December 2018

Mountain View Caltrain Christmas Train (Saturday, Dec 1)
http://www.caltrain.com/riderinfo/specialevents/holidaytrain.html
This is a great (and free) holiday tradition (although crowded, so come early!).  The CalTrain brings Santa, Frosty, and other friends to local stations on Dec 1 and Dec 2 (alternating stations for the two evenings).   The train will be arriving at the MV station at 7:25 pm on Saturday.

Free Home Depot Christmas Craft Workshop (Saturday Dec 1)
Does your toddler love Home Depot?  If so, this workshop is for you.  The next project is a wood reindeer and sled on Saturday Dec 1st 9-12 noon. Get there early to get an apron and good spot at the table, and make sure you sign up ahead of time!

Mountain View Christmas Tree Lighting (Monday, Dec 3rd)
https://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/events/treelighting.asp
Another fun and free event for the family.  Santa will be there (probably arriving on a fire tuck again!), music, cookies, snow(!), Mrs. Claus reading stories and much more.  The event goes from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the MV Civic Center Plaza

December Dance Parties (Tuesdays Dec 4th and Dec 11th)
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/4758433
Get ready to dance and sing!  Many of the story hours at the library are on break this month, but that doesn’t mean you can’t party at the library

Christmas Creche Exhibit (Dec 1st – Dec 5th)
http://www.christmascreche.org/
Every year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints at 3865 Middlefield Road displays an impressive number of creches (nativity scenes).  It is fun and free.  The hours are noon until 9 pm.

Letter to Santa (Now until Dec 7th)
https://nextdoor.com/agency-post/ca/mountain-view/city-of-mountain-view/write-a-letter-to-santa-mountain-view-70592767/
Write a letter to Santa and get a personalized response back (from Santa’s helpers at the MV Senior Center).   To give the helper elves enough time to respond, they ask to receive all letters by Dec 7th).

German Holiday Market (Saturday, Dec 8th)
https://www.gissv.org/gissv-home-english/school-life/events/german-holiday-market
Celebrate Christmas German-style with a Weihnachtsmarket on the Civic Center Plaza in Mountain View.  The hours are 11 am – 9 am with lots of fun games, music, handcrafts and German food.  Proceeds benefit the German International School of Silicon Valley.

YMCA (El Camino Branch) Winter Holiday Party (Saturday, Dec 8th)
https://www.ymcasv.org/elcamino/html/calendar.html
Every year the YMCA puts on a great holiday celebration with crafts, food, etc.  There will be a bouncy house in the gym this year! 10 am – 12 noon.

Jail Ministry Christmas Cookie Collection (Dec 9th and Dec 16th)
https://mppc.formstack.com/forms/syc_jailministry_cookiedonationdec2018_mtview
Menlo Presbyterian Church (Mountain View campus) has numerous ways to serve during the holidays.  One fun and easy way is to decorate cookies for those in jail and unable to spend time with their families this Christmas.  Collection days are Dec 9th and Dec 16th for the Mountain View Campus (use the link above to sign up for bringing cookies)

Holiday Sing a-long and Dance Concert at the MV Library (Wednesday, Dec 12th)
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/4716357
This fun, evening  (6:30pm – 7:15pm) concert will be a blast!  From the website: Matt Fernald, local music educator, will get you singing, dancing and jumping along!

Mothers Together Christmas Brunch (Thursday, Dec 13)
https://menlo.church/event/mothers-together-christmas-brunch/2018-12-13
I look forward to this event every year.  For $15 you get an amazing brunch with a great speaker and a lovely Christmasy party with lots of other moms from Mountain View.  The time is 9 – 11:30 and there is childcare available (but sign up fast since it fills up!)

Celtic Rose Performs Rare Holiday Gems (Saturday, Dec 15th)
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/4482828
Another great free holiday music event at the library, this concert will feature songs in French, German, Hebrew, Latin, Spanish, and English.  Note that this concert is for all ages (not just a kids concert).

Concert with Charity Kahn (Tuesday, Dec 18th)
https://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/mvcpa/subsite/events/mountain_view_public_librarys_family_concert_with_charity_kahn.asp
The Mountain View Library is hosting the musician Charity Kahn at the Mountain View Performing Arts Center (Second Stage).  Her music is perfect for little kiddos and she encourages dancing and lots of wiggling!

Dickens Fair (Weekends until Dec 23rd)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-great-dickens-christmas-fair-2018-6-weekends-one-friday-tickets-48464304038?aff=desktophomefooter
This is a fun event at a Dickens-inspired “town” in the Cow Palace.  With lots of performers, great food, and interesting shops, it is really quite the experience. Send me an email if you want to join us!

