Christmas is coming, the gift list is getting fat! It is inevitable that children get stars in their eyes and dream about magnificent toys and gadgets at night. One of the best ways I have found to encourage my kids to keep their gift wish lists reasonable is to have them focus on their gift giving list.

In our family the kids start with a list of all the people who have made special contributions to their lives during that year. This is not limited to family members, but includes neighbors, friends, music teachers, and those who have impacted the kids’ lives. Then I help them go through the list and choose which people they know for whom they definitely want to create something unique. The younger the child, the shorter I try to have them keep that list.

Talk with your kids about the types of gifts they might want to make. Encourage your kids to turn their interests and talents into gifts they can give this holiday season.

If you have a budding baker he can

• Make Christmas cookies and give them in holiday tins
• Make cocoa in a mug or brownies in a jar (supplying the ingredients and directions)
• Dip plastic spoons in almond bark and sprinkle with cookie decorations for cocoa or coffee spoons
• Give a coupon for a free order of (fill in the blank with something he can make fresh at a later date for the recipient)

If your child is an artist she can

• Make homemade placemats or bookmarks and laminate them
• Design the covers to greeting cards to give as a stationery gift set
• Paint the matte border of a frame, with a picture of her and her special recipient inside

If you have a child who loves to be active he can

• Give a certificate for leaf raking, lawn mowing, or snow shoveling
• Create coupon for dog walking
• Present the recipient with homemade tickets for a shared walk at a park or game of 1:1 basketball (great for older siblings to give to younger ones)

Easy Gift Ideas for Kids to Create

Take the month of December to teach your child a new activity or work on one they already enjoy. When my kids were 6 or 7 they learned to latch-hook and cross-stitch, creating gifts for family and friends. These were great projects for them to work on while I read aloud to them or we watched Christmas specials or even a football game on TV. The boys even took up the hobby, one creating a large deer print pillow for his grandparents.

Your kids don’t have to be expert craftsmen or master knitters in order to create special gifts. Head to the craft store and pick up some blank wooden ornaments or even flat wooden or plastic cut-outs in holiday shapes (these are anywhere from $0.20/each to just over $1). Have your kids paint, color with markers, or add glitter and ribbons to these and turn these into ornaments or refrigerator magnets by adding some self-stick magnet pieces.

Teens and tweens can take their favorite songs and create CDs for family members, or get creative and make a digital scrapbook and burn it to a DVD. Older kids are also the perfect ones to give certificates for babysitting, household chores, or lawn services.

It can be really easy for our kids to get caught up in the excitement of gifts for the holidays, but not always as easy to get them excited about the giving aspect. If you have some kids who still aren’t excited about sharing their treasures and talents, take them to do some volunteer service work, particularly for families, and let them see with their own eyes how important it is to give of ourselves.

By the time that Christmas morning arrives, my kids are typical kids and are excited to see what might be hiding under the wrapping paper. However, they are fortunately just as excited (sometimes more so) about the gifts they spent the month creating. I am the proud recipient of a hand-painted birdhouse, numerous artistic picture frames, and even a card-carrying member of the “Son who will clean the junk drawer” club. I can’t wait to see what ideas the kids will come up with next!

