October 2020

Playgrounds Are Open!
As you may have noticed, our city playgrounds are open again!  Yippy!

2020 Mountain View Monster Bash
Obviously, the annual MV Halloween celebrations will look a little different this year, but they are still packed with fun!  Story times via Zoom, “Boo in a Box” with curbside pickup, fun (virtual) concerts, house decorating contests and more!  
General Info: https://www.mountainview.gov/depts/cs/events/halloween.asp
Boo-in-a-Box Sign-Up

Sea Otter Kids Author Talk (Wednesday, Oct 14)
Sea Otters are truly one of the most delightful of all creatures!  Come learn more from an expert on this fun Zoom call tailored to kids. 4 pm
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/7058485

Curiodyssey (Outdoors) is Open 
Speaking of otters … you “otter” go see some! 🙂 We’ve been visiting Curiodyssey in San Manteo and have been fortunate in that it is usually pretty empty on weekday early afternoons (yesterday there was one other child in the whole outdoor facility).  Enjoy visiting with some cute critters and a picnic by the Bay! They also have a Halloween celebration (but that may be more crowded and we’re skipping it).  https://curiodyssey.org/

Fall Festival (Friday, Oct 23rd)
Stories, crafts, concert and costume parade from the comfort of your home!  Fun starts at 5:30 pm. 
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/7157559

Spooky Storytime for Littles (Monday Oct 26th)
Librarian Sharon will lead us in some (mildly) spooky songs and stories in honor of Halloween! Join in at 10 am for storytime!
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/7108250

Spooky Storytime for School Age Kids (Wednesday Oct 28th)
Librarian Alex is bringing us MORE spooky stories for us to enjoy!  This storytime begins at 3:30 pm.
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/7108353?hs=a

Kindergarten Warmup (Fridays)
I just love the MV Library (Can you tell?!).  They are having a weekly Zoom session on Friday mornings 10-10:30 am to get preschoolers ready for kindergarten.  This month the focus is social/emotional skills!
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/6962396

Good Night Little Bear – on Zoom (Thursdays)
From 6:30 – 7 pm, the amazing Librarian Sharon will lead us in bedtime stories and songs.  Perfect for the baby and toddler crowd.
https://mountainview.libcal.com/event/6977383

Lemos Farms is Open
Every year we try to visit Lemos Pumpkin Farm.  In years past, they’ve been pretty empty during weekdays at the beginning of October.  We haven’t been yet this year, but are going soon!  Get your tickets online ahead of time this year.
https://www.lemosfarm.com/

Reservation System for Book Pick-Up
Not even wildfire smoke can keep you from your reading now!  The MV Library has a great reservation system so you can grab your books by appointment even on the smoky days (without having to wait in line).
https://mountainview.libcal.com/reserve/grabandgo

October Parenting Book Club
This month we have a homeschooling-themed book club this month! So many great books out there on this topic, but I thought I would start us off with the three below, as well as any other titles you want to discuss!

• The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart and Susan Wise Bauer
• The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education Hardcover by Ainsley Arment
• Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto 

Next Month (October): Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.  This isn’t strictly a parenting book, but I think McKeown has a lot to say to parents. I heard him speak at an online parenting conference last week and he was amazing!