Editor's Blog
02/09/12Start the Weekend EarlyStart the weekend activities today by joining a "playologist" with Tulsa Children's Museum who will be exploring the Dream exhibit at the Tulsa Historical Society from 2 to 4 p.m. with kids and adults. The exhibit is interesting because it brings the ideas of all generations together to imagine a better Tulsa. Kids will get to make their own dream star and learn about constellations. Brena, the playologist, will also have two storytimes -- one at 2 p.m. and one at 3 p.m. If you can't make it today, she'll be doing the same thing on Sat., Feb. 25, 10 a.m. - noon. The Tulsa Historical Society is at 2445 S. Peoria. Kids are free and adults are $5. After school today from 4 to 5 at the Hardesty Regional Library, kids ages 5 and up are invited to a Very Fancy... |
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02/07/12It's Official! Uniforms for AllAbout a million years ago, we ran an article written by Cindy Webb about school uniforms for elemenatry students in Tulsa Public Schools. The debate was raging. Uniforms won out. Last night, the last nail in the coffin or champagne toast (choose your metephor, depending on which side you're on), was pronounced by the school board -- uniforms for all! I never had much of an opinion about uniforms. For those of you who know me, it's very rare for me to NOT have an opinion. My son, who tends toward the strict, type-A, orderly, predictable category liked uniforms. My middle daughter, who is messy and all over the place, wanted uniforms for a different reason -- she didn't like thinking about what she had to wear every day. And my youngest would have disliked uniforms, but... |
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02/03/12Out & About in TulsaTo me, there's nothing more fun than doing art with kids. It makes me feel like a kid. Also, we all know how important it is to provide rich and varied experiences for our children. Tulsa always has lots of opportunities for kid art activities, and there's one tomorrow at Philbrook. The Heyman Family Adventures in Art is this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. for kids ages 6-12. You get to create a multi-textured weaving, and the cost is $5 per child or $12 for an adult and child. Philbrook also has those cool art packs for kids (in addition to the free Second Saturday every month). Speaking of art, Gilcrease Museum is a super kid-friendly place. Too often we think of art museums as stuffy, sterile family-unfriendly buildings, but nothing could be further from the truth.... |
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02/01/12My Morning with a Franklin Met StudentThis morning an 8th grade girl from Tulsa Public School's Met-Franklin alternative school came to shadow me at work. Since I don't have permission to use her name, I'll call her Grace. Grace is an attractive girl with long, dark curls and bleached side-swept bangs. Her bangs fall into her gorgeous brown eyes and sweep over maticulously groomed eyebrows. I wanted to ask her where she gets them done. I greeted Grace at the door, having very little information except that Grace wants to be a writer. She didn't look at me, but when I held out my hand she hesitated, then shook it. I wondered if she would talk to me, but I didn't wonder for long. I asked one question and she was off. Here's what I learned. Grace was anxious to show me her notebook from school. I... Posted at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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01/27/12Yay! Weekend Fun!Can you believe this weather? I got up this morning and put on my super-warm running tights, gloves, hat and fleece jacket and took off down the street. I started peeling stuff off after a couple of blocks. No one told me it was spring! So maybe you have spring fever in January, and you're itching to get out to do something this weekend. Even if Saturday and Sunday turn a little cooler, there are still plenty of reasons to get out. The Tulsa Children's Museum -- you know, the museum that doesn't have a building, but still sponsors lots of fun stuff like the concert series? Did you all see the last concert -- Jeff Porter and the Claptet? I heard it was great fun! This Saturday the TCM folks are planning a meet-up from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tulsa Historical Society to... |
01/24/12Happy 35 Years and Many MoreYears ago, I took my children to see Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" at the PAC with my neighbor and her daughter, who was probably 4 or so at the time. My kids were maybe 5, 7 and 9. When the Nutcracker came on stage, I'll never forget my neighbor's daughter leaning over to her mom and whispering, "He forgot his pants!" That's just one of many memories that I have of the Tulsa PAC, which celebrates 35 years in March. Today, the staff of the PAC had a press conference to announce the anniversary and to thank those who had the vision to create a place where not only Tulsans, but people throughout the state and surrounding states could enjoy world-class performances. Two members of the original PAC Trust were honored today: John H. Williams and... |
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01/18/12Alone Again, NaturallyHere I sit, pathetically scrolling down my email subject headings to see if any of my children sent me a message. Mary, my youngest, ended her college break on Sunday. My older daughter Anna started school on Jan. 2, so we sent her off on tthe plane from Dallas while we were down there visiting our son, who, now that he's working at a "real" job, no longer has the lengthy college vacations. So, my husband and I are once again alone with the dog and the cat. The girls said they weren't sad to go back to school, but they would miss us. I guess that's a really good way to put it. I miss them, but I'm not sad to see them go back. Does that make me a bad mom? Should I wish that they would always be with me? Here's the thing. I enjoy them when... |
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01/17/12Why Kids Need to Snack & a Bonus RecipeAs the weather gets colder, the urge to snack for both kids and adults heats up. The word "snack" can have a negative connotation for lots of us. The advertising industry would like for us to equate "snack" with candy, snack cakes (yeah, they put the word "snack" right in the description -- how's that for brainwashing), chips and other sugar and salt laden "foods." I'm not a big sweets eater, but give me a bag of chips, and I can eat the whole thing. Let's look at snacking from a different perspective, and it can be a thing of beauty rather than an ugly unhealthy weight to bear (pun intended). First, kids need snacks. Little kids especially need snacks because, often, they can't eat enough at a meal to get all the nutrition... Posted at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
01/13/12Saying Goodbye to a Tulsa FriendToday, family and friends, and the entire Tulsa community say goodbye to Walter Helmerich III. Most people who live in Tulsa have been touched by Mr. Helmerich in some way. If you play at Tulsa parks with your family, or use the library system or visit the Tulsa Zoo, then you have enjoyed the philanthropy of Mr. Helmerich. Philbrook Museum of Art and Hillcrest Medical Center are also among the recipients of the Helmerich's generosity. Mr. Helmerich will be missed by those close to him, and we at TulsaKids offer our condolences. Our city is certainly better off because of Walter Helmerich III. Even though he is gone, Mr. Helmerich's generous legacy will live on in ways too numerous to count. |
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01/10/12Paint Something RedAfter a balmy week last week, we're back to January weather just in time for the kids to be back in school. Sometimes things do work out. If you read my last blog, you know I've been trying some new things -- like Zumba! Ha. My daughter Mary and I went again last night. I don't know if it's that driving Latin beat or what, but I had the urge to paint something red over the weekend. (That was after Mary and my husband nixed my idea to paint my kitchen cabinets black. Mary's comment was, "Do you really want a Goth kitchen?") Here's the thing, I would then add a red countertop. Oh. Much better. Well, that kitchen stuff was too much work, so I decided to paint an old farm bench that I've had in my entryway for a million years. I like that bench,... |
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Betty Casey started editing TulsaKids when her youngest child was 3 years old. That daughter is now a freshman in college. Her son is 24 and her middle daughter is 21. TulsaKids and her children literally grew up together (and she lived to tell about it)! Betty's blog ranges from commenting on current parenting issues and upcoming articles to personal reflections about being the mom of three children, who are now wonderful young adults.
