuit as the Queen of Kindie, Berkner’s bright red-hair, sparkling eyes, rockin’ guitar melodies and big smile are hard to beat. The videos are jam-packed with vibrant colors, playful songs and kids who seem to be having the best time of their lives. The combination captured my daughter’s attention like nothing I’d ever seen.
Then Ayanna got older. There were new music loves. But when I heard Berkner was coming to Austin for the first time at the Paramount this month (Nov. 14, tickets start at $25), I knew instantly it was a big deal. I knew I was going to have to interview the Queen and to prepare I brought home her new DVD and CD.
Now, Ayanna, age 3, is in love all over again. Now, she knows all the words, she dances around our living room daily to the high-energy sounds of “Victor Vito,” “Pig on Her Head,” and “I Really Love to Dance.” “We’ve given up and finally taught her how to operate the sound/video system.)
“This one is my best favorite, mommy” she says after bouncing like a mad woman to “Rocketship Run.” “I love Laurie Berkner.”
I talked to Berkner via phone a couple of weeks ago for an article that will run next Saturday in Raising Austin, and she struck me as a mom that I would like to hang out with.
She talks about channeling her “inner kid” rather than her “inner parent” to write songs that fill kids with joy. She remembers vividly being a small kid, running around with glee to her favorite tunes. Those vivid memories probably have a lot to do with the fact that she became famous for her kids music, before she became a mother.
It was refreshing to hear that she wrestles with the same issues that plague most working moms, even though her business revolves around kids. She tries to limit her time on the road to spend time with her husband and 6-year-old daughter Lucy.
How does she decide when her work-life balance is off?
“I listen to how my body feels about a choice I make,” she says. “I have a lot of guilt. I also have a lot of love and a lot of desire for my family and what I want to do in my life. Do I cancel everything and go to the farm with my daughter’s class like I did yesterday? I have to decide if this feels right, and I either feel sick to my stomach or breathe and know that this is OK. “
Here’s one of Ayanna’s favorite Berkner tunes: “I’m A Mess”
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September 28, 2010
Expecting? Check out Bebe Paluzza
Bebe Paluzza is coming to Austin this weekend. The maternity, baby and toddler exposition has gotten good buzz in other cities and is billed as the nation’s largest show of its kind.
Exhibitors in Austin will include: Buy Buy Baby, I CAN of Austin, Humana, The Learning Group, Sprout Food and Mothers Milk Bank. There will also be a host of kid photographers and other kid products and services represented. The first 50 moms attending will receive swag bags.
The expo will be at Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults. Grandparents are half price, and children 5 and under are free.
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May 4, 2010
Mom's Nite Out at the mall
Want to enjoy a little pre-Mother’s Day shopping fun?
Thursday is Mom’s Nite Out at Barton Creek and Lakeline Malls, plus the Arboretum. (All are properties owned by sponsor Simon Malls.)
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the festivities will include live entertainment, refreshments, door prizes and store discounts of up to 20 percent. This is the second year for the national event, which should not be confused with the national Mom’s Night Out in March.
Goodies will vary depending on the location, but at the Arboretum they’ll be giving away door prizes every 15 minutes (i.e. gift cards to The Cheesecake Factory, Everything But Water and a grand prize of a $500 Simon American Express gift card if you manage to visit every store on the punch card.)
For more information, check out the national website here.
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October 16, 2009
Film festival is for kids, too
Next week’s Austin Film Festival & Conference can be a family affair. In addition to the 190 films that will be shown around town starting on Thursday, the festival is offering its Target Family Film Series. As part of the series, entrance is free to kids 15 years and younger. Adults will need to purchase tickets at the venues or a festival pass.
Here’s the lineup. For venue information go to the festival website. Here’s the lineup with the festival’s descriptions.
31 minutes
(Chile, 87 min)
Showing: 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Arbor Cinema
Writers: Alvaro DÃaz, Pedro Peirano, Rodrigo Salinas, Daniel Castro
Directors: Alvaro DÃaz, Pedro Peirano
Starring: Pedro Peirano, Alvaro DÃaz, Rodrigo Salinas, Daniel Castro, Alejandra Dueñas Regional Premiere
In the spirit of Jim Henson’s muppets, DÃaz and Peirano have created a unique group of characters in a hilarious movie based on the popular Chilean television series that presents mock news broadcasts performed by puppets. When the news producer (the last of his species) is kidnapped by evil millionaires, the whole 31 Minutes action news team must embark on a quest to rescue him.