December Parenting Book Club 
This month get ready for some Danish fun: The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Sandahl.  Also, if anyone also wants, we can also discuss The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking.  If you think you would like to discuss, send me an email and we’ll figure out a time and place.

Next month (January):  How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (from Argentina to Tanzania and everywhere in between) by Mei-Ling Hopgood

Stay-N-Play Church of the Valley on Wednesdays and and Trinity on Fridays)
This is a great program where kids can free-play with tons of wonderful toys, make fun crafts, and enjoy a great educational program with their caregivers. This year there are two locations Trinity Church in Sunnyvale on Fridays and Church of the Valley location on Wednesdays (they alternate weeks).  Not sure if the Trinity Church location will resume

Church of the Valley location  is smaller and takes place on Wednesdays complete with the amazing Miss Erin, is on!  Times are 10 am – 11:30 Please preregister as they do not take walk-in registration at this location. Here is the preregistration site: https://cov.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/155368

The Trinity Church in Sunnyvale is much larger and does take walk-ins. Their time is a little longer — 9:30 to 11:30.  They now charge $3 (cash preferred) per child 2 years and older

Here is the schedule (Given in terms of Wednesdays; the Friday schedule is shifted one week and two days later):
September 19th- Let’s Play Sports
October 3rd- Fall is Here
October 17th- Crazy Hat Day (Wear a Hat)
November 7th- Things That Go
November 28th- Colors of the Rainbow
December 5th- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
December 19th- Christmas Celebration
January 9th- Winter Wonderland
January 23rd- Animals on Parade (Wear PJs)
February 13th- I Love Shapes
February 27th- Who’s in Your Family
March 13th- Green Day (Wear Green)
March 27th- Reptile Roundup
April 10th- Easter Celebration
April 24th- Rainy Day
May 8th- Welcome to the Jungle
May 22nd- Pizza Party

Free Days at the Tech Museum (First weekend of the month)
This was a great tip passed on by my friend Sarah (Thanks, Sarah!!): Did you also know that you can get a free admission ticket at the Tech Museum on the first weekend of every month if you have a Bank of America account? https://www.thetech.org/events/museums-us-bank-america-weekend-58  (FYI, Bank of America is the bank that through which you probably got maternity leave payments with the EDD, so you may have an account even if it isn’t your usual bank).

Apparently there’s also a free “Museum Day” on 9/22: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day-2018/
(May be crowded but worth a look?)

Cheetah Cubs (Tuesdays)
This great Mommy and Me class is hosted by Theuerkauf Elementary and is free!  It is great for kids 0-4 years, and usually includes a few stories, a craft and playtime. This year it will take place on Tuesday mornings (8:45-9:45) in Room 25 (but please check in at the front office first and get a visitor’s badge).

Munchkin Mondays at Sky High (Mondays)
For just $6, your kid (age six and under) can jump for two hours (11 am – 1 pm) at Sky High Santa Clara.  They usually have a space/court dedicated to the little ones.  This special deal only takes place during normal school days (no discount on holidays and school breaks when the big kids are there).
https://sjc.skyhighsports.com/event/munchkin-monday/all/

Library Story Times
With the end of summer, the full suite of library stories has started again!

Goodnight Mother Goose (Thursdays)
A musical storytime for infants and toddlers with books, bounces, and dancing with your baby!
Thursdays at 6:30pm – 7:00pm
Ideal for babies and young toddlers (Age 0-2)

Saturday Stories (Saturdays)
Storytime with books, music, and movement for children ages 2 to 5. Saturdays at 10:15am – 10:45am

English/Spanish Storytime (Mondays)
Come learn the beautiful Spanish language (for Children ages 3-5) as our librarian uses stories, flannel boards, finger plays, music and more for a bilingual experience!
Mondays 10:15am – 10:45am

Mother Goose & More (Tuesdays)
A musical storytime for infants and toddlers with books, baby bounces, and dancing!
Tuesdays (10:15am – 10:45am and 11:15am – 11:45am)

Time for Twos (Wednesdays)
A storytime for 2-year-olds with books, action songs, and puppetry!
Wednesdays (10:15am – 10:45am)

Chinese Storytime (Wednesdays)
For Chinese-speakers, the Zhaoyu Cultural Foundation in Mountain View has a great children’s library.  They offer a wonderful music-based storytime for babies and toddlers on Wednesdays at 11 am.  You do need to reserve a spot before the class and will need a library card (free) to do so.