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1. Give your kids a camera to help keep them occupied along the way, as well as to help document the adventure. There are almost foolproof cameras made for toddlers and it seems that as soon as kids can walk they can operate a simple digital camera. There are no rolls of film to purchase and develop, and kids get instant gratification when they can see their shot on the preview screen. If you are making an extended visit, pack a small scrapbook album and print some photos when you arrive. On quiet evenings at Grandma’s house your kids can work on completing the scrapbook together with family.
2. Plan for delays and prepare for mishaps. Between the unpredictable weather and the random unreliability of vehicles and airport schedules, there are bound to be delays in your schedule. Keep one small tote (even a spare make-up bag) for your bag of tricks in these emergencies. This bag could include a travel game, packs of gum, or a new video game or movie for a handheld device. Add in a small notepad and a few pencils – easily turned into tic-tac-toe, hangman, doodle equipment, or lists about why we want to get to Grandma’s house.
3.  Have a family meeting the day before your trip to go over ground rules for travelling together and expectations for behavior once you arrive. Make the rules age appropriate – for your 4 year-old this might mean reminders about dinner manners, and for teens this might be rules for limited texting once you arrive.
4. If you’re visiting relatives or friends with whom your children are not very familiar, turn it into a game of getting to know loved ones. During your trip you can tell stories about the people you are going to see and why they are special to you. Make sure you show the kids recent pictures to help get them ready for the onslaught of new faces. Just don’t expect your child to immediately love your Aunt Susie as much as you do – give them time to warm up to all of these new adults.
5. Shop for your contributions to the family dinner once you arrive so you don’t have to transport. If you need gifts for your holiday, shop online and have the gifts delivered to the destination ahead of time or ship them ahead of your departure yourself. This will save on room in your suitcase and be one less item to pack.
6. Bring along a few simple items from home that can be used along the way or once you arrive to fill in gaps of downtime and bring familiarity for younger kids. If you’re reading from a special book at bedtime or have a favorite DVD or CD, pack those for when the togetherness gets to be too much and the kids need a touch of home.
7. Bring along weather appropriate gear. When the family time is on overload take the kids and head out on the trails, snowshoe together, or pack your child’s scooter for a few trips around the block. Wearing off extra steam is a great way to bring some balance back into the schedule. If you have a long road trip, consider bringing a few simple outdoor supplies like Frisbees, balls, or snow pants (depending on where your travels take you) and stop every once in a while to let the kids roam outside.
8. Pack a few nutritious fillers for the overabundance of fast food stops, Thanksgiving pie, or Christmas pudding. Cups of applesauce, dried fruit, nuts, and a baggie of carrots are easy snacks with no prep time and can help counterbalance the sugar overload Grandma might provide.
9. Keep a routine. Often when travelling the family routines go out the window on the first stop, but finding and keeping at least a few small routines will help keep kids from overloading and help keep you out of your cranky pants. Even if the bedtime gets later, keep the same story time routine. If your child likes to start the day with cocoa and fruit while snuggling with you, keep that routine going as well.
10. Pack your patience. Don’t rush through your holiday travels with your kids as your frenzied pace will only contribute to their meltdown factors. Taking a few extra minutes to let them explore new places or rest in between outings will help make sure that you survive your holiday travels and maybe even look forward to next year!

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Play

Thanksgiving might bring about images of pilgrim hats, the Mayflower, and overflowing cornucopias – not always the stuff childhood excitement is made of. Bring a little play into the season with some easy and fun games and activities.

• Play pin the gobbler on the turkey.
• Print themed bingo games and play on family game night.
• Get your kids in the kitchen and have them help you make fun desserts like the turkey cupcakes shown above.
• Provide little ones with themed coloring pages.
• Teach your kids silly stories and songs, such as The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven.
• Play The Talking Fork at dinner. Bring out an over sized fork and take a new twist on the Native American idea of a talking stick. Pass the fork and instruct everyone who holds it to tell a favorite memory, something for which they are thankful, or perhaps how they have been blessed this year. Only the person with the Talking Fork speaks, making it a fun way for little kids to feel like their voices are really heard.

Learn

Celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving with your kids by learning with them about his tradition. Incorporate good books into your daily routine that talk about the holiday – perhaps choosing to read aloud as a family a chapter book that looks more closely at the historical aspect. Some books to start looking for at your library include:

• 10 Fat Turkeys, by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas
• I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, by Alison Jackson and Judy Schachner
• P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet, by Carol Crane and Helle Urban
• If You Were At The First Thanksgiving, by Anne Kamma and Bert Dodson
• ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, by Dav Pilkey
• The Thanksgiving Story, by Alice Dalgliesh and Helen Sewell
• The Thanksgiving Door, by Debby Atwell
• . . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, by Ann McGovern and Anna DiVito
• The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving, by Ann Mcgovern and Elroy Freem
• The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks, by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain

Sign up at Scholastic to have your kids experience a virtual world from the first Thanksgiving, starting with the journey on the mayflower. This virtual voyage is free and a great way for reluctant readers to still learn about the history behind the holiday.

Have your kids create a special Thanksgiving activity to share with others on the actual holiday. My older kids even video recorded a holiday spoof one year and brought the DVD to Grandma’s house to watch after football with everyone. They had a great time writing a script, acting out the scenes, and editing the video. One year the kids also made a homemade Jeopardy style game (on tag board), with Thanksgiving themed questions – or answers – and everyone played while we waited for dessert.

