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Dream Horse – A Good Bedtime Story

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

There is a bedtime story written for busy parents to tell their children. It’s called The Dream Horse.

It begins with a little boy named Billy waking up from a nap on a Saturday afternoon.  He dresses in a cowboy outfit.  He’s very happy.  His mother asks him why he’s so happy  He tells her that he met a dream horse.  The horse promised Billy a ride later that night.  Now Billy is anxious for it to be time for bed.

The mother becomes a bit alarmed. She asks about the dream horse and when Billy first saw it. She thought Billy was too old for naps. Billy told his mother that a friend from school named José told him about the siestas they take in Spain. Billy enjoyed speaking in a new language.

Billy kept asking when night would come. He wondered if he could put on sunglasses to make it come faster. His mother told him no that won’t work. Later, when Billy’s father comes home, Billy’s sister asks if she can have a dream horse. Billy’s father was amazed at his son’s imagination.

When it was time for bed Billy couldn’t talk about anything except that dream horse. He had named the horse Pal. He told his mother he would bring her a feather from the dream. He promised to bring one for his sister and father too. He quickly fell asleep.

When Billy was sleeping the dream horse nudged him in the arm and told him it was time for the ride. They went from the mountainous area around Billy’s home, to farm country. By the way, Pal could fly.

Very soon the dream horse mentioned that they were traveling in time. Some of the horse’s friends would join them. Billy met some Indians who agreed that he could go with them on the ride. The Indian was Spirit Chief of all the Indian nations. Each Indian with him represented one of the tribes that roamed America before the Europeans came.

Billy rides on the dream horse while the Indians take him on a tour of their lands.  They show him the Buffalo that used to run there.  The Spirit Chief urges Billy to take to heart what they’ve shown him.  The Spirit Chief plucks three feathers from his head gear.  He gives them to Billy knowing that he promised to bring them back for his family.

Billy’s parents tell them it was only a dream when he tells them about his experience with the dream horse.  Then he gives them the feathers.  They’re flabbergasted.  Children enjoy the story.


The Ultimate Beach Bag

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Just about every family goes to the beach during the summer. But what’s the largest complaint? “Uh oh….you forgot…..” You usually end up forgetting. Try our tips to pack the ultimate beach bag and you’ll always stay organized while having fun in the sun!

Make sure your beach bag is large enough. Most Moms will have the “big” challenge of choosing a good looking beach bad that won’t be big enough for their carrying needs. Count heads and remember that often your kids bring a friend or two to the beach or the pool. You’re going to need that extra room in a big beach bag!

towels, some more towels and then, oh yes, more towels! Every member of your family needs two towels: one for the sand and one to shower/wash off with. That’s a lot of towels. Keep your towels organized by adding clothing labels to each towel so your towels come home with you. Pick color coordinated towels so they are easy to find on the beach lying together.

Sandwich bags aren’t just for sandwiches. Here’s an easy trick to keep suntan or sunblock lotion from spilling all over the inside of your beach bag: keep it inside a sandwich bag with a tight seal! This will save lots of time and frustration. Add a label to the outside of your suntan or sunblock so other families know this is your sunblock and not theirs.

Clear plastic labels are every Mom’s dream for beach trips when it comes to packing the ultimate beach bag. How many times have you come home from the beach…only to discover you are missing a sand pail and shovel? Add clear plastic labels with your child’s name or family name to keep everything organized for this summer.

Keep your lunch chilled and dry by placing it near the bottom of your beach bag. Many of the items you pack in the beach bag won’t be heavy such as your swimming suit and dry towels. The heaviest thing you pack is your lunch – keep it cool and dry by packing it in the bottom of your beach bag. Make a shady spot somewhere under your large umbrella for your snacks and lunch with your chair and one of your many towels handing over the side.

Many Moms love to bring a good book (okay a romance novel!) to the beach while the kids play. Make sure your romance novel comes home with you by adding a label inside the book with your information. The beach is a busy place and there are lots of other Moms with books, best to keep yours organized and with you at all times

by Lawrence Reaves


Promoting drawing and coloring in children

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Parents and caregivers can promote drawing and coloring  as a way to improve physical, social, emotional and cognitive development-and to have a lot of fun along the way too. Here are some suggestions:

The simple acts of drawing and coloring are  literally childs’ play, however, they both play an important role in a child’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. Like no other activity, drawing  and coloring allows young children to express emotions, experience autonomy and build their confidence. 

1. Provide children with nontoxic drawing materials, blank sheets of  paper and coloring pages.

2. Model drawing. Show children that you like to draw and color too -  make designs but do not show your children what they  should draw.

3. Encourage all drawing and coloring  efforts by talking about the beautiful colors, the lines and  shapes the child has made.

4. Rather than ask ”What is it?,” say “Tell me all about your lovely drawing”. Asking “What is it?” suggests to the child that s/he may have failed to depict what they intended.

5. Talk about concepts like  thin, thick, wide, narrow, dark, light, edge, shape, contour, etc.

6. Display their art on the kitchen fridge, in their room and in places where visitors to your home will see them. Point their artwork out to visitors – the praise they will receive will make them feel proud of their work and will encourage them to draw and color again. 

7.Let children choose the subject of their drawings and the types of coloring sheets they would like to color. For example little girls  may enjoy coloring images of  princesses and fairies and at sites like Fairy Coloring Pages you’ll find the best free fairy coloring

Little boys on the other hand tend to prefer images of cars, trucks and machinery – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies  are also hits with little boys.

8. Crayons pose a choking hazard – so always supervise younger children while they draw and color.