Here are the Critters And Crayons Community-Related Announcements for this week!
Check out family activities and businesses in Laredo on the new ”Where To Take Your Kid In Laredo” Page!
Many, many thanks go to all of you have helped to gather this family event information each week! Thank you so much!
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COOL STUFF AROUND TOWN THE PAST WEEK:
Last Saturday, we went to Chick-Fil A (On Mcpherson Rd) for the Family Breakfast. The kids enjoyed the cupcake craft and seeing the big cow, as you can see:
The gigantic cow was a little scary for some tiny ones.
But, the other kids had a grand time. Check them out!
We also went to the Imaginarium’s “Eat Well. Play Well.” Event!
(Photos courtesy of Imaginarium of South Texas and Laredo Martial Arts Center)
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FAMILY EVENTS THIS WEEKEND:
Friday, September 23rd, Celebrity Chef Gala
Via Pro8 News Morning Chat: 9/12/11 Celebrity Chef Gala
Story Created: Sep 12, 2011 CDT
Story Updated: Sep 12, 2011
Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra Director, Brendan Townsend, talks about the exciting Celebrity Chef Gala that aims to raise funds to sustain the arts in Laredo. The event will be held at the Laredo Country Club on September 23 and will include food from restaurants around Laredo. There will also be silent and live auctions taking place. Funds raised will benefit the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and scholarships
For more information or to purchase tickets you can call Brendan Townsend’s office at (956) 326-3042 or (956) 326-3039.
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South Texas Collector’s Expo
http://southtexascollectorsexpo.com/
Largest collectibles expo in Laredo’s History on Sat, Sep 24th at the Laredo Civic Center Ball Room from 10 AM to 6 PM. Admission $3.
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Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) Nature Hike
Please join us this Saturday for our latest nature walk! The Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) invites you to our 3rd outing in the Loving Laredo Hike Series. We will be visiting the “Lost Lakes” – the old gravel pits – at the famous bend of the river, just south of LCC.
This is a gorgeous trail – some of us scouted it yesterday. Expect to see migrating birds this time of the year – warblers, hummingbirds, sandpipers, ducks, and hawks…just to name a few. We will also make a stop at Pebble Beach.
Saturday, September 24.
Meet time 7:30 a.m.
Parking lot of San Francisco Javier Church
2502 Zaragoza Street **
RGISC is doing this hike in partnership with the Monte Mucho Audubon Society (birders) and Big River Foundation (kayakers). Big River will offer kayaking on one of the lakes afterward, around 9:30 a.m., for those of you who wish to stay and kayak this tranquil body of water.
A few notes:
· This is an intermediate hike. Recommended ages 12 and up.
· Please bring 1-2 bottles of water.
· Sunscreen and hat. Sunglasses okay.
· Dress appropriately. NO street clothes, street shoes, or purses.
· Tennis shoes or hiking shoes, long pants, T-shirt is okay but long-sleeve cotton shirt is better.
· Small rucksack or fanny pack to dispose of your trash. We will recycle empty bottles after the hike.
· If you have binoculars, please bring them. Great opportunity to see migrating birds. We will have a few available, first come-first serve basis.
If you have any questions, please call (956) 721-5392.
** Directions:
To avoid the standing train at the tracks by the church, please consider this route.
1) Take I-35 South. When the highway ends, stay on your far right lane on Santa Ursula. Bridge II will be on your left side.
2) Take Santa Ursula all the way down until it takes you onto the road that runs parallel to the river. The street changes names from Santa Ursula to Pedregal. On this road, you will see the river on your left side, and La Posada/downtown on your right.
3) About ½ mile later, when you see the train bridge in front of you, take a left onto San Francisco Javier Street. Keep your eyes open for this street sign!
4) You will soon enter into a residential area. Take a left onto Zaragoza St.
5) Church parking lot will b
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Voelcker Homestead in San Antonio!
If you’ll be in San Antonio over the weekend, check out the Voelcker Homestead to learn what life on a farm is like! Very inexpensive activity! Check out the Free is Fantastic blog for more details! http://freeisfantastic.com/2011/09/21/voelcker-homestead.
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The Kids BoOkstore Book Reading on Saturday
Join us this SATURDAY LIVE SHOW 24th @ 2:00pm “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” Live sketch performed by KIDS! don’t miss this show… admission $7 per child, if you buy There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” $ 16.99 book cost, you will get 1 child admission free. Ages 4-12 Act will be perfomed by Roses Drama Studio owner Carol Rosales. Don’t MISS THIS EVENT! See you Saturday @ The kids BoOkstore.
