August 2011

Sally Schmidt knows six words guaranteed to get first-graders to eat asparagus. “It makes your pee smell funny.” The first-graders in question, students in Thomas DeVaughn’s class at Linwood Holton Elementary School, are not particularly inspired by the subject of healthy eating, but they are interested in the pretty purple…

With enough tidal rivers and bayside to rival any other ocean state in America, Virginia guarantees you’ll find a sandy shore to love. This August, rethink the typical beach daytrip, and explore some spots you may have yet to discover. Back in 1607, Captain John Smith and his band of…

When Cheryl Ratcliff’s son Tim was seven years old, he was convinced his Superman cape would allow him to fly and leapt off the roof of a building. He also had periods two to three days when he would go without sleep, followed by a depression so deep that he…

When I was a girl, I read until my eyes hurt. I was an undisputed bookworm, skipping playground activities to read my way through recess. I’m still that girl. I lose track of time; the laundry sits; dinner is late; I don’t register someone calling my name. So how did…

I guess I’ll look back one day and laugh at the whole thing. But right now, sitting here in this spine-twisting camp chair in the middle of all the splashing, yelling, whining and cheering, with whistles screaming and horns blowing and the loudspeaker blaring to do this, go there and…

Every once in a while, we’ll find a local Richmonder we’d all like to know a bit more about. Same questions each time, from the Prying Publisher, and the answers are just for you. This month, we caught up with family entertainer Hope Harris. On Broadway, off-Broadway, in regional and…

I have friends who can while away hours at a mall and come home perfectly content, having bought nothing other than lunch. These people have kids and jobs and grimy bathrooms, just like me. They are shoppers; I am not. As a girl, rummaging through the hand-me-downs of four older…

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, can be very stressful for kids and their families, but the vast majority of the 8 million bedwetters between the ages of six and fifteen can be successfully treated. Not considered a disease, bedwetting is a condition resulting in the night time loss of urine after…

Q: My family is encouraging me to potty train my 2-yearold daughter this summer. I don’t know where to begin – help! A: Few parenting milestones can be as daunting as potty training. Everyone seems to have the best method but no two methods are alike! However, potty training does…

In Ancient Egypt, canopic jars were used during the mummification process to store and protect human organs for the afterlife. The lids were often designed with heads, made to represent one of the four sons of the god, Horus. Design your own canopic jar with a person or animal to…

In 1966, when my sister was two, she was diagnosed with a severe hearing impairment. Her pediatrician told my mom that she should be institutionalized and that she would not likely complete more than an eighth-grade education. Fast forward four-and-a-half decades. My sister has been married for 19 years, has…

Durward Massenburg didn’t know where to turn when his granddaughter, Brianna, needed help and support for daily life. Brianna, who turns seven this month, lives with her extended family and has 12 life-altering illnesses that require special care and keep her from walking on her own. With her medical care…

1. Pizza Margherita Preheat oven to 500°F. Brush cookie sheet with olive oil and roll out prepared dough. Chop ¾ cup plum tomatoes and mix with 1 tsp olive oil. Put the tomatoes on dough and top with 4 oz sliced mozzarella. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges…