Adding a challenge to summer reading

Well, it's that time of year again: summer!  Lazy days hanging out with friends, time at the pool, visiting family,  attending camps, reading and writing.  Wait.  What?  Yep, reading AND writing.  As you may recall, if you were a reader last summer, we created our own summer reading program for our 6 year-old son (http://citygirlinsmalltownamerica.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-fun-and-reading.html).  His goal last year: to read 10 Magic Tree House, or other similar chapter books, to earn a trip to The Little League World Series and a t-shirt from the games.  It was such a success, that this summer, it's the same reward, but he has to read five, more difficult chapter books (he's moved up five reading levels since last summer, so we're expecting more challenging books, which may take him longer).  He's chosen a few of the Matt Christopher baseball books to start out with.  Any books he reads over the designated amount earns him a dollar per book to spend how he wishes at the game.

He's also going to write this summer!  His teacher sent a notebook home with every student encouraging and challenging them to write in the notebook 4 days a week during the summer.  If this is completed and returned to her at the beginning of the school year, they would get a special "mystery gift" from her.  Challenge accepted!  As our son is a very visual learner, we've created our charts again so he can track his progress for both his reading and writing.







There you have it!  A summer full of fun, sun, water, books and writing!  Stay safe out there!

To My Little Miss: Like Tinkerbell

To My Little Miss:

Like Tinkerbell.  Please.  If you choose to really like any mainstream female character, like Tinkerbell.  Here's why:

1) She's independent, but knows when and how to ask for help.

2) When she makes a mistake, and she makes quite a few, she tries to correct it and learn from it.

3) She's creative and uses her imagination to create new things out of "found things".

4)  She's persistent.

5) She's loving and caring to her friends and living things.

6) She's a problem solver and challenge accepter.

7) She takes chances and tries new things.

8) She likes adventures.

9)  She is strong of body and character.

My Love, you are incredible.  Already you take risks (sometimes giving your mother heart attacks and yourself bruises, but they heal).  You are persistent (and stubborn, which can be a lethal combination, but will serve you well, once you learn to use those skills properly).  You try again (that's why you're in a toddler bed already).  You are physically strong and have great balance.  You are loving and caring (I've seen you pat your brother's back when he's upset and you are very gentle with animals).  You're a problem solver (if you can't reach your fruit snacks, by golly you know how to get to your brother's!  I should probably move those again.). And challenge accepter (you'll probably figure out how to get to yours and your brother's fruit snack after I move them).  You are independent and you will try new things, but will ask for help, when you need it.

So, my loving, strong, independent, persistent, problem solving, risk taking little wonder: if you choose to like a female character, please choose a strong one.  Choose Tinkerbell.  I'll try to restrain myself from influencing your decision too much.

I love you!
Mommy

To My Kiddo...

Dear Kiddo:

I love you.  You amaze me every day.  You are funny, outgoing, a great friend and an active 7 year-old.  You have a wonderful imagination that is apparent in your writing from school, your art project choices, and your dreams.  You use your brain to figure out math problems much faster than I ever did when I was your age, and you enjoy the challenge of a new type of math problem or difficult word.  You enjoy reading and you're good at it.  You love school.

You're having some issues with some of the other boys at school.  I'm so sorry.  I know what that's like.  It's frustrating and confusing.  Yet, even when you've had a day with rough patches, you come home with a smile on your face.  I like your attitude!  When I hear about those rough patches and hear the hurt in your voice, my heart breaks.  I can't be there to protect you from all of this, and I shouldn't be.  It is my job as a parent to guide you so you know how to navigate these waters on your own.  So, here's my advice:

- Be of strong character and stand up for yourself and others who are in similar situations, but don't be obnoxious about it.  Look at the whole situation, say/do what needs to be said or done and move on.  Easier said than done, I know, but the other kids are trying to figure out this whole socially acceptable thing too.  Some have a harder time of it than others.
- Know when to walk away: if someone is just being mean, walk away and find a friend.
- Know when to tell an adult: if you, or someone else is being hurt, tell a teacher.
- Make other friends:  find some kids who like the same things you do and like you for who you are.  You have better things to do with your time than trying to be friends with someone who is not ready, or willing, to be a friend.
- Take pride in your accomplishments, but also take them in stride and encourage others who are doing well or struggling: in other words, "Be a good winner".
- Be a leader:  leading is about give and take, not about bossing others around.  A good leader listens to their friends and knows when to let others take a turn at leading.  That means not taking over or interrupting a conversation, my little chatterbox.

