Father's Day Craft: Place Mat.
Note: You'll need to find a store that has a laminating machine. Call school supplies stores and if that fails call craft shops.
Items needed: Colored construction paper, markers, stickers, scissors, glue, picture of child with dad. Optional: Child friendly ink pad. Have them wash hand immediately after using pad.
On a piece of construction paper about the size of a place mat have your child paint or draw a picture of their dad. Next to it have them draw a heart, or below it write a personal message (I love you Dad. Thanks for taking time to play baseball with me. Or: World's Best Dad…). Your child can also cut out designs (bowling balls/baseball/tie…) from colored construction paper. Place along top and bottom of mat. Funny/smiley stickers can be added, or your child can put their hand print in a corner. A nice touch is gluing a picture or two of your child and their dad on the mat as well.
You can also create a theme mat. If your husband is a football fan, have your child draw a picture of their dad scoring a touch down. Put stickers of football helmets around edges of mat. Glue a picture of your child playing football with their dad on the mat underneath handmade picture.
When done making mat, take place it to a store for it to be laminated (plastic coating on front and back). The plastic coating makes it easy to wipe crumbles and coffee off of it.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Book Review
It's a tearjerker week. We had Old Yeller for a movie and now "Sounder" for a book.
"Sounder" is a chapter book for nine to eleven-year-olds, depending on their reading level. The author is William H. Armstrong. This is an A one book. Thus, a Newbery Medal winner. It's not a thick book so it can be easily read in a week. The story is about a poor African-American boy living in the South. What happens to this boy and his dog, Sounder, stirs the reader. The boy's sharecropping father is taken off to jail. Sounder tries to jump in the sheriff's wagon to be with the father, but instead is shot by the sheriff. You keep reading and hoping Sounder will be okay. He survives, but loses an eye and is crippled. After all this he still has faith in human kindness. I have known some grade school kids who had to read this book for class. This isn't a bad idea. Not all kids have near perfect lives. Learning about the sorrows and prejudices that other kids face can make a child more emphatic to others plights.
Tomorrow there will a Father's Day arts and craft project.
"Sounder" is a chapter book for nine to eleven-year-olds, depending on their reading level. The author is William H. Armstrong. This is an A one book. Thus, a Newbery Medal winner. It's not a thick book so it can be easily read in a week. The story is about a poor African-American boy living in the South. What happens to this boy and his dog, Sounder, stirs the reader. The boy's sharecropping father is taken off to jail. Sounder tries to jump in the sheriff's wagon to be with the father, but instead is shot by the sheriff. You keep reading and hoping Sounder will be okay. He survives, but loses an eye and is crippled. After all this he still has faith in human kindness. I have known some grade school kids who had to read this book for class. This isn't a bad idea. Not all kids have near perfect lives. Learning about the sorrows and prejudices that other kids face can make a child more emphatic to others plights.
Tomorrow there will a Father's Day arts and craft project.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Doggy Tip
Dog Tip- Some people with long haired dogs routinely every summer get their dog's hair cut at the groomers. The cut looks like a crew cut. But be careful about doing this. Your dog's skin which hasn't seen the sun can get burned. So be careful about how long they lie in the sun and when walking them. And yes dogs with no fur can get sun burned. A vet informed me of this.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Movie Review
Movie title: Old Yeller. Walt Disney Movie. Dog movie. When I was young I didn't know why the movie was called Old Yeller. Dogs bark. Not yell. But after watching the movie again I found out Yeller is for yellow. As in the color of the dog. The movie is moving and it flies by. But it has a heartbreaking part so I have some reservations about recommending it for kids under ten. For adults it's quite good. It's about reality. Disney does a fine job with the ending. It's uplifting. Still the sad event in the movie lingers with you after the movie is done.
