Mom of 5 & Infertility Survivor Gives Woman the Ultimate Gift—So She Can Be a Mom, Too

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 22, 2019

After facing infertility and going on to raise five kids, one mom decided to give the greatest gift she could to another mom when she donated her uterus.

After struggling to become pregnant for several years, Aprill Lane and her husband were diagnosed with infertility. They eventually adopted a son and had twins through in vitro fertilization—and were blessed again when they amazingly became pregnant naturally not once, but twice.

Now with five kids under seven, Lane decided that she wanted to give another struggling mom that same miraculous chance that she was given. “It’s heavy,” Lane said. “It’s a huge burden as a female feeling like you are failing the one part of you that you’re meant to do,” she told WFAA News, about grappling with infertility.

Last year Lane donated her uterus to an anonymous woman as part of a clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center. The trials have already resulted in two successful births over the last two years.

Lane has also helped those struggling with infertility in other ways. In 2010, she founded AGC, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing both advocacy and scholarships for those struggling with infertility in the United States. The AGC Scholarship provides financial assistance to people who don’t otherwise have the resources to become parents while struggling with infertility.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Aprill Lane

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Steph Curry Made Good on Promise & Launched These Amazing New Kicks for Girls

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 13, 2019

When nine-year-old Riley Morrison wrote to Steph Curry over her disappointment that his line of kids shoes was only made for boys, he made a promise to her to change it. And now he’s come through on that promise with new Steph Curry sneakers for girls.

Last year, Riley wrote Curry a letter when she discovered the star’s shoe line, Under Armour Curry 5 Grade School, were not available in girls’ sizes. Her dad shared the letter on Instagram and, not only did Curry respond with his own letter, he made promise to correct it—and present her with a special surprise on International Women’s Day. And boy was it a good surprise!

Just in time to celebrate amazing women and girls around the world, Curry unveiled his new line of sneakers for girls. Curry had a already been planning to create a Curry 6 colorway to celebrate International Women’s Day and honor the women in his life, including his wife and three daughter, so it was only fitting he invited Riley to be included in the designing of the new Curry 6 United We Win colorway.

“I’ve been kinda blown away, and certainly grateful for the opportunities that Stephen has given me, including sharing inspiration for other girls through the sockliner art. This has been such an incredible experience,” said Riley.

In addition to a “United We Win” sockliner, Riley designed a sockliner that features two girls playing basketball, surrounded by the words that inspired Riley to play the role of a Uniter, such as “Be Fearless,” “Girl Power,” “Be the Change,” Girls Hoop Too” and “Rock the Currys.” Shoppers also have the option to customize a sockliner with their own photo.

The new Curry 6 United We Win is available at UA.com for $130. Sales of the shoes will go toward a scholarship established by the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation and Under Armour to honor Riley’s courageous spirit. The scholarship will be given annually on International Women’s Day to a worthy college-bound female student from the Bay Area.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Under Armour

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This 13-Year-Old Soccer Phenom Just Made Her-Story Signing a Deal With Nike

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 8, 2019

From that first day that you pack up team snacks and send your tot out onto the soccer field, it’s hard to imagine they might someday become a professional, but for the parents of 13-year-old Olivia Moultrie, it’s already a reality.

At 11 years old, Olivia became the youngest girls’ soccer player to publicly accept a college scholarship and two years later at 13, she has just become the youngest to turn pro. Giving up her scholarship, Olivia has just signed a deal with Nike and is on track to become one of the greatest professional players in her sport.

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A post shared by Olivia Moultrie (@olivia_moultrie)

Olivia, who has been homeschooled since she was in fifth grade (to make time for training) said in a 2017 interview, “I really became passionate about soccer when my dad and I made the decision to start working as hard as I do now. When I started treating every day like an opportunity and training to be a professional, I really fell in love with the process of trying to become great.”

The young athlete still has a long road ahead as the National Women’s Soccer League and FIFA rules require that athletes must be at least 18 to compete. For now she joins the Thorns in Portland, Oregon as a developmental player. Despite not being able to play in a match for five more years, this incredible young woman has already made her mark on history.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Olivia Moultrie via Instagram

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Netflix Will Release Its First Latin-American Musical for Kids & Teens

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 15, 2019

Put your dancing shoes on, because Netflix is about to debut its first Latin-American musical for young audiences. Go! Vive a Tu Manera is coming to the streaming service and it’s impossible not want to join in the fun.

