The Dad Issue 2018
Top Vermont Chefs on Raising Good Eaters; Harry Potter Bus Goes Cross-Country; A Shortage of Mental Health Care for Kids in Crisis; Raising a Daughter in the #metoo Era
The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Calling all Beluga Grads. That’s what celebrated family entertainer Raffi Cavoukian — better known as just Raffi — calls those who listened to “Baby Beluga” and his other popular songs in the ’70s and ’80s and now have kids of their own. It’s been 42 years since the release of Raffi’s first album, Singable Songs…
Stuffed Vegetable Skewers: Mexican Flavors in a Package That’s Fun to Eat
My family has always had a penchant for picking up fun-looking cookbooks while on vacation or perusing bookstores. Consequently, we never have a shortage of recipes to try. I was recently thumbing through the collection at my childhood home and found one with my late father’s notes in the margins. “Made this with kielbasa instead…
Mom Takes Notes, June 2018
Our daughter, Saga, turned 1 recently. On the evening before her birthday, I asked my husband, Nick, about his favorite moment as a dad during her first year. He told me the following anecdote. “A few weeks ago, there was this moment when we were both listening to the birds. Saga was talking to them.…
Chicken Charmer: A Young Teen Builds a Nest Egg Raising Hens
Name: Axel McKenzie Age: 14 Town: Greensboro A striking white peacock named Augustus greets visitors at the Greensboro farm where 14-year-old Axel McKenzie lives with his parents and two younger sisters. The bird isn’t a typical farmyard animal, but then again, Axel isn’t your typical kid. The eighth grader at Hazen Union School in Hardwick…
Empowering My Daughter: How the #metoo Movement Changed my Outlook on the Word “No”
“No!” yelled Coraline as I made yet another attempt to buckle her into her car seat last November. At 17 months, my daughter had become quite vocal in announcing her displeasure with diaper changes, nose wipes, bath time, and, on that particular day, getting into the car. At first, the word sounded pretty cute coming…
Devoted Dads
When I started dating my husband, Jeff, I was an elementary-school teacher and he worked at a big advertising agency in New York City. He enjoyed some of the perks of the job — like business trips to L.A. and fancy catered photo shoots — but didn’t really have a passion for the work. After…
Artist’s Notebook: Rob Donnelly
Wonder how artist Rob Donnelly created the fabulous cover illustration depicting a chef dad and his daughter playing around in the kitchen? We asked Donnelly to share a description and some photographs of his process. Said Donnelly: I originally started working in clay and paper to get away from the computer a little. But as…
Stories of Survival
Author Tod Olson traces his career as a children’s writer to a book he read when he was 11 years old. While vacationing with his family in Maine, he became riveted by Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, Piers Paul Read’s nonfiction account of the Uruguayan rugby team’s 1972 plane crash (which was later…
The Art of… Skate Park Etiquette
If you’ve wandered the recently renovated bike path just north of Burlington’s Waterfront Park, chances are you’ve noticed a sprawling concrete addition to the city’s shoreline. Nestled between the abandoned Moran Plant and the new Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center is a massive outdoor skate park. Since opening in late 2015, the Andy “A_Dog” Williams…
How and When Should Parents Talk to Boys About Puberty?
While puberty in girls brings obvious changes, including breast development and the onset of menstruation, the changes boys experience may be less obvious. As a consequence, parents may wonder when to talk about puberty with their sons. And when they do tackle the topic, they might be unsure of what to say. In our Dad…
Destination Recreation: Stowe Golf Park
It’s about the least-adorned mini-golf course you can imagine — not a windmill, tunnel, waterfall or T. rex in sight. Miniature golf might just be the ultimate afternoon outing with kids. It’s challenging, yet accessible. It’s relatively quick, but not over in a blink. It’s an outdoor activity, but you don’t need bug spray. And…
An Unbearable Wait: Vermont Kids in Crisis Face an Alarming Shortage of Mental Health Care
Last fall, when Betsey’s 16-year-old son “Thomas” went from being a goofy, personable and happy-go-lucky kid to one who was quiet, introverted and irritable, she initially assumed that he was just being a normal, moody teenager. Plus, she thought, Thomas’ sister had just gone off to college, and the two siblings were very close. But…
Special Delivery: A Grandfather Reflects on Volunteering for Meals on Wheels With His Grandchildren
Essex resident Tom Thompson, 74, began delivering meals for Burlington Meals on Wheels in 2006, as part of a community service commitment at his job at RE/MAX North Professionals. During a family dinner eight years ago, his granddaughter Charlotte, then 7 years old, said she’d like to help people who need food. Thompson suggested that…
Habitat: Harry Potter Bus Goes on Tour
Three years ago, Kyle and Katie Clark bought a retired school bus and spent months gutting it and outfitting it with bunk beds, a kitchen, plumbing, an electrical system and water tanks. They painted it purple, added Harry Potter details — a silver stag Patronus above the king-sized bed; cauldron and owl decals; and stars…
Dancer’s Debut
Burlington resident and dance instructor Fiadhnait Moser can claim another job title: novelist. Yellow Jacket, a new imprint from Little Bee Books, has published her children’s book, The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel. Released last month and aimed at kids ages 10 to 14, the book is historical-magical realism. It follows young Floralie as she tries…
Traveling Troupe
The circus is coming to town! More precisely, Vermont’s award-winning international youth circus, Circus Smirkus, will peform this summer in six Vermont towns — plus venues in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Maine — starting with a pair of kickoff shows at Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro on June 29. This summer’s roster of Troupers,…
Dining With Dad: Top Local Chefs Share Secrets for Raising Good Eaters
Vermont’s farm-to-table food movement has attracted some stellar chefs, many of them dads. The six chef dads on the following pages have cooked at four-star hotels and restaurants around the globe. They’ve earned repeated accolades from glossy food magazines and the prestigious James Beard Foundation. But, food critics aside, the well-known restaurateurs all agree that…
