April 12th, 2012
10 Places I Want My Kids To See
Budget Travel just released their list of 15 places kids should see before they are 15. We’re lucky to have several of these places within driving distance – and one right here in Huntsville! If you’ve never been, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center should be on your list. It’s everything cool about NASA, rockets, space exploration, and science – all rolled into one. And they have an IMAX theater!
The Budget Travel list got me thinking about the places I’d like our kids to see before they turn 15. That’s eleven more years for Declan, but only six for Alex. We need to get a move on!
1. Tokyo, Japan – I’ve talked with Alex about visiting and he has little interest in it – he just wants to move there! Rod and I have both been to Tokyo and absolutely love it the people, the city, and the food. I’ve never felt safer in a completely unfamiliar place as I did when I was exploring the city on my own. Truth be told, we would love to move our family there, even if it’s just for a few months.
2. Schloß Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany – A visit to mad King Ludwig’s castle was the highlight of the trip my high school German Club took to German-speaking European countries way back in 1994. We’d studied German every day for four years and it seemed like the many photos of this place in our classroom represented everything we learned. It’s also the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle, and you can’t go wrong with Disney references! I distinctly remember there was a TON of walking involved on this stop, so we might need to wait until the boys are a bit older for this one.
3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco – The Golden Gate is on Budget Travel’s list, too. It’s an engineering marvel and, honestly, really cool! The boys have never seen the Pacific Ocean (or the Atlantic, come to think of it) and this would be a great stop. San Francisco seems to be a great family destination and I’m sure we could find plenty of ways to have fun!
4. Löwendenkmal, Lucerne, Switzerland – This was also a stop on the German Club trip in 1994. It hadn’t been high on my list when I saw it on our itinerary, but it should have been. This monument is one of the most beautiful pieces of art I’ve ever seen. It was created to pay tribute to the Swiss Guards who were massacred during the French Revolution, as they protected the palace in Paris. I’m not sure the boys would really understand the significance of what the monument represents, but it’s an amazing thing to see, even without that understanding.
5. Kauai, Hawaii – I think Hawaii should be on everyone’s list! We are not a huge beach family (the fair skin makes that pretty difficult), but Rod and I enjoyed our stop in Kauai when we were on our honeymoon. As touristy as Waikiki is, Kauai is not. There are even feral chickens roaming the island as a result of some tossed chicken houses during a storm many years ago! The island is full of natural beauty – beaches, waterfalls, flowers, and birds. There was a pretty cute fabric shop we stopped at last time, too. I wouldn’t mind going back there for a visit, for sure!
6. Grand Canyon – This is one destination that everyone should see, right? I still haven’t, but hopefully I’ll get there soon! It’s only a day trip from Las Vegas, right? Maybe that would be the best way to do it?
7. New York City – Another one that everyone should see! Shortly after I graduated from college, I was relocated to New Jersey for work. My office was just outside of the city and we could see part of the skyline from our parking lot on clean air days. I was only there for about 9 months and my one regret from that time was that I didn’t take advantage of my proximity to the city more. There’s so much to see and do with kiddos, though, so I’d like to do that with Alex and Declan!
8. Smithsonian – I think all of the museums under the Smithsonian umbrella would be great for the boys to see, but I think they would especially enjoy the National Zoo, Air and Space Museum, and Natural History Museum. When I was looking at the long list of museums, I noticed the Postal Museum on there. I had no idea there was a postal museum! It says it’s dedicated to the history of America’s mail system and the hobby of stamp collecting. Did I ever tell you that I was a stamp collector? I am! This one is going on my list for me, too!
9. Niagara Falls, Ontario – We’ve actually been here a few times with the boys. It’s only a short drive to Niagara Falls from where I grew up, so we sometimes go for the day or a short stay when we visit in the summertime. (You can read about our most recent vist here.) I want the boys to remember how special and cool this place is, so I want to make sure we go back often!