Highly Recommended for younger children
The story of the old lady who swallowed a fly is a classic, there are many different versions but this is the best. The repetition is great for early readers and younger children. The student/children can learn but repeating the “chorus”. This book is also great for prediction. You can ask the class what should come next after each animal this old lady swallows. There are also great puppets and other manipulatives to use when reading to children.
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The Imaginarium of South Texas
The Imaginarium has Wild Critters at 1PM where they will explore some creepy crawly little critters and Puppet Palooza at 3PM with home made puppets to inspire budding puppeteers and a creative activity to follow. At 5PM we set up a giant chain reaction so bring your ideas or use some of ours!
From Lisa C.
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The Laredo Public Library Saturday Story Hours
Saturday Story Hour for ages 3 to 8 at the Laredo Public Library is held from 2 to 3 PM. Here’s the schedule from now through December. Don’t forget that the library also hosts Toddler Story hours on Tuesdays at 1030!
September:
- 10-School
- 17- Animals
- 24-Math
October:
- 1-Colors
- 8- Llama, Llama, Red Pajama
- 15- Food
- 22- Robots
- 29- Halloween
November:
- 5- Reading
- 12- Money
- 19- Careers
December:
- 3- Weather
- 10- Sports
- 17- Christmas
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TAMIU Planetarium
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OPEN ART!
Every Saturday. One of the best ways you can spend 10 bucks an hour. Very developmental for kids and they love it. It’s amazing to see what they can create! Open Art is located at the intersection of Guadalupe and Logan Streets! Thanks for the flyer, Anna P.and Victoria!
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Chick Fil A Family Breakfast
Saturday Morning with arts & crafts, surprises, story time and the Chick-Fil-A Cow from 9 to 10:30 AM at 5118 McPherson. Arts & Crafts, Storytime and that gigantic cow!!!
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Mundo Montessori Trike-A-Thon For St. Judes
Mundo Montessori will host a Trike-A-Thon the morning of September 25th. Proceeds go to support St. Judes Children’s hospital. We went to this event last year and it was a blast for the kids. Bring your kids and their wheels (bicycles and other contraptions are fine too- one kid brought his toy lawn mower last year), and enjoy healthy snacks, races and bike safety lessons. More info will be put out on this event as we get closer. It’s a great cause and even better that we can get our kids involved in helping others! It will be held in the parking lot of 1701 Peaceful Meadows (the area near Scholar’s Cafe off of Del Mar near Marble Slab Creamery). This is a pic from last year’s event:
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Laredo Public Library “An Afternoon With Dr. Carmen Tafolla”
On, September 24th at 2 PM, the public is invited to meet Dr. Carmen Tafolla, writer, screenplay author, poet and children’s work author! For more info about Dr. Tafolla, go here: http://www.carmentafolla.com/
From Elenisa V.
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Lowe’s Build And Grow Kids Workshop
September 24th at Lowe’s Build and Grow Workshop they are having a fire truck project for the kids to build. The Lowe’s here is VERY busy but they have great projects, and the children get their own apron and patches for each project to sew on the apron. If you register online you will see that they are already full, but they take walk ins. We were a walk in to the police car project last Saturday and had to wait for a little while to get all the registrants through to see if there were any extra projects. It starts at 10AM. Be sure to go early and the best part is that it is FREE!! http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/
From Anna P.
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NEW UPCOMING AND RECURRING EVENTS:
Laredo Rio Fest Coming in October!!!
Laredos RioFest is Laredo’s premier Kayak Race. It has now grown to include multiple events, including a fun fest, bike races and recreational kayak race among other events.
Laredos RioFest is taking place October 15 and 16, 2011. in Laredo, Texas. Join us for a 33 mile kayak race down the Rio Grande, a family expo, kids fun run, rhythm on the rio, and other special events.
http://www.laredosriofest.com
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2ND ANNUAL KICK ASPHALT RACE &
ROCK FEST - OCTOBER 23, 2011 8AM
@ THE LAREDO ENERGY ARENA.
http://www.runstronglaredo.com/
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EVENTS & NEWS FEATURED IN PREVIOUS C&C COMMUNITY ROUND-UPS.
(AS INFO BECOMES OBSOLETE, IT WILL BE DELETED. HERE ARE THE UPCOMING AND ONGOING EVENTS!)
