Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic

Create Christmas Ornament at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic on Saturday December 12, 2009 , from 10am – 11am. This does require registration online, which also shows you which stores are participating. What a fun way to spend an hour with the kids!
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/default.asp

Here’s an example of the project:

Back to School Preparation

It's already that time...time to get ready for the back to school rush. I can't hardly believe it. Fortunately for my son, he doesn't go back to school until after labor day, but next week starts band camp, so the preparations begin. He's also going to be in high school this year, so we're in for some changes. He'll have to get up quite a bit earlier, since high school starts an hour earlier. That should make for some fun mornings soon. I've been thinking of ways to make the mornings smoother. For starters, I decided to make up some waffles and freeze them for quick and easy toasting. Homemade waffles are always better than the boxed kind. And we're stocked up on syrup I got from a local farm. His chosen alarm is a harsh ring, but that's his choice and it does seem to get him right out of bed, so I guess we'll stick with that. I'm thinking showers and shaving will have to be done at night. That will save considerable time in the morning. He likes to get up half an hour earlier than necessary just so he can sit and watch TV to help him wake up after he's all ready. I think we'll have to forgo that tradition and just leave a few extra minutes to linger over breakfast a little. The bus comes at 6:30 am this year, and I don't think he's going to want to get up at 5:30. Though I remember doing that myself in high school when it took me 20 minutes just to do my hair. At least he doesn't worry much about that. :) Also, I plan to have him pack up his backpack and get lunch money ready at night to avoid mad dashes at the door. Any other tips for smoother early mornings?

Home Depot Kid's Workshops

Home Depot has FREE "How To Clinics" for Kids at all locations the first Saturday of every month from 9am to Noon. They are designed for kids age 5- 12 . This Saturday's workshop is this sweet picnic caddy. This would be great for your 4th of July and other summer parties and celebrations! Even though I'm in Home Depot frequently, I actually learned about these workshops through http://bargainbriana.com, a great source for grocery bargains, giveaways and all things thrifty.

In addition to bringing home the newly constructed project, your child will all receive a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates’ aprons, and an achievement pin.

What a fun way to get your kids crafting this summer, build something the whole family can enjoy, while building their self esteem. And it's FREE! You can't beat that for summer fun. Check on upcoming workshops at their website: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?catalogId=&langId=-1&pn=Kids_Workshops&storeId=10051

The Positive Effects of Youth Sports

Sometimes finding the activity or activities that really connect with your child can take a few tries. I remember when my son was 4 years old, I took him to a preschool soccer camp at the YMCA. He had a good time, but no interest in doing it again the next year. The next summer I enrolled him in karate classes. At first he was psyched, then the excitement wore off for him after a month or so and he was done with it. Wasn't his thing he told me. I took him to swimming classes and while he was glad to know how to swim better he wasn't into it was a sport. When he was almost 6, I signed him up for tee ball. And BINGO. He *loved* it. Every summer since then, he's played little league baseball. Now at 14, when he ran on his school's track team this year, he was still dedicated to playing baseball and endured the hectic schedule that occurred from slightly overlapping seasons. He's a real team player in this game, and it seems to fit him like a glove. He coaches his teammates (some who have never played or have only played a couple of seasons), he encourages them from the sidelines or from the field, and he is showing himself to have the capacity of a good leader. He has no idea, of course, since when I mentioned to him what a great inspiration he was to his team he shrugged it off as just something that he should do...something he said he seemed to only be able to do on the ball field. Watching him grow into a young man, I have seen how being involved in team sports has helped him flourish. It has taught him what it means to be part of a team, to encourage each other, to lead when called upon, and to work toward a common goal. Through the twittermoms site (http://www.twittermoms.com), I just learned of Liberty Mutual's Responsible Sports program. This program helps educates parents and coaches of the positive effects of sports in the lives of children. There's lots of good information on their website for parents including tips for helping your kids get the most out of their sports experience, and help with issues that sometimes arise. You can check out this great resource here: http://responsiblesports.com/
Have you found sports helpful to your child's development? How did you encourage them to find the activity that "clicks" for them?

Summer Crafts with Kids

Looking for great craft ideas to keep the kids busy this summer? Now that my son's a teen, our summers are mostly things like Mom chauffeur, theme parks, swimming trips, movies, yard work, and runs for ice cream treats. I try to throw in some cooking with him, too. He is also a big reader and writer. I remember doing lots of crafts with him in summers past, but he's moved on to "bigger things". However, for those with younger kids, there are some great craft kits over at And Then Crafts http://andthen.etsy.com. With all the supplies gathered for you, and instructions included, all you need to do is set aside a little time to craft with your kiddo. I would have loved these for my little guy, all the planning and research is done already! Check out this adorable Fish Aquarium kit! So cute! There are lots more to choose from at http://andthen.etsy.com. Enjoy!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

My boys and their serious game of mini golf

My Commitment to Reading

My son likes to read, but as he gets older it's been more difficult to find books for him to read that are both appropriate and interesting to him. During the past year or so, his reading outside of school has mostly focused on books like almanacs and fact-type books. However, in an effort to really get him interested in reading for a lifetime of enjoyment, I found a website that lists good books for teens: http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/The-2009-Alex-Awards/349.
This got me thinking about the books I liked to read as a teenager. Then I took my son to the bookstore and directed him toward some popular fiction. He found a Michael Crichton book he wanted and he's been reading it eagerly ever since, often stopping to tell me some exciting detail (which he has never done before)! So, I got the kiddo reading. Check. It also occurred to me that this might be a good way for me to relax and reduce stress in my own life. Recently, I have gravitated toward only books that had some educational value for me. While this is very helpful and obviously a great way to increase my knowledge, it's not a very good way to just relax. Another trip to my favorite bookstore and I had some fun books for myself in an attempt to bring in a little more down time to my life. Now I'm reading "Sammy's House" by Kristin Gore. It's a sequel to the book "Sammy's Hill" that I read and enjoyed a few years ago. What's your favorite book to relax by? Read any really good books lately?

My Son the Composer

I'm so proud! My kiddo is learning how to use Sibelius Student edition to write his own music:

Giving Back

Our kids could really help make the world a better place. My son came home from school telling me about a community service project he signed up for, and I suddenly remembered his teachers discussing this earlier in the year. He attends a regular public school, that just so happens to require 10 hours of community service per year for all students. He's really excited about the project he signed up for, and mentioned that he'll be helping out at one of the middle school buildings with upkeep of some kind. Of course, being a teenage boy, getting details out of this kid is like pulling teeth. Each time we talk I get a little more information, and right now this is all I have. :) Along with, "will you drive me up there on Saturday". I'm really impressed that his school chooses to focus a little of the kids' learning on giving back to the community. It seems these days that schools are too focused on teaching to tests, but here's an example of schools trying to teach to the whole child, teaching them to think beyond themselves for a moment. Even if it's just a few hours here and there. I'm also impressed that my kiddo is excited about this experience. Sometimes it's easy to get jaded about "kids these days" and I do worry on occasion that I'm not teaching him enough about the world and community, or to think outside his pretty sheltered life. Ironically, right here in the same week, I also just read a very interesting blog post on "Generation G" for Generosity over at http://www.nashvillewrapscommunity.com/blog/?p=410
Could really this be a trend? Hope might prevail after all.

Wordless Friday

My "little" angel

My angel before his Holiday Band Concert