Alabama Moon
(USA, 99 min)
Showing: 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the Paramount Theatre
Writers: Watt Key, James Whittaker
Director: Tim McCanlies
Cast: John Goodman, Clint Howard, Jimmy Bennett, Uriah Shelton, Gabriel Basso, J.D. Evermore
Regional Premiere
Eleven-year-old Moon Blake has spent most of his life hiding out in the forests of Alabama with his father, but Moon’s life suddenly changes when the land is sold and his father dies. Trying to make his way to Alaska, Moon runs in the path of civilization and quickly lands himself in a reform school where he meets the mean-spirited Constable Sanders and learns what friendship is all about. Determined to get to Alaska, he and his new friends escape from the school outwitting Constable Sanders each step of the way.
Missy and the Maxinator
(USA, 100 min)
Showing: 3 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Arbor Cinema
Writer/Director: D.J Lynch
Cast: Kevin Winters, Colleen Lynch, Neal Shea, Robert J. Lord, Mary Gausselin
Regional Premiere
Max and Missy have been best friends for as long as they can remember, and now Max is falling in love with her. But strange things start happening to him at school. He can see through walls, hear distant voices, and he suddenly has super-human strength! When students start mysteriously disappearing after school Max and his friends stumble upon a sinister plot by his teachers to take over the world. When they kidnap Missy, Max must put his new found superpowers to the test to save the girl he loves.
Wild Texas Weather
(USA, 30 min)
Showing: 2 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the Texas Spirit Theater
Directors: John Lewis, Patrick Fries
Featuring: Ray Wylie Hubbard, “Doppler” Dave Oliver World Premiere
Wild Texas Weather is a documentary that explores the fascinating phenomenon of tumultuous weather in the Lone Star State, both past and present. Pieced together from severe weather videos and historical photos and footage, this unique film covers the history of Texas’ struggle against nature, and the science driving it.
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September 13, 2009
Healing with Horses
A few years ago Rupert Isaacson, whose son Rowan was diagnosed with austism, noticed that his son could communicate better while on horseback. Being on the neighbor’s horse Betsy seemed to calm his son and enable him to communicate clear thoughts. This led Isaacson and his wife Kristin Neff to take a trip to Mongolia, ride horses across the stepp and visit the magical shamans of the region. They took a small film crew and documented the journey. Michael Orion Scott, is the director of this documentary which explores the touching yet difficult trip for a family seeking healing for their son.
You can see the film Monday at 7pm at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South. The family, as well as the horse Betsy whose calming nature began the process, will be there. Isaacson will be there to sign his book about the journey which provides even more details about the journey, as well as some background information, than the movie.
If you can’t make it Monday, you’ll have a few other chances on Friday and Saturday at the the Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills. Those will feature special Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
This documentary has made the rounds at all the film festivals (Sundance and SXSW to name a couple) and has received good buzz. I saw the film first and then read the book. I was entertained and absorbed for both. I simply could not imagine taking that journey, but Kristin Neff assured me that if my son were autistic, I would go to the same lengths for the hope of making my child better.
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August 19, 2009
Giveaway: Circus Tickets
UPDATE:
And the winner is Rebecca Robertson of Austin. Congratulations Rebecca and enjoy the circus!
As a first for Mama Drama, we are giving away circus tickets this week to a lucky reader. That would be four tickets for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s “Over the Top,” for this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Frank Erwin Center.
Want to play? All you have to do is email me here with “circus” in your subject line and your name, address and contact phone number by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. I’ll select a winner by random drawing and announce the winner on Wednesday morning.
Good luck!
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July 29, 2009
Austin church to honor single parents
It’s a cliche, I know. But honestly, I have no idea how single parents do it.
My younger brother is a single dad to two boys, ages 1 and 6. While he doesn’t have full custody of the boys, he does have the eldest for most of the week and alternating weekends and is in the midst of fighting for full custody of the younger one.
As best as I can tell, he has compiled a patchwork army of helpers over the years, grandparents, other relatives and friends to keep the ship afloat. My mom takes my nephew to swim lessons at the YMCA. The other grandmother is the backup when Khacy is home sick from school. Friends from church help out when he’s in a bind at the office.
