Santa Saturdays @ Cheekwood

HOLIDAYS at Cheekwood
November 23 - December 30, 2012

Let the holidays begin as Cheekwood showcases the sights and sounds of the season with lavishly decorated grounds, artfully trimmed trees, and unique holiday activities. This year, we will be celebrating ‘A Storybook Christmas’ with seven professionally decorated trees in the Museum of Art. From timeless reads to new classics, each tree brings a different Christmas tale to life in a new and festive way. Cheekwood is enchanting, entertaining, and educational this holiday season – celebrate with us!

SANTA SATURDAYS
Saturdays: November 24 – December 22
10:00am – 2:00pm (November 24 will be from 12:00pm to 2:00pm)
Create festive decorations and family memories at Cheekwood this holiday season. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Santa’s Workshop for a one-of-a-kind holiday portrait, meet live reindeer before they make their trip back to the North Pole, make a holiday keepsake in our drop-in craft program, and decorate a tasty holiday cookie – all in our Frist Learning Center.
• Drop-In Studio: Holiday Art Activities
Create festive crafts and warm memories in our drop-in family art program.
• Cookie Decorating
‘Sprinkle’ your own custom design on a delicious iced holiday cookie!
• Photos with Santa in his Workshop
Visit Santa in his North Pole workshop and leave with a one-of-a-kind professional souvenir photo.
*Additional fees apply. Photo packages start at $10.
Click here for photo packages and pricing.
• Live Reindeer
Don’t miss your chance to meet two of Santa’s trusted companions before they return to the North Pole.
• Holiday Storytelling
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join us this holiday season for an exploration into the wide world of literature! Using songs, dance, and interactive reading, experienced storyteller Rachel Sumner will bring your favorite holiday-themed books to life.
*No Storytelling December 15th, because of the magic show. 


ALSO:


MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS
Saturday, December 15
11:00am
Join us as the very merry magician, Rodney Kelley, performs a hilarious family-friendly show that brings the ‘magic’ of the holidays to Cheekwood!



MUSEUM CONCERT SERIES
Saturdays & Sundays | November 24 – December 23
2:00pm
Join us in the Museum’s intimate Drawing Room to enjoy the seasonal sounds of some of Nashville’s best choirs and finest musicians. From bluegrass to big band and choral to classical, there is sure to be something for everyone. Click here for the full schedule.



 

Local 5K events

Don't Miss Out on the Craziest Race to Hit Nashville! 5K Foam Fest is the newest and craziest race to hit the nation. On May 4th Nashville will be transformed into a giant bubble bath full of FOAM and ginormous inflatable obstacles! Register now and get FOAMED!

12/02/2012 - Running Event - Jingle Jog - Lebanon Tennessee, TN

12/07/2012 - 32nd Annual Rudolph's Red Nose... - Nashville, TN

12/15/2012 - Trot fot Tots - White House, TN

12/21/2012 - Break Even 5k - Nashville, TN

05/04/2013 - 5k Foam Fest- Nashville 2013 - Antioch, TN

05/04/2013 - The Original Mud Run -... - Franklin, TN About the Foam Fest...Want to see a Video???  Click here  Register for the Foam Fest before 11/22/12 and use code AXSPRFOAM  for $5 off.

Carolina Homeschooler's Trip to Costa Rica

 

Costa Rica! (clickable link)

Dates: March 8-15, 2014
Registration Deadline: December 5, 2012



What we're doing
We're heading south this time, to Costa Rica! We'll get up close and personal with wildlife, zip-line through rainforests, hike through cloud forests, frolic in hot springs, go horseback riding on the slopes of a volcano, meander through the forest canopy on hanging bridges, visit a family farm and learn about local culture, experience Costa Rican ranch life, play at the beach, and more!

During our week's vacation, we'll visit San Jose, Poas Volcano National Park, Arenal, Rincon de la Vieja National Park, and Guanacaste before returning home.

This trip is more active, so travelers with physical limitations may want to choose a different trip. Children must be at least six years old to attend (they will be able to participate in all the activities.)

Cost and what's included
The cost is $1,669 per person for a family of four, $1,704 per person for a family of three, and $1,769 per person for a family of two. (These rates are based on a minimum number of passengers. I won't confirm the trip until I have enough registrations to maintain our discounts.)

Families of four who want two rooms will be charged the same per-person rate as a family of 2. Larger families will be charged a per-person rate based on how many are in each room (maximum of four to a room).

Your cost includes hotels, individual transfers from the airport to our first hotel, transportation while in Costa Rica, breakfast each day, five group dinners, three lunches, and all activities listed on the itinerary. It also includes a group transfer to the airport on our departure date.

Your cost does not include airfare, any extra tours or activities you do on your own, meals other than those stated above, an airport departure tax (charged by the Costa Rican government, estimated to be $30 per person), tips for our tour guides and bus drivers, or trip insurance.

Payment Deadlines are as follows:
Within 7 days: $100 per-person non-refundable 1st deposit
December 5: $150 per-person non-refundable 2nd deposit
March 15, 2013: $350 per person*
June 15, 2013: $350 per person*
September 15, 2013: $350 per person*
December 15, 2013: Remaining balance*

All deposits and payments are applied to your total.

