Best Thing EVER...

I know I will regret sharing this one, as it may be my "go-to" gift of the season, but it has me so excited. (I considered saying enlightened which would have been a terrible pun, so you're welcome.) I have purchased the HUGLIGHT!

Yup, I gave my mother a terrible time when she bought hers on QVC over a year ago. But when I saw those babies in a two pack at Costco, I knew they had to be mine!

The Huglight is a Good2Know item. I am, in fact, using it right now as I sit in complete darkness writing this blog in the night. Wrapped casually around your neck, the light has a single or double white light option. This is also a 3-way bulb going from dim to super bright. You can click again for a red light option allowing you to not lose your night vision. It is light and padded. I actually walked around the house last night forgetting I had it on.

Now, I know so many readers are glass half empty types. They are saying things like - I already own a book light. Or - my flashlight works just fine. Hello?? This is hands-free. I can read my first generation (aka non-back-lit) Kindle with just one dim light pointing at the page. I can head into the bathroom in the night. I could walk my dog, if I had one, and still see where I am going. I am positive the uses are endless and these lights allow others to be undisturbed by your light.

So, now you probably are all heading to Costco to pick these up and I encourage you to do so. However, if you usually receive a holiday gift from me, I would appreciate you pretending you never read this blog and just receive it with a smile. Oh and mom, I am sorry I made fun of your neck lights - they are Good2Know!

Share the VOTE with your KIDS!

I very much remember heading to polling places with my parents each election. I also remember mock-elections in school beginning when I was in kindergarten and we cast our votes for either President Jimmy Carter or President Ronald Reagan. Each time, my parents would remind me why it was important to vote. I thought, in my little girl mind, that I might someday become the first, Jewish woman president. Now, my daughter carries that dream.

Later, I became very fascinated with history. I attended college at a small, women's school in upstate New York, a school that not only had buildings on the Underground Railroad, but also educated Suffragists. Voting meant expressing your voice. It meant fulfilling a right that, through my education I knew,  had been no easy battle to win. It also was not a right in so many places around the world.

Now, I am by no means going to tell you, dear reader, who to vote for though I sure would like to do that. Instead, I am merely going to encourage you to bring your children to vote. Or encourage you to show them your mail-in ballot. I hope you will explain how our government works and why no vote is unimportant. Most importantly, I hope that no matter who wins on November 6th, this year or any year, you will share with your children the importance and the excitement of playing a role in selecting a leader who shares the beliefs you share.

Here are some links to great information on voting and government to share with children. I hope you enjoy them with your kids in the coming weeks. Don't forget:  VOTE!

Suffragists

African-American History of voting

How to Become the President

Voting for Kids

School House Rock song

Vote for Somebody song

Great link to books on elections

Super simple - YOU can make them in the MORNING- muffins

I find it difficult to find something satisfying for everyone on school days. My son, if he had his druthers, would eat mid-morning and is, instead, forced to eat before school. My daughter, well, she likes variety, eating a different breakfast almost daily. What they both have in common is often needing something quick to eat that can travel with them. These very simple banana muffins are great with a piece of fruit on the drive to school.

Since I am not organized and lack the desire to prepare lunches at night, I wake early to get them ready. When I have browning bananas, I add these to the day. I preheat the oven as soon as I wake. I mix the batter and put them into bake while I make lunches. They are so simple that by the time the kids make it downstairs, the muffins are ready to roll.

Super Simple YOU can make them in the MORNING muffins!

1/3 cup melted margarine
about 3 soft bananas
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips, to your liking

Preheat your oven to 375. Place muffin wrappers into your muffin tins - this recipe makes 12.

Melt margarine in the microwave - cover to avoid splatter. Let it sit.

Throw bananas into your KitchenAid or other mixer. Mash the bananas and slowly add the sugar. Add the egg and blend well. Now, add your dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Finally, add the margarine. Once the batter is smooth, remove mixing bowl from mixer. Now, with a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips to your liking.