Give

You are about to enter the domain of Christmas frenzy in just a matter of weeks, so approach the holiday season with the right spirit of generosity and  help your kids develop their  spirit of service. Each fall, immediately after Halloween, as my children are coming down from their sugar highs, we decide on service projects to do as a family. This year I charged the youngest with the task of choosing a new project. He has selected Bundle Me Warm, a used coat and outwear drive that supplies the much needed warm outerwear for families in need. He is working on invitations to send to family and friends asking them for their donations, and will host a party where he will collect the items. He is eight years old, the perfect age to use his infection enthusiasm to spread a little holiday cheer.

Each year our family also helps prepare Thanksgiving baskets that our church provides to families in need, and it has provided an amazing sense of thankfulness in our family. If you are short on ideas check with local churches and community centers for their needs. Go out and find something to remind your family all you have to be thankful for, or better yet, let your kids find something and tag along for the ride!

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Taking children into extremely crowded situations can be daunting for parents. Suddenly the airports, fairs, and shopping malls seem more like tests of parental abilities to keep track of lightning-fast children. There are ways you can enjoy and survive the throngs of people without losing your child, or your sanity, and you can do it all without tethering your child by a leash (even if it has a cute bear for a backpack to distract from the idea that it is a leash for humans).

• Make sure the activity or event is really appropriate for your kids. Heading to the airport can’t be avoided if you want to visit relatives – together – but your 2-year-old might not really feel left out of the festivities if you don’t take her to the mall on Black Friday.

  Several years ago my husband and I ventured with our very young children to the state fair, using a double stroller for 2 of the kids, wearing the youngest in a pack, and holding the hand of the oldest. We made one wide sweep through the fair, our children for the most part staring at the hind ends of the adults walking by, and vowed not to do that to our kids again. Until they could manage through the crowds without having slushies dripped on their heads and actually care if the princess had her likeness carved in butter, there was no real need to take them back.

• Establish ground rules and expectations for your child before entering the crowd. Explain that the crowd will make things more difficult, but that makes it more important to listen well and stay with an assigned person. If you make certain rules before passing through the gates and explain their value, such as always holding hands, it will be easier to remind the kids of the rules instead of trying to flounder to create new ones in the midst of chaos.
• Have a back-up disaster plan. Kids will be kids, and in crowded places like fairs and malls, it is easy for them to get distracted and lose you in a split second. Teach them how to react when that happens. Some of the basic rules we set up for our kids when they were barely old enough to walk included:
• Freeze like a statue and count to 20 or sing a song. In crowded places it makes it so much more difficult to find your kids if you are both wandering. Teaching them to freeze narrows down your search location and increases the likelihood that someone will notice their plight.
• Teach them to ask another mother for assistance. Often other moms are the best people to look to in times of crisis and they will understand what the child is going through – and you.
• Keep it loud. We taught our kids to feel free to make some noise if they ever got lost. Our daughter tested that idea at the mall one holiday season when she toddled off to go around the counter, and realized we didn’t follow. In 1 split second we heard, “Moooooommmmm!” at the top of her lungs, and knew instantly where she was. We found her (she wasn’t really lost, but felt like she was), and praised her for letting us know where she was.
• Establish a meeting place with older kids. Pick out a clearly visible landmark where everyone can meet if you get separated. For us at the state fair last year it was the DNR tower, visible from any location at the fairgrounds.
• Dress for success. Since the kids were tiny tots I have used a color code system to help me keep track of them in crowded places. At the zoo they might all wear their tie-died t-shirts, or everyone might wear red shirts to Underwater World. It is not a fail proof plan for keeping track of them but I can quickly scan for them via their wardrobe. And if anyone ever does get lost, it will be that much easier for me to describe what he is wearing in my moment of panic.
• Always bring along a current photo ID of your child, especially to places like the airport or other locations far from home. Fast access to accurate descriptions can lead to faster, happier outcomes.
• Consider and then reconsider ideas like leashes. While some parents swear by the use of leashes for kids, there are both safety concerns and learning disadvantages that you risk when tethering your child to you. The leashes can be a danger for kids who get tangled as parents enjoy false senses of security. I recently came back from the state fair where many parents were using leashes with their kids. Most of those kids wandered at the full distance the leash would allow, and the parents were oblivious as to their actions at the end of the tether. Kids who are regularly tethered are also at risk of failing to follow their parents’ instructions for safety and instead learn that being close to Mom and Dad is a forced affair, one from which they should try to escape (if it wasn’t for that cute little bear on the back keep guard).

