Not a dry ice in the house

It's not often that kids are instructed to "stick out your tongue." But that's exactly what was happening at the Mad Science booth at Camp Fair yesterday.

Mrs. Wizard was demonstrating the properties of dry ice, otherwise known as compressed carbon dioxide. When placed onto the surface of water, it sublimates (changes directly from a solid to gas, bypassing the liquid stage). When the resulting "fog" is directed onto the tongue, a tingly sensation results, like what you feel from the carbonation in soda. And "it tastes like a burp," Mrs. Wizard told her rapt audience.

We learned lots of other interesting stuff yesterday — about making your own video games...and learning taekwondo...and developing self-esteem...and riding horses in northern Arizona...and sailing...and learning Spanish...and I could go on. If you didn't make it, we missed you! Be sure to check out the list of camps that attended: Camp Fair 2010.

Summer's coming

Your kids will bound out of bed every summer morning with something constructive to do. They won't drive you crazy or complain about being bored. They'll read books, volunteer, cook dinner and clean their rooms.

Just in case your dreams don't come true, the Raising Arizona Kids Camp Fair is today from 10am-3pm in the Tesseract School gymnasium at 40th Street and Shea Boulevard. More than 80 camps will be there to help you figure out how your kids can have a great summer. There are day camps in Maricopa County and overnight camps from Arizona and around the country. It will cost you nothing to come look. It's free.

Summer's coming. Are you coming to Camp Fair? 2010 Camp Fair.

Natural packaging

Fruit is a wonderful food. Grows on trees, bushes and plants. Nutritious, colorful and infinitely more healthy than any fast food.

Convenient, too, because it's easy to stash a piece of fruit in a bag, or cut it up and tote in a reusable container. There's nothing "greener" than a yellow banana, red apple or orange orange. Fruit is edible, biodegradable and compostable.

The folks at Peter Rabbit Organics have taken mango, banana, strawberry and grapes, puréed them and put them in squeezable, non-biodegradable plastic/foil pouches. The fruit is organic, with no added sugar, so it is healthy. And the ease-of-use of single-serving fruit purée is alluring for a plane trip or long day traveling with babies and young children. But convenience food packaging exacts a steep environmental price. The Mysterious Carbon Footprint of Packaging.

Arizona history in photographs

Pictures capture a time and place. Historical pictures capture a time and place long gone, like the holiday card photo from 1968 pictured here.

The Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park is having its third-annual Historic Photograph Fair from 11am to 3pm Saturday, March 20. The fair focuses on how photographs tell the story of the people, places and events that have shaped our state and our lives. The best photos have accompanying information to enliven the pictures and establish meaningful context.

Awards will be presented to the top entries in six categories. The event will feature camera club displays, speakers on photography topics and photography-themed activities for kids. Admission to the museum is free.

For more information contact Jeannine Moyle at 480-585-4872 or the AHS Museum at Papago Park: 480-929-0292 x126. Historical Photographs Fair.

On the rowed to success

Though it may look like the crossbones of the jolly roger, the X on the oars stand for the Xavier Prep Crew, which was practicing at Tempe Town Lake yesterday.

There were several teams criss-crossing the water yesterday. With eight people on the oars, rowing in unison is the dominant skill necessary — in addition to fitness.

There are several Valley clubs open to anyone interested in rowing. The Rio Salado Rowing Club is for rowers of all levels, Tempe Junior Crew is a competitive club for young men and women, Tempe Town Lake Rowing is sponsored by the City of Tempe for adults and kids age 13-18 and the Arizona Outlaws is an  informal group of rowing enthusiasts.

Native American art

In fourth grade, Annica Benning made a book about Native American art. At 13, while cleaning out her room, she came upon her project and decided to take it to the next level.

The result is Arizona: Nations and Art (Walnut Canyon Press, 2009), written and photographed by Benning, now 15. Many calls and emails to artists, gallery owners and government officials led to the publication of Benning's book, which describes and illustrates Native American culture and art.

Benning says her purpose is “taking away stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions” about Native Americans. One high point was speaking with veterans at the American Legion Hopi Post about Hopi Code Talkers during WWII (largely unknown outside the tribe, compared to Navajo Code Talkers).