Use a ice cream scoop to neatly scoop batter into the muffin tins. Place in the oven for about 18 minutes. Let them cool for a couple of minutes. They will stay nicely in a sealed container for a couple of days, but only if they last that long. YUM!

The Tale of the Unpatient Patient

I am pretty sure G-d is trying to help me learn patience and to slow down a little this year. This has become clear in many experiences I have had recently and yesterday was no exception.

I made the decision yesterday, when I was home taking care of my daughter who is ill, to run to urgent care to get 'checked' out. I had a little bit of ear pain and a little sore throat. No need to go through the hassle of heading to my primary care physician.

Now, for those who know me, you know I am sincerely serious about healthcare and doctors. I take my kids often and only to the best providers.

Mind you, I have a brilliant physician who I can see anytime at the Mayo Clinic. Yep, I was too lazy to go through the hassle of driving for great care. Here's the play-by-play:

Call new local hospital run urgent care that I could literally walk to in order to determine the wait time.

Man at urgent care assures me that after paperwork it is a 10 minute wait - tops!

Excited, I rush out the door and within moments pull into the center.

I introduce myself as the "lady who just called" and I am given the obligatory clip board. I hand over my license and health card while I complete the paperwork. Impressed that they have asked for my pharmacy, I return the clipboard and begin to wait.

Waiting - no one is in the waiting room.

Waiting - yeah, not 10 minutes.

Waiting - someone leaves - I imagine I will be called...

"Are you ready?" girl in black at door asks.
 Wait, shouldn't you say, "Raquel" or "Miss" or "Ma'am?"

I procede to the room where she asks if I have a sore throat. Just a little, I reply. She is determined to do a strep test. She hands me tissues with the words, "Just in case."

Just in case, what? I think. She has a difficult time opening the swab and procedes to swipe my throat. OUCH! Yes, I now have a sore throat!

Girl in black leaves. 30 minutes pass. I read all news updates on my phone. I text my dear husband to let him know I should have gone to Mayo. Huge banging comes from the room next door. Sounds like a jack hammer.

New woman in black who has a loud East coast accent enters. "Yeah," she says, "We're switching, cause she went on break."

Great! She now very loudly proceeds to take my history and inquire why the girl in black did the strep culture. She likes to do those, she mentions casually. This takes a good 15 minutes during which time she complains about the slow computer she is using. She also needs me to spell the names of the drugs I take regularly. Really??

I am beginning to consider in my head that if the doctor enters and is at all creepy, I will just leave and get a refund some other time. I am brought out of my thoughts by the loud banging which has returned. I inquire if there is construction.

"Nope, " says the medical assistant. "That's just Dominoe's pizza next door. You should be here when they are cooking pizzas. It stinks!"

She leaves. Dr. C. comes in. Badda bing, badda bang, he determines it is a sinus infection. Poor guy, you can just tell he'd rather be somewhere else. He tells me he will email in my script to my pharmacy and it will be ready in the hour.

Yeah, that would be true if the intake guy had actually recorded my full hyphenated name (which is on my paperwork, insurance card and ID) and not just entered me with my husband's last name. Six hours later, and many phone calls to clarify things, I received my meds.

Lesson Learned:  Patience really is a virtue. When you are patient, good things come to you, like quality care. When you want 10 minutes, it not only takes longer, but it is LOUD and full of BANGING!

Never Miss a Teacher Conference!

When I first became a classroom teacher, I was only 22 years old and a real newbie. I was assigned to an inclusive 5th grade public school classroom. It was awesome! What I learned immediately was the importance of constant contact (I should have coined that name) with parents. While I made an effort to call 2 or 3 families each week, this was before emails were commonplace, to check-in and report some "good" stuff about their kiddos, I learned the most at conferences. Parents would share in person how they learned as kids, their fears about their children, their pride in their children and they would share what was working and what was not. These conferences taught me to be a better observer and listener. It was what brought us together to be on the same team for this child. I have always said  - every child needs a cheerleader - that is the parents job, while mine was to coach.

