We at Raising Madison want to wish you all Happy Holidays! We’ll be taking the rest of the year off to spend time with family and friends, but we already have a lot of exciting ideas for RM in 2011!
We hope you all have a wonderful rest of 2010! We’re thankful for all the love and support you’ve been sending our way this past year.
We love you, Madison! Stay warm!
U.S. Bank Eve is Madison’s time-honored community celebration of the New Year. This family-oriented New Year’s Eve celebration has activities and entertainment for everyone. Capture the spirit of the season on December 31, 2010.
Admission
U.S. Bank Eve tickets go on sale December 1 and can be purchased in advance from any of the 10 U.S. Bank Madison locations. Doors open at either 5:00 or 6:00 pm and close at either 9:00 pm or 10:00 pm, so please check site listing.
Note: Tickets are good at all U.S. Bank Eve Madison locations, and admission to any location is on a space-available basis.
Adults:
In Advance: $5.00
At The Door: $7.00
Children under 5: FREE at all times
Children ages 5-15:
In Advance: $3.00
At The Door: $5.00
Family Pass
In Advance: $12.00
At The Door: $15.00
Family pass includes 2 adult tickets and a ticket for up to three children who are 5 and older in the family.
See site for downtown parking information.
Event Highlights:
U.S. Bank Plaza – Downtown Madison
1 South Pinckney
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Concessions provided by Sunprint
Main Street Wisdom (Kat’s brother’s band!) 6:00 pm to 9:45 pm
Kiddie countdown with hats, horns and confetti 7:30 pm
Complimentary 20th U.S. Bank Eve birthday brownie and cup of hot chocolate in the Sunprint Café at our Madtown Party. 6:00 until supplies last!
Get a temporary airbrush tattoo or balloon hat creation, then step into our photobooth to record your New Year’s look 6:00 – 9:30 pm
Design your New Year’s savings goal visor and START to save with a new piggy bank 6:00 until supplies last!
See the Spec-can-ular, eco-friendly holiday tree
Take a tour back in time on the Holiday Trolley, which leaves every 15 minutes beginning at 6:30 pm at our Webster Street entrance. Last one boards at 9:30 pm
Monona Terrace
1 John Nolen Drive
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Concessions Available
Grand Terrace
Truly Remarkable Loon 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Hall of Ideas
Learn how to Tango, Conga, Salsa and Merengue from 6:05 pm to 9:30 pm
Madison Ballroom
Rick Wilcox’s Magic Show at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Mid Level
UW Space Place Photo Show
Fly a US Bank Plane
Olin Terrace
View wonders of the night sky on the Olin Terrace through telescopes operated by UW Space Place volunteers.
Exhibit Hall
Gomeroke: Kid’s karaoke with the Gomers Band from 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Big Inflatables
Obstacle Course
Little Bounces
Take a ride on the Circus Train
Enjoy fun and games in Madison Parks hands-on village
Take part in our 9:30 pm Balloon Drop Countdown!
Madison Children’s Museum
100 North Hamilton
6:00 pm. to 10:00 pm
Join a sing-a-long led by Ken Lonnquist at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm in the 2nd Floor Celebrations Room.
Make a masterpiece on MCM’s new paint wall.
Play in the shadow room.
Be part of creative crafting in MCM’s permanent, collaborative collage.
Get your face painted, walk through the rooftop garden or enjoy refreshments at Bean Sprouts Café.
Countdown to our early New Year’s in the main hall at 8:30 pm.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Avenue
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Holiday Train
Flower Show
Bolz Conservatory
Temporary Tattoos
Henry Vilas Zoo Animals in the Conservatory
Wii and Xbox Game Station
Strolling magician Tom Krzystof
Games and prizes
Color your Savings Goal and decorate your new piggy bank, while supplies last!
Prairie Athletic Club and Sun Prairie Ice Arena – New Site!
1010 N. Bird St/655 Athletic Way
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Ice Skating – Bring your own skates, rent for just $2, or rent for free with a donation of two non-perishable food items for the food pantry.
