Ronnie's Awesome List - November 2012

Since I started Marinhood, various groups have written to me expressing how they love my blog and what it means to them which is why I am excited to introduce you to one of those groups: Marin Homeschoolers.

Inspire a life-long love of learning. Today’s homeschooling families have a wealth of opportunities for learning. Families are free to create a curriculum that works for them, utilizing classes offered by outside institutions or private schools, tutors, tours and field trips, travel, museum visits, and countless other opportunities. 
Come and meet homeschooling families to learn about different philosophies and approaches, understand legal information, and have your questions answered at the Homeschool Information Night, Thursday, November, 1st from 6:30-8:30 PM, San Rafael Community Center on 'B' Street (rooms 2/3).

Golden Gate Bridge Photo Experience

I recently took my daughter to get our holiday card picture taken at the NEW Golden Gate Bridge Photo Experience. The idea of my little stegosaurus santa climbing up the main cable of the Bridge … or standing on top of the Bridge’s south tower was just too irresistible. Using green screen technology it took just minutes for that perfect holiday picture. Nothing screams San Francisco like the Golden Gate Bridge and to make it look like she was actually up there was really fun. Available exclusively at the Round House, across from the Bridge Pavilion at the south plaza. Hours: 10 am-6 pm, 7 days a week, (877) 349-7625.

November 1

• Homeschool Information Night, 6:30-8:30 PM, San Rafael Community Center on 'B' Street, Rooms 2/3

November 2

• Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead Altar Making Event, 3:15 PM - 5:00 PM, Mill Valley Library
• Toddler Days, 9am-noon, Slide Ranch
• Shabbat Together, ages 3 and under, 9-10:30 am, Kol Shofar
• Day of the Dead Evening Walk, 6:30-8 pm, San Francisco National Cemetery
• San Francisco Day of the Dead, 7pm, Procession and Festival of Altars
• Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Gourmet Ghetto, 5-9PM, 1400 block Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

November 3

• Junior Ranger #4: Wetlands Natural History at Santa Margarita, 10am-12pm, 473-2816.
• Dia de los Muertos Celebration, San Rafael
• World of Wonder with Alison Faith Levy, 11am, Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Manor Elementary School Winter Faire, 4:00pm, 150 Oak Manor Drive, Fairfax
• Gravity Car Hike, 9am-1pm, begins at Muir Woods Visitor Center
• Marin County Triathlon, 11:30am, McNears Beach
• Microsoft Grand Opening, see website for details about the Kelly Clarkson performance and the opportunity to play Kinect with Jerry Rice. The event is limited in time, and standing in line does not guarantee participation. Village at Corte Madera.
• Read to a Dog, 2:00pm, call 924-6382, Corte Madera Library
• Kol Shofar Young Family Shabbat Experience, with Musician and Educator Jonathan Bayer for families and children through First Grade, 10:30 to 11:30 am, Free
• Discovery Days at AT&T Park, 11AM-4PM
• Dia de los Muertos Community Concert, 2pm, Davies Symphony Hall
• Patchwork Series: Asheba, The Fratello Marionettes, 11:00 am (doors open at 10:30 am), Free, Freight & Salvage
• Build a Turkey Napkin Holder for the holidays! 9am-12pm, Home Depot
• First Saturday Craft Club for Teens: Franken Toys!, 10 – 11am, 6th-12th graders, Novato Library
• Babes & Babes, 9:30am-2pm, Moms and moms-to-be are invited for a day of shopping, education and information, St. Mary's Cathedral (Patron's Hall), 1111 Gough Street @ Geary.
• Afternoon Art, Discover how rubber bands, geometry and carpentry collide in an explosion of fun and beauty as you create a beautiful work of art. Randall Museum
• Family Concerts, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, 2:00pm & 3:30pm, Randall Museum
• Drop-In Science, Learn all about amazing flying mammals, BATS! Create your own spooky, swooping, flying bat for some Halloween fun! Randall Museum.
• Doing and Viewing Art, ages 4-12, 10:30am, The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism, deYoung Museum.
• Doing and Viewing Art, ages 4-12, 2:00pm, Balancing Act: Discovering Line, Shape, Color, and Scale, Legion of Honor.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Owen Baker Flynn with his “World Premiere”, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.

