Don’t Forget to Dance with Your Baby 7 Reasons a Baby Twitches & Moves from Tongue to Toes by Sue Doherty Have you noticed how often a baby twitches while sleeping or waves, wiggles, and squirms about while awake? Is all this movement necessary? What can the science of sensorimotor development tell us about these phenomena? Let’s look at the sleeping infant first. When a baby sleeps, if they are developing typically, you will observe them profusely twitching. Professor Mark S. Blumberg studies such twitches called “myoclonic” twitches. As he puts it, there are “intriguing relationships between twitching and the skills that babies are developing.” Twitches send sensory feedback from…
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Fuel for the Future and Catalina Island
Fuel for the Future and Catalina Island By Lisa Catterall In the May 2021 issue of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, researchers at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, which operates the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, published the results of a study that may move humanity forward in the replacement of fossil fuels. One possible replacement for oil as an energy source is fuel that comes from plant sources. Because matter and energy are always conserved, however, there is a scale issue with trying to slake the thirst of humanity for oil and oil products by growing plants on land. We just can’t sustainably grow or…
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The Return of the Theme Park
The Return of the Theme Park Reopenings Abound After More Than a Year of Closures By Erik Chalhoub What a month June will be. Or I should say, “can” be. It all depends on us.By the end of May, just about every theme park in California reopened after more than a year of closures. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, as well as the Six Flags parks in Northern and Southern California, got a jump on the rest by reopening select rides on April 1. SeaWorld San Diego reopened April 12, followed by Universal Studios Hollywood on April 16 and Disneyland on April 30. California’s Great America and Gilroy Gardens reopened…
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Celebrate Dads and Father-figures
Celebrate Dads and Father-figures By Nicole M. Young, MSW This Mother’s Day, my kids gave me the best gift ever: their time and attention. Yes, I love the beautiful ceramic pitcher from my daughter and the cheese basket from my son (he knows me well). I thoroughly enjoyed the bagel breakfast and going out to dinner. But what filled my heart the most was sitting, eating, talking, laughing, gardening, making travel plans together – not just being next to each other, but really being with each other. The older they (and I) get, the more I appreciate the gift of time with them and the ways we love each other,…
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Cabrillo Beach Volleyball
Cabrillo Beach Volleyball Player Alana Patyk by Alana Patyk There was a time in my life where I absolutely despised the beach. The coarse feeling of sand that dried out my feet and left me with heat blisters was not the way I wanted to spend my day. As a kid, I attempted to play beach volleyball as another way to stay active when I was not playing indoor volleyball. Immediately upon touching the sand, even before doing a drill, I found out that beach volleyball is not an easy sport. Before competing at a collegiate level, I even tried to avoid it if I could. But there was something…
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Musical Children
Raise a Musical Child…Even if You Aren’t a Musician By Suki Wessling I think that it’s a wonderful thing to have your children go and be in a room filled with music, see other kids listening to music and dancing and moving your body. “They felt like they were going to give us something that we would use for the rest of our lives,” music educator Barbie Wong says of her parents. Wong is a music educator who has made a study of how parents can instill a love of and passion for music in their children’s lives. She leads workshops for parents on the subject, starting with biology. “When…
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A girl and her animals
A Girl and Her Animals June 2021 Cover Story BY christy shults Alanna Shults, also known to many as Sissy, with her dog, Lane. Sissy has an immence love for animals, and it sure does show! On her family’s little homestead you will find two goats, ducks, chickens, rabbits, four more dogs, and if it’s the right time of year even some turkeys and pigs to harvest! All of her babies, I mean animals, are spoiled with love and it is apparent when you see her with them!
