July 30, 2005
Dan Zanes Coming to Town
Dan Zanes is coming to DC on his fall tour, and tickets are on sale!
He'll play at the Grosvenor Auditorium at the National Geographic Society Headquarters (1600 M St. NW) on Sunday, September 18. There are two shows -- 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Children 12 and under are $12 and adults are $20. They can be purchased by phone at 202.857.7700 or online. Check out www.nationalgeographic.com and Dan's site at www.festivalfive.com.
Get 'em while you can!
Posted by Sarah at 2:28 PM
July 29, 2005
Outdoor Family Film Fest
Just in time for the cool(er) weather to arrive, the City of Alexandria will host its annual Outdoor Film Festival this weekend, Friday through Sunday evenings from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Ben Brenman Park, 5000 Duke St.
Admission = free, and the films are "Shrek 2," "Spiderman 2," and "The Wizard of Oz." (Parental discretion advised on the suitability of those flying monkeys!)
Vendors will be selling food, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Child and Family Network Centers.
No pets, no alcohol, no smoking, por favor.
For more details, call 703.838.4800
Posted by Sarah at 7:02 PM
July 27, 2005
Mixed Bag
If you're a child in the DC metro area, life is a mixed bag. That's according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's respected "Kids Count" study, released today.
On the plus side, the District, Maryland, and Virginia have improved their overall rankings since the previous study. But it's not all glad tidings.
Maryland's ranking moved from 29 to 19, but more teenagers are not attending school and not working. Virginia has moved from 16 to 13, but child deaths are up and infant mortality is steady. In the District, several indicators have improved (for example, fewer high school dropouts), but since the last study in 2002 the number of children living in poverty has increased, and so have infant mortality rates.
The Kids Count study is a national and state-by-state tracking of the status of children. In ranking the states the research looks at maternal-child health, child and teenage deaths, teenage pregnancy and dropout rates, numbers of kids living in poverty, numbers of kids with unemployed parents, and those living in single-parent households.
According to the Foundation, the point is to give both the public and policymakers some benchmarks for what kind of job we're doing for our kids. As a DC parent, I'm glad to hear the good news -- but I'm also concerned about the bad. We ALL need to be involved in making this a better place for families.
Full details on the study (including state-by-state statistics and even breakdowns by neighborhood) are available online: http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/
Posted by Sarah at 6:56 PM
July 26, 2005
Weekend Fun for a Good Cause
The community of Clifton will sponsor the Northern Virginia Summer KidFest this weekend in their Main Street park, to raise funds for a new playground.
Here's the scoop:
July 30, 2005
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (gates open at 9:30 a.m.)
$5 per person (infants get in free)
Live children's music performances by Oh Susannah!, Banjo Man, E.J., Mister Don, Milkshake, and Rocknocerus.
Face painting
Moon bounces
Obstacle course
Arts & crafts
Gift bazaar
Get directions to the event and more details at:
www.novakidfest.com
Posted by Sarah at 10:31 PM
July 22, 2005
DC BABY: On Its Way
Welcome!
The new book, DC BABY: A Handbook for Parenting In (& Around) the Capitol City, is getting finishing touches and will be published this fall, available online and at locations throughout the Washington, DC area.
Check back often, as this website will completed in the coming weeks. It will feature local info and links, the opportunity to sign up for a free e-mail newsletter, and other cool perks, including this blog for DC mamas and daddies.
Questions? Comments? Shouts of joy? Email me at sarah "at" dc-baby.com. I'd love to hear from you.
- Sarah Masterson
DC Mama & Author of DC BABY
Posted by Sarah at 10:21 AM | Comments (3)