Ash of All Trades

My kids are on year round school which means we have 3 separate breaks (we call them Fall, Spring, Summer) rather than one long summer vacation.  Each time we are off track we make a "fun list" of the activities we want to do! Some breaks we have a huge list with activities for every day.  Other times just a handful of really cool things we want to do so that we can leave some spare time open for some spontaneous things.  (I am not spontaneous so we are working on increasing my ability to cope with spontaneity). Here is our Summer Fun List: Swim Lessons Knott's Berry Farm Backyard Camping Individual Movie Nights (each of our girls will stay up late 1 night with mom and dad) Go to the Beach Play date with Good Friends Summer Reading Program at both libraries Go to an Angel's Baseball Game Go Kayaking Make Hygiene Kits for the Homeless Sister's Sleepover (the girls sleep in sleeping bags or on the trundles together) Aquarelle Paintings   Make Ste

While talking with some friends about playing outside with our kids it dawned on me that kids today don't really play our front.  Some do - a lot.  The vast majority however don't play out front and in the area I grew up in there aren't really backyards to play in. These friends were a bit shocked that I let my girls play out front.  And then I said the magic words: "Yea they play in the street all the time!"  That blew their socks off. Our culture right now is one of caution, anxiety, and fear.  Should we eat organic or ingest chemicals, should we watch T.V. or not, which baby lotions are safe, should kids play on monkey bars they might break their arms.  I am grateful for this information era and all that we know because of course I want my kids to live long healthy lives.  Yet I feel burdened by the weight of all the "what ifs". So yes I let my kids play outside and feel safe doing so.  I am always out there with them and they wear helmets anyti