Thursday, August 27, 2009
Trains, Trains, and More Trains
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division has a great website for special train rides scheduled around North Carolina. See http://www.bytrain.org/ for trips on Thomas the Tank, Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Ride, and rides to Carolina Panthers football games. The fall schedule is currently posted and it looks like they might have a Santa Train ride in early December. The website also has other interesting information about the rail system in North Carolina as well as games and activities for children.
Moms - Read This!
In "Inside Out Girl, a type-A single mom, Rachel Berman, transforms into a totally different person after becoming the guardian of a learning-disabled girl. Olivia and Rachel have a special relationship with grows as Rachel realizes that being perfect has nothing to do with being perfect. "Inside Out Girl" was created by Tish Cohen and published by Harper Perennial. $14
"My One Hundred Adventures" - Book for Tweens
In this book written by National Award-winning author, Polly Horvath, a young girl has some experiences that she could only have imagined. She takes a ride in a hot-air balloon and meets and offbeat new friend. A great coming of age novel that can be enjoyed by kids aged 8 to 12. Published by Schwartz & Wade/Random House. $17
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Yucky Website for Kids
Have your kids ever asked questions about "barfing", "pooping", or "burping"? Do you have kids that are interested in worms and roaches? If so, send them to Yucky Discovery -
http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/
This website answers the grossest questions - questions that parents can't or don't want to answer. As part of Kids Discovery, the website is interactive with games, videos, quizzes, and even interviews with experts. Great for children 8 and older.
http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/
This website answers the grossest questions - questions that parents can't or don't want to answer. As part of Kids Discovery, the website is interactive with games, videos, quizzes, and even interviews with experts. Great for children 8 and older.
School Starts in the Triangle
Wow - school started in Wake County this week. Although the Triangle area has more year-round schools than many other areas in the country, it was still an exciting week in this area. More buses in the neighborhoods, nervous children waiting at bus stops with brand new clothes, and busy teachers and school administrators eagerly awaiting their new students. The beginning of a new school year is exciting. I know for me personally, this year is especially exciting because my daughter is starting kindergarten. Tomorrow she is taking her first bus ride to school and spending the day in classroom with 20 or so children her age. I'm happy yet sad. I'm happy because she is happy. She will be in school with 6 other kindergarten students who all live in our neighborhood and who swim at the same community pool. Two of the children will be in the same tap and ballet class as her so she will have opportunities to spend time outside of school with her friends. I'm looking forward to a great year.
My step-son started high school this year. This is an exciting time for him too. He is on the JV Football team at his school and his first game is tomorrow night. He has been practicing all summer long and looking forward to his first real high school game. I talked to him about his classes and after his first day, I believe he is ready for a good year academically. Let's hope so!
My step-daughter is in 8th grade and based on her conversations, she loves the classes she is taking but isn't so excited about the homework. I guess that isn't unusual. She generally does well in school but she doesn't participate in many activities so I'm working on encouraging her to try something new this year.
My 4 year old son will also be trying something new this year. On Monday he will be attending a transitional kindergarten. His new class will be made of only 9 children who all have birthdays that are just past the kindergarten cut-off date. I spent a lot of time researching schools for him and the school that we chose together is the best option. Although he will miss his friends from his current preschool, many of whom are starting kindergarten this week, he is excited about taking on a more aggressive curriculum. He loves to learn and has shown a great interest in reading and math.
All in all we had a great summer. We have two more weekends at the pool and Labor Day will mark the official end of the season. Even with the extra week of summer this year, it just didn't seem like it was long enough.
My step-son started high school this year. This is an exciting time for him too. He is on the JV Football team at his school and his first game is tomorrow night. He has been practicing all summer long and looking forward to his first real high school game. I talked to him about his classes and after his first day, I believe he is ready for a good year academically. Let's hope so!
My step-daughter is in 8th grade and based on her conversations, she loves the classes she is taking but isn't so excited about the homework. I guess that isn't unusual. She generally does well in school but she doesn't participate in many activities so I'm working on encouraging her to try something new this year.
My 4 year old son will also be trying something new this year. On Monday he will be attending a transitional kindergarten. His new class will be made of only 9 children who all have birthdays that are just past the kindergarten cut-off date. I spent a lot of time researching schools for him and the school that we chose together is the best option. Although he will miss his friends from his current preschool, many of whom are starting kindergarten this week, he is excited about taking on a more aggressive curriculum. He loves to learn and has shown a great interest in reading and math.