The movie itself: A frontier family adopts a stray dog. Or the other way around if you like it. The oldest boy at first doesn't like the dog. The dog caused a fence to break and the boy has to mend it since his dad is away. But old Yeller, the dog, and this boy bond. Old Yeller is definitely the dog to have at home. He saves the youngest boy from an angry mama bear and the older one from a raging mama cow and a bunch of wild hogs. At one point in the movie Old Yeller's owner comes for him, but the youngest son swaps the dog for a toad and a home cooked meal. Now for the sad part: While saving the womenfolk from a wolf, Old Yeller gets bit. And gets rabies. The oldest boy, who has grown to love Old Yeller, now has to put his best canine friend down. You don't actually see the boy do it. You just hear the shot. But nonetheless it's still heart wrenching. As a kid I didn't understand why the dog just couldn't be taken to a vet and given medicine. That's the thing about kids. They have a hard time understanding. So while the movie is top class, you might want to pass on it if you have extra sensitive little kids. In the ending, the family does keep one of Yeller's pups which does brighten things up.
The movie itself: A frontier family adopts a stray dog. Or the other way around if you like it. The oldest boy at first doesn't like the dog. The dog caused a fence to break and the boy has to mend it since his dad is away. But old Yeller, the dog, and this boy bond. Old Yeller is definitely the dog to have at home. He saves the youngest boy from an angry mama bear and the older one from a raging mama cow and a bunch of wild hogs. At one point in the movie Old Yeller's owner comes for him, but the youngest son swaps the dog for a toad and a home cooked meal. Now for the sad part: While saving the womenfolk from a wolf, Old Yeller gets bit. And gets rabies. The oldest boy, who has grown to love Old Yeller, now has to put his best canine friend down. You don't actually see the boy do it. You just hear the shot. But nonetheless it's still heart wrenching. As a kid I didn't understand why the dog just couldn't be taken to a vet and given medicine. That's the thing about kids. They have a hard time understanding. So while the movie is top class, you might want to pass on it if you have extra sensitive little kids. In the ending, the family does keep one of Yeller's pups which does brighten things up.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Parenting Article- Prevent Home Invasions
Prevent Home Invasions- Home Safety Advice for Parents
I didn't write this article to frighten anyone. I wrote it to give some good advice. If I didn't already know this information I wouldn't have minded it if someone shared it with me. It's that simple.
Home invasions can be scary. For anyone. Are you at the office when your twelve-year-old child comes home from school? Do you let them stay at home alone during the summer? If so, talk to your child about safety issues. You might not want them using the stove or having friends over when you are not around, but what about strangers who come to the door? Sure you might have told them not to answer the door. But unfortunately I have heard about home invasions during the day when burglars think no one is home. Thus, if your child does not answer the door, a burglar could see your house as a potential target. Let us discourage these criminals. Let us deter home invasions. I have been to neighborhood watch meetings. One police officer said the best home invasion deterrent is a dog. If a burglar hears a dog barking inside a home they might have second thoughts about invading it. It is easier to hit a house that does not have a dog. If you do not have a dog put a big bowl of water out front with a few dog toys. And put a Beware of Dog sign on your side gate. I have seen metal ones with a growling Doberman. Just tell your gardener or pool man, if you have one, not to be afraid of the dog. You can also think about putting a dog dish on the side yard with a big dog bone next to it.
Another idea to keep away unwanted individuals is to make a tape of a friend's barking dog. When scared, your child can play this tape when some unknown person comes knocking at the door. Also, put up a No Soliciting sign to discourage unknown people from knocking. And tell your child there is no reason for a stranger to turn the door handle. Some burglars do this in the off chance you forgot to lock your door. Your child should know about 911. And remember to inform your child about any cable or telephone repair workers who are scheduled to come. This could be an unnecessary scare for your child if you forget. To be extra safe, I suggest you be there when they come. Even if they are only working out back.
Methods burglars use to get into your home: A new method burglars are using is to pretend to leave business cards or flyers at the front door. They even carry real cards just in case. They ring the door bell. If no one answers they go to the side gate. If it is unlocked they will go through the gate and break a back window. They will steal cash, laptops, jewelry, wallets, and anything that is easy to move. One neighbor told me her house was hit like this. Her neighbor across the street saw a man running across her front lawn with her small bedroom safe. The police told her criminals will look to see if there are any cars parked in the driveway. If there are not any, they will assume that could be a good house to burgle. She was away at work so her car was gone. She now has a neighbor, who works at home, park her car in her driveway during the day. This could make your child feel safer. If you have a good neighbor you can trust you can tell them when your child comes home from school, or when they will be staying home alone during winter or summer break.