  On the other hand, parents who were attentive to their children by either hand holding or walking right next to their child seemed to be truly present with their kids during the day. The taught leashes also make for difficult navigating for others around the child, increasing the likelihood that someone will trip. If your child is not ready to enjoy the event or activity without being restrained by a leash, perhaps she would prefer a rousing afternoon of Chutes and Ladders with a beloved babysitter while parents roam the fair solo.

Parents face so many struggles with their kids. Surviving crowds shouldn’t have to take away the family fun. Try to keep your sanity, enjoy the day, and prepare for the unexpected. And free the leash kids!

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Bring on the pirates! Turn the yard or your living room into rough, pirating waters. Turn boxes into ships of legends and grab red bandanas for costumes. Create a treasure hunt for the kids by making a map and soaking the paper in a few tablespoons of cold coffee or tea for an authentic look. If you are really feeling creative, burn the edges of the paper and roll it up and seal it with wax. Use landmarks (swing sets, the tree in the backyard, the toy box, etc.). If you are able, actually bury the treasure, protected in a shoe box or small plastic tote, in the yard, a garden, or the sandbox. If digging is not an option, use something else that the kids will have to uncover to find the treasure. Chocolate coins and play jewelry are basic treasure fill items, but you can add things like fun pencils, sunglasses, water bottles, or a coupon to stay up late to watch shooting stars.

Mow the lawn in a goofy pattern – a miniature baseball diamond, soccer field, football field, or even gigantic hop-scotch grid! Just lower the blades on the mower and create some original backyard fun! My kids love to use the football field grid I mow to play other games, such as Ships Across the Ocean, or even just to use it as a square track for running. If you have limited space, use lawn-friendly spray paint from your local hardware store and create a design that will wash away in a couple of days. You could paint a target for bean bags or just straight lines for fall-proof balance beams for the youngest kids.

Have a bike wash station and invite the neighbors! Put a new twist on neighborhood car washes and set up kid friendly bike and wagon washing stations. Fill large totes or dish pans with soapy water, collect rags or sponges and add those to a bucket, and get out the WD40 or another grease-cutter for sprucing up those gears. Finish off the washing station with a box of bike decorating supplies. These can include old decks of cards for the spokes, miniature license plates with letter and number stickers (made from rectangular plastic storage ware lids with holes punched through the top for tying to bikes), small baskets to attach with zip ties, or glitter glue and stickers for decorating those hand-me-down bikes that have seen better days. Don’t forget to spruce up your own bike and then have a parade down the sidewalk!

Blow bubbles. Yes – it is a standard summer activity for young kids, but you can make this one more memorable by grabbing a kiddie pool and filling it with a couple of gallons of bubble liquid. Large quantities of bubble liquid can often be found inexpensively at dollar or general stores, and you can add dish detergent for stronger creations. Instead of using small hand wands, have your child stand on a small stool in the middle of the pool and try to pull a bubble up and around him by using a hula hoop.

Serve everything on a stick. Summer is the quintessential time of county and state fairs where everything you can imagine eating is served on a stick – even candy bars and pizza. Create your own concoctions and serve an entire meal on a stick. You can grill hot dogs and slide them onto skewers before serving, take paper cups and freeze yogurt smoothies in them with craft sticks for handles, or cover a stick, dip it in honey or peanut butter, and then roll it in cereal, nuts, raisins, or trail mix. Chill or freeze before serving. There are almost no limits to what you can serve on a stick for backyard summer fun!

Other fun things to do with your kids this summer

• Decorate flip flops with fabric paints or by tying short strips of fabric to the straps.
• Go on a bird tagging expedition with a local ornithologist group.
• Try geocaching or letterboxing.
• Press flowers into large books to frame or use as artwork.
• Head to the ice rink to cool off on a hot day.
• Get a bug ID chart online, at the library or bookstore, and go on a backyard bug hunt.
• Find a drive-in movie theatre and order some popcorn!
• Go metal detecting at local sand pit volleyball court.

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1. Leave the big fireworks displays to the experts. There is a reason that fireworks are banned in some states, and that is because they often result in injuries or fatalities. If you do decide to put on your own display, follow all recommended safety precautions.
2. Do not let kids play with fireworks. Sparklers usually come to mind as a fun, safe staple for the 4th of July, but they can get as hot as 1,800 (degrees) F. This temperature can melt gold. If you do allow your children to use them, take extra precautions such as tying long hair back into a ponytail and keeping the sparklers away from the clothes and face. As always, supervise your children while they are playing with them.
3. Steer clear of illegal fireworks. You can identify these by the absence of manufacturer’s labels.
4. Aim fireworks away from people, pets, houses, leaves, brush, and anything flammable. Fireworks reportedly cause more than 50,000 fires each year.
5. Don’t forget cleanup! Don’t let your kids clean up any strays; they may still be dangerous. Fireworks should be soaked in a bucket of water and thrown in a trashcan.
6. In case of injury follow these steps:

For burns, remove clothing and run cool water over the area. Do NOT use cold water or ice.