Swimming
Gym Games
Temporary Tattoos
Bouncy Castle
Cakewalk
Design your New Year’s Savings Goal
Snakes Alive! in Studio 2 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Concessions and raffle to benefit Sun Prairie Youth Ice Hockey Association’s Capital Campaign to build a new ice rink
Keva Sports Center
8312 Forsythia Street, Middleton
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Open play sports including soccer, football, yard games, tumbling, parachute, basketball and more!
Concessions
Hats and Horns
Temporary Tattoos
Raffle
Inflatables for tots and pre-teens from Fun Play
Design a cookie or your New Year’s savings goal (while supplies last)
Coat Check and Cubbies Available
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What does your family have planned for New Year’s Eve? How many of you have gone to U.S. Bank Eve before?
Overture Center’s Kids in the Rotunda is a series of free artistic programs designed for children and families which runs from the last weekend in September through April. This popular performing arts series on the Rotunda Stage offers a relaxed, kid-friendly environment in which to enjoy a diverse lineup of local and regional musicians, storytellers, jugglers, theater troupes, magicians and dancers. The programs run every Saturday at 9:30 am, 11 am and 1 pm (each performance lasts around 45 minutes). The 1 pm performances are sign language interpreted.
This week’s performer is Ken Lonnquist (Songs with All the Trimmings!)
If you’ve ever heard funnyman folksinger Ken Lonnquist perform, you most likely have a favorite song (or several) from his collection. Join us this holiday season as Ken Lonnquist shares Songs with All the Trimmings, a show complete with selections of the season from all of your favorite fall and winter holidays. Lonnquist’s kids’ songs are unique, one-of-a-kind, insightful and hilarious. His charm, ability to connect with the audience and clever lyrics make his music enjoyable to everyone – no matter how old.
This will be the final Kids in the Rotunda for the year. KITR returns January 8 with The Madgadders.
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There will be no Bambino-Palooza at Happy Bambino this weekend. Bambino-Palooza returns on January 8.
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Know of any other family-friendly events taking place this weekend? Feel free to mention them in the comments!
We all know how important the health and well-being of our children is to us as parents, so finding someone you can trust to take care of your little ones (and support your decisions along the way) isn’t always easy. Below, a number of RM readers share their reviews of area doctors whom their families have grown to trust and recommend to others.
The reviews below are personal to the people who shared them. We realize that you may have met with the doctors listed below and had a completely different experience. If that’s the case, please feel free to leave your own review in the comments or e-mail Raising Madison and we’ll put it on the blog! And thanks so much to those who shared their reviews!
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Pediatricians/Family Practice
Dr. Ann E. Evensen is wonderful. She follows my health, delivered my little one, and is my little one’s primary also! No pediatrician for us. Family practice is best!
–Kathy
Liliana and Charlie both travel from Fitchburg all the way to Dean east to see our beloved pediatrician Dr. Trias. We started seeing him about three and a half years ago and love and trust him! He has responded positively to us when we brought up our preferences for breastfeeding (and extended breastfeeding), cosleeping, cloth diapering, vaccine delay/skipping, gentle discipline, etc. He RESPECTS us as parents, and asks questions to be sure we’ve done the research to do things safely (cosleeping would be an example) but seems to realize the impact he has on parents as a doctor and words any recommendation very carefully so it doesn’t seem pushy or threatening. Our only issue has ever been that the receptionists at Dean East don’t seem to be allowed much room for flexibility in the schedule (this seems to be true with using the reception staff to book for any of the doctors there) but the times I have spoken with his nursing staff about a concern, they’ve always found a place for us in the schedule in a more reasonable time frame.
-Tiffany (RM blogger)
We take our toddler to Dr. Peter Harnish, a family practice doctor at the Dean East Clinic. We went to him because two other friends take their chlidren to him and we love him. His nurses are kind and gentle and we feel like we have so much time with each visit. He really listens, remembers small details about our family and personal lives, and is really invested in our family. My husband also sees him, and the benefit is that we can get so many questions answered in one visit. Like I said, I know two other friends who take their children to him and they’re very happy.
