Fall out

This is our fourth—and last—family guide of 2012, which means that we’ve just about completed the full rotation of seasons. Now that Halloween is over, it seems like everyone starts to shift into winter mode. We just have to look to the corporate world for that—Walmart already has Christmas decorations stocked on the shelves, and Starbucks already released their exclusive holiday red cups. And we all know that Starbucks is the arbiter of holiday cheer. How else can we enjoy walking through snow while wearing a pea coat without drinking a peppermint latte? OK, that actually sounds pretty good to me right about now.

But fall is still here for more than a month, and there’s plenty to enjoy about the season. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, because the weather’s cold enough to pull out my favorite plaid rain boots and thermal shirts, but the mornings don’t yet have the biting cold that comes with December. The leaves are still colorful enough that a drive up Summit Ridge reveals the whole city engulfed in yellows, oranges and reds.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide with a little bit of everything to get your family through the rest of this season with some fun, with some ideas for the next few months. Stephanie Self compiled a lowdown of indoor activities at local libraries, museums and activity centers to keep young minds stimulated. We’ve included some great gift suggestions and some easy DIY decorations. Our resident Tahoe sports guy Tim Hauserman talks about the Strider-Gliders, a program for kids and pre-teens. And in our quest to learn more about the families in our community, we sent Caitlin Thomas and Jessica Santina on a mission to dispel some negative notions about family lifestyle choices.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or whichever winter holiday you celebrate are just around the bend, but the weeks in between can be just as magical. And there’s still time to get a pumpkin spice latte before they’re not in season anymore.

Cheers,

Ashley Hennefer, RN&R special projects editor

In this issue:

Give a little: 2012 gift guide by Nora Heston

Not-so-lonely child: Dispelling the myth of only children by Jessica Santina

Family ties: A couple overcomes discrimination to start a familyby Caitlin Thomas

Glide on by: Little Strider-Gliders take big strides by Tim Hauserman

Deck the halls: Four do-it-yourself holiday decorations by Ashley Hennefer

Inside out: Stimulating events at museums and activity centers by Stephanie Self