Eye injuries are serious and require immediate attention. Do NOT rub or touch the eye, apply ointment, or flush with water. Instead, protect your child’s eyesight by cutting the bottom out of a paper cup and holding it up to the eye until you can get to a doctor or hospital.

Have a Happy 4th of July!

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Start Early

Did you know that John Adams firmly believed the holiday tradition should be celebrated on the 2^nd of July? Gather for a special “pre-celebration” with your kids and make a new tradition in your family. Your kids will love to have an extra special holiday built into the summer and they will probably be more likely to remember this nontraditional gathering. July 2nd was the day that the actual votes were cast in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence, and the 4^th of July was when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Ironically, Adams and Jefferson (the main author of the Declaration) were divided on the issue of when to celebrate the occasion, but both died on July 4^th, 1826, the 50^th anniversary of the signing.

Make It Red White & Blue

For whatever reason, the clothing, decorations, and food just seem a little more festive when there are patriotic colors. Use these colors in your picnic-ware, serve colorful berries together with a little whipped cream, or even plant flowers with these colors. Share a little fact with your family about the colors of the country. White symbolizes purity, red hardiness and valor, and blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

March in a Parade

If you won’t be near a parade route or don’t want to fight the crowds to have your toddler frightened by the noise of 37 fire engines roaring by, gather the kids and let them form their own parade. They can decorate wagons and pull them through the neighborhood, or even the campground. Older kids can turn their bikes into patriotic floats, complete with streamers, balloons, and maybe a basket of treats to throw out along the way.

Make a Birthday Cake

Help younger kids understand the significance of the holiday by baking a birthday cake with them to celebrate the birth of the country. Use 13 candles to signify the 13 colonies that fought for and won their independence. Play some patriotic music, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, or even use sparklers instead of candles.

Read The Declaration of Independence with Your Kids

While it is not likely that young children will understand the historical significance of the document, reading it aloud helps to put that language into their minds, and helps adults remember that celebrating the 4^th is about more than grilling and swimming. It might not be the easiest read, but even taking a moment to look at the signatures will help imprint the document on the growing minds of young kids.

Play Trivia Games

Enlist older kids to go on an information hunt to gather facts about the history of the 4^th of July. You could have them do this before the big day, or set aside some books and a laptop for investigating early in the day. Turn their information into trivia question cards for a game to be played while waiting for the burgers to grill or the fireworks to begin. Hand out small prizes, such as sparklers or water balloons.

Set Up a Scavenger Hunt

Forever the teacher in me, I like to make clues for the kids that teach them more about the event. Even young kids can play along by finding small items throughout the house or yard that have been “stamped” but small flag stickers. Older kids can be challenged with a map of 13 clues representing the 13 colonies, or perhaps information about the authors of the Declaration of Independence.

Make a Backyard Obstacle Course

Use everyday items to make a course that even Mom and Dad have to navigate. Include everything from hula-hoop stations, to bean bag toss, to a three-legged race.

Boat Races

Have the kids create their own special boats (again, use it as a teaching moment on the role of the English Navy during the Revolutionary War or maritime science concepts). Use items such as milk or egg cartons, newspaper, plastic bottles, or Popsicle sticks. Encourage the kids to decorate them with red, white, and blue, and give them colored tape and stickers to complete their projects. Have a boat race on a lake or even in the backyard pool.

Birthday parties are favorites of children, and the 4^th of July lets adults remember the childhood joys of summer festivities. Use a few simple household items and a little imagination to create a 4^th of July celebration that you and the kids will be talking about for weeks, and looking forward to again next year.