Lastly: don't ever change who you are to fit what someone else thinks you should be.  Your outgoing, active, imaginative and friendly personality will serve you well throughout life.  Right now, it's elementary school and the world is a very big place.  1st grade is almost over and 2nd grade is a new year.  A lot of growing and maturing can happen over a summer.  It's time to enjoy some well deserved time off.

I love you Kiddo!

Mommy

Camping: The Great Debate

Ah camping!  A tent, a good camp mat, a sleeping bag, the night sky and a campfire.  And a bathroom.  Yes, a bathroom.  Preferably with running water.  That's my definition of camping.  I came across this article this evening and I really enjoyed reading about different ways to camp and people's thoughts on camping.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/24/travel/camping-escape-debate/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

I've been tent camping where we hiked to our camp site and had no running water.  I've camped at campgrounds, in the snow.  I've camped on a platform tent, in a camper, in a cabin and in my backyard.  Come to think of it, for a city girl, I've done quite a bit of camping in my life.  Most of it was done before 6th grade, but the experiences and memories are still there.  As an adult (past college age), I've only gone camping twice, and both of those were this year at Cub Scout Family Camps.  Thankfully, our site has been within an easy walk of the restrooms.  Kind of spooky in the middle of the night because you have to go down a road through some of the woods, so I try to limit my beverage intake before my last trip before bed.  But, I digress.

My questions to you are these: 1) What is YOUR definition of camping?  2) What is your favorite way to camp?

Shame on A & F, Well Done H & M and American Eagle

I am disgusted.  The company and CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is doing nothing but propagating and encouraging exclusion and bullying of people who are of a "larger" size. Read:

Abercrombie & Fitch wants thin customers

While in his 2006 interview he did not say, "Thin, cool people should go and bully those who don't fit our company's ideal", he might as well have.  What is he telling the impressionable, teen-aged customer by only having "hot" models in their ads and stores, or only carrying up to a size large (a size 10, which apparently is about an 8 in other retailer's sizes) in ladies clothes?  He's telling them that those who don't fit their clothes are not good enough, or cool enough and that they should be excluded.  Exclusion is a gateway to bullying.  Sometimes, it's almost worse.  Loneliness can be as damaging as harmful words.

On the flip-side, I applaud H & M and American Eagle for opening their sizes to those who are of a larger body.  Does America need to be a healthier nation?  Of course we do!  But why should those who are heavier be forced to wear clothes that don't help their self-image?  When people feel good about themselves, they want to better themselves!  And while outward appearances are certainly not everything, it doesn't hurt to want to look good in what you're wearing, be it from H & M, American Eagle or Target.  Larger people have fashion sense too!

My challenge to you is this, no matter what your shape or size:  boycott Abercrombie & Fitch.  They don't need our business and we shouldn't be including ourselves in the business of hurting others.  Give your business to their competition, H & M and American Eagle, or whomever you can afford that isn't A & F.

Just my two cents.

We're not moving...

In a different twist of fate, my family is not moving anywhere this summer.  Since my husband and I have been married (13 years), we have moved either every summer, or every other summer.  We have never lived in one house/apartment longer than two years.  We've lived in a town or city longer than 2 years, but never the same dwelling.

However, our first friends here in our small town are moving.  This is different for us.  We've always been the ones moving.  Now the shoe is on the other foot, and we're saying goodbye and staying.  When they told us they were moving, we were both excited for their new opportunities and adventures, and sad because they are leaving.  Our son and their daughter have become very close: two peas, I always say.  They "get" each other.  Due to one thing and another, we haven't seen as much of them this school year as we might have liked, and I'm bummed we won't have the summer to catch up at the pool, playground and backyard bar-b-ques.  Even though we're in a small town, and our kids see each other every day, sometimes it feels like we're states apart from our friends who live a mile away.  Thankfully, there's Facebook and Skype.  My family will always appreciate them reaching out to us, even before we arrived, welcoming us to the area, and introducing us to more friends.  It truly made the world of difference.  So, even though they have about a month before they leave, I want to say, "Thank you!".  Thank you for everything you have done and your friendship.  Good luck to you in your new home and on your new adventures!  We will miss you!