*These payments are refundable only if I have a family on my waiting list to replace you.

Experience Bethlehem 2000 years ago

Return to Bethlehem

Second week in December

Remember the reason for the season as you step back in time to Bethlehem on the evening of Christ’s birth during this walk through drama. Reenactors portray shopkeepers, families, soldiers, prisoners, and others involved in the daily activities of life in ancient Israel. Experience the place, the sounds, the smells and the anticipation of the town’s people as they go about the city selling their wares, tending their animals, and rearing their families.  Admission is free; offerings are accepted. Large groups are welcome and encouraged to call ahead.  Enjoy live music in the Sanctuary as you wait your turn to make the journey.   First Baptist Church is located at 246 North Main St in Madisonville.
Dates:  Saturday, December 8 – Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Time:  5 – 8 pm Saturday, Monday and Tuesday evening;  2 – 4 pm Sunday

First Baptist Church, Madisonville
270-821-3611
(about 2 hours from Nashville)

Adventure Science Center 12+ Days of Science

This holiday season, Adventure Science Center has so much going on that we can’t contain it all in just 12 days. There will be breakfast with Science Claus, birdhouse workshops, appearances by Dr. Winter, the annual Science of Beer and more. Mark your calendar and plan to join in all the fun. (Advance registration required for some events.)

Dec. 1 -- Breakfast with Science Claus
Enjoy a special morning with our big man in red.
Purchase Tickets Here

Advance registration required.

Dec. 8 – Science of Sound
Come EXPLORE holiday music from traditional to estraordinary, make a sound wave and create your own instrument to take home. Holiday Music Performers include:

10:30am - Fiddle Frenzy led by Crystal Plohman, Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University 

11:30am & 12:30am - St. Joseph's Hand Bell Choir

1:00pm & 3:00pm - Science of Sound demonstrations led by ASC Educators

10:00am - 4:00pm (all day) - Musical Petting Zoo hosted by the Country Music Hall of Fame. 'Bang a drum, strum an autoharp and pick a banjo!

Dec. 15 -- Ornament Making Labs
EXPLORE technology to design and animate a prototype ornament. Work with members of the Robotics Club to build an electronic ornament powered with an LED for holiday pizzazz! For younger visitors, explore traditional ornament making with a space theme.

Dec. 16 – Elf Yourself! - Discount Day
Dress up like an elf, Santa or Mrs. Claus and receive $1 off general admission.

Dec. 20 – Wild Winter Weather Day
EXPLORE the wild winter weather here in Nashville, learn the science behind how a real weatherman makes his forecast, and try you hand at weather prediction.

Dec. 21 -- Penguin Power (Interactive Demonstration)
Ever wonder how penguins survive in the cold, snowy weather? EXPLORE how the different physical characteristics of penguins help them adapt to their unique environment.
Repeated Dec. 28.

Dec. 22 – Winter, It’s Not for the Birds!
Join us as we EXPLORE the birds of Tennessee, bird migration and how you can take part in a North American citizen science project with the Nashville Chapter of the TN Ornithological Society. Make your own winter bird feeder to take home.
Repeated Jan. 2.

Dec. 24 – Explore Hidden Worlds
What does warm-blooded and cold-blooded really mean? How can looking at objects in infra-red help us understand materials? EXPLORE the science of heart and temperature at the IR wall.
Repeated Jan. 3.

Dec. 26 – Exploration: Deep Freeze
Discover what happens to everyday objects when they are cooled down to -321 degrees Farhenheit. Watch as we use liquid nitrogen to turn the air in a balloon into a liquid, use a banana as a hammer, and (maybe) make a tasty winter treat.
Repeated Jan. 4.

Dec. 27 – Polar Pointers
EXPLORE the science of magnets, magnetic fields, magnetic levitation, and much more.
Repeated Jan. 5.

Dec. 29 – Wacky Dr. Winter - Guest Performer Dolc Ezzerf
How does the Tennessee winter compare to wintertime in the furtheset reaches of our solar system? Discover the chilling facts as extraterrestrial visitor Dolc Ezzerf, a.k.a. "Wacky Dr. Winter," visits ASC to share the cold truth of life on a planet with a  temperature of 300 degrees below zero. From frozen foods to icy sports and nearly lethal snowball fights, visitors of all ages will delight in this freezing frolic of winter fun.

Dec. 31 – Happy Noon Year!

Celebrate the New Year without staying up until midnight. A fun way for families with younger children to celebrate together, make some memories and do a little science!

Activities:

• Make a noise maker and learn how noises are made
• Make a party hat to wear all day
• Dance under the disco ball
• Tick, Tock, Make a Clock
• New Year's Resolution Wall - what do you resolve to do in 2013?
• Day and Night Discovery Cart Activity
• Light Sabers Discovery Cart Activity
• One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure will have a special showing in the Sudekum Planetarium

Grand Finale:

• Sparkly Noon Year Toast
• Indoor Fireworks (Bubble wrap stomp)
• Balloon Drop