"Cherish the small everyday moments with today's Positive Parenting Activity and write down something nice or funny your child has said or done that made them smile or feel proud.

• See the Family Activities Calendar: https://bit.ly/31-Dias-de-Crianza-Positiva-2023 "

May you stay safe in this trying time, Parmalee

Positive Parenting Program StoryWalk® January 9-27.

This year, throughout Positive Parenting Awareness Month, we’re highlighting the building blocks of Emotional Resilience.

These fun, educational, interactive activities featuring a children's book help build interest in reading while encouraging family quality time and teaching children (and adults) about emotional resilience.

Participate in a StoryWalk® at these participating libraries and be entered into a raffle drawing for books and other prizes from First 5’s Triple P – Positive Parenting Program!

Downtown Featured book: I Am Courage

Capitola Featured book: Sometimes All I Need is Me

Scotts Valley Featured book: What Do You Do With A Problem?

Learn more about Triple P parenting support for families in Santa Cruz County: http://triplep.first5scc.org or (831) 465-2217

https://santacruzcounty.us/OR3/Emergency.aspx .

Heavy rain is causing flooding throughout Santa Cruz County. In the coming days, volunteers will be needed to play a critical role in providing general services ranging from post event clean-up to staffing phones. Details

Start the new year with County Park Friends and explore your local parks together! The walks will begin at the entrance to Schwaan Lake State Park (at the back of the Simpkins Swim Center parking lot). Connect, laugh, learn and move! https://fb.me/e/3ijdZj3am

If the driving in these storms is too scary to go see Ramses, consider these books and movies.

Great for teens and adults, the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters follows the intrepid protagonist as she unearths Egyptian treasures and outwits nefarious characters in the 1880s in Egypt. "The author’s background in Egyptology adds credence to the story, setting, and characterization of the novel." With 19 books in the series, you can absorb vignettes of Egyptian history during the active and competitive 1800's archeology searches.

Anyone can be a naturalist.

Before donating a natural history collection that would form the foundation of our museum, Laura Hecox was a young girl exploring the beaches of Santa Cruz — a beginning shared by so many.

According to one account, Laura developed a passion for sea shells after receiving a bad head injury as a child. During her long recovery, she found that learning to identify and organize shells helped her to regain her mental faculties.

She continued to collect, organize, and study shells throughout her life, becoming a well-respected marine biologist and lighthouse keeper.

When did you first realize that you loved nature?

The tremendous storms have gifted us with plenty of snow and plenty of places to go downhill of cross-country skiing, sledding, tubing or snowboarding. Local parents shared some of their favorite places with us. As always, check the weather and road conditions!

Strawberry Inn - For winter adventures, you can cross-country ski or downhill ski at nearby Dodge Ridge Ski Resort (5 miles away) or snowmobile miles of mountain roads. Just a short drive to Leland Snow Play Park.

Leland Snowplay has lifts for innertubes, 12 acres of Snowplay fun

We just stayed in Arnold and had lots of fun sledding right off highway 4. Spicer Snow Park is open to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snow play. Bear Valley is close if you want to ski and looks like they are getting more snow right now.

We just skied, sledded and tubed in Dodge Ridge. They have great kids lessons.

China peak is close for skiing and lots of areas for tubing and sledding. It’s not too far and the roads are always well taken care of. They have great packages for beginners.

You can also look into Badger Pass in Yosemite. It’s a smaller mountain but great for kids just learning.

Boreal is good for beginners. Check out Adventure Mountain , Soda Springs, which offers a pint-sized tubing hill and carousel for the little ones.

My kids learned at Mt. Rose! It was great. This hill is located at the top of Mt. Rose highway (Hwy. 431). Located about 8 miles north of Incline Village. Look for a few clearings on the west side of the road. Hills vary in steepness. You must have your own equipment for this large open tubing area. Lots of space and fun to be had. Drop off your skiers and snow boarders at Mt. Rose Ski Resort and bring the small kids to the snow play area for hours of free fun.