Gish Picks: Week of April 2, 2008


Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests. I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families. Do you have something you would like to advertise on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below. Now, GO FIND FUN!

"HANDS-ON HOUSTON" WILL FOCUS ON WOVEN PAPER BASKETS AND MATS THIS MONTH.

This Saturday, April 5, from 11am until 3pm, join Houston Center for Contemporary Craft for "Hands-On Houston", a free craft-activity open house for the whole family on the first Saturday of every month. This month, join basket artist Lynn Gammon and the Clearlake Basketweavers Guild to learn a simple yet beautiful weaving technique. Using colorful paper, participants will weave baskets and placemats inspired by works on view in "Craft in America: Expanding Traditions". This activity is suitable for all ages and materials will be provided.

After creating your functional art, stay to see the wonderful variety of fine craft on display in "Craft in America". Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is located at 4848 Main Street in the Museum District.

For more information, call 713.529.4848 or log onto www.crafthouston.org.

SEE THE REAL THING (ALMOST) IN "WALKING WITH DINOSAURS" THROUGH APRIL 6.

Don't miss this chance to see life-size dinosaurs in a theatrical arena show, “Walking with Dinosaurs – The Live Experience”, based on the award-winning BBC Television Series. This is a 90-minute show that brings fifteen roaring, snarling “live” dinosaurs representing ten species from the entire 200 million year reign of the dinosaurs. Naturally, the show includes the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the terror of the ancient terrain. Attendees will also get to see the Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, the Stegosaurus and Allosaurus from the Jurassic period, and Torosaurus and Utahraptor from the awesome Cretaceous. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus, is 36 feet tall and 56 feet from nose to tail. The show depicts the dinosaurs’ evolution, complete with the climatic and tectonic changes that took place, which led to the demise of many species.

Kids will see scenes of the interactions between dinosaurs while learning how carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to walk on two legs and how the herbivores fended off their more agile predators. Oceans form, volcanoes erupt, a forest catches fire -- all leading to the impact of the massive comet, which struck the earth, and forced the extinction of the dinosaurs. Watch out for that debris!!!

There will be 8 shows from Wednesday, April 2 through Sunday, April 6; tickets start at $25.

To order tickets, call 866.446.8849 or log onto www.toyotacentertix.com.

NO BABYSITTER REQUIRED SINCE YOU CAN BRING BABY TO THE MOVIES.

It’s hard to see movies with babies, but the Angelika Film Center has tackled that problem creatively by hosting “Cry Baby Matinees”. Each Friday and Saturday morning at 11:45am, one screen is reserved for frustrated parents who can enjoy a movie without worrying about breastfeeding in the dark or unexpected hissyfits. They keep the lights dimmed, the sound volume down, and a new film is featured each week. They even provide a changing table! This weekend's matinee is "Married Life". Tickets are the regular matinee price for adults and children under 5 get in free.

For more information, call 713.225.1470 or log onto www.angelikafilmcenter.com.

HOPE STONE, INC. IS OPEN THIS SUMMER FOR A FULL SLATE OF CHILDREN'S DANCE AND MOVEMENT CLASSES.

The summer program runs from June 2-July 11 and is $110/session or $18/drop in. Classes are for kids 2-13 years old and include "Creative Movement"; "Yoga"; and "Capoeira". Hope Stone is located at 1210 W. Clay Street, number 26.

For more information, call 713.526.1907 x1 or log onto www.hopestoneinc.org.

FIRST LADY ANDREA WHITE HAS A NEW NOVEL COMING OUT APRIL 10.

Window Boy is Andrea's fourth book and is her second for youth. Set in 1968, this touching novel tells the story of Sam Davis, a young man with cerebral palsy who peers though his bedroom window every day at the school he longs to attend. With great determination and the help of both his caretaker and his imaginary friend, Winston Churchill, Sam not only succeeds in gaining admittance to the school and the acceptance of his peers, but also fulfills his dream of becoming the school's basketball coach.

The narrative, full of poignant insights into attitudes towards people with disabilities, provides a glimpse into the life of Winston Churchill, who is a key inspiration for young Sam.

Andrea will be doing a book signing today at the Blue Willow Book Shop at 14532 Memorial from 4:30 to 6pm and next Wednesday, April 9 at the River Oaks Book Store at 3270 Westheimer from 5 to 7pm.

To preorder the book, go to your local Target store or click here.

XPLORATIONS SUMMER SCIENCE ADVENTURES NOW IN THE WOODLANDS.

What better way to teach your child about science than to enroll them in the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Woodlands Xplorations Camps? Their camps in The Woodlands offer the convenience of being in the neighborhood while ensuring the high standards of the museum’s summer camp program. This summer, kids can experience the magical world of Harry Potter™ in "Hogwarts Science Academy", track down clues in "Crime Scene Investigators" and build beyond their imaginations in "Build It Big". Before and after camp care is also available. Camps begin June 9 and will sell out very quickly!

To enroll today, visit www.hmns.org or call 713-639-4652.

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My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

Speaking engagements, interactive workshops, private consultations, and art programs that cover topics such as parenting (www.freewebs.com/glowfished), marketing, historic preservation, activism, and passion-finding. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


Sarah Gish Gish Creative 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.532.1173 email: sarah@gishcreative.com web: www.gishcreative.com and: www.thesummerbook.com and: www.saveourlandmarks.org © 2008 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World