Summer Camp Registration

Summer camp registration starts as early as this week. It is difficult to plan for an entire summer at the beginning of March. There is so much to think about - grandparents, vacations, swim teams, church camps, friends, etc. Every year we go through the same planning routine. My husband has two teenage children from a previous marriage so we have to work her schedule into our overall schedule. We have two preschoolers, one of which can start attending regular day camp while the other is only eligible for half day camps. The two preschoolers will be on the swim team this year which will go from the beginning of June through the end of July. Between both families and all the activities, it is amazing that we generally end up with a schedule that works for everyone.

For this year, we started by asking the grandparents which weeks they want to have the kids. We figure the grandparents should get first choice as time with the older generations is so important in our children's lives. Then we look at the schedules for church camps and other specialty camps that the kids have attended in the past. This year a sports camp was added for one week so we had to take that into consideration. After those 4-5 weeks are scheduled, we look at what day camps are available based on the children's ages, location of camps and hours they are available. Both my husband and I, as well as the older's kid's mother all work full-time so we need camp for most days through the summer. This year, the YMCA is the best choice for day camp as they offer a program for teenagers and the cost is reasonable considering the other options.

We haven't made any decisions for the younger kids yet. They both attend a very good Montessori preschool that is open through the summer. As of now, it looks like they will both attend their camp just to keep things easy. More on this as we get closer to the summer.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight savings time is always an interesting day. You lose an hour of your day. On a day with bad weather, this is ok because the shorter your day, the better. But, on a day like today, its a little disappointing. It was nice to have a longer day but when the weather is so beautiful, you kind of wish it would last longer. We took advantage of the beautiful weather today. We visited a friend who had a child who is just a few months older than our oldest child. They cooked out on the grill, the children played outside for hours and we were able to sit around and talk. It was one of those days that you look forward to after a long winter. After a day of playing in the sun, the kids went to bed at their regular time even though it was one hour earlier than the day before. All in all, it was a good day. Now we have to prepare for another week of preschool, work, and extra-curricular activities. It should be a good week.

From Snow to Summer in Less than a Week

Wow - today was hot!! Over 80 degrees in Raleigh, North Carolina, just 5 days after we had our second snow. On Monday, kids in Wake County didn't have school due to snow and by Saturday we were wearing shorts and t-shirts while basking in the sun. It was a great day. After spending the entire weekend stuck inside due to torrential downpours all day on Saturday and Sunday, it felt great to be outside today. We ran some errands - the errands that we didn't do last weekend due to the rain. We went to the Farmer's Market to buy some fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and we spent several hours cleaning up our backyard. We even grilled hamburgers as our official start to "grillin' season". Our preschoolers love any day that is not a school day. While we were working on raking leaves in on big hill in he backyard, they found some old baby ride-on toys and were taking them down the hill at warp speed. It looked like a lot of fun, although it had the potential of being somewhat dangerous. Anyway, that's all I have for today. Due to the great weather, I'm beat.

Kindergarten Registration for 2009-2010 School Year

I registered my daughter for kindergarten today. She is 5 years old and missed the 2008-2009 cutoff by 11 days so she was fortunate in that she got to spend an extra year in preschool. I think that will benefit her. She is attending a Montessori preschool and over the last year has gained strong social skills as well as basic kindergarten academics. She loves school and is looking forward to attending kindergarten in the fall. I am happy but sad. I'm happy that my daughter is excited and will thrive in her new environment but I am sad because my baby is going to "real" school. She wants to ride on the school bus and because of our work schedules and ability to work from home, she could do so but I can't bring myself to letting a 5 year old get on a school bus and go to school all by herself. I'm afraid I would have to wait for the bus then I would get into my car, follow the bus, and wait for her to get off and walk into the school. Next year our 4 year old will start kindergarten and I would be willing to let the both of them get on the bus and go to school together - maybe?? I don't know, this is a big decision that I can't make right now. I have a few months to think about it and right now, I just want to look forward to spring and enjoy a fun summer at our community pool.