I personally see Dr. Virginia McKenna, who is also a family practice doctor at the Dean East Clinic and she’s fabulous. We laugh during appointments and she’s very responsive.
-Marlena
My whole family LOVES Dr. Danielle Gindlesberger (aka Dr. G.) [Dean Clinic-Sun Prairie]. She’s a family practitioner who does OB, so has seen myself and both of my daughters (husband is out of network) for the past 3 years. She always makes us feel like what we have to say is important and we never feel rushed. She’s patient with our 3 year old and has been great at keeping my pregnancy/newborn/infant fears (Can I eat Jimmy John’s while pregnant? Why won’t this baby take a bottle? OMG these HEMORROIDS!) and issues under control. Every time I had an (irrational) pregnancy fear, my concern was answered with a calm response, sometimes humor (regarding my GBS and antibiotics: “The vagina really is a theoretical place, unless something is passing through it…”), and usually a statistic I needed to hear (“In all the deliveries I’ve done, only ONE baby was born the opposite sex of what the ultrasound tech guessed at 20 weeks.”). She instinctively knows what I need to hear and how to tell me. I love the office staff and the nurses, never had issues with getting squeezed in, and she made it under the buzzer to my second (FAST!) delivery and got me grounded – I think it was her over everyone else in the room that I managed to focus on. Maybe part of it is I feel like I can relate to her since she’s my age (early 30s) and has 2 kids approximately the same ages as mine, so she’s been through (recently) the same things I’m going through … a picky-eater toddler (“Seriously, her dinner is a grape. A grape.”) and a baby who refused to take a bottle before I returned to work (so she recited her own bottle/sippy library to me to calm my hysterics). My 3 year old loves her enough that now she’s catching a cold and keeps asking us to “Take me to the hopspital so Dr. G. can fix me to make me stop sneezin.”
–Nicole
I have had Dr. Lentfer as my family practice doctor for the past 8 years. She is one of the many family practice doctors that works out of Wildwood Clinic. Since having my first child in 2005, Dr. Lentfer has seen me through 3 pregnancies. She is the doctor for each of my 3 children. Dr. Lentfer is AMAZING! She is caring, practical, thorough, and attentive. If something arises that is beyond her area of expertise, she quickly refers us to a specialist whom she has personally worked with. She knows our entire family, remembers details about our lives and always makes us feel at home. If we need to get in quickly, they are always accommodating.
Dr. Lentfer’s main assistant is Kristel. Kristel is also amazing. She is kind, compassionate, and funny. She always goes above and beyond and treats us like family. I have never had a better experience with medical care than I have with Wildwood Clinic and Dr. Lentfer and Kristel. I would recommend them without question!!
–Katrina
Anyone looking for a family practice doctor with patience, flexibility, and unlimited support should see Dr. Cambray at the Wildwood Clinic. He takes the time to get to know his patients and is willing to work with parents no matter what their values. While we believe in immunizing our daughter, we wanted to take a slower schedule. After 2 1/2 years, Dr. Cambray has helped us reach this goal.
–Amy
I am a near eastside homebirther. My son Skylar, 2.5 and I see Dr. Jill Mallory at Wildwood Family Clinic in Cottage Grove. She is a family practitioner and provides OBGYN services as well. If you are the least bit alternative she is a great choice. If you are far out there – no vax, un-circumcised, co-sleeping … etc she is the best. She is non-judgmental and open minded. She makes a true connection with her patients. She regularly calls me back when I need something – not her nurses.
–Jessica
Dr. Cambray has been Milena’s doctor since she was born. We’ve been really happy with all the doctors, nurses, and staff members we’ve encountered over the past two years. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and seems to remember us. One of our favorite parts about Wildwood is that one of their actual physicians is on call after hours to answer questions. We’ve had to call Wildwood a few times over the past few years, and the physician on call has always been great about getting back to us quickly and doing a thorough job answering our questions and concerns. Our only complaint is that we’ve been made to wait for appointments (in the waiting area and in the exam room) for 20+ minutes almost every time we’ve been there. Milena and I were actually left to wait an HOUR in the exam room once! (if she hadn’t had a horrible diaper rash that needed to be looked at, we obviously wouldn’t have waited that long.)
