If the phrase "Stilton, Geronimo Stilton" means anything to you, then most likely you're not a fan of stinky British cheeses, but rather you're the parent of a grade-school child who's discovered this series of books about the doings of anthropomorphized mice who live in the metropolis (or "mousetropolis" as the books might term it) of New Mouse City on Mouse Island. The titular Geronimo Stilton is the editor of the newspaper The Rodent's Gazette and purportedly the author of the 40-odd books in the series. While it's nice to believe that a talking mouse journalist did write them all, they're actually the product of a Milanese publishing company, Edizioni Piemme, and are produced for the American market by Scholastic.

Titles in the series range from The Curse of the Cheese Pyramidto the Halloween themed The Peculiar Pumpkin Thief. They're all "chapter books", designed for intermediate readers, and probably appropriate for children in third through sixth grade, although my son's been bringing them home since he was in first grade last year. The writing, adapted from the original Italian, isn't all that gripping for adults, but kids seem to love the series. My son has been bringing home a seemingly endless series of Geronimo Stilton books from the library and devouring them one after the other, sometimes reading an entire book in an afternoon.

This guest article is by Marin pediatric nurse practitioner, lactation consultant, and mom Annie St. John.

We all have it. It’s that inner wisdom. Our intuition. We sometimes just don’t know how to tap into it. Especially when it comes to parenting. We often feel too overwhelmed, scared, and exhausted, so we doubt that inner wisdom. Don’t doubt it. It is the key component when it comes to bonding with your baby. Your baby.

Just as we need that wisdom and intuition, we also need resources. “Resources” is defined as:

• One’s personal attributes that sustains one in certain circumstances.
• The ability to find avenues to overcome difficulties.
• Assets that can be drawn on by a person in order to function effectively.

Once your baby is born, it all comes down to feeding your baby and getting to know your baby. During your daily routine of countless cycles of feeding, burping, calming, swaying, swaddling, changing, and sleeping, you, as the parent, start to gain confidence. Your confidence arises from realizing that you do have the resources (either within yourself, from your spouse or partner, or from an outside support person). From that realization you are able to nurture your relationship with your baby and build upon that bond.

Come join the theater! Take part in the production of Beauty and the Beast presented by Pied Piper Productions and Mill Valley Parks and Recreation. Kids ages 3 years and up can be part of one of Disney’s favorite movies for this spring performance. No audition is required, and rehearsals begin on Monday, October 18 from 3:30–4:15 pm at the Mill Valley Golf Course Clubhouse. Rehearsals will run through December 13 and will then resure on Monday, January 24 through March 7 at the San Rafael Community Center.

Performances will be at the San Rafael Community Center on the weekends of March 4, 11, and 18. You can sign up on at the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation website under course #20566; the fee is $229. For more info, go to their website. Don’t miss out on being part of this fun and exciting production.

In this guest article, Mill Valley naturopathic doctor Lisa Brent, ND, LAc offers some suggestions for treating PMS.

If you are a woman who suffers from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), it might be helpful to know that you are not alone. Of course, if you are a woman who is experiencing PMS as you are reading this, you probably don’t care at all that many other women have similar issues. You may just want to shout some expletives at your computer and then burst into tears. That’s usually how I behave right around the third week of every month. (Well, at other times, too, but I can’t blame that on my period.)

Just for the record, approximately 80% of women experience emotional or physical changes before their menses; among these women, about 20–40% have functional difficulties that have a negative impact on their work, relationships or home lives. More than 150 symptoms have been attributed to PMS. The most common are anxiousness, irritability and anger or mood swings among all three. Some women feel very sad; others feel tired and lethargic. Physical changes include bloating, breast tenderness, food cravings, headache and intestinal upset. There is also a group of women who experience positive changes before their period: enhanced creativity, heightened sexual desire, intellectual clarity and feelings of happiness. But we don’t need to talk bout them.

There's fun for the whole family at this year's Saint Raphael Preschool's MarketPlace! This annual fundraiser takes place today at the San Rafael Mission from 8 am–2 pm. For $5 child, children can get  unlimited access pass to the Children's Fun Zone that includes a jumpy house, face painting, carnival games, artsand crafts and more! The rummage sale in the school gymnasium has furniture, children's items, housewares, clothing, etc. Homemade baked goods and beverages also for sale. Saint Raphael Preschool is located at 5th Avenue and Mission Street in downtown San Rafael.

Here's another yummy and easy recipe from Bay Area moms Stacie and Simran. They recently started a kids' food adventure blog called A Little Yumminess, where they cover easy recipes (often with an international twist), food-related adventures you can have with your children in the Bay Area, cooking with kids and basically how to have fun with food and your children (vs. think of it as a chore or a challenge).

If you’re like me, weeknight dinner prep  can be among the more stress inducing points in the week. We’re all hungry and tired, my son is invaribly hanging on my leg and pleading for snacks, the phone is ringing, and counter space is short because my kitchen is cluttered with all the bits and pieces from our day.

Where can you go to hear inspiring talks by fabulous Bay Area women, taste delicious food and wine, and connect with other women like you? The 2010–2011 Speak to Me Series offers all this over five evenings from October 12, 2010 through May 10, 2011 at the Mill Valley Community Center, located at 180 Camino Alto.

Come listen to influential speakers like Jessica Herrin, founder of Stella & Dot; Emmy award-winning TV host Lisa Quinn; and UC Berkeley sociologist Christine Carter, Ph.D. Each evening begins when the doors open at 6:30 pm. Presentations, followed by a question-and-answer session, start at 7 pm, with a food and wine tasting and book signing following at 8 pm.

Single tickets are $75 each, and you can buy a series ticket of three of the five events for $195, or a season ticket for all five evenings for $300. Learn more about the Speak to Me Series and order tickets online, visit www.speaktomeevents.com. You can also call (415) 888-2329 for more information.

This guest article is from our friends at Laurel Fetility Clinic, a local fertility practice with offices in Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Modesto. Visit them online at www.laurelfertility.com.

Secondary infertility is a growing issue among women. According to experts, in 2005 an estimated 3,000,000 people suffered from secondary infertility. Whether you’ve had one child or three children, mothers who are unable to grow their families after conceiving in the past are heartbroken. However, with the success of fertility treatments, more options are available today than ever before. Below is a list of common questions patients have asked at their visit to Laurel Fertility Care. We hope these will help you through your fertility journey before seeing a fertility specialist.