Kids and Owl Humidifiers

My Dear Readers,

My apologies for not writing in three months!  As I write this, I cannot believe it has been this long since I last wrote, but upon glancing back at my previous posts, I find it is true!  The last time I wrote was when Sandy was set to wreck havoc on the East Coast.  How did you guys fare?  It was windy and rainy here, but that was about the extent of her.  School was cancelled (just made that day up last week for work), and there were some large twigs and sticks strewn about, but that was it for our area, thankfully.

Since then, we have had Thanksgiving (did some pretty decent Black Friday shopping), Christmas and the New Year.  The most recent celebration in our house: our son turned 7 years old!  I know, 7 isn't very old, but it still boggles my mind that I have a 7 year old!  I see him every day, and yet when I look back at pictures from just the beginning of this year, he has changed and grown so much!  He's has literally grown an inch since November.  For those of you with kids, have you ever woken up one morning, looked at your kids and thought, "Gosh, did you change overnight?  You look different!"?  It's a bizarre phenomenon.  And amazing.  And it's not just their looks, but their mannerisms, vocabulary, personality and thought processes.  Today, Kiddo was playing Mario World on the Wii while his sister was sleeping and I asked him to turn down volume a little.  He said he would, but he really had to go to the bathroom first, and he didn't know where the remote was.  As he headed to the bathroom, I walked up to the tv and told him he could always walk up to the tv and push the buttons on the tv to turn it down.  His reply "Yeah, like in the old days!"  I know, I've seen that joke in the funnies before (Calvin and Hobbes, I think), but I don't think he ever has!  My husband and I just looked at each other like "Did our son really just say that?!" and laughed.

I don't know about you guys, but our house has been under siege of this cough/snotty nose/clogged sinus gunk that's been going around (Hubby and Kiddo also got the throw up with fever part and Little Miss added in an ear infection in each ear, just for good measure).  I have wiped every doorknob, faucet, keyboard, and remote within my reach with Lysol wipes.  I have set up cool mist humidifiers in each of the kids' rooms.  Miss has the humidifier that was in our room before she was born (we didn't need them last year).  Which leaves our room without cool mist and dry as a proverbial bone.  My lungs are getting calluses from all the coughing I'm doing.  "Go out and get a dang humidifier already!", you say.  Well, I would, except I'm a humidifier snob and I want a certain brand: Crane.  They are great!  No filter, reasonably priced, easy to clean and store and darn it, they're cute (Kiddo has a frog and Miss has an elephant) and I want one for our room!  "What's the problem?! Go get one and stop hacking!", you say.  I can't.  No stores in Western PA carry them.  I kid you not: not Walmart, not Sears, not Kmart, or Walgreens.  I've either walked in and looked, or called.  I even called over to Target in OH (I got the other two back in VA at Target) and all they have are the frog, elephant and a teardrop (who wants to look at a sad teardrop?  Sorry if you like teardrops.).  I want the owl.  Look at how sweet he is!


So, I'm ordering him from Walmart.  He'll be here by next Friday. Until then, Luden's licorice cough drops and lots of water will be my bosom buddies.  So, is this a small town thing or has anyone else had a difficult time finding these cuties in stores in their areas?

I hope everyone is staying warm!  We're getting the winter we had hoped for when we moved to PA: snowy!  We had a great snow covering over the Christmas holidays (about 8"!), followed by a weekend with temps in the 60s, and now we've got a couple inches of really fluffy snow on the ground.  We haven't been sledding in it, but I don't think it's really good sledding snow (nobody's been out sledding that we've seen.  Of course, they could all be inside sick!).

Take care, stay healthy and Happy New Year!