PotreroHillParents.org

With Mother’s Day on the horizon, this is particularly amusing….

Answers given by 2nd grade school children in the U.K. to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
Read more »

Submitted by Allison Curletto

Now that I’m “officially” in the third trimester, and thus sage and wize, I thought I’d pass on a couple of things I’ve learned along the way that would be incredibly helpful if you or someone you know is just starting down this pregnancy road – there are a couple of items that will become your best friends besides your best friends. I’m sure that every girl will have some that are different, but I’ve listed a few I could not, now, ever live without:

1. Get a nice big Nalgene water bottle and keep in full and with you all the time. Hydration is one of my short comings, I’m sure, but, if properly hydrated, one will avoid (or at least suffer less from) many pregnancy maladies (see “Sitz Baths” below) and will also lighten Braxton-Hicks contractions. Note: ease up on the water intake sometime around 7pm so you don’t spend all of what should be your sleeping hours making quick stops to the bathroom. Read more »

LiveScience.com reports:

Men and women are actually from the same planet, but scientists now have the first strong evidence that the emotional wiring of the sexes is fundamentally different. [READ MORE]

Any married couples surprised by this?

Parenting expert, Stephanie Brown, writes:

A reader has asked about some potty training issues with her son. He doesn’t ever indicate that he needs to go, and I believe part of the problem is that he doesn’t go on his own. He’s taken and put on the potty to go and this has been their practice for nearly a year. She’s also inquired about what her son should wear for night training — underwear or a diaper?

I’ve given her my answers and shared what forum members have said about the subject.

Read this interesting Q&A.

Ladybug Preschool’s second location, Ladybug Too, has some spots available
—

1) Afternoons
2) Mondays
3) Girls

If interested, call Yvonne Hove, the director. We toured their new location and it is amazing! Yvonne’s phone number is 415-776-5054.

Their new school is in Cow Hollow on Greenwich. It is Reggio Emilia-based and the kids are always active, doing artwork, learning cooking, playing, reading, or music. Yvonne has 17 years experience and is fabulous.

As reported earlier this month on PotreroHillSF, Downtown High School will replace International Studies Academy (ISA), at Vermont and 18th Street in the fall, with a new and different student body.

Public Notice:

How can parents and neighbors prepare?

Please come, meet and talk with:

Frank Tom, High School Superintendent of The S.F. board of Education
Richard Maggi, Principal of Downtown High and their staff

Monday, April 24 at 7:00PM at the ISA Cafeteria, 693 Vermont Street

Topics for discussion:

- What are the best ways to avoid property vandalism?
- Will there be off-street parking for staff and students?
- What times will they arrive and depart?
- How do we handle the ongoing litter issues?
- Are there going to be evening events at the school?
- What security services does the school provide?
- Can we expect strife with ISA students 3 blocks away?
- At what point should we call the police?
- Who will address specific neighborhood grievances later?
- How can we work together to be good neighbors?

Discuss these questions and your other concerns with the people responsible!

Since some of us may be dealing with this situation soon, this recent story caught our eye and thought it would be of interest.

The Chronicle reports:

With the summer on the way, it isn’t hard to know what many parents feel as the school year comes to an end.

Panic.

“Every year it comes to the end of the school year and parents start scrambling,'’ says Monica Kortz, recreation director for the city of El Cerrito. “They start coming in our office when we open at 8 in the morning, and it just continues until we close at 5.'’

That’s nothing new, of course. Parents have been wondering what their kids are going to do for the summer since the days when school recessed so children could help with the harvest.

But this is different.

Last week Michelle Fadelli sent me an e-mail explaining the problem. She has a 3-year-old and an 11-year-old and works part time. When she and her husband calculated the cost of summer camps or day care, they came to an odd realization.

Read more.

On Tuesday, Carla Johnson of the Associated Press reported:

Women can maximize their chances of having healthy babies by spacing their pregnancies at least 18 months but no more than five years apart, researchers say.

The researchers reached that conclusion after an analysis of 67 international studies involving more than 11 million pregnancies.

The analysis found that spacing babies too close together or too far apart raises the risk of complications such as premature births and low birth weight.

It’s an interesting study. Read more.

We’re proud to announce the launch of PotreroHillParents.org, the first official website for moms and dads on “The Hill.”

No, we’re not serving cupcakes or cold refreshments. But, yes, it’s like an open house.

Take a look around, make yourselves comfortable, and peek inside the cupboards.

Our goal is to provide an exclusive neighborhood resource for families raising children on and around Potrero Hill. We invite and encourage all parents to participate. Consider this an online extension of our community, and let’s have some fun together.

It’s about sharing and learning from each other collectively. Asking questions and getting answers. Getting involved and staying informed. It’s a forum and place for all of us, so let’s enjoy it.

Axis Community Project in partnership with Christian City Church is holding an Easter in the Park celebration from 11am-3pm in Jackson Playground, on Sunday, April 16.

Easter in the Park will hold a live concert, food and drinks, jumping castles, obstacle course, games, and a 5000 candy-filled easter egg hunt @ 12pm.

This event is free to the public and open to everyone in the community.

Axis Community Project is a new non-profit organization partnered with Axis Café.

Jackson Playground
17th Street (between Carolina and Arkansas streets)
San Francisco, California

Other Events in San Francisco:

Union Street Easter Parade and Spring Celebration
Sun 4/16/2006 — 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Union Street (between Gough and Fillmore streets)

Children’s activities, arts and crafts, and an appearance by the Easter Bunny and other costumed characters. Parade begins at 2 p.m. (Website)

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Click Here for Listing of Other Bay Area Events For Kids (via SFGate)