But there is still the usual mountain of work to do at home — homework, laundry, dinner, dishes and etc. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
But single parents in Austin will get their day in the sun this weekend, with the folks at PromiseLand West Church are hosting a service honoring single parents on Sunday. Special guests include Texas First Lady Anita Perry and Janine Turner, “Northern Exposure” actress and author of the book “Holding Her Head High: 12 Single Mothers Who Championed Their Children and Changed History.”
And if the guest speakers don’t sway you into coming to the service, there will be plenty of giveaway items for single parents, including coupons for a free car care from Firestone; free meals at Cabo Bobs and Chick-fil-a; tickets to Volente Beach; movie passes and drawings for day passes to the Crossings Spa, Schlitterbahn, Sea World and Six Flags.
The service starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Westlake Performing Arts Center, 4100 Westbank Drive.
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July 21, 2009
Too old for Dora
Dora the Explorer is in town tonight and tomorrow for a live show at Bass Concert Hall. For more information on tickets, go to http://www.utpac.org/event/doratheexplorer.
There was a time in my daughter Ava’s life when everything was about Dora. She looked like Dora. We had the Dora doll. We had Dora DVDs. Her first and second birthday party were Dora-themed. I almost named her Dora. Dora was such a major part of the first five years of her life.
So, imagine my sadness when we saw Dora at Universal Studios earlier this month and she announced that “Dora is for babies.” She also told everyone around that that wasn’t Dora, that was just a girl in a costume.
Her toddler years are officially over.
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June 10, 2009
Two Austin shows this week for Hey Lollies
Looking for a fun, family music outing this weekend?
Austin children’s singer Laura Freeman and her band the Hey Lollies are bringing their music and puppets to Ruta Maya, 3601 S. Congress Ave, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
I got a chance this week to preview their new CD “Sommersault Season” slated for release in July, and if the collection is any indication of what the trio will perform on Sunday, then a blast should be had by all.
If you are at home with the kids this week, you can also see the Hey Lollies at Family Connections on Friday at 10 a.m. (825 E. 53 1/2 St., Suite E101).
Both shows are free.
Photo: Brian Ales for Hey Lollies
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April 30, 2009
Free event next weekend at Barton Springs
Assuming the swine flu hasn’t shut all public events down, this one might be a good one to check out if you have kids who are home on a Friday afternoon.
Mother Earth Festival at the Springs
Friday May, 8
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It’s Free.
Find the fest at Austin’s Zilker Park, in a large picnic area, across the parking lot from Zilker Hillside Theater, next to Barton Springs bath house.
It’s designed for environmental awareness and fun. Every activity is made to ensure that kids from 4-13 years of age have a great time and an interactive learning experience.
Music from: Bill Oliver and the Otter Space Band and Sara Hickman
Plus: puppet shows, make-your-own arts and crafts, live salamanders and other critters, a magician and make-believe pirates. Kids can learn about the ecology of Barton Springs at hands-on nature exhibits, or dance onstage with the musicians at this fun-filled family and school festival.
Activities: Sponsored by: City of Austin Cultural Arts Division and many others
Art Activities:
Salamander sock puppets!
Horned Lizard coloring page
SOS Endangered Species of Barton Creek Mural
Educational and Fun Ecological Activities:
All Solar! Powered by Austin Energy Solar Trailer
Turtles of Lady Bird Lake & Barton Creek
Barton Springs Puppet Show
TreeFolks’ Mascot “Barkley” Event
Keep Austin Beautiful: “Beautiful Bugs”
Tours of the Splash! Exhibit
Maypole dancing and music
Permaculture Demonstration
Watershed Exhibits
Bring:
Blankets for sitting down on the grass
Picnic baskets for lunch or a sack lunch
Plenty of water and drinks
SUNSCREEN! HATS! SHORTS! It’s springtime in Austin
Raingear if it’s “iffy”
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March 18, 2009
SXSW for kids
Spare the Rock, a blog by Bill Childs, is hosting No Nappy Happy Hour, 3-6 p.m. Friday at Ruta Maya on 3601 S. Congress Ave. It’s $5 a person, free for infants. Musical acts include Adam Levy, Laura Freeman, Mr. Leebot and Jason Kleinberg.
It’s an alternative to South by Southwest that is actually for those under drinking age. Childs, a contributor to Parenting, will speak at the real South by Southwest about children’s music earlier in the day at the panel “The Underdogs: Living Large On Kids Music.” (12:30 to 1:45 p.m. at Room 19A of the convention center.)
Find more information at sparetherock.com.