With a donation from the Lovena Oln Foundation, 4,000 copies are being donated to all elementary schools and public libraries in Arizona. Benning's eventual goal is one for each of the 145,000 fourth graders in the state. She will sign copies of her book from noon to 2pm Saturday, March 6 at the Heard Indian Fair & Market. annicabenning.com.

The postman rings once a month

Snail-mail can be exciting. Never thought I'd write that, but Lollipop Book Club has combined the magic of InternetAmazon (click-click, wait by the door) and the magic of books. Lollipop Book Club offers a slew of good books for kids up to age 12, grouped by gender, age or theme.

They send a book to the kid of your choice once a month for one, three, six or 12 months. A personalized note and a lollipop comes with each book in a red envelope. And the books are good. All-time great authors like Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl and classics like Where the Red Fern Grows.

Of course this is an easy do-it-yourself project using flat rate USPS Priority Mail flat rate prices, used bookstores or mining your own personal library. For kids being slowly suffocated by screens big and small, monthly books by mail is genius. lollipopbookclub.com.

Energy re-duction

Ready for the surface-of-the-sun temperatures during summer? Time to think about your air-conditioning. Both Valley power giants, SRP and APS, will spot you some money to test and repair your air conditioning ducts.

APS will rebate up to $250 for the test and repair of ducts. SRP will rebate up to $75 for duct testing and up to $175 to repair the ducts, so really they are about the same.

The soothing, cool air created by your air-conditioning unit is worhtless if it escapes through breaks or uninsulated ducts. Your roof rats might enjoy the cool air in the attic, but that's another problem for a different day.

Both programs require a licensed contractor certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) to perform the testing and the work. Depending on your electricity provider, either the SRP program or the APS program will save some money.

For more energy-saving steps, check out SRP's Powerwise site or APS's Green Choice.

When in the course of waiting in line...

If you're reading this, you may not be one of the people who went to the Arizona Capitol Museum today to see an actual historical copy of the Declaration of Independence. The document will be on display from 8am to 5pm today. A line will form outside the east entrance of the Capitol, 1700 W. Washington St. in Phoenix.

If you want to read the entire text — "When in the course of human events..." — while there, fellow visitors who are waiting may get upset.

Not to worry. There are many copies online, like the especially high-resolution images from the Library of Congress. And here's one in handwritten script.

Seeing the real thing is worth the time for history buffs. Print out a transcript of the document to read while waiting in line. Arizona Capitol Museum.

New pool for Aqua-Tots swim school

Part of Claire O'Malley's second swim lesson at the new Aqua-Tots swim facility in Chandler is learning to clamber out of the pool, whether to grab a toy or move to safety. Also on the curriculum is floating on her back and getting comfortable in the water.

Instructor Kira McMoran and Claire's mom, Amber, are in the pool for her lessons because Claire is at the Minnow level. Lessons for Tadpoles (ages 6 to 18 months) and Minnows (18 months to 3 years) include parents or caregivers in the pool.

Aqua-Tots' newest facility is located at Ocotillo and Arizona Avenue in Chandler and includes a 50 x 25" indoor pool heated to 90 degrees, a viewing area with free wi-fi service, a play area for siblings, a snack bar and a retail area. Swim instruction is offered from the age of 6 months to adult; swim club and swim team opportunities also are available. This is the company's third indoor location in the Valley in addition to several satellite locations.

Two articles in the RAK Library present a range of information on swim lessons for very young children. "New study urges early swim lessons" confirms the value of swim lessons for the youngest swimmers. "An illusion of safety in the water" urges parents to undertand the limitations of a toddlers' swimming skill.

Dad books

Books about the guys' experience with their wives' pregnancy and birth are humorous and informative. All guys know that, no matter what, that baby is going to be born, with or without them, but a primer on what to expect when she is expecting is a valuable survival tool.

In a quick survey through the bookstore shelf on parenting, the best one I saw is Harlan Cohen's Dad's Pregnant Too! (Sourcebooks, Inc 2008). He interviewed fathers, mothers, expectant fathers and expectant mothers and medical authorities. Cohen mixes in his own fatherly experiences along with medical facts, figures and advice.

I'm Going To Be A Dad, Now What? (Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.) by Craig Baird, incorrectly uses the first-person pronoun when second-person is correct, because Baird is not a father. Other books on impending fatherhood, as well as Wikipedia pages and other websites, are listed in the bibliography.