THANK YOU, AMY G. FOR NOMINATING CRITTERS AND CRAYONS FOR THE PARENTS.COM BLOG AWARDS FOR TOP LOCAL MOM BLOG! To Vote for Critters And Crayons, click the link! They’ll ask you to register- one vote per email address. Right now, I’m getting my butt kicked. haha! Votes are appreciated! 
Thanks, again, Amy!
You can vote here: http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/759-critters-and-crayons
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Dia Del Rio 2011 Proclamation and Interfaith Service Kick-Off Event
Dia Del Rio is a celebration that has united the two Laredos for 17 years. This year’s event promises to be rich in cultural and scientific activities, with hundreds of students from both countries involved in projects that we are sponsoring.
We would like to invite you to the Dia Del Rio 2011 Proclamation and Interfaith Service Kick-off event on Friday, September 30th, 2011. The ceremony will be held at the entrance of the Paso Del Indio Nature Trail behind the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Center at the Laredo Community College campus. We will begin the festivities at 11.30am sharp and conclude with a lunch catered by the Laredo Jobs Corps Culinary Arts Program. For further information please call Gail (DDR Coordinator) at 956-721-5392.
From The Rio Grande International Study Center
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The Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Looking For Volunteers
The Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program is currently recruiting volunteers for the 2012 tax season. Please call Dial 1+956-320-0016 or http://www.laredofesc.org to sign up.
The Laredo Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is a local coalition of public and private groups, credit unions, banks, and the IRS that takes people from the community, certifies them as tax preparers, and places them in a VITA site to help people file their federal tax returns. Volunteers help thousands of taxpayers every year. Training is free. Tax preparation is free.
From Rafael T.
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Home Depot Kids Wood Working Workshop!
October 1st at The Home Depot will be Safety Awareness Day. At their Kid’s Workshop that day they will be building a helicopter. They told me that they will have fire trucks, police cars, etc. outside the building for the kids to see. I think she also mentioned a bouncehouse, face paint, etc. I hope I heard all of this right because I was chasing my two little ones while she was explaining it to me but at the very least go out and make a helicopter, it is worth the trip!! They give your child an apron and a pin to put on the apron for the completed project. It is free and starts at 9AM. I am not sure if you have to register online with The Home Depot for their projects…the time we went we just walked in…we noticed that it is less crowded than the Lowe’s workshops. You also get to paint your project upon completion!! =)http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Kids_Workshops&langId=-1&storeId=10051
From Anna P.
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Movie and Ice Cream Bargains
Just have to share- You all might already be tracking some of the good family fun deals around Laredo, but here’s a good Tuesday option. Go to Cinemark 12 (the movie theater by Kohls off of I-35 S) and watch a kids’ show on Tuesday (1 buck a person all day or 3 bucks per person for 3D) and then go to Marble Slab Creamery where you pay for one original cup or cone and get one free. For our family of four, we spent four bucks at the theater and then went to Marble Slab and enjoyed ice cream for the price of a single. That was one cheap day (7 bucks). Here’s a breakdown of deals for these two places:
Cinemark 12:
Marble Slab Creamery:
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Tuesdays: Buy 1 original cup or cone, get one free.
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Thursdays: Buy 1 kids cup or cone, get one free.
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Rosa Barocio’s “Disciplina Con Amor” (DIscipline With Love) Conference is Back!
I attended this conference last year. It was life changing. It’s a gentle discipline method that focuses on the different temperaments within each child. To read more about last year’s conference, see here.
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Laredo Martial Arts Academy Offering
Free Anti-Bullying Workshop To Bullied Kids!
To learn more about the project, check out their site:http://www.laredomartialartscenter.com/Blank.html
And to read more about the initiative, you can read their Facebook Note at:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/lrd-martial-artscenter/how-to-defeat-the-bully/111474178955703
From Claudia P.
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HEB Plus Reading Program Schedule
Don’t forget the monthly reading program where characters come, too! (see flyer below!)
From Ruben
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YogaKids! Now at the Kids BoOkstore! Check the flyer for details!
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. sponsors FREE kayak outings for teachers and their students. Go to http://www.BigRiverOutfitters.org for contact info and to learn more!
From Eric E.
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From Liz T.
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I know it’s early but look who’s coming to the Laredo Energy Arena on December 28th!!!! Woot! For more info: http://learena.com/events/
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Have a great week! If you have something to share for next week’s Community Round-Up, feel free to leave a comment here! Flyers and info can also be sent to crittersandcrayons@gmail.com!
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