Going Out To Eat

We go out to eat way too much. It's not that I don't like cooking and I do a lot of cooking and meal preparation but there are days that by the time I get home from work, I just don't feel like cooking and cleaning. There are a lot of reasons why going out to eat isn't good for our families. First off, restaurants are expensive. For what a family of four pays to eat in a restaurant, they could eat 3 square meals a day for two to three days. Second, portions are way too large in restaurants. Some restaurants market themselves as serving the "largest", the "most", etc. and we just don't need that much food at one meal. Third, it is difficult to eat healthy when dining out. It's not that most restaurants don't offer a couple of healthy choices, it's just difficult to choose something healthy when there are so many delicious unhealthy options.

The greatest benefit to going out to dinner is that the whole family can sit down, be served a meal and not worry about cleaning up. It allows for good conversation, a chance to learn about everyone's day, and relaxation.

Overall, the benefits probably don't outweigh the downsides to eating out but if we can follow a few simple guidelines, we can reduce the negative impact of eating out and enjoy the benefits. Some ideas that we practice include: order water rather than soft drink, share meals, substitute french fries for steamed vegetables, salads, or a baked potato, and take leftovers home to eat as another meal. Ordering water rather than soft drinks will decrease your tab by over $7.00 for a family of 4. Water is better for you and if you have small children, it is much better to have water spill on you than something sticky and sweet. Sharing meals cuts the portions down to a more reasonable amount of food and substituting french fries with vegetables speaks for itself. French fries can be used a "treat" for families who eat out more often. Another benefit of using these guidelines help families with younger children learn to make healthier choices and develop better eating habits for their adult life.

Childcare Choices

Our youngest children are 4 and 5 years old. Since the 5 year old was born, we have tried several types of childcare and I have visited at least 30 different childcare facilities in Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina. I'm not an expert but I do have some knowledge of the types of facilities as well as the state rating system. When visiting the various childcare centers, I make a point to ask a lot of questions and to really understand what a day is like for a child. I also observe the children who are in the facility and I pay particular attention to the interactions between the teachers and children. I ask to visit all of the classrooms rather than just the classes my children would be in because I like to get a feel for the different environments. Each type of childcare situation has pros and cons and I believe it is up to parents to determine what works best for them and their children based on what is important to them.

Options for newborns and toddlers include: nannies, home childcare centers, small daycare centers, and large daycare centers. Most of the programs in the Raleigh area only offer full-time childcare for the younger children because of the lower teacher to child ratios and the demand for daycare for these ages. For part-time, a nanny or babysitter will generally work with families individually and in some situations, nanny-sharing is a good way to keep a good nanny employed for more hours while spending less money. The larger day care centers very rarely offer part-time care and because of their schedules, it usually works out better for the child to be in the facility full-time for the consistency. Again, a parent's choice should be based on the location of the facility, the hours they are open, the general feel of the administration and care-givers, the atmosphere, the condition of toys and playground equipment, the rules, the curriculum (if it is a school), the food (if they serve food), the size of the rooms, needs of the child, and the star rating that the state assigns. See this website for additional state information:

http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/general/home.asp

Once children are older toddlers to preschool aged, preschool is another option. Preschool can be part-time or full-time and there are many options including: churches, Montessori, public (if a child is "at-risk" or has special needs), bi-lingual, and various others. Preschools can be accredited by different educational organizations and they are required to have the same state licenses as childcare or daycare centers. Information can be found on state licensing of preschools at the website listed above.

There is no right or wrong answer to your childcare needs. We had some situations that worked out very well, while others didn't work at all. Some decisions were based on particular needs of our children while others were based on finding just the "right" people to care for our children. Although, we have had ups and downs with our childcare situations over the years, we don't regret the decisions that we made and both children are thriving at a very good preschool which they both enjoy attending.