Stick to first-hand experience and primary sources to learn about impending fatherhood. dadspregnant.com.

A penny saved...

Saving money, planning ahead, spending less than you have in the bank. Zut alors! This is possible? Ekomini.com, headquartered in Quebec, Canada, has turned financial savvy into a battery-powered, USB-connected, computer-enhanced, interactive piggy bank.

Even a child, and perhaps the wizards at global financial institutions, can understand it. The piggy bank reads coins and tallies the amount in the bank. Note to Wall Street, there are no slots in the bank for Collateralized Debt Obligations.

Register the piggy bank on ekomini.com and the software provides financial planning advice and financial games for kids. How much to save, invest and spend to stay solvent. Oh, those Canadians! Mavericks!

The bank costs $40 so an old fashioned piggy bank and a piece of paper to track expenses under the guidance of a fiscally responsible parent may be a prudent option. Hmmm, maybe the computer pig is the way to go. Invest some time. ekomini.com.

It's a snap

A LEGO Junior Master Model Builder contest at the Arizona Science Center will be held Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2:30pm. Prizes will be awarded at 3pm on Sunday in three age categories: 9 and under, 10 to 15 and 16 and older.

Prizes include LEGO toys, tickets to LEGOLAND California and an invite to the premiere of the feature-length movie The Adventures of Clutch Powers at LEGOLAND March 19. The winner of the building contest will be invited to participate in The Ultimate Build-Off at LEGOLAND in January 2011.

On Saturday, the Science Center will premiere the Clutch Powers movie at 9am. In the movie, all the characters and sets are made of LEGOs. The hero, Cliutch Powers, and his crew save the world. Really. Seating is limited, and no, building a seat out of LEGO bricks will not help. AZ Science Center Family Events.

Story time adds up

As Gracie Palmer, 5, of Mesa says, "Anything can happen in a book." And anything can happen at "Once Upon a Time…. Family Story Times with a Mathematical Emphasis," with teachers Venus Leopold and Cammie Trumble.

They portray characters and play games to integrate math into literature for children and their parents. Last Tuesday evening parents, and kids aged 2 to 12, played math games to go with the book Pigs Will be Pigs, about a family of pigs searching for loose change around the house.

Leopold and Trumble received a $3,000 grant from Target to buy costumes and game pieces and send each kid home with a book after each class. The classes are free and offered through Parent University in the Mesa Public School district.

Leopold and Trumble's class meets again tomorrow and Feb. 23 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at Irving Elementary School, 3220 E. Pueblo in Mesa. Parent U, Mesa Public Schools.

Kitchen debates

Michelle Tingler and Debbie Devine have a problem. They've started a politcial website, O-mamma.com — the O stands for opinionated — and a campaign for common sense aimed at moms interested in discussing topics important to their kids and families.

Between Michelle and Debbie, on the set for "Kitchen Table Talk," is a basket of fruit. I fully expected one of them to smash an orange into the other's face Jimmy Cagney style. Part of me was hoping for a shouting match, but no, just a civilized forum for discussion. What is the world coming to?

They present opposing arguments in calm, reasonable language and logic. Imagine, conservative and liberal viewpoints. A series of videos on the site covers guns, gay marriage, health care, the environment, even abortion. All the hot button issues of the day that fuels the tiresome brouhaha on certain cable channels. O-mama.com.

Rain falls, river flows

As the rains fall and snow melts, the Salt River fills, spilling in torrents over the inflatable dam on the west end of Tempe Town Lake. A snowy egret and another water fowl enjoyed perching on a rock amidst the rushing water Wednesday.

Perhaps the high water created a surplus of food. I saw nine snowy egrets on another temporary island just downstream from the falls.

The Salt River has a long history of flooding, wiping out downstream farms in 1905 and in 1980 destroying many bridges.

To see the normally dry Salt River as a running river, park at the Tempe Center for the Arts or, in Phoenix, at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration area or the Arizona Audubon Center.

Backstage at Mary Poppins

On Monday, 14 trucks arrived at Gammage auditorium and began unloading the set, lights, costumes and props for the musical "Mary Poppins," which opened last night and continues for 22 performances through Feb. 28 at ASU Gammage. 