–Kat (RM blogger)
My daughter Paige goes to see Dr. Elizabeth Neary at Associated Physicians and we LOVE her! She never makes us feel rushed and is always glad to answer my questions. She even wears bracelets for the kids to play with/look at while she’s examining them. I was able to get a same day appointment when I was worried that Paige might have an ear infection. Turns out she didn’t, but Dr. Neary said she was glad I brought her in to have her checked out anyways and that I was a good parent for doing so! I’ve talked to her on their 24 hour after hours help line too and didn’t feel like I was disrupting her. She was glad to answer my questions, even though it was 10:00 at night. I also appreciate her cutting edge information on childhood nutrition/food allergies, which was part of the reason we chose her as our doctor. We used to live on the west side, but have since moved to Sun Prairie and still make the 30 minute drive to have Dr. Neary as our pediatrician. We love Dr. Neary!
–Alexis (Mom of Paige – 8 months old)
We LOVE our pediatrician Dr. Susan Nondahl at Associated Physicians. She is very knowledgeable, kind, and has been so great with our 2 kids when they have had health concerns. It is easy to get an appointment with her when they are sick and the other doctors in the practice have been great too.
–Nicole
Hi, I wanted to let you know about our wonderful doctor experience! We use Dr. Diane Wendland, MD, who is out of UW Health Monona. She is Family Practice, pro-breastfeeding, doesn’t go for unnecessary testing on anyone, and is absolutely wonderful. I have used her for 10 years myself (I’ve followed her from clinic to clinic, does that make me a groupie?), and my son has now been using her for 7 months. I cannot say enough good things about her. I was so happy having a doctor during my pregnancy who had been my doctor previously and knew my medical history. Because I wound up needing a last minute C-Section she was with us all day but didn’t deliver our baby after all. I was nervous about getting a new doctor then, but I wound up with Dr. Elizabeth Siitari, MD. She was also awesome. I adore both of them and if I ever have another baby, I would not dream of using someone besides one of them.
–Lynette
We love Dr. Yu as a pediatrician [UW East Clinic]!!! What makes him special is that he has seen soooooo many kids and been around for soooo long that he is the most reliable and unbiased resource around. And he always seems to be enjoying his work. The one downfall is that he has, and has had, so many patients, it’s hard to be remembered by him (although he fakes it well, we think)….
–Lindsay
Dahlia sees Dr. Sleeth at the UW Pediatrics 20 South Park office. We love Dr Sleeth. He’s very thorough, straightforward, and funny. He makes me feel like I’m an important partner in preserving my child’s health and not just some cog in a machine to be talked down to. I also like his nurses and assistants very much. They are very responsive over the phone – quick to return calls and figure out whether my silly little questions warrant an office visit. They were cooperative the one time I wanted to delay a couple shots for a month or so, which I appreciated. The one thing that always cracks me up is how perplexed they are by the mechanics of Dahlia’s cloth diapers. But they’re very supportive of extended breastfeeding and have commended me for keeping Dahlia rear-facing. I just feel like they are a very good match for our particular style of parenting: pragmatic, flexible, knowledgeable and caring.
–Maggie (RM blogger)
Group Health Cooperative (GHC)
Dr. Mark Huth, at GHC Hatchery Hill, is outstanding. He is a family practitioner who does OB and I met him when pregnant with my son. He is down-to-earth, caring, a good listener, and he really made me feel like I was in control of my health care during my pregnancy, labor, and delivery (not to mention, he is a likable, interesting person who is fun to talk to). When I got to the hospital to deliver, I was at 5cm. Dr. Huth came in and told me that, instead of going back to clinic and then trying to race back in time, he was going to stay at the hospital the whole time. That was about 7am on a Monday. While we didn’t expect it to take that long, my son wasn’t born until 3 am Tuesday morning – Dr. Huth really was there the whole time. Our amazing doula, Patsy Brooks, told us that out of the births she had attended in Madison (ours was her 44th), Dr. Huth was the best doctor she had worked with. We agreed that he was wonderful. He was calm and supportive through everything. And I loved that he was then our son’s doctor and continued to give compassionate, personal care until our family made the decision to move. I miss him!
