Nearly every parent I know has lamented at some point during their parenting career that children don’t come with instruction manuals. I hear that some parents exist who possess an inner knack for parenting that transforms them into ”baby whisperers” once they become mothers or fathers. Luckily, there are parenting coaches [and myriad other support people] to help the knack-less rest of us.

One such support person is Wallingford resident Alison Bower, who has shifted gears from full-time educator and part-time parenting coach to owner of Parents In Mind, which offers parent education, parent and child support, and workshops. Alison, whose professional experience includes teaching as well as parenting three children of her own, supports other parents as they navigate family transitions, including: new parenthood, understanding children’s learning styles, school choices including homeschooling, step-parenting and any other pressure points that parents experience.

Alison wants the neighborhood to know that her “shingle is out.” If you’re a parent who would benefit from support, or if you’d like a seasoned educator who can speak to your school, PEPS group, or other organization about topics like “Empowering vs. Enabling for Young Children” and “The Art of Group Decision Making,” Alison would love to hear from you.

Additionally, you can attend a “Practical Parenting Tools” workshop that Alison is facilitating at John Stanford International School this Wednesday, March 12th, from 7-8:30 pm. All parents and caregivers are welcome. Childcare is available to currently enrolled JSIS families. More info can be found here.

I found myself in OULA class a few nights ago. If you know me and you know OULA, you should be shocked by this. As a result of my general awkwardness and clumsiness I have been avoiding dance floors since my adolescence.

However when Kendra, Wallingford resident and fitness instructor at Fresh Fitness and Dance (Interlake and 45th), invited me to try out OULA I was intrigued. Kendra wrote, “OULA is more than just a workout, it’s an experience. Or as we like to call it, dancemania for the soul! This is a place where you can forget about perfection, sing freely, laugh heartily, and leave feeling lighter. Our OULA instructors and participants are an amazing little tribe of happy people and we are always looking for more friends. We would love to spread the word about OULA because happy looks good on everyone.” I soon discovered that OULA, named for its city of origin, MissOULA, was created by Kali Linder who designed the class to capture the way she liked to feel during a workout. In the spirit of trying new things I decided to give “dancemania for my soul” a chance.

When I arrived at class I was greeted by an enthusiastic Kendra and friendly classmates. The only instructions were to not get hurt and have fun. And off we went! Each class is 60 minutes long and broken up into natural sections by breaks in between songs. I was instantly two steps behind and my two left feet were tripping over each other. Wondering if I would ever catch on, I watched Kendra in awe as she bounced around in the front of the class. Around me cheerful classmates danced along. Before long I was dancing along too. I was caught off guard to realize that I was smiling from ear to ear. I won’t say that I mastered OULA by the end of the hour, but I had a great time trying. Kendra was right, I left feeling lighter.

Chatting with Kendra afterwards she suggested three classes in order to master the main moves of OULA. I will be back for at least two more classes. Next time you are looking to get out of the house, to have some fun, and to enjoy yourself give OULA a try, or even better try it three times.

OULA classes at Fresh Fitness and Dance (4501 Interlake Ave N.) on Sundays @ 9:30a and Thursdays @ 7:30p. Drop-ins are welcome for $12 or $98 for a 10-class punch card.

(This post was submitted by Richard Haag Associates, a Wallyhood sponsor. Rich Haag was the designer of Gas Works Park.)

Gas Works Park Children’s Play Area Renovation: An Integrated Solution
Inside and Outside the Play Barn
Patrick Waddell, Tom Grant, Judy Moise
Friends of Gas Works Park

The Gas Works Park Master Plan (1971) declares that a principal design element is to transform industrial age artifacts into a park offering opportunities for active and spontaneous play. This element was particularly rich within the Children’s Play Area. However, the play area constructed according to the original design has been lost over time due to lack of maintenance, and is now at odds with the Master Plan.

Fortunately, the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces allocated 1.4M$ specifically targeted for the GWP Children’s Play Area renovation. Work on this project has now reached active status for Seattle Parks and Recreation and public meetings are beginning to ensure community participation in the development of the project scope. The first of these meetings will take place at the Good Shepherd Center, next Tuesday, March 11, starting at 6:30 PM.