Turn the tables, I am now the mother of two super fabulous and smart children. I am also a school administrator and my primary role is to understand how each student is progressing in our school. I think now, more than ever, when most contact is not in-person, parent/teacher conferences are even more necessary. It is the time when parents can learn just where their child stands as a learner and where a parent can show the teacher that they are playing on the same team. Here are some questions you may want to pose at your child's upcoming conference:

*How does my child get along with others? Who are his/her friends?
*What books and games would be great for my child? What does my child like to read?
*What can we do at home to better support his/her learning?
*Are there examples of my child's work?
*Does my child behave in an age appropriate manner? Do they perform on grade level?
*What is my child's learning style?
*What do you see as his/her strengths?
*What is one area you are wanting hi/her to have as a goal this year?
*Is there anything I am not asking about that I should know about?

Come prepared for your child's conference. If you feel you are cut short, ask for a follow-up meeting. It is important to understand how your child is learning and how you can support them. Great teachers will appreciate your preparation and be happy to answer your questions.

Got other great questions for conferences that you think are Good2Know? Post them in the comments!

BOO!

Happy Halloween! I remember Halloween from my pre-teen years. My friends and I would walk as far as we possibly could collecting as much candy as possible. I never ate all that much, my plastic pumpkin would take its place on top of the fridge and eventually my mom would just dump all that candy.
Once, I took my brother, Phil, along as he wanted to go with the big kids. We walked and walked. Phil was a shower that year (think Karate Kid) and his shower curtain hung on an iron ring. After about an hour, we had to stop at a friend's house to call my parents to come and pick him up! He was so tired from carrying his costume!
My favorite Halloween was in 5th grade when I hosted a Halloween party. My parents arranged a funeral home visit (my parents have some interesting friends) and we all got spooked!

When my husband and I had children, Halloween became a cute holiday, with friendlier decorations and sweet costumes. When we learned of our daughter's life-threatening allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, Halloween became VERY scary again. Think about it. Not only is there a risk to eating much of the candy, but there is a big chance of having a skin reaction due to residue on the candy packaging. You know, when the house you visit has someone nibbling on peanut butter cups, they touch the candy and share that peanut butter with you. DANGER!!

We have come up with several ways to still have some fun with Halloween while staying safe.

*Choose a costume with gloves. This is easier in colder climates. Even this year's cat costume involves black gloves. This reduces candy to skin contact.

*Bring safe candy on the journey. Everyone wants to eat candy as they go, so bring some that will be okay. It goes without saying, bring your emergency meds along.

*Trick or Treat in a group. The group makes it more fun which is the point. If you are having fun being all together, than you feel less different. Make sure the group is willing to eat only certain candy while you are all together. Don't forget to bring some Wet Wipes in the case someone forgets.

*Participate in a candy-free Trunk or Treat. This gives you the fun of getting a treat without worries about food! We found high bounce balls, bubbles, fangs, sticky skeletons and more to hand out. Our car will be super decorated, too!

*Trade! I purchase special candies and treats. When our children return home, they can trade their candy for the special treats. This year we have safe candy corn and gummi soda bottles both of which our daughter has never had in her 10 years!

*Choose to enjoy giving! Some years our kids have preferred to be the givers at home. We have baked special treats to enjoy while watching the kids come to us. Make a big deal of decorating your house and create a party feeling there. By the way, we make sure to have allergy friendly treats to give out. This year it will be Smarties, DumDums, flavored Tootsies and Sixlets! (The first 2 are top 8 allergen free!)

I am a huge believer in inclusion. Where there is a will - there is a way! Our kids have never felt left out. It has been important to remember that my "normal" is not theirs. The way we celebrate Halloween has become their normal and they really enjoy it!

Don't Be a Worry Wart!

It's easier said than done. We tell kids all the time to stop worrying, but their worlds are full of worry. Some of the worry is just who they are. Some of the worry, we give to them. You know...

Don't worry about the cars in the parking lot, but be careful you don't get hit. Don't run! Hold my hand! You're too short to be seen by that car. 

