King Tut is returning to San Francisco! The treasures of the famous Boy King return to the de Young Museum this summer. Tut last made an appearance at the de Young in 1979, and many of you out there probably saw the exhibition as children. The new exhibition, Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, will be at the de Young from June 27, 2009 through March 28, 2010, and includes over 130 works from the tomb of King Tut and other auspicious ancient Egyptians.

While general admission tickets won't be on sale until April 6, school groups can reserve their tickets for the coming school year now. Schools can purchase tickets at the special discounted rate of $15 per student, and tickets for chaperones (one per ten students) are complimentary.

Teachers in California K–12 public schools can also enter a lottery to receive free or reduced price tickets for their group. Fill out the form on the King Tut website to enter the lottery. Ticket price will range from free to $10 per student, depending on corporate underwriting, and lottery results will be announced in September.

A friend asked me about my experience with this the other day, so I thought I'd pass it along here. This something is constipation. My son never really had a problem with it when he was little, since we made sure to feed him a good diet, until one fateful day. Of course we were on vacation, visiting friends down in Pacific Grove, when it happened. Doesn't it usually happen like that?

So one morning Trevor wakes up and instead of his usual happy two-year-old (at the time) self, he's cranky and crying and eventually seems to be in some physical distress. And because he's only two, he can't really tell us what the problem is. All he knows is that he's miserable. On our friends' recommendation we head down to the nearby urgent care clinic on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey and fill out the paperwork with a crying toddler in the background. Of course this particular clinic doesn't take our otherwise pretty universally accepted health insurance. Of course not!

The beloved and classic story, The Wizard of OZ comes to life as Sharon Boucher brings Marin’s talented children and adults together to perform this lively production. Bring the entire family to watch Dorothy and Toto meet the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow on their way to the beautiful Emerald City. The North Bay Rep and San Rafael Community Services Department presents The Wizard of Oz starting on March 6. The performance times and dates are listed below:

• Fridays: March 6, 13 & 20 at 7:30 pm

• Saturdays: March 7, 14 & 21 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

• Sunday: March 22 at 3:00 pm

Ticket prices are $15 General Admission for 3 years and up. Tickets available at the San Rafael Community Center or by phone at (415) 485-3333 or online. The San Rafael Community Center is located at 618 B Street in San Rafael.

I think one thing that all expectant and new parents can agree upon is that there can never be too many resources to back you up in this new and unfamiliar part of your life. One of these resources is the new Parents Center, which recently opened in the inside the venerable Heller's for Children store on Fouth Street in San Rafael.

Located in Heller's loft area (in space donated by Heller's), the Parents Center is a comfortable, welcoming place that offers support and education for new and expectant parents. Moms are invited to come in, feed and weigh baby, have a cup of tea and relax. There's even a special rocker for breastfeeding moms with an optional privacy screen. There is a library of books and dvds for loan, all about pregnancy, parenting and baby and mother wellness. All parents are welcome, so stop by and check it out.

Classes, workshops, and programs offered at the Parents Center include free lactation consultations on Tuesdays between 12:30 and 2 pm, infant/child CPR and first aid, childbirth, newborn care, breastfeeding and pumping, prenatal yoga, baby massage, infant sleep, baby massage, and more. All class fees are on a sliding scale, which is especially welcome in today's economic climate.

Masque Unit Junior Theater of Marin presents its 47th theater production, The Emperor's New Clothes. The Emperor's New Clothes, based on the classic fable by Hans Christian Anderson, is Masque Unit Junior Theater of Marin's annual musical production for young children. This production brings to life the hilarious story of an overly fashion-conscious emperor, and his royal court, and two clever swindlers posing as tailors. The catchy tunes and comedic dialogue will delight audiences both young and old alike.

The Emperor's New Clothes will be performed on March 7 and 8 at 1 and 3 pm at the Marin Center's Showcase Theater. Tickets are $8 per person, and can be purchased through the Marin Center Box Office at (415) 499-6800.

Masque Unit Junior Theater of Marin was established in 1961 by a group of women who saw a need to provide live theater experiences at a reasonable cost for the youth of Marin County. Masque Unit is a non-profit organization of volunteers who combine their talents in costuming, writing, choreography, set design, producing and on-stage performing.

Every parent eventually faces the dilemma where they have to ask themselves, "Is my child too sick to go to school today?" How sick is too sick to go to school? That's the question addressed in a recent New York Times article by parent and physician Perri Klass, MD. The upshot of the article seems to be that kids with mild colds (no fevers, of course) are more or less OK to go to school, especially in light of all the germs already present in such settings. You'll have to read the article to get the whole story, of course.

New York Times: "The Cough-and-Sniffle Question: When to Keep a Child Home?"

Maternity Xchange is a mobile maternity shop that offers discounted brand-name and designer maternity clothing. They'll be be at the Strawberry Recreation Center in Mill Valley on Saturday, February 7, from 11 am to 4 pm. You'll find a great selection of both new and consignment merchandise from brands including Gap, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, Diane von Furstenberg, Japanese Weekend, Olian, Seven for all Mankind, Juliet Dream, Chaiken, A-Wish, 2Chix, Earl Jeans, and more. If you're a new mom, bring in your like-new designer maternity wear and receive 50% of the selling price.

Mention Marin Mommies at the event and save 20% off any one item!

The Strawberry Recreation Center is located at 118 East Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley. For more info about Maternity Xchange, go to www.maternityxchange.com.

One thing that I'm trying to do to help the environment is to use fewer paper and plastic grocery bags when doing my shopping. I've managed to amass a sizable collection of Trader Joes reusable shopping bags (although I haven't yet won that $25 gift certificate), but the big problem with them is forgetting to bring them with me when I go shopping. I think I actually only have them with me maybe 30% of the time. Otherwise they're at home or in the other car.

That's why I was so excited to get a sample of Waste-Less shopping bags. Waste-Less bags are large, lightweight, reusable shopping bags that fold into a very small size—small enough that a set of three fits into a nifty little carrying case that you can put in a purse or jacket pocket. Keep a set on you and you'll never have to worry about forgetting your reusable bags again. The design is pretty stylish, too, and more designs are apparently on the way. Of course, you don't have to use them just for groceries; they make nifty tote bags for beach gear, books, and school stuff as well.