Dec 22nd: Happy Holidays!

As most places will be closed for the holidays I am featuring some of the Christmas Houses in Northern Marin that you can visit for free. 
Hope you have wonderful celebrations over the holiday weekend!

Weekend Events

Most places will be closed for the holidays.

Sunday December 26^th

‘Family Kwanzaa Celebration’ from 11.00 – 1.00pm, Bay Area Museum, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito; http://www.baykidsmuseum.org/programs-and-events/calendar/

Celebrate Kwanzaa throughout the museum with art projects inspired by the African continent and Kwanzaa altar in the entry pavilion. There will be two free performances by the African Roots of Jazz presented in the Discovery Theater at 11 am and 1 pm.  

Christmas Houses in Northern Marin

The Guelfi House is the best kept secret in San Rafael, come and see their inflatable Winter Wonderland with light display and festive music!

6 Harbor View Court, off Point San Pedro Road, San Rafael.

'The Bear House'

We used to live just two minutes walk from this house and we used to see something new each time we visited it. The front garden is a holiday themed toy land, and my son's favorite features are the various trains running around the tracks and the spinning airplanes. 

383 Quietwood Drive, between Las Gallinas Ave & Miller Creek, Marinwood.

Photos by Adam & Sophie Davies

Other houses to check out:

'Mickey Mouse House', 417 Blackstone Drive, by Las Gallinas Ave, Marinwood.

'The Christmas House', 285 Adobestone Court, Marinwood.


34 Devonshire Drive, off Center Road, Novato.

Book of the Holidays

‘The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore & Illustrations by Tom Browning.

My son’s Grandma makes sure she passes on the family’s traditions at Christmas by sending over gifts that her sons grew up enjoying in England. Such as sachets of Bread sauce, an English traditional accompaniment at Christmas dinner. This year my son received his own copy of ‘The Night Before Christmas’. This is a book that his father and uncles enjoyed reading every Christmas and now we can pass on that tradition to him. 

‘The Night Before Christmas’ was written by Clement C.Moore who was born in New York City in 1781, he wrote this story for his children as a Christmas gift, and the tradition in his house was that they all read and learned to recite it after they hung their stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve, anticipating the arrival of St. Nicholas.

It the story begins…”Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” The children have hung up their stockings and snuggled down in their beds, when their father awakes from a noise outside and looks outside the window to see a sleigh and eight reindeer appear in the moonlight. It tells the tale of how St. Nicholas lands on the roofs of the houses throughout the land, climbs down the chimneys all dressed in fur with a sack on his back. Describing his unique appearance and demeanor that children come to love: “His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!” Once he fills the stockings he rises back through the chimney, back onto his sleigh and away he goes, but as he drives out of sight he exclaims; “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

The book is illustrated with richly colored traditional images of Santa by Tom Browning who was born in Oregon in 1949. The story is written as poetry and the beautiful rhymes can be dipped in and out of each night leading up to Christmas, until your children are old enough to enjoy it the book all the way through.

The story is a classic and I hope you enjoy it too or find a book like this that will become a family tradition to evoke the anticipation of a very special evening.

Weekly Calendar of Ongoing 

Toddler Activities in Marin

Be sure to call ahead to check activities are going on during the holidays!

Monday

10.00 - 10.30 am - Kid's Story Time Club, Pharmaca, 7514 Redwood Blvd, Novato

(HOLIDAY VACATION UNTIL JAN 3^RD)

10.00 – 10.30 am – Book Babies, San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave Town Council chamber

10.30 – 11.15 am – ‘Music Together of Marin’, The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, 47 Tamal Vista Blvd

9.00 - 1.00 pm - 'Jack and Jill' indoor play space, 217 Western Avenue, Petaluma (every day)

(CLOSED FRI DEC 24TH - MON 27TH & FRI DEC31ST - MON DEC 3RD)
10.00 - 6.00 pm - 'Jump n Bounce, 718 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo (every day)


Tuesday

9.30 – 10.45 am – Baby Bounce Story time – Larkspur Library, 400 Magnolia Ave, 1^st Floor

10.00 – 10.30 am - ‘Baby Bounce’ Story time at Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

9.30 – 10.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ (up to 24 months) at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael (OPEN DURING HOLIDAYS)

10.30 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ (24 months & up) at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.00 – 11.30 am - ‘Play date for 2 and under’ at The Parent’s Place, 600 Fifth Ave, San Rafael

(ON VACATION UNTIL JAN 4^TH)

10.15 - 10.45 am - 'Music Circle', at The Parents Center, Heller's Store, 514 4th Street, San Rafael

(ON VACATION UNTIL JAN 4^TH)

11.00 - 11.30 am – ‘Book Club Story Time’ at ‘Pottery Barns Kids’ store, Corte Madera Village

Wednesday

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Suite 3, Novato

10.00 -10.30 am – Music Together, San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael

10.15 – 10.45 am - ‘Music Circle’ (Under 1 yr),The Parents Center, Heller’s, 514 4th St, San Rafael 

(ON VACATION UNTIL JAN 4^TH)

10.00 - 10.45 am - Fun & Funky (age 2 - 4), Fairfax Community Center, 

10.30 - 11.30 am – Adventure Club Drop in Play, MLK Gym, 610 Colma Street, Sausalito

11.00 - 11.30 am – Story Time at Giggle Store, Corte Madera Village

11.00 -11.30 am – Preschool Story time, Novato Library, 1720 Novato Blvd

3.00 – 5.00 pm – Crawlers Camp (up to 23 months) at Stretch the Imagination, Corte Madera


Thursday

8.00 – 1.00 pm – Farmers Market, The Civic Center

9.30 - 12.00 pm - 'Indoor Power Play' at Cal Star Gym, 70 Digital Drive, Novato

9.30 – 10.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ (up to 24 months) at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael (OPEN DURING HOLIDAYS)

10.30 – 11.30 am - ‘Jumping Jacks’ (24 months & up) at the San Rafael Community Center, 618 B Street, San Rafael (OPEN DURING HOLIDAYS)

10.15 -10.45 am – Toddler Story time (2-3 yrs), Mill Valley Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley

10.30 – 11.00 am – Story Time at San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael

11.00 - 11.30 am - Story Time at Barnes & Noble, 313 Corte Madera Center

3.30 - 4.00 pm - 'Stories with Phil Sheridan', Sausalito Library, 420 Litho Street


Friday

10.30 - 11.30 am - Story Time with Sara Bonnet, San Rafael Library, 618 B Street, San Rafael (ON VACATION UNTIL JAN 7TH 2011)

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Jumping Jacks, Strawberry Recreation District, 118 Strawberry Drive, 2^nd floor gym

10.30 – 12.00 pm – Free Playgroup (Under 5), Marin Head Start, 610 Drake Ave, Marin City