Don't worry about who is picking you up, but do you know who is picking you up? Be outside right at 3pm. What do you mean you're not allowed to come out right at 3? I'll be late, if you are not there. Don't make me late!

For many kids, it is easy to talk through worries or typical childhood fears (like the fear of lightning) just seem to work themselves out. However, for lots of kiddos, they need help to understand anxiety and to learn how to cope. 

I recently stumbled on these worry cards which were designed for use with kids on the Autism Spectrum. I think you might be able to use them with your kids. Play the game - What Would You Do? 

You can then make some additional cards with the worries of your own child.

It's a start and it's Good2Know!

Food Allergies: For Beginners!

When my little nephew, we will call him Mr. O., developed food allergies, I thought I should share some information with my sister-in-law. My letter was later shared, in this format, with the great support group to which I belong, Arizona Food Allergy Alliance. I hope you find it useful and share it with others because this stuff is really Good2Know!

A Guide for Living with Food Allergies - Beginner Version

This guide was originally written with a dairy, tree nut & peanut allergy in mind. Feel free to substitute your allergen in all general advice. It certainly would be great if you did not have to experience food allergies. However, below you will find a beginning guide or a first start into this world. There will be way too much to process all at once, so come back often. Now...where to begin...

Here are 2 of the largest and most respected advocacy, education and research organizations around. First, FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) which you can access at www.foodallergy.org. FAAN actually does a walk to raise funds and awareness. It is a good place to meet others in the same
boat.  You can access their information at www.foodallergywalk.org. Then there is Kids with Food Allergies, which is also a good resource for reliable information, www.kidswithfoodallergies.org.

It makes good sense to become involved in your local food allergy group. Just do a quick search and find one. Click on the calendar to see all of the meetings coming up! In addition, consider subscribing to several support group newsletters in other places; therefore, increasing the information you receive. Here is a link to the local group in Arizona. http://www.arizonafoodallergy.org/  Finally, look for blogs like this one
http://www.nut-freemom.blogspot.com or others that match your allergens. Also, you can often “like” these bloggers on Facebook, another quick way to get information. If you live near a HUGE city, you will find many wonderful places that will cater to your new needs! If not, you will need to be a bit more creative and possibly ship things a little more.

Practically speaking AVOIDANCE is the best way to protect a food allergic child. There needs to be an action plan in place whenever he/she is left (daycare, babysitter, school) without you. Here is a sample of one. Your allergist can help you complete it.http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf  Your child will also always need to have both Benedryl and an Epi-pen wherever they go. Epi’s serve no purpose when they are left at home when the allergic child is out.There are nice cases you can get which allow you to go everywhere with it. Epis need to be at a constant temperature so never leave it in the car or on ice.  All caregiver’s must be trained in how to recognize an allergic reaction and in how to use the Epi pen.  It is also sensible for the allergic person to wear a Medic-Alert bracelet. EMT’s and emergency room workers are trained to look for these (they can be worn on ankle, too) and allow you to store electronically all of your child’s pertinent medical information accessible even when you are not and when the patient cannot speak (such as when having anaphylaxis.) http://www.medicalert.org/

Food Preparation is very important and steering clear of cross-contamination is essential to reducing exposure to allergens. Now, you may all decide to eliminate peanuts and tree nuts in the house which, overtime, will seem easy. However, you all may wish to continue eating dairy. It will be important to have some cooking tools that are only used for dairy (think Jewish kosher eating). This will allow you to eat what you would like without cross-contamination. Be careful to wipe surfaces and watch what falls onto the floor while the child is still little. Speaking of wiping, the only hand wipes which will actually remove peanut residue from the skin are Wet Ones.

Now, the reality is that there are TONS and I mean TONS of foods the allergic child and all of you can still eat with joy!