What to Pack for Lunch

Our two preschoolers have to take their lunch to school every day. The school has a very strict policy that does not allow the children to come to school with soft drinks, salty snacks, cookies, cakes, or any other "junk" food. I like the policy. I like the fact that I wouldn't pack any of that stuff in my kids' lunches and at the same time, the child next to them won't be eating that stuff. So my children will be starting off life with eating healthy lunches which will hopefully help them to make healthy choices as they grow older and have more control over what they eat. The strict rule states that lunches must include 2-3 fruits and vegetables, a dairy or soy product, and a protein. It sounds easy but it actually requires a fair amount of planning and work. I spend about 2 hours on Sunday afternoons cutting up various fruits and vegetables and putting them into containers (we rarely use plastic bags as the waste is not good for the environment). I also purchase yogurt in large containers and put small servings into containers. I cut up cheese, turkey, chicken, and ham for protein and also put small portions into various containers. So the kids don't have to eat the same things every day, I mix and match the various containers and every other day send a different type of sandwich or wrap. With the Sunday preparation and the time I spend each evening putting it all together along with a drink (generally milk or water), I spend about 4-5 hours per week making lunches. I think the time and effort is worth knowing that my kids and the other kids who they attend school with are all eating nutritious meals that will help them keep active and learn. I should also mention that the school has a refrigerator to put the lunches into each morning so it is easy to pack a lunch knowing it will stay cold. Next year, the older of the two will start kindergarten and I will have to re-think my lunchbox strategy to include healthy foods that do not require refrigeration.

Winter is Here

Here we are in sunny North Carolina, it is the beginning of March and most of the children in this state had the day off to enjoy a fresh blanket of cold, white SNOW. Yes, we got snow for the second time this winter. Not a lot of snow but enough to take a few runs down a steep slope and build a decent snowman. Of course the kids were happy -- a three day weekend and a chance to use those "new" sleds they got three winters ago. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the excitement experienced from the fluffy white stuff - the make-up days for the missed school days from this storm and a previous storm are on SPRING BREAK. So, spring break is now two days shorter than was originally scheduled. Some parents aren't happy as they have plans to travel while others are very happy because it is two less days to try and find things to keep the kids entertained. School systems in North Carolina struggle every year when they have to deal with inclement weather. They could build some snow days into the schedule like they do in the Northern States but it is rare that these days will get used, making it difficult for parents to plan summers (camp, childcare, etc.). Or they can do what they are doing and try to make up the days using pre-scheduled holidays and vacation days. Either way, everybody won't be happy and the law states that each child is required 180 days of education per school year. The important thing to remember is that weather is completely out of our control and if we experience these days through our children, they will be more enjoyable and who knows, we all might learn something new from NOT being in school.

Teenagers - How do they spend their time?

I am new to blogging and I'm sure nobody has seen or is even looking for my blogs but I want to throw a question out there. What do your teenagers do on the weekends? I have two step-children, one is 12 and in 7th grade and the other is 13 and in the 8th grade. They come to our house every other weekend plus some days during the week and although, we are busy with dinner, showers, homework, etc. on the weeknights, we struggle with the weekends. If they are lucky enough to have not had their cell phones taken by their mother, they sit around and text people all day and night. If they don't have their phones, they sit around and do nothing. Neither of them seem to have any interests, they don't go over to friend's houses and they don't invite friend's to our house. I should mention that their other house is not far and many of the middle school aged kids in our neighborhood attend their school. With two preschoolers too, it is difficult to always be out trying to find things to do that will appeal to all age groups. Plus, it is somewhat stressful to feel like we "need" to entertain everyone all weekend long. So, I ask again, what do your kids do? Are there places where middle school aged kids go? When I was that age, we went rollerskating, ice skating, bowling, to the movies, and to the mall. Is it just our kids or do kids just not hang out together anymore? I'll take any suggestions, comments, or recommendations.