Another trick is what I call the uniform scam. The burglar dresses up as a tree trimmer, electrician, meter man, or DWP worker. They knock on the front door. If no one answers they enter through the side gate. None of the neighbors think twice about this because they look official. If it is a team burgle, one might go to the front door. When the teen or senior opens the door the criminal says they need to look at the trees in back because the back neighbor is trimming their trees. The criminal will be congenial, even make you laugh. They will keep you occupied out back while their partner goes through the front door that was left unlocked. He does the stealing. If an unknown person in a uniform asks to be taken out back, just say no. If they say they are police, tell them you want to call their station first. If they say they are a tree trimmer say you will gladly call your neighbor now and talk to them about the trees. You might see the burglar high tail it out of there if his cover can be exposed. One very sad story an officer told me about was how two men in security uniforms went to a home of an elderly gentleman. They told him his neighbor's house, a few houses down, was just burglarized. They said they thought the burglar could be in his backyard. The nice elderly man was of course distressed. He went out back with one of the pretend security officers. The other stayed out front. That is until he saw they were out of sight. Again, this elderly man did not relock his front door. This time because of naturally being distressed. The second man went though the home stealing cash and jewelry while his partner kept the elderly gentleman busy. The elderly and young are easy targets. Keep your ears open for any neighborhood scams you hear about and notify others. One woman in my area, after her house was robbed, made flyers of what happened to her and what the criminal looked like. She taped the flyers on lampposts.
Lastly, when you take a trip do not announce it to the world. Yes, a couple of neighbors should know just to be on guard if anything fishy goes on. Have them call the police if they see anything odd. Leave a phone number where you can be reached. I had a friend whose aunt's house was robbed during the day when they were on vacation. A moving van pulled up in their driveway and some men took their furniture away. One of the neighbors saw it, but just thought they were moving. It ended up the aunt told their maid when they would be on vacation. The maid innocently told a friend who told a cousin who sadly was a thief. Take this tip into consideration: Make it look like people are living at your house while you are gone. Think about hiring a neighbor kid to pick up flyers and cards off your stoop, and to take the trash in and out on trash day. Plug in light timers. Stop all mail and newspapers or have a neighbor pick them up. Consider having a friend stay at your house or at least stop by at different times.
I didn't write this article to frighten anyone. I wrote it to give some good advice. If I didn't already know this information I wouldn't have minded it if someone shared it with me. It's that simple.
Home invasions can be scary. For anyone. Are you at the office when your twelve-year-old child comes home from school? Do you let them stay at home alone during the summer? If so, talk to your child about safety issues. You might not want them using the stove or having friends over when you are not around, but what about strangers who come to the door? Sure you might have told them not to answer the door. But unfortunately I have heard about home invasions during the day when burglars think no one is home. Thus, if your child does not answer the door, a burglar could see your house as a potential target. Let us discourage these criminals. Let us deter home invasions. I have been to neighborhood watch meetings. One police officer said the best home invasion deterrent is a dog. If a burglar hears a dog barking inside a home they might have second thoughts about invading it. It is easier to hit a house that does not have a dog. If you do not have a dog put a big bowl of water out front with a few dog toys. And put a Beware of Dog sign on your side gate. I have seen metal ones with a growling Doberman. Just tell your gardener or pool man, if you have one, not to be afraid of the dog. You can also think about putting a dog dish on the side yard with a big dog bone next to it.
Another idea to keep away unwanted individuals is to make a tape of a friend's barking dog. When scared, your child can play this tape when some unknown person comes knocking at the door. Also, put up a No Soliciting sign to discourage unknown people from knocking. And tell your child there is no reason for a stranger to turn the door handle. Some burglars do this in the off chance you forgot to lock your door. Your child should know about 911. And remember to inform your child about any cable or telephone repair workers who are scheduled to come. This could be an unnecessary scare for your child if you forget. To be extra safe, I suggest you be there when they come. Even if they are only working out back.