–Maggie
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Dentists
My partner and I own Riverplace Dental, which is a small family practice that enjoys seeing patients of all ages. These days many families feel that their children need to see a pediatric dentist, but at our office, we love kids – and it’s convenient for parents to schedule their appointments at the same time as their kiddos. I start to see children as young as one year old – the visit is much like a well-child check, often mainly about parent education and establishing a dental home for the child.
–Laura Tills
If you are looking for compassion, quality, honesty and reliablity then, Dr. Laura Tills at Riverplace Dental will exceed all of your expections. Dr. Tills is a local family dentist who will see your entire family. As a Mother of two boys, she knows how to be compassionate and gentle with children. She will make you and your family very comfortable with each and every procedure that is done. Dr. Tills has a very pleasant and modern dental office, that is on the cutting edge of technology. She sets aside time everyday to see dental emergencies becauses knows how important it is to treat dental problems right away. My children love going to the dentist, because having a great experience everytime is what matters most to Dr. Tills.
–Shellie
Liliana has a cross bite! This means she needed (in her mommy’s opinion, anyway) to see a dentist earlier in life than other kids would. We asked around and were referred to Eric teDuits D.D.S at Children’s Dental Center of Madison in Fitchburg. The lobby is amazing with murals and awesome built in TV and game systems to keep kids minds off of upcoming appointments and keep siblings busy. The staff really understood how to make my baby comfortable with having fingers and equipment in her mouth.
We have also had Liliana in for a regular dental check up, cleaning and flouride treatment with our family dentist at Madsen & Hirsch. The receptionists, hygenists and Dr. Madsen were so friendly and accommodating, and even though I was dreading a terrible two’s style tantrum they kept her comfortable and talked her through the process and even made it fun!
–Tiffany (RM blogger)
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Specialists
We have seen the pediatric allergist Dr. Healy at UW Allergy Clinic at 20 S Park. St. He is GREAT and great with kids. He really helped up figure out what was going on with both of our children’s allergy problems and went out of his way to help us find the right soap and lotion for my baby with really bad excema.
–Nicole
Milena has seen both Dr. Don Bukstein and Dr. Christine Virnig with Dean Clinic. Milena was only 9 months old when she saw Dr. Bukstein. He was really great with her and did a great job making me feel comfortable and informed about her milk allergy. We saw Dr. Virnig for the first time last month, and loved her! She was friendly and welcoming and did a great job making Milena feel comfortable in the exam room (which had lots of children’s books, papers to color, and a chalkboard!). The nursing staff was also great – especially the two lab techs who drew Milena’s blood. They did such a great job, Milena didn’t even cry!
–Kat (RM blogger)
Milena also sees Dr. Movaghar at Davis Duehr Dean. The waiting area is wonderful! There’s a fun mural on the wall, lots of toys and colors, an aquarium, and even a TV with animated movies. We’ve been to see Dr. Movaghar twice, and both times he and his staff were just great with us and Milena – it’s definitely not easy to do an eye exam on a little one!
–Kat (RM blogger)
Thanks to the Fitchburg Public Library for passing along information regarding these great events!
Promoting Early Literacy Skills in Young Children
Ages Birth to 4 years
January 19, 2011
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and most important teacher. What can we do to help our children be ready to read? Join us as we clap, tap, rhyme, read and sing. Learn how these simple, fun and enjoyable activities give children a healthy and happy start on the road to reading.
Grades K-3
January 26, 2011
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Our children are taking their first steps in becoming readers. How can we support their efforts? Join us as we look at helpful and practical ways to read with children whether they are enjoying reading or are reluctant to read. Learn about choosing books for all kinds of readers and tips for making reading meaningful and enjoyable.