Below are some “new to you” brands because their customers usually have allergies and some other more “recognizable” brands that have a good safety record. You will become very good at label reading. Note:  Labels may list in bold the top 8 allergens, but will not always list cross-contamination risks. *Just call the company.* Many even have this  information on the FAQ’s section of their websites. Also, use sites like:  http://foodallergysupport.olicentral.comand http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com  for extra information.

Sunbutter   http://www.sunbutter.com/  peanut butter replacement (YUM)

Enjoy Life  http://www.enjoylifefoods.com  (free of top 8 - YUM)

Surf Sweets  http://www.surfsweets.com  (gummy candies - YUMMO)

Ians   http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/  (Owen safe NO Cheese Mac & Cheese)

So Delicious  http://www.turtlemountain.com/ (Coconut Milk & Soy treats with good allergen policy)

Yummy Earth   http://yummyearth.com/  (Fab lollipops & hard candies)

NoNuttin’  http://www.nonuttin.com/ (Granola and granola bars)

Shed the Bread  http://shedthebread.com/ (Chicken Nuggets)

Kim & Scott’s http://www.kimandscotts.com/products/dietary-allergy-awareness/ (some products are safe)

Divvies  http://www.divvies.com/ (Can you say - Cupcakes & Caramel Corn?? - order online)

Philly Swirls http://www.phillyswirl.com/ (frozen, yummy ice bars - good labels - @ our grocery)

Lucy’s http://www.drlucys.com/ (wonderful cookies - sold in Starbucks sometimes & other regular stores)

Gimbal’s  http://shop.gimbalscandy.com (jelly beans, licorice - so good - @ our CVS)

Amanda’s http://www.amandasown.com/  (nut free/dairy free chocolate - order online)

Oh, and often times, you will find labeling is VERY good on products from Canada. Check here for ideas:  http://www.peanutfreeplanet.com/ where you can find products listed by allergen.

Some “regular” brands who have labeling you can trust would be:

Spangler Candies (free of dairy & nuts this company makes Smarties, DumDums & ironically Circus Peanuts)

General Mills (watch out for the Peanut Butter Cheerios - damn them!)

Quaker (new Whole Hearts cereal would be a good Cheerios replacement and the child would learn to eat the hearts not the circles)

Keebler

Tootsie (all nut free, check labels for dairy)

Rold Gold (nut free, good labels for dairy) - no Snyder’s

Another hint, when shopping for products, is to look for the “P” for Pareve near the kosher symbols. You should still read the ingredient list, but this means the product should not have dairy. For instance, we use the margarine NUCOA which, I’ve checked, would be safe for folks with dairy allergies and works really well in baked goods.

Now, when going out to eat, this will be much more simple in the early years as you can bring your child’s food with you everywhere and they won’t mind. Eventually, they will want to order. You will then develop a list of restaurants that are food allergy aware. There are even websites devoted to this now.

Going around town - Again, this is much easier at an early age than when they are a little older. You can go everywhere. You need to be prepared. Keep a patterned sheet in the car. Then, always put the patterned side down and you will know which side is clean. Use it on the street for a parade or on a picnic bench.

Cover surfaces when you can ie: movie theaters are dirty (think darkness, food dripping, yuck - why would anyone go once you have had this thought BUT you will go), so bring the sheet to place over the seat.

Cover the grocery cart seat - okay, see, nothing new there. You know you already hate dirt!

Wipe down tables and/or use those sticky placemats. This is easy!

Wipe down everyone’s hands before eating. Ask kissy relatives not to eat allergens before visits or to wash.

Parks are fine especially in the East as the rains clean the slides. So go play!

Kids gyms are fine, too, as long as you frequent those that have people use hand sanitizer. The earlier in the day, the better, as places are often cleaner.

You can travel. You can go on the road for the day. You can pack a cooler with supplies and live la vida loca! You can fly, ride on the train, take elevators, taxis, escalators, buses, trams, amusement park rides, boats, cruise ships and drive. It all just takes some preparation.

