100 Things to Do Summer 2011

Well here it is...our homeschooling days are done, and public schools will be done next week.  So we got our 2011 100 Things to do this summer list done!  We kept a lot of last years, but change a few up!  Have suggestions, or want to do this with us let me know. The more the merrier!!!  So here it is....

100 things to do this summer: 2011

1. Goto Space and Rocket center
2. Swim as much as they can
3. Go on a hike
4. Explore Burritt on the Mountain Museum
5. Goto the Cathedral caverns
6. Go fishing
7. Go camping
8. Explore a national park
9. Volunteer
10. Goto SciQuest
11. Visit the Amish
12. Go to the zoo
13. Go see Civil War places
14. Go canoeing
15. Go white water rafting
16. Goto Dentist
17. Run through the sprinklers
18. Catch lighting bugs
19. Grow a garden
20. Grow flowers
21. Goto the movies
22. Goto the library
23. Play catch 
24. Kick a soccer ball
25. Goto a football game
26. Play baseball
27. Play basketball
28. Got to Botanical Gardens
29. Goto a water park
30. Play miniature golf
31. Goto Six Flags
32. See a water fall
33. See a play
34. Swing
35. Look at the clouds
36. Go on a picnic
37. Make a sand castle
38. Go for ice cream in PJ’s
39. Make corn starch glob
40. Make an in door fort
41. Make a writing journal
42. Practice math
43. Have a bike parade 
44. Sing a song in church
45. Go Geocatching
46. Go to a farm
47. Go to a farmers market
48. Go on bike rides
49. Put on a skit
50. Explode a can of coke with mentos
51. Go to the arcade
52. Goto a new movie
53. Get a tan
54. Send Post Cards
55. Cook dinner for someone
56. Tie die shirts
57. Make stepping stones
58. Play a new board game
59. Play a new video game
60. Clean our rooms
61. Make root bear floats
62. Knit something
63. Make your own popsicles
64. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
65. Put together a jigsaw puzzle
66. Make play dough
67. Each kid cook dinner
68. Learn origami 
69. Learn how to do a magic trick
70. Blow bubbles
71. Go horse back riding
72. Wash the car
73. Set off fireworks
74. Goto a planetarium  
75. Take pictures
76. Goto a county fair
77. Goto a concert 
78. Make a lemonade stand
79. Find a fossil
80. Write a letter
81. Watch birds
82. Adopt a pet
83. Learn how to play chess
84. Make a large checker board
85. Jump on a trampoline
86. Go sailing
87. Goto a museum
88. Go out with daddy
89. Go out with mommy
90. Goto VBS
91. Make a bracelet
92. Have a sleep over
93. Plan a Block Party
94. Read books
95. Talk on the phone
96. Walk in grass barefoot
97. Goto a park
98. Make ice cream
99. Take a Sunday Drive
100. Sleep in

So lets see how many we can do this summer!

Disasters and Kids

This last week has set many of our local children in memories that most kids just read about.   But many of our kids have lost their homes, roofs, trees, and some family.  Kids handle this lost, this grief differently.
When we have storm warnings, the younger kids ask "What if our toys get blown away?"  "We can replace toys, we can't replace you, so our job is to keep you safe"  After the storms last Wednesday, we lost the big tree in our back yard.  This was the tree that Robby and my kids have grown up with.  It wasn't one of the back row trees just blocking the view of our neighbors.  This was the one that when Robby was 4 the branches hung to the ground and they made forts our of them, the tree he tried climbing, the tree where he found an Indiana arrow head.  To him this tree was special.  His response was he cried when he saw it, just sobbed.  The two younger ones didn't understand, but Isaiah just put his hand on his back and rub it.  Jeremy, being a teen, said to just get over it.
As we walked around the neighborhood, Robby said this was the worse day ever.  I said this was a good day compared to others.  Robby and Jeremy went with Dan to Athens, the saw part of the path of the tornado, Robby came home and said we were lucky to have our house.
The three younger ones wanted to know about tornados and how they worked.  Robby has an idea, but I happened to have three weather workbooks from one of the local TV stations we picked up from kids days somewhere.  Just right for the moment.  (homeschooling mom's mind, hands on learn:))
My oldest acts like this was all no big deal.  But having 7 days of no power, I am sure brought back some memories of his past with no power cause mom had no money to pay the bill.  But he has a strong desire to help.  He wanted to get the tree down as soon as possible.  While we have tried to find a spot for him to volunteer more, somehow that always fell threw....but there is many opportunities coming up...

But one thing is for sure, my kids want to help, and I love their servant hearts.

So some resources to help kids.

http://www.ldr.org/care/children.html
http://www.fema.gov/kids/dizkid1.htm
Coloring book "After the Tornado"
Fema and Redcross Coloring book
http://www.aap.org/disasters/index.cfm
Red Cross
Many Links to other resources

Resources for teens
Tips for Helping Adolescents
Teens Coping
talking-to-teens-about-natural-disasters

Our next steps,  making sure the kids know we are prepared.  We will collect our flashlights again and make sure they work.  Make sure that they know we have a plan and all is fine.  Restock the little bathroom again, make sure our weather radio still works, (it didn't work this last time)  Making sure we have our radios in a good place.  As a foster home we need to also have this ready again.  It's been awhile since we had it posted.  So it is time to have them ready and posted again.
Share any more resources you may have!

Ramblings of my brain-Blessed

I find my self saying this over and over, we are blessed our roof is still in tack, blessed we are alive...it makes me wonder are those who don't have a house blessed.
According to the free dictionary
bless·ed (blsd) also blest (blst)
adj.
1.
a. Worthy of worship; holy.
b. Held in veneration; revered.
2. Blessed Roman Catholic Church Used as a title before the name of one who has been beatified.
3. Bringing happiness, pleasure, or contentment.
4. blessed Used as an intensive: I don't have a blessed dime.
blessed·ly adv.
blessed·ness n.

Am I more blessed than the house down the road?
Maybe this is just the process of trying to understand what has gone on?

Just ramblings of my brain

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