Both workshops will be held in the Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road, in the Fitchburg Room. These workshops are free, but registration is required. Call 843-5757 with questions or to register. Credit for Registry certified caregivers is available.
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Parents as Teachers
Join us for two workshops focusing on promoting early literacy skills
using books by and about African Americans. Each family will receive a free book to take home. Children will enjoy a storytime with a craft activity while parents learn how to help their children enjoy success as readers. Questions? Call Megan at 843.5757.
Parents and Children
Ages 3-5 Years
Tuesday January 4, 2011
10:00 – 11:00 am
Fitchburg Community Center (5510 Lacy Road)
There will be bagels, coffee, cookies and juice provided.
Parents and Children
Ages 5-7 Years
Tuesday January 4, 2011
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Leopold Elementary School (2602 Post Road)
There will be a light dinner provided.
The Madison Parks winter fun begins this weekend! Madison Parks is where families go for old-fashioned fun.
Sledding Hills – Dust off that old toboggan or sled, and head out to the Madison Parks sledding hills this weekend. Elver Park Warming Shelter and restrooms will be open Saturday and Sunday from 11:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. Please note, these facilities may close early due to weather or lack of patron participation. The concession stand will not be open this weekend, but will be operating starting December 18.
Parks Staff reminds everyone to have fun, be safe and respect your fellow sledders. Bring your own sled, wear a helmet, keep a safe distance from others when sledding. Exit the bottom of the hill as quickly as possible. Walk up the hill using the side of the hill. And remember, the use of the sledding hill is at your own risk.
Other parks with sledding hills are: Heistand Park, Garner Park, Warner Park, Berkley Park, and Olbrich Park. For more information and locations, visit www.cityofmadison.com/winter
Ski Trails – Madison Parks boasts over 30 km of cross-country ski trails in 6 different park locations. Trail grooming is very dependant on the accumulation of snow and weather conditions. Because of the warm temperatures Friday, December 10, 2010, staff cannot groom any of the trails. Staff will be evaluating the winter storm event coming this weekend to see if there will be favorable conditions for grooming on Sunday. Please check the website or sign up for trail updates on the Madison Parks Winter website at: www.cityofmadison.com/winter
Ski Trail Pass – now is a great time to purchase your 2011 ski trail pass! A ski pass is required to ski at Odana Hills Golf Course, Elver Park and all Dane County Park ski trails. You may purchase your annual pass at the trailhead, or on-line at www.cityofmadison.com/epayment – Ski trail passes make GREAT Holiday Gifts!
Outdoor Ice Rinks – Madison Parks several locations for outdoor ice rinks. For your and your family’s safety, please stay off the ice until we post that conditions are safe for skating. Staff is working daily on making the ice safe for your skating enjoyment. But at this point, the ice is still much too thin and is dangerous. With next week’s predicted frigid temperatures, staff anticipates having some of the rinks up and running the weekend of December 18. Please check the website or sign up for rink updates on the Madison Parks Winter website at: www.cityofmadison.com/winter
Adopt Ice Partnership – it is not too late to sign up to help with the Adopt Ice Partnership program. You can help get the ice rinks ready for skating even quicker after a snow event. Parks staff first priority after a snow event is public safety and snow removal from streets, sidewalks and parking lots. After this is complete, staff can turn their attention to the ice rinks. The Adopt Ice Partnership program helps expedite the ice conditions by removing the snow from the rinks early, allowing staff to get the ice conditions in prime condition as soon as possible. Some neighborhoods have taken their volunteer job a few steps further by having a scheduled maintenance program that not only includes snow removal, but flooding and even unlocking/locking the adjacent warming house.
If you would like to learn more, please attend the next Adopt Ice Partnership meeting on:
• December 13, 7:30p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 5202 Cottage Grove Road.