10. Williamsport, PA – This one might seem like an odd addition to the list, but it’s a place that’s special to me. I went to college in Williamsport and have a lot of great memories of the city. I want the boys to be able to have a point of reference when I talk about things that happened when I was in college and maybe a memory of a visit to Lycoming will do that. Plus, it’s the home of the Little League World Series and that is one of the best sporting events in the world!
What about you? What places are on the list for your family to see? Is there anything that I should have on our list and don’t?
April 11th, 2012
Wordless Wednesday – Bruder Fan!
Even his love of Bruder Trucks couldn’t keep him awake!
April 3rd, 2012
Bullying
Thanks to The Bully Project for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website to join the movement and learn more.
I grew up in a pretty small town. Our school district was geographically large, but there were only two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There were 170 people in my graduating class. I remember parents often bragging how “the kids all know each other really well.” That was true – we’d been together since the beginning and we all knew where the others lived, what bus they rode to school, and what their dog’s name was. We also knew what specific personal things were pressure points for each other and some classmates chose to use that information for their advantage.
Here’s a photo of me in 9th grade. Can you guess what my pressure point was?
Thankfully, I don’t know of any times that any physical violence occurred. I can’t even count, though, the number of times emotional attacks were made because of how well we knew each other. They are both bullying. Things were especially bad for me in middle school. I can remember several mornings that I begged my mom not to make me go to school because one particular female classmate had chosen me as her target for the week. Did I tell my mom why I didn’t want to go? No. I didn’t know how to start that conversation and I don’t think she ever thought it was one she would need to have with me. Now, however, we all know. We have seen stories of how tragically some bullying situations have ended. This should never happen. We, as parents, adults, and citizens, have a responsibility to help end the bullying epidemic.
Sundance and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch has directed an incredible film that documents the life of five students and families over an entire school year in the Sioux City Community School District. The film offers a look into many different areas of life in this district and is a gift to parents, educators, and schools. If you’re unsure of how to talk with children and teenagers about bullying, watch this movie together. The Bully Project has provided resources on their website to help you talk with your kids after viewing the movie. Please, please, please check it out.
I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Find showings in your area for The Bully Project and buy tickets here.
March 28th, 2012
Go Fly a Kite!
The boys and I have travelled to visit my family in Pennsylvania for Alex’s spring break. We try to come up here twice a year – once at Thanksgiving and once for the 4th of July. Last year, though, my mom and her husband came to Alabama for Thanksgiving, so we thought we’d drive up for the week to see everyone we missed in November.
The weather here in NW PA is generally still quite chilly in late March. When I was growing up, we would often use St. Patrick’s Day as our mark for the likely last big snow storm of the year. That didn’t mean that it wouldn’t happen after that date, for sure, but it was a good way to remember that the end of the winter was near. This year, though, they have had an unusually warm and mild winter, just like much of the rest of the United States. The week before we left Alabama, it was 85 degrees for most of the week there and it was in the 70′s in Erie. I looked at the weather for the next week when I was packing and it seemed that it would be a bit cooler, but still well above normal. Apparently that changed while we were in the car on our way here because it was 24 degrees yesterday morning! Holy cow, I was not ready for that!
The boys were going stir-crazy after 14 hours in the car and a day inside, so I decided that we’d head out in search of winter accessories and head to the beaches at Lake Erie. We found gloves on clearance at Target, but also found kites! It was perfect kite flying weather!
That tiny little speck in the big blue sky is Alex’s kite! He’s flown kites before, but I think that is the highest he’s ever had one go. He was SO excited! I need to remember how much fun this was so we can do it again. The beaches will be way too crowded in July, but when we come back in the fall, it should be about perfect!
March 20th, 2012
Wordless Wednesday – Fish!
(taken on the red Japanese bridge at Big Spring Park, Huntsville, AL)
March 13th, 2012
Wordless Wednesday – Foreign Language?
See the book with the half-pink spine? Correctly shelved with foreign languages? Ha!
March 5th, 2012
Geek Dad Cool Contest
A few weeks ago, I came across a contest that Cisco Linksys were running. They were looking for the ultimate Geek Dad – a dad that has found a way to use technology to create new family traditions. I immediately thought of my husband, of course! By the nature of the work that Rod does, we have lots of technology in our house. We’re both geeks, for sure, and the boys have been exposed to a whole lot of tech in their short lives. I’m not sure you can be classified as a geek at their ages, but they’re well on their way!
