Crash and Burn

William Playing on his Keyboard

Hello everyone, 

Can you believe it, William will be 2 years old in 26 days and me and my wife are starting to look for a preschool. There was a preschool at the school I work at, unfortunately he needs to be 3 years old and potty trained. Which me and my wife will be working on in about two weeks. Time is just flying by and as my wife said he is more fun to be around the older he gets. He can be such a character, dancing to music, or singing on the mic for the Wii, or playing on his musical instruments. He likes to watch lots of shows on Nick Jr. and Mickey Mouse. He loves to paint and color, playing with cars, likes trains, and dinosaurs. 

My son is such a helper now a days. 

4 Unique Christmas Ideas That Encourage Positive Habits in Children by James Druman

4 Unique Christmas Ideas That Encourage Positive Habits in Children by James Druman

Christmas is just around the corner, and of course there are no shortages of gifts you could buy your children that are anything but good for them. But what about gifts that can only encourage the healthy physical activity that children need? After all, wouldn't you rather have the kids running around the yard for their fun than sitting in front of the newest Playstation to hit the market?

Here are 4 Christmas gifts that can surprise your kids while at the same time encouraging some healthy physical activity.

1. A Garden

You probably think I've gone a little crazy mentioning what some may see as "work" as a gift idea, but kids at the right age will love playing around in a garden and watching the vegetables and flowers they planted grow. Not to mention that gardening is a great skill to have these days--and a dying one at that.

To top it all off, in this economy, we don't all have the money for all the newfangled gadgets. This is a gift you can put together yourself on a tight budget, have your kids help you build, and in the end it will even contribute directly to the family's finances by putting food on the table.

I realize how crazy it sounds, but with a little creativity, the gift of gardening is something your kids will love that will only contribute directly the entire family's welfare.

Make sure you do some research to find out what plants, herbs, and vegetables do well in your area around this time of year, and then when spring hits you can start planting for the summer time. Just imagine all that food come fall.

2. Activity Classes

If you've got a little more money to spend and don't like the idea of giving kids a gift they have to earn, another great present that requires activity are activity classes--think dance, martial arts, or gymnastics. These are the types of learning experiences that can easily become a lifelong passion, so find out what your kids are interested in ahead of time, and when the time comes, give them their dream.

3. Day at the Water Park

Not something we usually think about in the middle of winter, but it really depends on your local climate. If you live in an area that stays relatively warm during the winter time, consider bringing the kids out for a day of splashing around—the upside is in most places, you won't find the summer crowds. Other great activity days include ice skating, rollerblading, and bowling.

4. Playground Equipment

One of the best investments a parent can make in their child's health is to purchase a little playground equipment for the yard, and this is the type of Christmas morning surprise that just boggles a child's mind. Consider getting a small slide, some swing sets, and trampoline--or one of the above--and make your kid's year.

This type of gift will continue delivering a healthy source of physical activity and never grow old.


4 Unique Christmas Ideas That Encourage Positive Habits in Children by James Druman

Quick Write

Hello all,

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. It is Saturday night and I should be working on my paper, but I just wanted to say a quick hello. My days get crazy sometimes between two jobs, going to school, keeping up with the house, and family time. But I would not change anything for the world. I had to work at CVS today as usual and I got to go back tomorrow, when I am usually off. But since I am going on vacation this Wed. I thought it would be good to get a little extra income.  There is still a lot of last minute things to do, I am looking forward to to two weeks off and spending it with family. You know what they say work then play. So I should be getting back to work, so I'll write soon.

a quick update

Hello all,

Hope everything is going well. As for myself, I am busy as usual between work, school, and family. In fact it is 1 am and I am still up. I had spent that last two and a half hours doing an assignment for school and I just finished. I am pretty much tired now and I am about to join my wife, who fell asleep a while ago. But I thought it would be nice to give an update about William and as a father.

Can you believe it he is 20 months old and he's not a baby anymore. According to my favorite site babycenter they say "Your child loves to help: "Me do it" and "By self!" are two of a toddler's favorite declarations. Take advantage of that built-in desire by involving your child in simple chores.

Many jobs are beyond his ability, but he can work alongside you to help with simple tasks, such as putting dirty spoons in the dishwasher, wiping up his own food spills, watering plants, or placing napkins on the table. Taking part in household activities makes your 20-month-old feel important – like a contributing member of the team.

Toddlers don't distinguish between work and play. They just like to do. Encourage this attitude now, and your child may be an ongoing helper around the house. Be sure to offer specific approving praise, whether or not the job is done perfectly: "Wow, thanks for putting all those napkins on the plates!"" (your toddler now: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-20-month-old-me-do-it_5991.bc?intcmp=timeline).

I can already see this happening in my son, he loves to take napkins and wipe everything; the wall, floor, or his high chair. There have been a couple times when he came up to me or my wife and started to wipe or faces. He also enjoys taking the broom and try to sweep the floor, throw things away in the garbage can, and even try to use the hose to water plans. Now according to the babycenter site they say a child can't distinguish between play or work and just does it. They also say to encourage that behavior, hopefully that will stick around once he becomes a teenager.

Well I should get to bed, work comes early tomorrow. Luckily I have a until Friday and my 3 week Christmas vacation begins.

The pumpkin patch

Hello all,

Today we took a trip to the pumpkin patch in Napa and it was Williams second time since he was born. We had lots of fun last year, so we had expected to have as much fun this year, if not even more. Though any day out of the house with William is a fun adventure now a days. The first thing I noticed when we got there was the different layout of the hay bales, which they do every year. In my opnion though it was not exciting as last year. But it was still going to be a fun day looking for pumpkins to take home.

Of course when we went to go use the camera it didn't work, even after new battries were put in. So ended up getting back in the car to take a trip to CVS to get new battries that worked with the camera. After we got everything taken care of, we went back and took pictures like crazy.

 While there it was amazing to see how excited we got when he saw all the pumpkins. He would point at them and say "nice" as he tried to pick them up. He also rode in the cart that we had, but after a while he was done and wanted to do his own thing. After picking three good pumpkins we went to the front to pay for them, but ended up only getting one after seeing the prices. Overall the trip to the pumpkin patch was still fun, I hope it is better next year though. I am also looking forward to carving pumpkin in a couple weeks. Well I be writing soon.

Upromise Guest Shopping

Hello all,

Back in 2003, before I met my amazing wife and started a family. I came across a brochure for Upromise while working Staples at the time. I visited the website and joined shortly there after. Whats great about this site is it allows me to earn money back form shopping online, from groceries, at a gas pump, or eating out. Since I joined, I have gained a good amount back and I can use it to pay for Williams college. Because Upromise partners with hundreds of participating brands, there are lots of ways to earn and save money. I would like to pass these savings to you through my Upromise guest shopping area. With your help, I can earn over two times more back.