For more information on Winter Fun in Madison Parks – visit www.cityofmadison.com/winter
Overture Center’s Kids in the Rotunda is a series of free artistic programs designed for children and families which runs from the last weekend in September through April. This popular performing arts series on the Rotunda Stage offers a relaxed, kid-friendly environment in which to enjoy a diverse lineup of local and regional musicians, storytellers, jugglers, theater troupes, magicians and dancers. The programs run every Saturday at 9:30 am, 11 am and 1 pm (each performance lasts around 45 minutes). The 1 pm performances are sign language interpreted.
This week’s performers are The Okee Dokee Brothers (banjos and bluegrass)
Inspired by their own backyard adventures, The Okee Dokee Brothers currently perform original music that reminds audiences of their own make-believes and treehouse-pretendings. Their show can transport you to the wilds of Africa, the tip-top of a gigantic rollercoaster, or down the Mississippi on a homemade raft. The Okee Dokee Brothers (Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander) believe that music should be an energetic, interactive, and fun experience where kids can enjoy dancing, singing and playing instruments with their families. So come on down to the Rotunda Stage and join the Brothers to have a rip-roarin’, knee-thumpin’ good time!
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Bambino-Palooza at Happy Bambino
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Know of any other family-friendly events taking place this weekend? Feel free to mention them in the comments!
Thanks to Half-Pint Resale for directing us toward this post on the Connecting Neighbors for Good blog about the MOM’s (Middleton Outreach Ministry) Sharing Christmas program.
“Through MOM’s Sharing Christmas program, families, seniors, and individuals fill out a wish list. Donors purchase gifts for the family (spending approximately $50 per person) and either arrange to drop the wrapped gifts at the family or individual’s home, or to drop them off at the MOM office to be picked-up.
This year, the number of families asking for help has again increased. We’ve already served 320 families, with another 80 still to be matched, and still another 50 on our waiting list.
We have big families, small families, seniors, individuals, teenagers, small children, adults … all hoping for a wrapped gift, something to make the holiday bright.
So grab your co-workers, your friends, your youth group, your family, and make this season bright for another person, another senior, another family in need. You’ll get just as much out of the giving as they will get in the receiving.
Act today! Christmas is just around the corner. For more information, check out our website and read the FAQ. You can also register online, or email our coordinator at sharingchristmas@momhelps.org. Aren’t a fan of shopping? Your financial gift will be used to purchase gifts for someone on our list.”
Middleton Outreach Ministry “is a local organization providing social service relief programs to residents of Middleton and West Madison, including a food pantry serving over 300 families each month, a clothing closet, financial aid for housing and utility assistance, a variety of seasonally-based community initiatives, and a Project for Older People (POP) program focused on enhancing the independence of local seniors. These programs are supported by community stakeholders with annual cash and in-kind contributions of over $1.2 million and volunteers providing over 15,000 annual hours of service.”
Join the Jewish Federation of Madison for Hanukkah Tzedakah Night Sunday, December 5 from 4 – 6 pm (potluck at 5 pm).
WHERE: The Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Jewish Community Campus, 7762 County Highway PD
WHO: EVERYONE – All ages welcome.
PLEASE BRING:
– A vegetarian or dairy dish to share for the potluck dinner. Paper products and drinks will be provided.
– A $5 donation per family is requested. All of the money collected will go to Camp Shalom Scholarships and The Road Home. THANK YOU!!
– Please see the Tzedakah projects below for other items you might want to bring.
Highlights:
Light the Hanukkah candles as a community with the Hilde L. Mosse Gan HaYeled Preschool
Watch performances by Chug Ivrit; the after school Hebrew club for K-2 students; the Madison Jewish Community Day School; and Yonim: Madison’s Israeli Dance Troupe
Enjoy a delicious potluck dinner (Don’t forget your vegetarian or dairy dish to pass).
Participate in many different Tzedakah projects organized by Jewish organizations in Madison.
For example:
– Use your spare change to participate in a coin toss.
– Create bookmarks and donate books to benefit Head Start classrooms. All books are welcome, but if you’d like to see the wish list, visit JewishMadison.org.