The new series follows Mia, a talented and fearless girl who receives a dance scholarship to the prestigious Saint Mary’s Academy, for its acclaimed performing arts department and elite students. Mia finds it challenging to fit in at her new school as she clashes with the most popular and talented girl at the Academy—who (of course) happens to be the owner’s daughter. Mia finds her way, however, with the support of her new friends and the unlikely attention of the school’s basketball star, who is also her rival’s brother.

Whew! That’s a lot to keep track of—but this trailer makes it look pretty rad.

For fans that fall in love with the series’ songs, the soundtrack features 13 original songs from the show and will be available for purchase as CD or digital download. Go! Vive a Tu Manera will premiere on Netflix beginning Feb. 22.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Courtesy of Netflix

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Jimmy Fallon & Kermit the Frog to Judge Awesome Google Art Contest

by Erica LoopJanuary 18, 2019

If you’ve got a pint-sized Picasso at home, then forget about adding the latest masterpiece to that giant bin of artwork you’ve been saving…and submit it to Google instead! The Doodle 4 Google contest is looking for the best works of art created by kids.

The Doodle 4 Google 11th annual contest is currently accepting submissions from K through 12 students to design Google’s landing page logo. Besides being showcased on the globally-used search engine, the lucky winner will also receive a $30,000 scholarship and a technology upgrade for their school worth $50,000.

This year’s contest is all about imagination, with the “When I Grow Up, I Hope…” theme. Even cooler? This year’s judges are none other than late-night celeb Jimmy Fallon and your fave green Muppet, Kermit the Frog, along with Teacher of the Year winner, Many Manning.

The contest submission period ends Mar. 18, so break out those crayons and colored pencils and encourage your kiddo to get doodling ASAP. Enter your submissions here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin and Erica Loop

featured image: Aaron Burden via Unsplash

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10 Signs You’re a Falls Church Parent

by Katie BrownJanuary 12, 2016

Yes, other parents lust after your school district, and you live in one of the few ‘burbs served by two Metro stops. But you also have pizza, the Easter Bunny, and higher taxes. Wait, what? Here are 10 signs you’re a Falls Church parent:

Photo: Pupatella

1. You live within a toddler meltdown’s drive of two highly-favored and oft-recommended pizzeria/Italian joints (Pupatella and Pizzeria Orso). Both you and your mozzarella-smothered three-year-old feel pretty good about that.

2. When you drive past a sea of parked mini-vans at Mary Riley Styles Library, you know those parents didn’t get the inside scoop on a surprise Taylor Swift concert—it’s Story Time, and yeah…the librarians make “Little Blue Truck” THAT good.

Photo: The State Theater

3. Your kids know that, when you start singing “Manic Monday” and “Love Shack” ad nauseam, they’ve got a date with the babysitter and you and your 80s-baby spouse have a date with The Legwarmers at The State Theater.

4. Your teenagers attend the fifth best public high school in the country (George Mason High School). Did someone say college scholarship?

Photo: Falls Church

5. Your kids can never decide which of the 2.2 square mile-city’s 12 parks they feel like swinging on today.

6. You might as well save the chia seed oatmeal for another day and accept that, on Saturday mornings at the Farmers Market, your children will gorge on Donut Heaven’s pumpkin donuts. You might also have one.

Photo: Doodlehopper

7. You might as well send your kids’ allowance direct deposit to Doodlehopper.

8. You know that, if you want your kids to take a picture with the Easter Bunny after the egg hunt in Cherry Hill Park, you’re going to have to put on your game face, lock your elbows, and bring snacks for the wait. But it’s so worth it.

Photo: Falls Church

9. When your teenager wants to cover her frenemy’s lawn with pink plastic flamingos or your 4^th grader is preparing for the annual science fair, you eschew Home Depot and head to Brown’s Hardware.

10. If it’s too hot outside, you bring your kids to Mobu. If it’s too cold outside, you bring your kids to…Mobu.

What did we miss? Tell us in the comments below.

—Katie Brown

New in Town: A Tennis Club Just for Kids

by Mimi O'ConnorOctober 28, 2014

Looking to lob a few with your small fry Federer or baby Billie Jean? (Or just want a fun way for your kid to get some physical activity inside?) You’re in luck! Court 16, a new tennis club designed just for kids opened its doors in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus this September, and tennis pros are standing by to teach your little athlete about serving, sportsmanship and (in time) perfecting a killer backhand.

