Just this week, I was sent a video of a friend’s kid finding out she was accepted to a college she applied to, saw a post about another friend’s teen driving themselves to practice, and got a text in a group chat that included info on Running Start via Edmonds College. If you are interested or even curious about Running Start, Edmonds College has two upcoming info nights about the program. These Running Start Family Nights will be held over Zoom and you can learn where to start and can ask a Running Start representative any questions you may have. Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. is Running Start Family Night and Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. is Running Start Family Night: STEM Focus. Edmonds.edu explains that Running Start is “a statewide program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college-level courses without paying tuition,” providing them with both high school and college credit for these classes. All juniors and seniors are welcome regardless of “your English placement or GPA” and the info page goes on to say “we turn no one away.” For more information and registration for either Family Night, you can visit Edmonds.edu.

So much of what I find out is from other families either sharing or posting events they are involved in. Recently, a mom I met at lacrosse just messaged me to tell me about the sport they’ve moved on from lacrosse to do — mountain biking! Edmonds Mountain Bike Teams are starting a new season. Riders in middle school, which covers 6th through 8th grades, and high schoolers will practice in smaller groups with “similar ride experience and skill level.” Practices run from February to April, with locations within an hour drive. The races, which start in late April, are in Gig Harbor, Roslyn, Winthrop and Spokane, and the club recommends making any travel arrangements ASAP. You can find more information on Facebook.com/EdmondsMTB and if you’re interested in registration you can email EdmondsMTB@gmail.com for the link and password.

This week, Edmonds Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services posted about their email list, asking “Do you want to be the first to know when registration starts for spring and summer programs?” Uh, yeah, I do. It is so overwhelming to keep up with all of the camp options and the good ones fill up so fast! All I had to do was follow the link, Google autofilled the info, and then I promised I wasn’t a robot. The page also has the latest on which facilities are open with contact numbers for Parks and Rec and other city options like Discovery Programs and Meadowdale Preschool. I could go on and on about what great programs are offered for kids via Edmonds and our surrounding cities as well, and honestly sometimes I do. For more information and to get on the list, you can visit EdmondsWA.gov.

This next event is from an email list I am already on! The Edmonds Center for the Arts email announced one of my favorite concerts ever, the Indigo Girls in early 2017. The latest email shares that the Edmonds Center for the Arts is presenting a Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience Ensemble Mik Nawooj on Feb. 10 in a free education livestream at 10 a.m. and a concert at 7:30 p.m. “Hip-Hop Orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj (EMN) creates Metamusic by sampling principles of Hip-Hop and Classical.” The music is described as “rigorous, nuanced, accessible and free from the dogmas of Western European concert music aesthetic.” This hour-long event will include an interactive Q&A with the artists. The livestream is available to local schools, homeschools and families whose students are currently learning remotely” and will be available for on-demand playback until Feb. 17. For more information and to buy tickets, you can visit ec4arts.org.

I find out about library programs a few different ways, during one of the too many hours on social media that I log each day and also there is a window display outside the front doors of the Edmonds Library that post flyers about upcoming Sno-Isle events. This week I saw one that covers three online events in February, one for PreK through 5th, one for teens and one for the whole family. Kids can “get moving and shaking while investigating the effects of exercise on the human body.” Activities include learning how to take your pulse and get your heart rate up while learning about fitness, biology and health.

On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m., Sno-Isle is hosting Valentine Vampires! for teens. Dr. Kaitlyn Casimo — “a science communicator, neuroscientist, and theater nerd” — will lead a primer on the human circulatory and cerebrovascular system.

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f you’re looking for more ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year after a successful inaugural Lunar New Year Edmonds celebration, families can continue celebrating the Lunar New Year on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. Attendees will “sing a song in Chinese, hear about the different traditions and find out what animal the coming year will be.”  Aries Wang, who according to the library “develops high-quality online and offline courses and educational content for Mandarin and English learners of all ages” will lead the event. The Edmonds Library also has a wishing tree atop their display of books about the holiday. Library visitors can add their wish while checking out their books.

You can find more information and registration for each of these events at Sno-Isle.org.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.