Are you thinking of Jack Black’s “School of Rock,” or are having a flashback to a scene from the VH1 series “Gene Simmons’ Rock School”? Take the eccentric teachers out of the equation and you’ve got the Kitsilano Rock School, a rock band rehearsal program that runs three 12 week semesters during the school year, with a live performance at the end of each term. If you have a rocker in your little one, here’s a place where he or she can develop that special noise talent. But don’t take my word for it. Check out one of their concerts tomorrow night and see what the school has to offer:

What: Kitsilano Rock School’s “Kids Wanna Rock 5”
When: Wednesday June 20th at 6:00 PM (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
Where: Canadian Memorial United Church at 15th & Burrard in Vancouver
Admission: By donation
For more info, contact Dave Danylchuk at 604.737.4984 or email him at daved@noahnine.com

Take your kids! These days, they really need something to stimulate their imagination and get those creative juices flowing!

For more details on this program, read on… Read the rest of this entry »

I love shopping for kids. It’s insane the kind of variety you can find when buying them anything, especially clothes. Put me in a kids’ clothing store with a credit card and you’ll regret it, especially if the credit card is yours!

I thought shoe shopping would be just as fun. My five- (six in June) year-old niece came over for a visit and we were just about to head for the Richmond Auto Mall to buy a Yaris when I noticed that she was walking funny. I asked her why she was shuffling so much and she lifted her foot to show me how the sole of her shoe had peeled away from its base and the whole thing looked like a hand puppet. We obviously couldn’t go out like that so we made a pit stop at Metrotown Mall. She’s not a fan of trying on shoes but she got a piggy-back ride out of it so she was all smiles. I needed a temporary solution and I thought it would be a piece of cake to find a sensible sandal at Payless. Maybe I could even save a couple of bucks too!…Nothing. Read the rest of this entry »

Appendix to the Article: “Shoe Shopping Hell“

Here are 10 lessons for buying kids’ shoes:

The B.C. Association of Podiatrists has these tips to help ensure that growing feet are getting the well-fitting and supportive shoes they need

1. Shop for shoes at the end of the day. Feet are five to eight per cent larger in the afternoon than in the morning

2. Examine the shoe first. A shoe should have a firm heel counter (stiff material on ether side of the heel), adequate cushioning of the insole, a tall and wide toe box, and, preferably, a built-in arch. It should be flexible enough to bend where the foot bends – at the ball of the foot, not the middle of the shoe. Feel the inside of the shoe for stitching, staples or irregularities in the glue that could cause irritation Read the rest of this entry »