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

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.

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.