Whew! That is a bunch to take it all at once. Hopefully, it helps you get started on the journey. It really is a journey and a gift. A food allergy will force you all to do things you may not have done otherwise such as bake more, read labels, attend parties with your child as they get older, talk with teachers more and it will also teach you and your other children more empathy for others. Finally, it will make you appreciate your children even more than you did before, which is hard to imagine. You now have seen how quickly reactions can happen and how innocently. While every parent would trade away allergies, we’re fortunate the world is changing and becoming more inclusive to our children.

-Raquel Scharf-Anderson, 2012

This is a guide not medical advice. Please see your physician to make decisions for your health. 

Thinking Readers

There is a difference between people who can read and people who THINK while they read. Parents always want to show-off with their child's reading level which is often obtained by doing a reading fluency test. But, who cares, what you can read, if while you are reading you are not thinking! I have come up with a list of questions to consider when talking with someone else about a book. Whether you are both reading it together or you are just wanting to know more. Sometimes the thing that is Good2Know is really what question to ask!

•   What do you think would happen in the sequel to this book? 

•   Would you enjoy reading other books by this author?

•   If you had the chance to meet the author of this book, what would you say?

• Have you ever experienced the same events or feelings that the main character did? Describe those feelings. 

• If you were the main character, what would you have done differently in the story?

• How would the story change if it took place in our town?

• What made the book interesting? 

• Is the character someone you’d like to have as a friend? Why or why not?

• If you were the author how would you have changed the ending? The beginning? Which other events would you have changed? 

• Did the story turn out the way you thought it would? Why or why not? 

Chopsticks and Rubber Snakes!

I was in the toy store a few weeks ago. I spotted a little boy, no older than three, using chop sticks to lift toy snakes into a bowl. I commented to his mom about his awesome and advanced fine motor skills. She asked why this was important and I mentioned how much fine motor development influences handwriting later on in school. This reminded me of a list I had put together for parents looking to help their children improve their fine motor abilities. Share it with someone you know!

Ways to improve fine motor muscles/skills:

• Painting the house/sidewalk - Give your child a paintbrush & let them paint the house or sidewalk with water. They can paint words & pictures, too. 

• Shine the Silver - Cut the corner off of a sponge. Dip into silver polish, holding with 3 writing fingers, polish away. Rinse and dry. 

• Tong Fun - Using toaster tongs and later tweezers, separate colored large/small paperclips into piles. 

• Squeeze - Take a stress ball and squeeze repeatedly for 2 minutes with one hand. Then switch hands and repeat. 

• Write Away - Jump in the tub fully dressed. Using tub crayons write words or stories on the wall of the tub for someone else to read. 

• Chalk Designs - Make a design with chalk on the sidewalk. Then take a spray bottle and squirt along the lines you just drew. 

• Tanagrams - Use a tanagrams set to make designs.

• Eyedropper Art - Put small pieces of colored tissue paper on a larger piece of paper. Use an eyedropper to drop water onto the tissue. After it dries, blow it off the paper to find a design left behind. 

• Cottonball Soccer - Laying on your stomach, use tape to define goals. Then, flick a “cotton soccer ball” with your thumb and pointer finger on dominant hand. Play soccer!

• Bubble Wrap Maze - On a 10x10 piece of bubblewrap make a path with marker on the flat side. Then, with pincer grasp use both hands to pop bubbles on the maze. 

• Perfection and Jenga - Both of these games use the pincer grasp. Try playing Perfection and Jenga without timer feature first. 

Where in the World?

I love maps. In 3rd grade, we did a map workbook and I loved it!

So, it is only expected that I would take a world map and place it on the dinner table. To keep it clean, I picked up some thick, clear plastic at Joann's and laid it on top.

Viola! I have a tablecloth map! Now, we can take those little stickers off our fruits and veggies and see exactly where our food comes from. The map is also good as a reference for school work and to prepare for massive trivia contests.

 Bring it on 'cause I know where you live!

Math, Math - It's All Around You!

Practicing math facts and concepts is nothing new, but there are so many ways to practice besides flashcards. I thought I would share a few:

Let's Get Physical?  Do you have flashcards? Use them in different ways.

