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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Beatles/Beetles Day (and bubbles)


My LO and I got an unexpected day together this week, when I found that he had a fever late Thursday night. I kept him home from school and took the day off (thanks to my nothing-short-of-amazing boss). I decided to make it as fun as possible by showing DS one of my all-time favorite bands, The Beatles.

We watched The Beatles Cartoons from the late 60's on YouTube.com.

 One of My Favorites

"This series marked a historical milestone as the first weekly television series to feature animated versions of real, living people. (wiki). The Beatles, of course are only imitated and did not add anything to the cartoon, except for their songs.

While I found many episodes funny, I did find some to be a bit too "trippy" (like I am the Walrus). However, I'm not sure how it could not be, since the lyrics apparently stemmed from Lennon's acid trips. So, I decided to filter a few before showing them to Little.

I also found some more great coloring pages at  www.first-school.ws.
We colored Beetles coloring sheets, together.
He can now say the words "Beatle/beetle."
We talked about the fact that beetles have six legs. 


He also learned to blow bubbles in the bath tub while listening to Strawberry Fields' Pandora Radio Station! 

Even though he was not feeling well, I think he enjoyed our Beatles Mania Day!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Staying Active with Your Family: An Article by Guest Blogger Emily Patterson

Get Your Children and Family Up and Moving 

Submitted by Emily Patterson on behalf of Primrose Schools: the best in preschool education 

  • The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states. (Source: Trust for America's Health) 
  • Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese nationwide.  
(Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)  

Experts suggest that young children need to accumulate at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity.  Unfortunately, many children do not even come close to reach this.  It is clear that along with poor diet, physical inactivity has contributed to a large increase in childhood obesity in the United States in the past 20 years.   
[Soft Break]Research has shown that children who develop basic motor skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, jumping, skipping, and balance are more likely to grow into healthy active adults.  Studies have shown that daily physical activity helps children academically as well.   Learning basic physical skills is essential to the healthy growth and development of your child.  But children do not learned this physical skills or behavior on their own…if needs to start from guidance and assistance from adults. 

So, what can parents do to teach their children about the importance of being physically active and help them learn these necessary skills?  Trying the tips below will help you and your family create a fun environment for physical activity and will contribute to everyone’s physical health. 

Tips for Getting Your Family Active: 

Find appropriate, safe spaces for quality physical activity: Provide safe spaces inside and outside for your child to be active.   

Ensure the availability of age-appropriate supplies: Being physically active is like learning to read, write, or do math problems in that each requires proper materials or equipment.   

  • Provide abundant supplies of balls, hoops, hockey sticks, bats, racquets, jump ropes, etc.  They need balls of all sizes, shapes, and weights such as beanbags and rubber balls. 
  • Equipment should be soft, lightweight, and made for children.    

Be active with your children: Don’t just send your children outside to play--be a role model and join in!  Go outside with them and participate in games and other activities that require physical exertion!  

  • Use sidewalk chalk to create your own four-square or hopscotch grids; blow bubbles then chase them around the yard to see who can catch them; go on a walk around the neighborhood or through a park as a family; play music and dance inside or outside; and when the weather is nice put on your bathing suits and run through the sprinklers or take a dip in the pool. 
  • Promote a feeling of success when you play with your child.  If your child is not yet able to successfully throw and hit a target, encourage them to move a little closer so they can be successful.  Skills are acquired incrementally.  Children who do not experience success have a tendency to quit and not practice.  

When children come into the world, physical activity is at the very center of their lives.  They have a mission to learn to crawl, walk, run, throw, catch, and kick.  If they are going to enjoy participating in physical activities now and as adults, they need to build on that foundation of success and enjoyment that begins in infancy.  So, grab a ball, badminton racket, or jump rope and set aside time each day to play with your child!  

Primrose Schools: For over 25 years, they have helped individuals achieve higher levels of success by providing them with an AdvancED® accredited, early child care services and education.  Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Emily has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.

Monday, July 4, 2011

4th of July 2011 Videos

4th of July 2011

Getting Ready to Leave

Here We Go!

Appreciating the Simple


Papa' and Little



Yea! Bubbles!

Little & Momma

Happy Independence Day


"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more," stated our forefather and my ancestor John Adams.


4th of July 2010 -  First Food

Today is a day to celebrate our freedom from all other states. We are able to be who we are with such freedoms as religion, political view, education, ability to own land, and endless opportunities for prosperity.

Today we should be thankful for the men and women of the military branches, who have pledged to stand for our country and the individuals living in it! We are very fortunate to have these brave people representing us!

We should be thankful for our forefathers and late military figures for their effort and lives lost for our great land!

We should be thankful to our Father above for blessing us with this place as our birthplace and/or place of residence! We should show our gratitude and appreciation byresponsibly celebrating this holiday!


July 4th 2010

Saturday, July 2, 2011

PIZZA

I could devour an entire homemade pizza, and have on a few occasions!

However, I don't always have time to let dough rise. So, I'm forced to make frozen pizzas (gasp) for a quick meal. Being that I am such a freak about the meat that my family consumes and am overly concerned about the amount of veggies we get in, I HAD to come up with a healthier alternative to just a brick hard frozen generic pizza with antibiotic-treated meat and practically no vegetables.

The result: Frozen Cheese Pizza with freshly cooked bacon, left over chicken and vine ripe tomatoes, sliced mushroom, organic spinach, arugula, goat cheese, hand-grated Parmesan, sprouts, salt & pepper; garden-picked basil, and cilantro!

With a cold glass of organic milk, I'm in paradise.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Love You, Forever. In Memory of Stephen Light.