There will be other Tzedakah projects as well. Many thanks to Beth Israel Center, Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Hadassah, Hillel, the Madison Jewish Community Day School, Temple Beth El and Yonim for leading these activities.
Two of my favorite things about winter are Christmas trees and holiday lights. Together, they help keep my spirits up when it’s 5pm and already dark outside! Below, we share with you info on local places to pick or cut your own trees. If you’ve had experience at any of these places, we’d love to hear about it in the comments!
I’m also so happy to say that the Holiday Fantasy in Lights is open! This drive-through display with animated light sculptures is located at Olin Park and is open from dusk to dawn every day through January 2. (Donations appreciated upon exit.) We brought Milena through yesterday, and she LOVED it! (Jess and I loved it too!)
Kammer’s Christmas lights are also up along University Avenue! I purposely drive that way during the winter months just to see them!
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Cut-/Pick-your-own Christmas Trees
The Bruce Company – Precut Christmas trees, Living Christmas trees (to plant later), Christmas wreaths, Christmas boughs, garlands, mistletoe, Christmas decorations, trees bagged, trees tied, tree shaking provided, free tree trimmings. There will be live reindeer on December 5 and 12 from noon – 2 pm. You can even have your picture taken with them for a small fee. 2830 Parment Street, Middleton (836-7041). Open: Monday – Friday 9 am to 7 pm, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. Closed Christmas day.
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Hann’s Christmas Farm is the place to buy your tree and wreath, but they have so much more to offer! Check out Hann’s Holiday Haystack for the kids to climb on, with slides and tunnels to climb through. Take your family portrait in our giant Wreath Photo Frame.
Shop in the Christmas Store – the most unique collection of gifts and ornaments in one place.
After Thanksgiving, Santa and Mrs. Claus are there every weekend for photo opportunities without the lines and hassle of the mall. To see more weekend events, click here.
Hours: Open 9 am-5 pm every day, November 1-December 24. 848 Tipperary Road, Oregon (835-5464).
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Family owned and operated for more than thirty years, Jensen Trees is located conveniently on the west side of Madison just three miles west of West Towne Mall (7507 Valley View Road, Verona. 833-8385). Jensen Trees is easy to reach so you can spend your time pleasantly walking in their woods finding the perfect tree! They have thousands of trees to choose from and a variety of accessories and decorations to assist you in the Christmas season.
Jensen Trees is open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily, however “Harvest Your Own” closes at dusk (usually between 4:00 – 4:30 pm).
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Mistletoe Tree Farm: “After visiting many cut your own tree farms with our children as they were growing up, we decided we would like to grow our own crop of trees so other families could share the experience of cutting their own trees. Our goal was to produce quality trees and offer them for sale at reasonable prices. We started planting and growing our trees in 2004. We now have hundreds of trees growing and we continue to plant more each spring.
The trees we plant are healthy trees from a well known northern Wisconsin nursery. We hope that families can get the enjoyment of creating their own family memories by picking out their perfect Christmas tree.”
All trees at Mistletoe Tree Farm are $30, ranging from 4′-8′. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. 300 County Road N, Edgerton.
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Paoli Tree Farm – Choose and cut Christmas trees open daily from 8 am – 5 pm. Located at 6445 Sun Valley, Pkwy, Belleville (424-3936).
Pine, Spruce and Fir trees are available for the Holiday Season at Summers Christmas Tree Farm. You will find wreaths to hang on your front door, garland to deck the halls and fresh boughs for everything from your table to porch planters. Open everyday from 8 – 5 pm. Precut trees are also available for the less adventurous. 4610 Rocky Dell Road, Middleton (831-4414).
Premium trees are grown for Tree City tree lot. The “Tree City” lot is located at Vitense Golfland in Madison, Wisconsin at 5501 W. Beltline Highway. Hours: November 26 thru December 16
Mon – Sun 9:00 am to 9:00 pm; after December 16 Mon – Sun
12:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Don’t forget your coupon for 10% off any purchase!
Raising Madison 