The entry process required a short essay about a tradition that the prospective Geek Dad has started with your family. While we do a whole lot of tech things with the boys, I wasn’t sure how many fell into the “tradition” category. Then it hit me – there is one thing Rod started doing when Alex was just three years old that is a whole lot of fun AND uses technology. Alex started reading at a pretty young age and we wanted to be able to go back and show him what it looked and sounded like when he was a beginning reader and we wanted to be able to share this cool thing with family that weren’t living close to us. One afternoon, Rod set up a video camera and an audio recorder and we bribed Alex to read some of his favorite books for the camera. (We only had to bribe him to get started – once he understood what we were doing, he was all over it and wanted to record everything!)
Since then, Alex has read many more books for the camera and we’ve started getting Declan to read, too. Until very recently, Declan has just been retelling stories we’ve told to him. In the last couple of months, though, he’s been reading books on his own! It’s so cool to go back and watch Alex reading the same favorite books that Declan is reading now. Two books that have been favorites of them both are Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom and Go, Dog. Go!
I was completely floored a couple of weeks ago when I heard from the folks at Cisco Linksys that my entry for Rod had been chosen as one of the top 10 finalists! We are all so excited for everyone else to know what we do – that Rod is Geek Dad Cool! The finalists are all up for a public vote now, and we would be honored if you would cast a vote for Rod. The votes are being taken on Facebook and you can go here to vote. Just for casting your vote, you are entered to win a super cool new Linksys E4200v2 router! You can vote once per day until March 19th, when they will announce the ultimate Geek Dad!
Thanks so much to those of you who have already voted! I know that many of you have not only voted yourselves, but you have shared the contest with your friends and family and they are voting, too. I know some people that have joined Facebook just to vote for Rod and we are very grateful. I’ll be a nervous wreck until the end, and probably bugging people to death to cast their votes, too 
Thanks again, everyone, and I’ll let you know how we do!
March 1st, 2012
It’s Pinewood Derby time!
I love this time of the year. Not only do the days start getting longer and we actually see some signs that spring might be on the way, but it’s also the best time of the year for scouts. For Girl Scouts, that means cookies! For my Cub Scout, though, that means the Pinewood Derby!
We talk about ideas for his car all throughout the year, but he doesn’t usually settle on an idea until really close to the day of his pack’s derby. I know some families spend weeks working together on their son’s car, but we usually get it done in two or three afternoons and evenings of work. Alex’s car last year was a burrito on wheels and so, in keeping with the food theme, we happily present his car this year, “Sushi To Go!”
We had so much fun making this car! Alex loves the Crayola Model Magic because it dries quickly so his creations can all become permanent pretty much over night. It’s also super lightweight when it dries, which makes it great for a derby car. The cars can only weigh 5 ounces at the most, and a good chunk of that is taken up by the wood base and wheels. He used the Model Magic to make the “rice” for the California rolls, the rice and salmon for the nigiri, and the wasabi. The carrots and cucumbers inside the rolls are match sticks with the ends chopped off and painted, and the seaweed around the rolls is scrapbooking paper we found at Michaels. I’m especially pleased with how the ginger turned out. He used a very pale pink velum paper, ripped it into pieces, and coated the pieces in glossy Mod Podge. They wanted to roll up like that when they were wet, so he went with it. I think the whole thing looks fabulous!
Alex won 4th place in the looks category at his pack’s derby and will get to compete at the district level! He’s SO excited! The car was pretty fast, too, but not fast enough to make the cut for districts. Either way, he’s proud of his car and that’s a very good thing. I’ll let you know how things turn out at the district event. There will be some tough competition there, I’m sure. I’ve already seen a pretty amazing Angry Birds car…
June 29th, 2011
Wordless Wednesday – Technology Playground
We found this super cool (and HUGE) electronic game at a neighborhood park in Atlanta. I wish our parks were this cool!
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