Under the direction of the head carpenter (who, ironically, does not saw a single two-by-four), the assembly is orchestrated to ensure that every labeled part is installed correctly at the right time.

Pictured here is Chad Rowe, in charge of all the automated systems whose belts, pulleys and motors whisk props and sets on and off stage or twirl the Banks family's house, seen in the background.

Assistant Stage Manager Tanya Gillette says each venue's backstage area is slightly different, so the final run-through gives the cast and crew a chance to make sure everyone knows where costume changes are, where props will be and where not to stand. Mary Poppins at ASU Gammage.

Valentines for elected officials

The State of Arizona is facing a mulit-billion dollar deficit for the current and next fiscal years. Education is a sizeable chunk of the state budget, so cuts seem inevitable. To voice your oppostion to cuts, join the Lifting Our Voice for Education (LOVE) rally on Saturday from noon-1:30pm at the Arizona State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington St.

Organizers hope people will make and bring Valentines with positive messages about public education to deliver to Gov. Jan Brewer and members of the state Legislature. The Arizona School Administrators Association (ASA), Arizona School Boards Association, (ASBA), Arizona School Business Officials (AASBO) and the Arizona Education Association (AEA) are organizing and supporting the rally.

The Goldwater Institute, complicating the discussion but bringing up another side of the issue, cites increases in expenditures on education without commensurate results, as a more important issue.

Now what? Make your voice known one way or the other. Contact your legislator.

Be a brain at the Brain Bee

Spelling bee contestants strive to spell words like "electroencephalograph." Brain Bee contestants need to remember that an electroencephalograph measures brain waves.

The annual Arizona Regional Brain Bee is tonight at 5pm at Midwestern University. Ninety-fouur students from 14 Arizona high schools will compete for scholarships and a chance to compete in the National Brain Bee in March in Washington, DC.

Questions for the Bee on the various aspects of the brain — like memory, emotions, brain disorders, etc. — come from the book Brain Facts published by the Society for Neuroscience.

The Brain Bee is part of Brain Awareness Week, March 15-21, organized by the The Dana Foundation to bring attention to the benefits of brain research. Arizona Brain Bee.

Student film festival winners

James Cameron wannabes, take note. The Arizona Student Film Festival recently gave out awards and showed winning entries on the big screen at Harkins Valley Art Theatre in Tempe. The contest is open to students from third grade to college.

This year, a public service announcements (PSAs) category focused on water conservation was open to grades 3-12. The contest also included short films, videos and documentaries.

Four fifth-graders from Tesseract School, pictured here in a still from their video, won first prize and the grand prize in the grades 3-5 category for their PSA "Options," about conserving water while brushing teeth. Hannah Goldberg, Brij Kathuria, Gabby Vatistas and Sydney Zuiback, under the supervision of teacher Ted Strickland, wrote, shot, edited and acted in the film.

Next year, students may want to think about a sci-fi, 3D, CG-heavy project, as that seems to be very popular. Options video by Tesseract students.

Edison party Thursday

Now that the Saints have won the Super Bowl we can prepare for Thursday, Thomas Edison's birthday. Considering his inventions — like the phonograph, electric light bulb, motion picture camera and electric power distribution — it can't be a coincidence that the Super Bowl is played so close to his birthday. Without electricity to fire up that colossal flat-screen, your bowl party would have been a dud, and dark.

How to celebrate? Bake a birthday cake in the shape of a light bulb or look at the video on Edison and other resources at Meet Me at the Corner, which also encourages kids to submit video book reviews and virtual field trips.

Canyon walls

Andrew Carnegie funded the building of 1,679 libraries in the US between 1886 and 1919. Carnegie libraries in the US have a distinctive, formal look befitting the era in which they were designed.

The Arabian Library in Scottsdale isn't formal, but it is distinctive. The rusted steel entry walls mimic the walls of a narrow canyon. Designed by the Richärd + Bauer architecture firm and completed in 2007, the library draws visitors into the courtyard and then inside.

You can read articles about the building in Metropolis magazine and Arhcitectural Record, but go there first and wander around.

While you're there, of course, you can also read a book or magazine, listen to music or do some research. Scottsdale Libraries.

