AOR LILES AS ERAN TE TET RIBS PP aS NEWS phot cindy Goodman Fun with fish " FOUR-YEAR-OLD Shane and his grandfather, Mike, fished from the pler at Ambleside Landing earlier this | -. Summer. The fine. weather has made West Van's Sea -. Walk and waterfront parks a popular destination for ; families and visiting relatives. ; David Neal _" NATIVE JEWELLERY -Wepbpine Rincs” “441 .West 3rd Street, North Vancouver 988-921 5 from ae 95 person. fneluding a pan sized pizza each, pop, 3 games of laser tag and 1 hour in the party room. Parties take approx 2 hours in total and yes, we do supply the + plates, forks, hapkins & cups. We atso have a fridge for your . : cake and fce cream -. ASE R DOME UNDER NEW. MANAGEMENT.” + LASER TAG ~~ | Offspring feed brai I read an article this summer which asserted that research is indicat- ing that women who have children get smarter. The story has it that dur- ing pregnancy hormonal changes in the body actually cause brain cells to regenerate, leading to greater intellectual capacity. Perhaps that explains why moms seem so much smarter than dads. I'd like to assert, however, that I think both sexes get smarter when they have chil- dren. Perhaps it’s a fitle more physiological for women, but there’s an awful lot of new experiences for a parent that the brain has never had to deal with before, and let’s face it, we're stretched to come up with answers. Consider how a man must - go from using a remote to trying to put a diaper on a moving target. Consider how a mom must go from a sta- tionary keyboard at work to a toddler in perpetual motion. Consider the medical training, that comes with whooping cough, diaper rash, chicken pox, and a whole host of other issues which can arise as quickly as the next social con- tact. Parents need to be experts in anatomy and physiology, . psychology, nutrition, and don’t forget, professional entertainers. They have to NOW OPEN Parental Guidance learn how to perform a multi- tude of simultaneous func- tions, like making breakfast, getting the “airplane to fly in the hanger,” cleaning up the spilled milk, shaving, putting on makeup, dressing the child, dressing self, arranging day- care, taking temperatures, walking the dog and taking two calls on the cellphone, all on two- or three-hour inter- vals of sleep. Don’t think for a minute that this multi-tasking doesn’t fire up a few million extra brain cells. As the kids get older, par- “ents need to be able to explain everything, and I mean every- thing. “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do volcanoes erupt?” Kids’ stuff ’ WEDNESDAYS Drop-in Toddlers Storytime:- For ages 2 to 3 at the North Van City Library. Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. or il a.m. For more information, please call 998-3480. “Where do babies come from?” “Why?” “Why?” “Why?” Every parent worth their weight in sale will spend at least half'an hour a day reading an almanac, in prepa- ration for the next day of questioning. Naturally, as parents of teens, the roles are slightly reversed in the question-ask- ing scenario. “Where are you going?” “Who are you goiag with?” “What are you plan- ning to do and when will you be home?” This switch, from providing answers to probing for answers, offers a whole new array of intellectual devel- opment requiring a complete- ly different set of brain cells. And keep in mind that speed is important with teens. If you can’t think on your feet as quickly as they can come up with diversions and distrac- tions, they’ll be leaving you in their mental processing dust in no time. This is no time for letting those brain cells get sluggish. This is the time to fire the rockets of brain Junior Stamp Club: For 9- 12-year-olds. | Wednesday, Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m., North Vancouver City Library. Pre- ° register: 980-4424, Drop-in Storytime . Fun: For children aged 3-5 years at the West Van Memorial IN WEST VANCOUVER Another: TAL 1 US Gallery of Home Enhancement Ideas _ . You are invited to. experience our newest gallery-style showroom, te discover the many novel and attractive ideas for dressing up your home's exterior while taming the elements.We have been serving the North Shore since 1980 and are now able to offer a fresh new way of | easy and convenient shopping for customized and “\.L8. fi exclusive products to give your home a distin- °-. is ‘ guished look. ‘Create the ambience you desire in ‘your outdoor living spaces with the help of TALIUS Awnings. On Sultry summer. days, you'll appreciate the protection from . UV rays and glaring sunlight. Your. TALIUS Awning conve- S niently retracts, manually or. electrically, to invite the sunshine when : . YOU want it or to reveal the starlic night sky. TALIS Awnings provide ideal shelter c on nyour terrace or deck, working with the natural elements to set the: scene for stylish entertaining : or a quiet escape. ~ Our more than 25 years as a leading manufacturer i in the home enhancernent industry ensure that you'll get not only the best quality awnings, but also the Professional installation power. Hormones or not, it’s hard to imagine that having chil- « dren isn’t bound to generate a° .. g A lot of brain activity. Since it has been estimated that we use only 10% of our brain to begin with, the regeneration ..*° of cells seems like it might be a litle overkill. I figure trying to keep a toddler's attention | for more than five minutes is enough to fire up about 50% of my usualiy dormant cells’: and now that I have a blos- soming adolescent, I’ve nder every piston pumping under - the hood. Once my kids head “Off to. college, I think I might too. After all, the first time through, I had limited intel- lectual capacity and had to.- work too hard. ‘This time, © after all this brain exercise, I should be able to go through blindfolded. And my wife, the mother of three? She'll be the nutty professor. — . Graham Hookey is the author Parenting Is A-Team Sport. . Library. . Wednesdays, : 10:30 a.m.. and -1:30 p.m. and’ Fridays, ‘at 10:30: a.m Stories, songs, action ‘rhyme: and more. Info: 925-7408 THURSDAYS Babytime:: For children age 6-24 months at the West:Van Memorial . Library. Tuesdays. or Thursdays, at 10:30°a Song, action. rhymes; finger- plays and picture ' Children, must. bé“accomp: nied by a parent or caregiver: Register at the youth service: information : desk: or. ph 925-7408.:. >For. more. comin: _ see’ Classified Community. ~ Notices. “entertainment. li the reliable, friendly service we've built our reputation on. TALUS IN A TURBULENT WORLD. AN OASIS OF CALM. 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