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1. Car bag. It is our code word for the little (emphasis on little) bag that each child is allowed to bring. In the days leading up to the trip I help each child pack a few special toys, books, handheld games, and comfort items. The older kids pack their own, but I do a double check to make sure that there are more than tiny army men packed – too much of a good thing can lead to boredom quickly. I also add in one new fun thing for them they only get to see when we are on the road. One more rule for the car bag – it must be able to close, as in seal shut and not drip any army men onto the backseat floor.
2. Snacks. I load up on healthy snacks, gum, and bottles of water, juice, and milk. There will be plenty of stops along the way where someone will want to consume a chocolate bar in the shape of Mt. Rushmore, so the healthy snacks balance out the splurges.
3. Car games. I invest in inexpensive travel bingo, Mad Libs, and other group games we can play as a family while the wheels on the van go round and round. There are also tons of games you can develop along the way, such as predicting how many more miles until the next farmhouse or town. We even like to use our imaginations and come up with stories about the people in the vehicles next to ours – maybe the truck driver is on his way home to see his new baby for the first time, but he has to drive his truck to WalMart first to buy diapers.
4. Maps for everyone! If your kids can read, or even just barely follow along, get simple maps for them and laminate them, or invest in small atlases for each child. There won’t be as many, “How much longer?” whines from the backseat, and they can learn valuable navigating tools by following along.
5. Special supplies. I carry a small bag with special (or odd) supplies. Garbage bags for wet pool or beach clothes, a small sewing kit, my multi-head screwdriver, scissors, markers (for labeling souvenirs the kids want to keep separate), and zipper seal baggies (these work great for kids who lose their first tooth on the trip).
6. Books on tape or CD. There are places along the highways of the great United States where there are simply no radio stations a family of 6 can agree to listen to. Changing up the pace with audio books can help provide entertainment for everyone.
7. Ounce of prevention. Let’s face it – vacation is no fun if the kids get sick because suddenly vacation from home means vacation from sanitary practices like hand washing. I pack instant hand sanitizer, wet wipes, rolls of paper towels, disinfectant spray, and baking soda (great for nettles from hiking and general cleaning as well).

Family vacations are wonderful ways to reconnect with your kids and learn about the world around you. Travelling with 4 kids, even when they were babies, taught me many lessons. Thanks to the body shape God gave me, I can nurse a hungry baby while he remains safely in his car seat. Double strollers are sometimes good for ramming elevator doors open when young children try to ride off alone in them on tours of museums. My compulsive need to create lists for everything, including vacations, does help make our road trips our favorite family memories.

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1) Have a picnic. Make your favorite foods at home and take them into the backyard or to a favorite spot. When you are done, lay back and find objects in the clouds.

2) Have a water balloon fight or run through the sprinkler. Both are great ways to beat the heat over the holidays.
3) Visit your local pool or public beach. Build sandcastles or collect shells if you can.

4) Make homemade ice cream or popsicles. Wash the sticky stuff off with a garden hose. (Better yet, pull the cars out and see who can make the most bubbles on the dirty car spots).

5) Go to a local parade. Cheer as loud as you can. See who can collect the most candy thrown from the floats.

6) Go on a family bike ride. Maybe you’ll see something you’ve never seen before.

7) Go camping, whether it is at a campground, in your backyard, or in the living room. Tell ghost stories and roast hot dogs and s’mores over the campfire (or in the fireplace)

Form your own parade. Make instruments out of household items (pots and pans, maracas made from beans in an empty water bottle, etc) and parade in front of everyone you see.

9) Visit family. The holidays are a great opportunity to visit people you haven’t seen in awhile. If this is not possible financially or logistically, consider Skyping with them.

10) Make cards for the men and women who are deployed and mail them to one of the many organizations who send cards, care packages, and letters to our troops. (A Google search will provide you with a long list of possibilities).

Happy Memorial Day, and a special thank you to the men and women who are serving our country and the families who are waiting for them to come home.

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5) Dora the Explorer. I keep answering her but she never hears me! Maybe there is a time lag between her and me?

4) Yo Gabba Gabba. My kids love this show, but aside from Jack Black’s cameo (Best. Episode. Ever) I just can’t stomach it. All the flashing colors and weird animation just give me the willies. Why do the dancing kids always have to wear the same awful sweater?

3) Kai-lan. Too close to Dora. I applaud the network wanting to branch out, and it has been interesting learning a few Chinese words, but the pace just moves too slowly for me. Unfortunately, I am outnumbered on that sentiment in my house.

2) SpongeBob Squarepants. I tried to watch him. I really did. “Oh barnacles!” Do I even have to explain this one?

1) Barney. That an annoying purple dinosaur is loved by so many children, but my kids still don’t know of his existence… I would consider that successful parenting. Maybe that makes me an evil parent, but it also makes me a sane one.

Which shows drive you crazy?

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