Fudge factor

Bob Brown of Missuori is pouring a batch of chocolate from a large copper pot onto a marble slab to cool before kneading it into a loaf of fudge. He expects to make about 700 pounds of fudge at his Oh, Fudge! booth this weekend during the Glendale Chocolate Affaire in downtown Glendale.

Brown used to work for his grandfather making fudge in 1966 and after some years away from the candy business came back to it using his grandfather's recipe for Makinac Island fudge.

The chocolate festival features 40 chocolatiers, entertainment and non-chocolate items like crafts, fry bread, gyros etc. The festival is at at 58th and Glendale avenues, Saturday 10am-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm. Glendale Chocolate Affaire.

E-waste recycling

The problem of electronic waste, or e-waste, is as vast as the number of new and improved gadgets we buy and then discard every year. There are recyclable materials and valuable resources in all of those discarded, obsolete and broken electronic gizmos and doodads.

Scottsdale residents can bring items to 9191 E. San Salvador Drive tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Electronics Recycling Collection Day. The next recyling day is May 8, so clear out that closet while you can. You'll need an ID, rent receipt or utility bill to prove you live in Scottsdale.

Phoenix residents can use the appliance/electronics collection service. Used, broken and outdated computer technology can be dropped off at AZStRut (Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology) or use Westech Recycler, which is a partner with Keep Phoenix Beautiful. And if that doesn't do it, try Maricopa County Solid Waste Management.

No excuses people. What happens to all that e-waste.

Art is this

The 24th Annual New Horizons exhibit at the Shemer Art Center and Museum showcases work by students from 40 different Valley high schools. The photographs, sculptures, drawings, paintings and mixed-media pieces vary in their approach but all demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship.

"Nested," by Carley Ornelas, got my attention. The purple, headless mannequin torso clutches a blue egg behind its back. The mannequin "looks" at a painting of an open birdcage in front of a cityscape. The cage contains one bird yet to fly free, the other birds having already made their escape. The torso holds a smaller version of the larger painting behind its back. What does it mean?

Less perplexing but no less powerful is "Vanity," a charcoal drawing by Saraloni Troupe. It depicts a woman applying mascara. Arrows and dashed lines, pre-operative cosmetic surgery marks, indicate where "improvements" will be made.

The New Horizons show continues through March 2. Admission is free. Check the website for hours. Shemer Art Center and Museum.

Legal games

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's Our Courts project is designed to enhance students' knowledge of the justice system. To give the concepts life, the website offers interactive games based on the courts and the law.

In the game "Do I Have a Right?" players are lawyers in a law firm giving advice to clients using the Constitution and Bill of Rights. In"Argument Wars," players (as lawyer avatars like those pictured here) debate historical Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education. In "Supreme Decision," players are clerks to a Supreme Court Justice and help decide a student's rights in school.

Read Vicki Balint's conversation with Justice O'Connor, then bring out your inner lawyer with Our Courts interactive games.

Artists in residence

An assemblage of white tents and a sculpture courtyard just south of the 101 on Scottsdale Road is the creative home of 100 artists who will show and create their work through March 28.

The Celebration of Fine Art features a wide range of accessible artwork with high levels of craftsmanship from artists all over the country. Gedion Nyanhongo, pictured here, works on "Nursing the Child," carved in Zimbabwean opal.

"See the art, meet the artists, understand the process," recommends Kathy Norby, a member of the sales staff. Talking to an artist about their work reveals why it looks the way it does and what it means to the artist. Art is about ideas.

Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and free for kids 12 and younger. Once you pay, you can visit as much as you want until the show ends in March. celebrateart.com.

Internet acronyms

Internet lingo like IMHO (in my humble opinion) is common but POTATO (person over thirty acting twenty-one) is less so. Hundreds of acronyms used in chats and texting make it indecipherable to parents.

SpectorSoft computer monitoring software has an internet lingo tranlsator built into its new monitoring software so parents can comprehend what is in the often sexually charged chats pre-teens and teens are likely to have.

A few simple steps like keeping computers in full view of parents' prying eyes and limiting a child's user privileges can limit bad behavior. Disable texting on your child's cell phone and avoid smart phones in favor of simple cell phones.

You can get SpectorSoft's Internet lingo dictionary for yourself, though you have to enter an email address to get it. Free Lingo Guide.

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