High Maintenance Mom

I am very protective of my summers and even more so now that I am a Mom. I mean, we wait all winter and most of spring for the summer months and then by the end of July…..bam! back to school ads start. When I think of all of the snow days locked inside the house with two active children I spend every possible moment outside when Mother Nature allows. These ads get me mad.
I have tried yelling at the ads, reasoning with them and ignoring them but they still come back. Maybe my kids are just too young but I can’t fathom buying fall clothes right now. I saw some hanging on a rack all new and fancy and I started laughing, out loud! I know retailers get their next line earlier than the season starts but fall clothes in July? Who buys them? Not this Mom. I just bought round two of sunscreen, local corn on the cob and am eagerly waiting for Carlson peaches. I am boycotting back to school. I am boycotting notebooks, pens and back packs. I refuse to discuss sweaters, stockings and soccer cleats. I will however chat about ice cream, sleeping in and beach days. So, go to your town’s local concert on the green, have a s ‘more and buy more bug spray because according to my calendar summer is just getting started.

A friend of mine, who is a reading specialist, was explaining the other day how kids who never go out with their families to the zoo or other trips often do not acquire the vocabulary they need to read at grade level. I knew the trips we took with the kids helped them learn but I hadn't really thought about how hard it is for kids to read about animals if they had never seen them in real life or been introduced to them in stories. Of course, kids learn at different rates so showing your six-month old an animal at the zoo might not have the same effect as talking to an older child about animals. And it also doesn't mean that shoving a year's worth of trips into a week is going to have any benefit. We've recently been trying to help explain how concepts are connected and a recent wedding near DC provided a ideal and early opportunity to talk about the formation of the United States...

I came across a very kid friendly web site that I thought was worth passing along. It's a good old fashioned made at home web site with games for kids. http://juliasrainbowcorner.com was started by "Julia's" parents when she was a toddler and continues now that she is 11. There are very low key games, activity sheets, web resources and other kid related subjects. There's even a game that shows kids how to recycle. It isn't overly fancy but it is fun. Check it out with your kids and let me know your thoughts.

Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers: The Story of Success discusses how summer vacation is a disadvantage for poorer kids because the more wealthy kids go to camp, read books, and have other advantages during the summer. Kids who do not have these advantages often enter school the following year behind their peers. Summer reading programs can help narrow the gap. Reading is an incredible gift and helps kids find / explore their interests. Some kids need gentle assistance in learning to love books. They need to be read to, they need to see others reading, and they need to be given books that are not too challenging or too frustrating. I've found our local librarians are very helpful in finding reading materials for our kids. Most libraries have a Listening and Reading program where kids meet some type of goal to earn a free book. This is N's first year in the "Reading" program and he loves being a "big kid". Barnes and Noble also has a summer reading program for grades 1-6.

Check out, http://kidsedwebsites.com, a great new web site with a link to a fun and educational game each day. Many are for older kids (eight and up) but my four year-old and seven year-old love the simple machines games (under science and posted on 5/28/09). The graphics were inviting, the answers to the first sets of questions were always funny, and each set of machines could be explored in a short period of time. I highly recommend checking out the site.

Today is odd day, 5/7/9. I know this because I'm reading three separate gifted newsgroups. My husband also mentioned it this morning. Then my oldest figured out when the next odd days would be. First he gave me random days in May that were odd. Then after I explained the pattern, he happily figured out the next "official" odd days. Regardless of whether you like the word gifted or subscribe to the saying, "all children are gifted," it is clear that some children pick up certain things faster than others. It's also true that each child is unique and has their own needs. What is, unfortunately, not true in our school system is that all kids get the help they need. I could go on about this but instead I will skip to the part about finding resources for kids who need more enrichment...

I brought my 2 1/2 yr old daughter to Boston University this past week for a 2 part study on how young children learn about different kinds of objects. I thought it would be fun for us to go into the city and meet some new people and help out the students. My daughter can be a bit slow to warm up to strangers and since this was only a 15 minute session, I thought it might help her learn to jump into things faster.

I have always loved getting mail and noticed that my 2 1/2 year old enjoys this daily activity too. Problem was, there was never anything for her to enjoy. Now, we have decided to get a subscription to Highlights Magazine's newest addition, High Five. It is a magazine published monthly dedicated to the early years of childhood. Its goal is to encourage a natural sense of wonder of the world, promote reasoning, problem solving and vocabulary and to inspire them to be kind, get along with others and be self confident. That's a lot for a magazine to do!

WHAT IS "PLASTIC SURGERY"?

The word “plastic” derives from the Greek word “Plastikos”, which means to mold or change form. Plastic surgery involves both reconstructive procedures and cosmetic surgery.

“Cosmetic surgery” is plastic surgery designed to improve the appearance of the body or counteract the effect of aging. It can often improve body image, self-esteem and help to restore a more youthful appearance.

The XO laptop from One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is available for the first time in the U.S. and Canada between November 12 and November 26th through the Give One Get One program. For $399, one XO laptop will be donated to a child in a developing country and one will be sent to you for your child (or you). U.S. donors who participate in the program will also receive complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot access for the year.