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Editors Note 621
June Editor’s Note By brad kava We love the cows at Arana Gulch Park. Parker, 5, and I visit them most every day and we bring them carrots, which they love so much that the minute they hear his voice yell “treats,” they come running from wherever they are on the field to us at the fence. We’re surprised that a lot of people don’t even know about this great resource, but it’s a favorite for the families and cyclists who have found it (off Mentel Ave. but there are several other entrances). We want to salute the city for this great piece of urban development. And don’t think it…
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Jane McKenzie
Jane McKenzie 57 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory There are so many with the amount of years I have been in the water. Now it is enjoying the next generation of surfers and trying to help them understand respect for themselves, other surfers, the ocean and environment and not to be entitled or reckless. Every time I surf there is another funny story or adventure! What is your occupation Financial advisor for individuals, family’s and small business owners Do you have any significant community involvement? Santa Cruz Longboard Union, President ; Stewardship Council Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve; Board Member Santa Cruz Surfing Club…
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Adrienne Saxton
Adrienne Saxton 30 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory Traveling to islands and continents to surf and finding Santa Cruz friends in each place! Surfing in Tahiti with the fire dancer I had watched perform the night before. He was the prince in the performance and when I saw him surfing the next day it was like I was surfing with a god! Surfing at a spot up north alone with a whale nearby the entire session.Going for a quick surf in Bali before leaving for a boat trip to the Mentawais and getting an injury that required stitches!Missing my flight back home from Bali…
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Kathy Wiles
Kathy Wiles 25 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory My fondest surfing memories are probably from travel adventures I took with friends when I was in my 20’s, as well as memories from the year I lived on Maui with my closest buddies. We were really good at faking it till we made it in random line ups; and the carefree joy, laughter, surprises and bonding we shared during our time in the water and travels together is something I’ll always cherish and remember. My husband and I have also had some amazing kid-free surf trips to Mexico the last few summers which have been…
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Erin Torr
Erin Torr 14 years Surfing What is your occupation Mental Health Counselor Do you have any significant community involvement? I work at a school as the mental health counselor for grades 6-12. I love it! I’ve also hosted exchange students for the last ten years which has been awesome. Tell us something unique about you as a mother who surfs with/without your kiddos I do not like surfing small waves and i really only surf the hook! What is your most memorable surf moment with your kids? There are so many—I love our family surfs on holidays. Big Sur camp trips every summer are so fun because the waves vary…
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Jill Matthies
Jill Matthies 38 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory Well.. I have so many fun stories but since we are talking about surfing with family, I can tell you about our family trip to Costa Rica. Let’s see, the kids were 15, 13 and 12 and we took a ponga out to a spot called Ollie’s point and we all got some really amazing waves but it started to thunder and lightening and my youngest got a bit scared so we all paddled back to the boat and started back to the beach which was about a 30 minute ride up the coast. Well, the…
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Mei-Li Restani
Mei-Li Restani 2 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory I went on a surf retreat in Morocco which is essentially where I learned to surf. The first day we went out into the water I was a bit overwhelmed, to say the least. Magic Bay is located in a small fishing village in Imsouane, Morocco and it opens up to one of the world’s largest breaks. The paddle out was intense and my arms started to burn immediately. I honestly did not know how I was going to get through this surf session and was worried that I was a lost cause. Lucky for me,…
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Joni Martin
Joni Martin 36 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory When my son was 3 months old and my daughter was five, our family went on an 11 month surf trip through Australia, Bali, Fiji, and New Zealand. For about six of those months we were living in campervans, homeschooling our daughter through kindergarten by teaching her about the cultures, insects, plants, birds and animals we encountered. Our son spent the first year of his life meeting friendly strangers almost every day. We had so many amazing waves on that trip, made lifelong friends in multiple countries, but also had some bizarre and awful moments, including…
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Julie Malcolm
Julie Malcolm 35 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory A stand out was surfing Haapiti for hours with my husband Christmas morning with no one else out; it was epic! He ended up breaking his board after about 4 hours of mind blowing fun. Tell us something unique about you as a mother who surfs with/without your kiddos I like to share waves and I like to get cold and shiver. What is your most memorable surf moment with your kids? We were all surfing Seascape on 4th of July and a white shark came up right next to us and was eating a fish.…
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Katie Loggins
Katie Loggins 20 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory With both of my children I surfed until I was 8 months pregnant. It was the most fun I have ever had in the water. I don’t think I have laughed that hard. It is so challenging, so every wave I caught was a triumph. And, I was so fortunate to have 2 of my now closest surf friends pregnant at the same time. As our bellies grew we played in the waves, laughing at how challenging it was to surf but having each other to share in the experience. Although some people found it surprising…
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Ashley Lloyd
Ashley Lloyd Starting Surfing Before 10 years old Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory I can remember the first time I stood up on my Zuma Jay Twin fin in the 3rd point malibu reform. I don’t think it was long, but I still remember! What is your occupation Surfboard Shaper, founder of Unfurling, my new company Do you have any significant community involvement? I love my community Tell us something unique about you as a mother who surfs with/without your kiddos This year, my son, Odin, has really gotten into the ocean. I think the super warm wetsuit helps. He wasn’t all that excited to surf…
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Alayna Nathe
Alayna Nathe 31 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory I have the best memories surfing with Amy Mihal & Zeuf Hesson on a perfect overhead day at Privates…. just the 3 of us hooting and howling and catching the waves of our lives What is your occupation Online Marketing Tell us something unique about you as a mother who surfs with/without your kiddos We let our kids fall in love with surfing on their own time. My son is 14 and is now hooked on surfing, all waves & all types of boards. My biggest joy is sharing waves with him at 38th, splitting the…
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Amy Mihal
Amy Mihal 19 years Surfing Tell us about an intense or fun surfing memory I am blessed to have so many fun surfing memories over the past years. I am grateful for each moment spent in the water with my best friends, Alayna Nathe and Zeuf Hesson, both of whom were incredible surfing mentors and inspirations to me! What is your occupation I am the co-owner of Village Yoga, and have been teaching yoga since 1999. Do you have any significant community involvement? I have been a small business owner (Village Yoga) for the past 20 years. Tell us something unique about you as a mother who surfs with/without your…