Swimming with Lisabeth


I recently received the gut-wrenching news that my dear friend, Stephen Light had passed away. I was devastated. Stephen was someone I could always count on... He was always there.

I can remember back to when Stephen and I were in Summer EDP together at Edgewood. We were 8 year old little kids, boyfriend and girlfriend. I remember going on my first date with him to see Indian in the Cupboard. I don't remember much from the movie, but I do remember that my mom picked him up from his house. I met his cute little sister, Elizabeth; she was wearing a bat man shirt (if I remember, correctly). I was wearing my cut-off jorts and my turquoise Ben & Jerry's t-shirt. Stephen was wearing a nice tucked in shirt, had his hair gelled, and glasses on. We made a funny pair. A few months ago, Stephen told me he was still hanging onto the ticket stub from that special day. It made me smile.

Summer EDP was a blast for us... I can remember sitting across from Stephen at the lunchroom table listening to about a hundred impersonations of Jim Carey. I also remember asking Stephen if he could be silent for 60 seconds; he couldn't. One summer, we put on a play; we preformed a Save By the Bell spin-off. Stephen was Zach (can't you see the similarities?!) and I was Summer (my middle name), the girl that stole him from Kelly.

In Eight and Ninth grade, we dated on and off. My mom and dad had an Antique Store on Greensprings, and I would hang out at Stephen's and in the neighborhood with Lauren, while she worked. We would jump on the trampoline or sneak around smoking cigarettes (Sorry, mom. Sorry, Tracy). Ninth grade year, I threw Stephen a birthday party at my sister's; one of the first guy/girl semi-unsupervised parties ever. We had a blast! Later that year, we went to Six Flags for my 15th birthday. It was too crowded to ride the rides, yet we still managed to have a wonderful time.

Then, we became best friends. I went through some hard times in high school. When there was no one, there was Stephen. We spent weekends sitting on the trunk of his car at the bottom of an apartment complex, drinking Alchy-pops, talking.

When my grandmother passed away, Stephen and I drove down to Mobile in his little blue Toyota that smelled like grits. He hung out with me while my parents cleaned out my grandmother's home and beach condo. We drove down to what we thought was Florida and had lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. My mom let us skip most of that following school day, since it was the last half day before exams. We were thrilled to have more beach time.

Stephen would call me and ask if I would make him green bean casserole for dinner. He would come over, hang out, and sleep on our couch. My parents loved him. I also grew close to his family, spending a good amount of time at his home. I'd watch movies in his room. I was there Sundays for his mom's amazing pot roast, cooked in her clay bake wear. I went to cake decorating class with his cousin, Lissa. Stephen would drive us back and forth to class, and sometimes we would hang out at his grandparents and swim in their pool.

The next year, I moved into an extra bedroom at his parents' house. My brother-in-law hired him to work at Jim N' Nicks BBQ in Homewood. He introduced me to his friends and we hung out daily. Our lives were completely intertwined. Shortly after that, I went to boarding school.

A magnet I made for Stephen's locker - 2002


After coming home, he called to tell me he was getting married.  I congratulated him.We hung out occasionally, after that... a dinner here or there. A few years later, I moved to Gulf Shores. One day he phoned to tell me that he, Amanda and his family were in the area. We met for lunch at Lulu's.

Some time went by. Stephen and I spoke periodically online and on the phone. He was one of the first people I told that I was expecting Roman. He asked if he could be his fairy godfather, and I told him that he could be, of course. He was asked if he could come to my baby shower, and was the reason it was co-ed. He and Adam bought Roman his ted (which sat waiting  in Roman's bed for his arrival), and the book: Love You, Forever.

Stephen invited us to eat spaghetti at his house while we were in town. When we got there he had practically ruined his microwave. Stephen had tried to make sweet tea in the microwave, sugar and all! He was planning to leave the mess for Adam, but of course I couldn't let him...I cleaned up the mess and taught him how to make tea, properly. That night, I also briefed him on cooking pasta. We had a good evening chatting and I even made him touch my belly. We hugged goodbye. Little did I know, that would be my last "Stephen hug."

We spoke often after that. March 5th, I called him to let him know that we expected Roman that day. I turned Eva Cassidy on Pandora and we talked for a bit. I felt a little loopy from the herbs I had taken to promote labor, water broke while we were on the phone, and I let him go until a little later...

 We touched base here and there, but stopped talking around September (after I wished him a Happy Birthday).

It's difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that he is gone. He was such a huge part of my memories.

When, I started the C25K running program a few months back, I would occasionally think of him and how I wish that I could run like Stephen. He was such a great runner. He asked me to go for a jog with him once; I took a few steps and he was gone. With those frog legs, that guy was out of there. I sat by the car and talked on the phone, until Stephen got finished with "our" jog.

Whenever, I hear DMB, I think of him (but will never actually enjoy listening to them). When I hear Strawberry Fields or Keller Williams, I think of him pulling me into his mom's room to listen to "this great song that I had to hear (Freaker)."

When I see beautifully colored leaves, I think of Stephen and his love for the outdoors and for landscaping.

When I see a weeping willow, I think back to my childhood and the willow in front of his home.

 Though Stephen and I had temporarily been out of contact, I could never say that we lost touch. He is so much of who I am and I am so thankful for the time that I had with him. He was one of the most passionate people I have ever known, if not the most. He was beautiful. He was a philanthropist at it's finest and I aspire to love like Stephen loved.

RIP Weeber. love you, forever. Lindsey Lou Who



Please donate to the Stephen Light Memorial Fund. You will find the link in the column on the right. Thank you!
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