November 4, Daylight Savings

• Park Pals at McInnis, 10am-12pm, Ages 4+, Different stations will be set up for various educational activities such as tree identification, plant health and irrigation, and a wild animal talk. This is a free event, snacks and hot cocoa will be provided.
• Beloved Bay Area Magician Phil Ackerly in his 20th Anniversary show! Marin JJC, San Rafael, (510) 236-SHOW
• Hilarious Ventriloquist Steve Chaney and his Puppet Partner Cornelius Crowe, The Randall Museum, San Francisco
• Zappo the Magician and his "Greatest Illusions Show", Berkeley JCC
• Headlands Helping Hands: FREE Family Stewardship Day,  9:30-11:30 a.m. NatureBridge, 332-5771
• Preschool Programs: Golden Gate Playdates, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Trails & Tracks, NatureBridge, 332-5771
• Children’s Program, 10-11:30am, Green Gulch Farm
• Marin County Triathlon
• Children’s Storytime and Family Walk, 10:30 AM, San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. Join a docent-led Family Walk following Children’s Storytime in the Library, featured book “The Enormous Potato” by Aubrey Davis.
• Drop-in Art Making: Photographic Creations, 1-3pm, Have fun with photos while exploring black and white creations. Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Owen Baker Flynn with his “World Premiere”, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.
• First Stage For Families, Dell'Arte Company, Wheeler Auditorium, Berkeley

November 5

• Guy Fawkes Bonfire, Muir Beach
• Museum Mondays for Little Ones, 10am, ages 1–5, Schultz Museum.

November 6, Election Day

• Fall Fun, Pizza & Pages Book Club for grades 6-8, 6:30 pm, 389-4292 x4741 to sign up. What’s not to like about books, pizza, and conversation? Read 1985 Newbery winner The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley on your own time and then come to a meeting on November 6th to discuss this classic fantasy adventure with your fellow readers and eaters. Mill Valley Library.
• Tech Tots, 11am, ages 2-5, 1-hour class having fun exploring technology, 413-9970, Village at Corte Madera.

November 7

• Afterschool LEGO Club, 4 – 5:30pm, ages 4-14 are invited to build, play, engineer, and destruct together, Novato Library.

November 8

• Fall Harvest Craft Workshop, for ages 5 & up, 4pm, We’ll provide the makings of a fun filled creative afternoon. Remember, crafts make great gifts! Belvedere Tiburon Library.
• Nature for Kids: Cascade Canyon, 10am-1pm, If the rains have come we will see if the salamanders and banana slugs have come out of hiding. If it is still dry, we will visit the shaded pools in the upper creek to see what is there.
• Toddler Treks, Alligators, 11am-12pm, California Academy of Science

November 9

• Shabbat Together, ages 3 and under, 9-10:30 am, Kol Shofar

November 10

• Marin On Ice, 11/10-1/5,  Northgate, San Rafael. For the first time Marin will be home to an outdoor ice skating rink featuring more than 5,000 square feet of real ice.
• Veterans Day Fee-Free Weekend, Muir Woods
• SHARE-a-Book Dogs, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Mill Valley Library, 389-4292 x4741 to
• Party on Horse Hill/Equine Interpretive Hike, ages 5+, broom-busting pizza party and raffle
• Birding at Stafford Lake, WildCare Family Adventures, 453-1000 x17
• Give Thanks to Food Family Farm Day, 10 am - 2 pm, Slide Ranch, SOLD OUT
• Victorian Christmas, Camp Reynolds, Angel Island
• Zendaya, 6:00 pm PST at  Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
• Manga Drawing Classes, 2pm, Ages 9-13, Corte Madera Library.
• Writing Workshop for Teens, 1 – 2:30pm, Novato Library.
• Alina Chau, The Treehouse Heroes: And the Forgotten Beast, Book Passage, Corte Madera
• Lego® Nameplate Building, 10am - 12 Noon, Pottery Barn Kids, Village at Corte Madera
• Afternoon Art, Be a city planner for a day!  Delve into our abundant wood supply and create a miniature found wood city scape. Randall Museum.
• Drop-In Science, It’s a well-known fact that oil and water don’t mix, but come and see how fun this physics fact can be. Make your own psychedelic LAVA LAMP to amaze your friends and family! Randall Museum.
• Candlelight Tour, 6:30-8pm, Fort Point
• Family Dance Workshops with San Francisco Ballet, 10–11 a.m., deYoung Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, The Blue Fairy, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.
• Red Bull Flugtag, Hangers open at 11am, First flight 1pm, Watch test pilots redefine air travel when they launch their human-powered flying machines off a 30-foot ramp into the chilly McCovey Cove waters.