The Where, Who and How
Strategically surrounded by Brooklyn neighborhoods brimming with kids of all ages (Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Park Slope and Fort Greene are all a ball-throw away), Court 16 is the brainchild of Anthony Evrard, a former tennis wunderkind in his native Belgium. (Evrard ranked in the top five of his country’s national junior team until age 16; a tennis scholarship to Loyola Marymount University in California brought him to the states. The club is named after the court where Evrard learned — and came to love —the sport back home.)

Evrard’s vision is to create a stimulating and nurturing tennis facility that not only teaches kids the sport, but promotes confidence, social fluency and self-esteem as well. From a vacant warehouse space on Baltic Street, Evrard has created a tennis club for kids that’s the first of its kind in the country.

Why It’s Unique
Court 16 is filled with natural light and accents of bright yellow making it an inviting and cheerful space for both parents and kids, but don’t let the friendly atmosphere fool you: the facilities are totally pro. The courts are designed to the United States Tennis Association’s specs for children’s courts (they’re smaller), and use customized, lower nets manufactured in the UK. The courts’ surfaces are made with Premier Court, the most advance cushioning surface available, and the material on which the Davis Cup is played. The upshot: Court 16 is a professional caliber tennis facility sized for kids, and the first indoor tennis facility for children in the U.S.

The Little Extras
Other features catering to Court 16’s clientele include large Nerf-like tennis balls for the tiniest of players, cute and colorful targets in the shape of animals such as a bear and an owl, kid-friendly restrooms and a court-side area for where parents can relax and watch lessons if they like. All members of the club also receive a backpack, polo and hoodie from Court 16’s partner LaCoste.

Getting With the Programs
To find Court 16 coaches, Evrard looked to his colleagues from the world of competitive tennis. The club’s programs are tailored by age group and include private and group tennis classes as well as tennis conditioning. The club’s programs include Freshman for ages three and four; Sophomore for ages five and six; Junior for ages seven and eight, and Senior for kids nine to 11. Kids are never evaluated upon joining, and all skill levels are welcome. While competition is not stressed at Court 16, the club is equipped to train and support any student interested in pursuing competitive play.

Join the Club
Annual membership to the club is $500, with class packages available for an additional fee. Members can book court time for parents and kids to play together, and the club will also be hosting a speaker series, member events and mini tournaments. Plus: free breakfast on weekends! Families wishing to check out the club before signing on the dotted line can purchase a three-lesson package to see if Court 16 is the right fit for them.

Parents and kids from Brooklyn and beyond are currently enrolled at Court 16 (Manhattanites from Battery Park, the Financial District and Chelsea count themselves as members) and the club will open an additional three courts (and 8,000 square feet) in January of 2015. The facility also plans to offer a winter session during school break.

For more info on Court 16 and its programs, go to court16.com.

Court 16
526 Baltic St.
Gowanus
718-875-5550
Online: court16.com

What’s your favorite indoor sports venue for kids in NYC?

— Mimi O’Connor

photos: Court 16

Talking Kids (and Music) With Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

by writerredtriMarch 28, 2011

Chad Smith is best known for banging the drums silly as part of one of the world’s most beloved rhythm sections—he and the inimitable Flea provide the bottom for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ megahits. But the Peppers took a hiatus in 2008, and most of the members spent that time, instead of playing for screaming fans, playing papa to their little ones. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis had a son, Flea was playing papa to his daughter Sunny Bebop (mom is model Frankie Rayder). Smith, however, has them both beat. A father of five, he took a break from his supergroup project Chickenfoot (with Joe Satriani, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and Sammy Hagar) to work on a children’s album with Leslie Bixler. The result is The Rhythm Train, a rollicking rhythm-based collection of fun songs that won’t drive parents batty. The album even features some guest rapping from…Dick van Dyke?! It may seem a long way from “Californication” to “Roly-Poly in My Guacamole,” but for Smith, the project was fun and exciting in a new way. A self-described “big kid,” Smith took some time to talk to Red Tricycle about his projects and life as a dad.

RT: Thanks for taking time to talk to us, it sounds like you’re busy!
Smith: Yeah, we finished recording the new Chili Peppers album, which is really exciting, and now we’re just mixing it, and it should be out at the beginning of the summer.