All in all we had a great summer. We have two more weekends at the pool and Labor Day will mark the official end of the season. Even with the extra week of summer this year, it just didn't seem like it was long enough.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Growing Up in New Hampshire - Early Years
I grew up in New Hampshire. I have been in North Carolina for almost 15 years now so I consider North Carolina my home but I want to share some of the experiences that I had growing up in the Northeast. I will do this in a series of short posts that will serve as both education for those of you who are interested in New Hampshire and for my own documentation of some of my childhood experiences.
I'm going to start with the early part of my life. I was born in a city called Dover and I lived there for the first five years of my life. I am the first of three children (I have two younger brothers). My mother was a nurse and my father a schoolteacher. We lived in an apartment building that had a couple of other apartments. I don't remember much about it except that all of the kids were older than me so I had to sit around all day and wait for them to get out of school. I wanted to go to school too so my mother signed me up for a nursery school when I was very young. I loved it.
Although I don't remember much about those first five years, I know I was happy. I had two great parents, two baby brothers and several friends. I even had both sets of grandparents in my life. They lived about an hour away from us but they came to visit us and we went to visit them often. My grandfather on my mother's side would come to stay with us once in a while and during his visits, he would take me out for a ride in the car and say we were going to get lost. I believed he was really lost for many years until I was in my teens and my mother said that he was never lost and knew every road in the state of New Hampshire. Oh well, it was fun thinking we were lost and I did get to see some places that I would never had seen without him.
When I was five my parents purchased their first house and we moved to Somersworth. I will talk about life in Somersworth next time.
I'm going to start with the early part of my life. I was born in a city called Dover and I lived there for the first five years of my life. I am the first of three children (I have two younger brothers). My mother was a nurse and my father a schoolteacher. We lived in an apartment building that had a couple of other apartments. I don't remember much about it except that all of the kids were older than me so I had to sit around all day and wait for them to get out of school. I wanted to go to school too so my mother signed me up for a nursery school when I was very young. I loved it.
Although I don't remember much about those first five years, I know I was happy. I had two great parents, two baby brothers and several friends. I even had both sets of grandparents in my life. They lived about an hour away from us but they came to visit us and we went to visit them often. My grandfather on my mother's side would come to stay with us once in a while and during his visits, he would take me out for a ride in the car and say we were going to get lost. I believed he was really lost for many years until I was in my teens and my mother said that he was never lost and knew every road in the state of New Hampshire. Oh well, it was fun thinking we were lost and I did get to see some places that I would never had seen without him.
When I was five my parents purchased their first house and we moved to Somersworth. I will talk about life in Somersworth next time.
Summertime is Here!!!
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, the pools are open, and school is just about out for this year. It's summertime!!! Time to take a vacation with your family, visit relatives, relax and not worry about homework, and enjoy the great weather we have in North Carolina. I don't know about you but I love summer. I love the long daylight hours, the sunshine, and the sounds of children playing outside. I especially love spending time at our community pool.
I didn't have a community pool when I was growing up. My friend had a neighbor who had a pool and we were allowed to swim there when the owners were home. Eventually my parents bought a small above ground pool and we had a great time swimming in that. It was in our backyard, our friends came over, and it was not only a place to swim but a social activity and gathering place for all of the children in the neighborhood. Now many many years later, the community pool serves the same purpose for us as well as our children. We all love being at the pool. We know that whenever we go there will be somebody there to sit with and talk to. It brings people out of their houses and provides us with an opportunity to catch up with neighbors who we pass by for the other nine months when the pool is not open.
I'm looking forward to a short vacation at the beginning of the summer, swim meets, camping, cookouts, and summer parties. I love summer and the only thing I don't look forward to is the end of summer.
I didn't have a community pool when I was growing up. My friend had a neighbor who had a pool and we were allowed to swim there when the owners were home. Eventually my parents bought a small above ground pool and we had a great time swimming in that. It was in our backyard, our friends came over, and it was not only a place to swim but a social activity and gathering place for all of the children in the neighborhood. Now many many years later, the community pool serves the same purpose for us as well as our children. We all love being at the pool. We know that whenever we go there will be somebody there to sit with and talk to. It brings people out of their houses and provides us with an opportunity to catch up with neighbors who we pass by for the other nine months when the pool is not open.
I'm looking forward to a short vacation at the beginning of the summer, swim meets, camping, cookouts, and summer parties. I love summer and the only thing I don't look forward to is the end of summer.
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