November 11

• Veterans Day Fee-Free Weekend, Muir Woods
• Marine Science Sundays, Magnificent Migrations! 10am-5pm, The Marine Mammal Center
• Introduction to the Terwilliger Trail, 10am-12pm, enjoy stunning views of the Stafford Lake watershed from the upper sections of the trail and discuss the flora and fauna that inhabit the various habitats along the way.
• Welcome Back Salmon, 1-3pm, meet at Muir Beach where the creek meets the ocean, for the traditional blessing of the salmon.
• Victorian Christmas, Camp Reynolds, Angel Island
• Drop-in Art Making: Photographic Creations, 1-3pm, Have fun with photos while exploring black and white creations. Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Preschool Gallery Hour with Octopretzel, 10-11:30am, Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, The Blue Fairy, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.

November 12

• Veterans Day Fee-Free Weekend, Muir Woods
• Nature for Kids: Deer Island, 10am-1pm, walk through oak forests and open meadows with the family. This beautiful little ridge that rises above the surrounding marshland is a great place to enjoy an autumn day.
• Drop-in Art Making: Photographic Creations, 1-3pm, Have fun with photos while exploring black and white creations. Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Museum Mondays for Little Ones, 10am, ages 1–5, Schultz Museum.

November 13

• Tech Tots, 11am, ages 2-5, 1-hour class having fun exploring technology, 413-9970, Village at Corte Madera.

November 14

• Share a Book: Read to a Dog Improve literacy skills while reading — to dogs! Belvedere Tiburon Library.
• Home School Day, 9:30am-12pm, Explore hands-on art and science through the eyes of the Peanuts characters, Schultz Museum.

November 16

• Shabbat Together, ages 3 and under, 9-10:30 am, Kol Shofar
• Kol Shofar Family Kabbalat Shabbat Service and Dinner, 5:30 - 7pm, free, rsvp atmlklasses@kolshofar.org

November 17

• LOLLIPOPALOOZA, 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM, 240 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon
• Culann’s Hounds, 11am, Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Rebecah Freeling - Puppet Show for Preschoolers, 11am, Book Passage, Corte Madera
• Doll Tea Party, 3pm & 4pm, Pottery Barn Kids, RSVP required, Village at Corte Madera
• Oceans Aglow: Family Nighthike & Campfire, 5:30-8 p.m., NatureBridge, 332-5771
• Fall Color Photography at Stafford Lake, 473-2816
• Ornette Coleman, 11am, Both fun and educational, Family Matinees provide a window into the exciting world of live jazz. Herbst Theatre.
• What If There Weren't Any Trees?, 11 am-12:30 pm, Presidio of San Francisco
• In the Footsteps of Anza, 1-3 pm, Meet at the flagpole in front of the Presidio Landmark
• Afternoon Art, Work in miniature as you collage a surprising material to make a wearable piece of art! Randall Museum.
• Drop-In Science, What is a turtle? What is a tortoise? Meet some of the Randall TURTLES AND TORTISES and see just how great and different these animals are. Paint your own watercolor habitat to discover how each type of animal lives! Randall Museum.
• Folktales Across the African Diaspora with Muriel Johnson, 2-4pm, MOAD
• Jr. Spartan, 12-1pm, ages 4-13, enjoy the thrill of the run, a variety of scaled down obstacles and their own mini festival area filled with games and children's challenges! Our mission is to inspire children to develop a love for fitness at an early age. Proceeds benefiting the Kids Fit Foundation. Sacramento.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Storyteller John Weaver, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.

November 18: 