Methods burglars use to get into your home: A new method burglars are using is to pretend to leave business cards or flyers at the front door. They even carry real cards just in case. They ring the door bell. If no one answers they go to the side gate. If it is unlocked they will go through the gate and break a back window. They will steal cash, laptops, jewelry, wallets, and anything that is easy to move. One neighbor told me her house was hit like this. Her neighbor across the street saw a man running across her front lawn with her small bedroom safe. The police told her criminals will look to see if there are any cars parked in the driveway. If there are not any, they will assume that could be a good house to burgle. She was away at work so her car was gone. She now has a neighbor, who works at home, park her car in her driveway during the day. This could make your child feel safer. If you have a good neighbor you can trust you can tell them when your child comes home from school, or when they will be staying home alone during winter or summer break.
Another trick is what I call the uniform scam. The burglar dresses up as a tree trimmer, electrician, meter man, or DWP worker. They knock on the front door. If no one answers they enter through the side gate. None of the neighbors think twice about this because they look official. If it is a team burgle, one might go to the front door. When the teen or senior opens the door the criminal says they need to look at the trees in back because the back neighbor is trimming their trees. The criminal will be congenial, even make you laugh. They will keep you occupied out back while their partner goes through the front door that was left unlocked. He does the stealing. If an unknown person in a uniform asks to be taken out back, just say no. If they say they are police, tell them you want to call their station first. If they say they are a tree trimmer say you will gladly call your neighbor now and talk to them about the trees. You might see the burglar high tail it out of there if his cover can be exposed. One very sad story an officer told me about was how two men in security uniforms went to a home of an elderly gentleman. They told him his neighbor's house, a few houses down, was just burglarized. They said they thought the burglar could be in his backyard. The nice elderly man was of course distressed. He went out back with one of the pretend security officers. The other stayed out front. That is until he saw they were out of sight. Again, this elderly man did not relock his front door. This time because of naturally being distressed. The second man went though the home stealing cash and jewelry while his partner kept the elderly gentleman busy. The elderly and young are easy targets. Keep your ears open for any neighborhood scams you hear about and notify others. One woman in my area, after her house was robbed, made flyers of what happened to her and what the criminal looked like. She taped the flyers on lampposts.
Lastly, when you take a trip do not announce it to the world. Yes, a couple of neighbors should know just to be on guard if anything fishy goes on. Have them call the police if they see anything odd. Leave a phone number where you can be reached. I had a friend whose aunt's house was robbed during the day when they were on vacation. A moving van pulled up in their driveway and some men took their furniture away. One of the neighbors saw it, but just thought they were moving. It ended up the aunt told their maid when they would be on vacation. The maid innocently told a friend who told a cousin who sadly was a thief. Take this tip into consideration: Make it look like people are living at your house while you are gone. Think about hiring a neighbor kid to pick up flyers and cards off your stoop, and to take the trash in and out on trash day. Plug in light timers. Stop all mail and newspapers or have a neighbor pick them up. Consider having a friend stay at your house or at least stop by at different times.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Book Review- For Parents and their Kids
"The Bully Blockers Club," by Teresa Bateman. Illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic. Picture book with sentences. Do you have a child who is upset because they are being bullied at school? Have them read this inspirational book. It shows ways to overcome it. The best idea is the buddy system, which I've always supported. Five friends who stick together against one bully really helps. The book's story revolves around Lotty, a raccoon who is being pestered by a school bully. Each day of the week she tries different ways to cope with the situation. This book is for first graders (if you read it to them) to forth graders (because I like the sensible ideas in the book).
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Movie Review
In keeping with my of Dog Days of Summer (Tips for Dog Owners and their families)I will be reviewing dog movies every so often this summer.
Movie Review: Homeward Bound- The Incredible Journey. Animal movie. Rated G. A family's three pets: an older golden retriever, a young bulldog and a cat are left to be cared for by others when their family goes away. The animals think their owners won't be coming back so they go take a long journey in an attempt to get back to them. Kids who love animals should like this movie. It's very cute. You root for the animals, hoping they make it back to their owners safely.
Movie Review: Homeward Bound- The Incredible Journey. Animal movie. Rated G. A family's three pets: an older golden retriever, a young bulldog and a cat are left to be cared for by others when their family goes away. The animals think their owners won't be coming back so they go take a long journey in an attempt to get back to them. Kids who love animals should like this movie. It's very cute. You root for the animals, hoping they make it back to their owners safely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