First, spread them around a room or the yard. Then, ask your child to skip, jump, hop, jump rope or use tin can stilts to reach them. At each card, they must say the equation aloud and solve it. Then, they can pick up the card and return to home.

Another use for flashcards is basketball. Head to the court or just use a small ball and trash can. Give the child a problem. If they solve it, they get a point AND can shoot a basket. If they get the basket, another point. If they miss the equation, no shot, but give them the answer and return the card into the pile to try again later.

No flashcards? Grab some post-its and write your own equations (maybe 6's?) and hide them around the room. It's time for Hide-and-Seek math. The child looks for post-its (mulit-aged children can have different colored post-its and look for them at the same time). In order to find the next, they must solve the equation they find accurately.

Artsy? 

If your child loves art, then practice math on the driveway with colored chalk. Give them a word problem (aka story problem, you are showing your age) and let them draw it out. Too many drawings? A quick spray with a spray bottle or watering can will clear the surface.

Use those old bath crayons to leave equations in the tub. Your child can solve them while bathing or even more fun, they can jump in the tub dressed and solve away!

Got an APP for that?

Sometimes technology is the place to go and there are great math apps and online games for math practice. Check out Everyday Math apps, as well as, sites like Multiplication.com for great resources.

Fun and Games?

Use 2 sets of flashcards or buy the pre-made game to play war with facts.

Some great games to support math are Sequence Numbers, SkipBo, Uno, Shut the Box, 7 Ate 9 and Rack-O. Strategy games are also terrific for folks of all ages. Try Blokus, Rummikub, Ticket to Ride, Othello and Wits & Wagers Family.

Do a search for dice games to find even more great ways to practice.

Don't forget to play store or let your kids spend real cash at the supermarket. Try letting them weigh the bananas and use a calculator to add up what you're spending. Get them involved in baking using the measuring cups. Real life math has the most impact!

Mariah's Challenge - put a stop to underage drinking

In my "new to me" mini-van, I have the pleasure of having satellite radio. Oh, somedays, I play only the music of the 1980's and on other days, it is Broadway Baby! However, a few times this week, I have tuned into CNN. Yesterday, I heard the incredible story of Leo McCarthy who lost his daughter, Mariah (age 14) to a senseless drunk driving incident. Leo turned his grief and anger into hard work. He created an organization to offer monetary rewards to kids who don't drink before they are 21.

I loved this idea. First, educate middle school aged children about the dangers of underaged drinking. Educate them also about the dangers of drinking and driving. Then, offer them a financial payoff if they sign a contract and stay away from drinking until they are of legal age. Check out this incredible organization. Maybe it is one you want to support? Maybe you can share it with your church, synagogue or school ? To save a life is the highest ideal I know about. Check out Mariah's Challenge  and then let me know what you think!

Celery! Crunch!

Don't roll your eyes! Celery is your friend! I saw you - stop the eye rolling! Let me explain. Celery is a free food meaning it doesn't use up your calories or points and actual gives your body fiber and digestive (aka calorie burning) work to do. Most of the time, I like my celery plain. But sometimes, I dip it in another freebie - mustard! Another free option would be to let it soak in some seasoned rice vinegar. What do you like with your celery? Crunch! It's Good2Know!

Save Everything in a Snapshot!

Our children are often assigned big projects that take several weeks to complete. When those projects are graded and return home, it is hard to imagine throwing out all that incredibly hard work. So, we take a picture. That picture then is printed and put into their schoolwork bin. At the end of the year, each bin is emptied. A handful of work samples and those pictures are placed into a narrow, scrapbooking container labeled with their name. This way they can reminisce reminisce about former projects without storing it all.

I'm BAAACKK!

It has been a very long time since I last wrote on this blog. Life got busy and I forgot how much I like to share little tidbits here and there. So, I am BACK! Mainly, many of the parents I work with each day have mentioned that they wish there was a central place to see my ideas and new items that are just plain Good 2 Know about.

Be only the look out for regular updates and information.

-Raquel