• Migratory Bird Walk on Mill Valley Bike Path, explore Bothin Marsh to see what birds have arrived on their fall migration. We hope to find willets, avocets, American wigeon, buffleheads, and more!
• Turkey Fest at Deer Island, 1:30-3:30pm, come learn interesting facts about the non-native turkeys that are common in Marin: How they came to be here and what impact they have on the local ecosystem. We’ll also talk about the Coast Miwok, the native plants and animals used by them, and how Thanksgiving would be different if pilgrims had landed in Marin.
• Acorns à la Carte with Ane Carla Rovetta – Experience the wonders of oak trees and acorns with Bay Area naturalist, artist, and storyteller Ane Carla Rovetta, Mill Valley Library
• Beginning Birding, 9:30-11:30am, ages 8+, Marin Headlands Visitor Center
• Charles Schultz's Birthday, Museum is free all day.
• Patriotism and Prejudice, 1-3pm, Presidio Transit Center
• PIER 39's Tree Lighting Celebration, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Children’s Storytime and Family Walk, 10:30 AM, San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. Join a docent-led Family Walk following Children’s Storytime in the Library, featured book “The Enormous Potato” by Aubrey Davis.
• Family Gallery Tours, Experience the world of color and collage in this interactive tour of The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats designed for families with children up to age nine. Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Drop-In Art Making, Delve into the world of The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats as you explore Keats-inspired art techniques including collage, watercolor, and marble paper, Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Storyteller John Weaver, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.
• Family Fun Day: India Celebration, 11am-4pm, Celebrate Diwali, India’s festival of lights, with music and art. Asian Art Museum.

November 19

• Museum Mondays for Little Ones, 10am, ages 1–5, Schultz Museum.

November 20 

• Art of Nature, 10am-12pm, ages 5-12y, will teach kids about local plants and trees the creative way! First we will discuss and use various plant samples found in the area and then create our very own plant identification book. Then we will head out on a short nature walk to field-test the books.
• Preschool Programs: Golden Gate Playdates, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Trails & Tracks, NatureBridge, 332-5771
• Tech Tots, 11am, ages 2-5, 1-hour class having fun exploring technology, 413-9970, Village at Corte Madera.
• Toddler Treks, Alligators, 11am-12pm, California Academy of Science

November 21

• Afterschool LEGO Club, 4 – 5:30pm, ages 4-14 are invited to build, play, engineer, and destruct together, Novato Library.

November 22, Thanksgiving

November 23

• Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland, Fourth Street ~ B Street to Lootens, San Rafael
• It's a Wonderful Life, Nov 23 - Dec 16, Become the live studio audience for a radio broadcast of this American holiday favorite. Experience It’s a Wonderful Life live and in color with five actors performing the voices of dozens of characters while creating foley sound effects, Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley
• Fun Family Weekend, Join cartoonist and storyteller Joe Wos for live performances and cartoon workshops, Schultz Museum.
• Tree Lighting Ceremony, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco
• The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, runs through December 23
• Mummenschanz, 2pm, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
• The Velveteen Rabbit, runs through December 9, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

November 24

• McNears Fishing Derby, 8-11am, McNears Beach, San Rafael
• Rebecah Freeling - Puppet Show for Preschoolers, 11am, Book Passage, Corte Madera
• Fun Family Weekend, Join cartoonist and storyteller Joe Wos for live performances and cartoon workshops, Schultz Museum.
• Candlelight Tour, 6:30-8pm, Fort Point
• Afternoon Art, Kumihimo is a Japanese form of braid-making. Learn this easy process of interlacing strands to make a gorgeous wrist band. Randall Museum.
• Drop-In Science, Before GPS people were still able to easily figure out how to navigate the world with the amazing characteristics of magnets. You’ll never lose your way after this fun session where you’ll create your own compass from scratch. Randall Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Blake Maxam, The Wizard of Ahhhs, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.
• Mummenschanz, 2pm, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley

November 25

• Nature for Kids: Indian Valley, 10am-1pm, days are short, the air is cool, and the leaves on the forest floor should be wet. Maybe we’ll see the first newts on their way to the creek. If there are mushrooms we can see how many different kinds we can find.
• Family Gallery Tours, Experience the world of color and collage in this interactive tour of The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats designed for families with children up to age nine, Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Drop-In Art Making, Delve into the world of The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats as you explore Keats-inspired art techniques including collage, watercolor, and marble paper, Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• Children’s Fairyland, The Nutcracker Prince. 11am, 2pm, 4pm, Blake Maxam, The Wizard of Ahhhs, 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Oakland.
• Mummenschanz, 2pm, Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
• The Velveteen Rabbit, Milk and Cookie Party, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

November 26

• Museum Mondays for Little Ones, 10am, ages 1–5, Schultz Museum.

November 27

Tech Tots, 11am, ages 2-5, 1-hour class having fun exploring technology, 413-9970, Village at Corte Madera.

November 29

• Angel Lights, Angel Island

November 30

• Shabbat Together, ages 3 and under, 9-10:30 am, Kol Shofar