How did you get involved in making a kids’ album?
Leslie Bixler is a music teacher at my son Cole’s old preschool in Malibu, and she’s just great. She’s put out albums of her own. Anyway, it just stemmed from the way she saw me interacting with the kids at the school. Having kids, you know, you need to parent them, but it brings out the childlike side of you, the need to play. I certainly have that!

Anyway, we just hit it off and she said, “You have a great personality for a kids’ album, you should help me out with this,” and it just went from there. She and her husband Bill, who’s also a recording musician, they have a studio at their house, so it was the three of us hanging out there, and the whole thing was Leslie’s vision—that there’s this rhythm train and that it can go anywhere—around the world, outer space, underwater. We would try stuff and it would work really quickly.

This album is full of the stuff kids love.
The themes on the album are sort of universal kid things—pirates, dinosaurs, trains…Leslie’s worked with kids a long time and she just knows what kids like. She also has a son, Robin, who’s a little bit older (he’s about 13 or 14 now) and he helped to write some of the songs. The story has to work in a way that holds kids’ interest, so you have to keep it moving. The concepts were more hers; I helped with the music.

How did your kids inspire the content of the album?
My son Cole was so into trains as a little kid, so the song “Cole’s Trains” is for him.

How did you get Dick van Dyke involved?
He and Leslie have been friends for years, and he was up for anything…he was up to try to rap! He wasn’t the greatest rapper, but he was game to try it! He’s 84 years old and still so sharp and funny.

Tell me about your involvement in children’s charities?
Right now I’m really into supporting the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. It sounds highbrow, but it’s a great place for kids from all backgrounds to learn about music. Flea started it, because he just saw how music was being cut from all the public schools. About half of the 700 kids there are on scholarship, and it’s not like American Idol or anything, the kids are learning how to play instruments, and learning the importance of practice.

When did you start playing?
When I was seven! And I’ve been so fortunate to find my passion at an early age and do the things I’ve done in my life because of music.

What do you say to the kids you meet who look up to you as a musician?
I’ve been really lucky to meet and even play with some of my idols that I grew up listening to, and for the most part it’s been really humbling and positive. I just try to encourage kids to work hard at it, to inspire them to put in the time, effort, and work. If you really love it and want the knowledge, instead of just wanting it NOW, then you can get great at it.

I do have to say, though, that I met Travis Barker from Blink 182 and when he told me that he started playing the drums to Mother’s Milk (RHCP’s 1989 breakthrough album), I thought “GOD, I’m OLD!!”

What are you listening to these days?
Well, I have to listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers all the time right now, because we’re mixing! But, I went to see this guy Yelawolf the other night, who just got signed to Shady Records, Eminem’s label. He’s a rapper from Alabama, and though I haven’t been a huge hip-hop fan in recent years, this guy was great! I met him after the show, and he was a sincere and cool guy.

What do your kids listen to?
They like Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder and old 70s funk, and they like the Foo Fighters a lot. The song “the Pretender” is their favorite song, they listen to it over and over…I guess it could be worse! Taylor Hawkins (the drummer) is my son Beckett’s godfather.

Do you take your kids to live shows?
We just did Thomas the Train Live at Madison Square Garden—Beckett, who’s 2, is into trains. And I want to take Cole to the Lion King.

What do you do on a perfect day with your family?
We are in New York most of the time now because Cole is in school there, but we go back to Malibu when we can. He misses it, that’s what he knows. We’re going back for 2 weeks over spring break and having a big party for his birthday. We love the beach, and we’re fortunate to live in a neighborhood where the kids can run around, jump on the trampolines, and play outside. And my kids love to play with Legos, Star Wars stuff, and do art and drawing.

Will they play an instrument?
I don’t know…Cole does have a music class and he plays a few things that we have around the house…drums, guitars, piano, etc.

Doing any shows for Rhythm Train?
No, Leslie and Dick did some in-stores when it first came out, but we can’t tour right now.

Are you taking your kids out on tour after the new Chili Peppers album comes out?
Well, Cole was on part of our last tour, he’s been lots of places. And we’ve already got some shows scheduled this summer—one in August in Hong Kong, Rock in Rio, Summer Sonic in Japan…we all have young kids and we hope they get to go…we’ll make it work!

—Sarah Bossenbroek

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