Shortly after the passage of the Parks & Green Spaces Levy, and at the time hoping for an early start to improve this important element of the Park, an ad hoc committee of Friends of Gas Works Park members and Wallingford residents worked to develop a “renovation plan”. This is exuberantly reflected in the Richard Haag Associates play area plan (see illustration). While school-aged children, especially those in the north Lake Union neighborhoods, will get the most enjoyment and use of the play equipment, the play area will delight all children and their companions visiting this historic park.

The Play Area Integrated Elements:

Inside the Play Barn:

• Fall-protected flooring
• Soft seat swings on stanchions
• Endless “monkey bars” to complement original historic machinery
• Daylighted formerly dark area (requires roof paneling, est. $150K)
• Modern, fun play equipment

Outside the Play Barn:

• Modern play equipment, connected by multiple slides to the indoor barn
• Spray and splash pool
• Camera Obscura/Children’s Light and Optics Display in the small tower
• Mural to incorporate energy production history, art in an educational way
• Play area brought up to current ADA and safety standards for accessibility
• Compatible with solar panel initiatives to set green standards for Solar Energy Collection, designed in collaboration with Wallingford Solar Initiative, a neighborhood solar organization

Friends of Gas Works Park members are passionate about this creative gem in the center of Seattle, and we strive to preserve its design vision and move its development toward completion as envisioned in the original Master Plan. Gas Works Parks is a Seattle Historic Landmark, listed on the Washington State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places 2013.

(There is a public meeting to discuss the Gas Works Play Area renovation March 11^th, 2014 from 6.30-8pm at the Good Shepherd Center.)

I would like to buy some people tickets to this free event:

Public Discourse and Civic Intelligence
Gift of Grace at 2102 N. 40th St. is hosting and inviting you to a presentation and discussion with our Wallingford neighbor, Dr. Douglas Schuler, Professor at Evergreen College. The discussion will take place after GraceFeast (12:15ish) on Sunday, March 9 and will be held in the sanctuary. Dr Schuler has compelling ideas for improving public discourse and helping people gain what he calls, civic intelligence.

“Civic Intelligence is the generally unacknowledged and unnamed but indispensable aspect of living together on the planet — the ability of people to come together to address common issues. All societies and groups have some degree of civic intelligence; the question is whether we have enough — and what, if anything — should we do about it.”

Before Dr. Douglas Schuler’s presentation, all are welcome to GraceFeast Sunday Dinner (Lone Star Chili and Fresh Cornbread) hosted at 11:30AM each week by Gift of Grace as a service to the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. We gather in the lobby and then head to the dining hall together. We hope you’ll join us!

Thanks to Vivian Little for forwarding.

There’s a play area just to the south of the barn in Gas Works. No, not the barn itself, the building with all the colorful equipment, but the desolate, sandy area just to the south of it, with virtually no play equipment.

Fortunately, when the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces levy passed, it included $1.4 million in renovation funds for planning, design and construction of the Gas Works Park Play Area. The Parks Department will be kicking off their design process with a public meeting Tuesday March 11 at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N), Room 202 , from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The meeting is an opportunity for the community to hear about the upcoming project and offer input on the play area renovation. Seattle Parks staff will be at the meeting to discuss the project and answer questions. The community is encouraged to participate and all are welcome.

The project schedule is:

For more information about the project visit the project web site, or, better yet, attend the meeting!

(Photo by Eric Willhite)

Reminder: if you’re interested in sending your child to the John Stanford or McDonald schools next year (or to any public school except the one they would otherwise be automatically assigned), forms must be received (not just submitted, but actually received) by the city by 4:00 pm this Friday, March 7th.

More details in the Public School Open Enrollment Begins Tomorrow post from February 23rd.

Vivian Little sent along this announcement for an open house this Saturday at a new preschool located in the Gift of Grace Church (2102 N. 40th St):

Huckleberry Forest preschool, which used to be at the same location, has moved elsewhere.