Gee, I'm really old!

My kids and I watched the Frankenweenie trailer the other day. It's a new Tim Burton film coming out next month.

Upon completing the trailer, my son, who is eight, tells me: "I don't want to see that. It's in black-and-white. It was probably made in the '70s"

Wow! He knows I was born in the '70s, so I guess he assumes that was a long, long, long time ago (perhaps even a galaxy far, far away). But, really, black-and-white movies? Gone with the Wind and the Wizard of Oz were made in 1939 and they had color!

Maybe, it's a sign I ought to teach him about the history of film. Starting with when that lovely innovation of color appeared (not the '70s!).

As a side note, I forgot to add to yesterday's post this cool event in DC at the National Building Museum. It's free and for kids ages 4-12. They get to build and create. Details are here: http://www.nbm.org/families-kids/festivals/big-build.html.

Fun Fall Activities!

Photo by Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Happy Thursday, folks. I haven't posted in a while, but I do update my Twitter and Facebook feeds on a regular basis, so be sure to follow, as I'll post any deals/discounts I hear about, as well as interesting research (like BPAs link with obesity).


In anticipation of the weekend, I'm posting a few events that you might enjoy this weekend or in the near future.


Hyattsville Arts Festival
Sept. 22, 11 am - 5 pm. Check out what the Hyattsville arts district has to offer with exciting displays and live demonstrations. More information is available at the website
http://hyattsvillecdc.org/hyattsvilleartsfestival/.

Fall Pretty Cupcake event
Pretty Girl Cupcakery will have its "Fall Pretty" promotion on from 10am - 6pm. During the event, Pretty Girl Cupcakery will reveal new fall flavors like Maple, Apple Cinnamon, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin Spice, and S'mores! They will be available in mini sizes (many at only 99 cents) so that you can enjoy more!  For more information about the "Fall Pretty" promotion, contact Pretty Girl Cupcakery at 301-699-2010
or visit http://www.yelp.com/events/hyattsville-fall-pretty-at-the-pretty-girl-cupcakery-hyattsville-arts-festival.

National Book Festival
Sept. 22-23
During this two day celebration on the National Mall, brings famous authors into town for book signings and readings. For more details and a complete schedule, visit: http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

Free Museum Day
Sept. 29. Get free admission to a host of museums around the nation. While we're used to museums being free in this area, several museums with admission costs are waiving them for free museum day. You need to reserve tickets in advance, though. To find out which area museums are participating and reserve tickets, go to http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday. 

Ghost Stories
Oct. 20, 11 am. Ghost Stories with Judy Cook is a performance that includes ghost stories, poetry, pictures and songs performed by Cook. It is $5 at the Montpelier Arts Center., 9652 Muirkirk Rd. in Laurel. For more information, call 301-377-7800

Flea Market
Oct. 21, 7 am- Until at the  Bladensburg Spa Church, 4105 54th St. in Bladensburg. Come hunt for shoes, toys and clothes. For more information, contact Shenue Ross, 240-595-9151 or Marilyn Thorpe,
301-617-0882.

Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Workshop
Oct. 27, 11 am - 2 pm. At this FREE drop-in event, kids of all ages can come in and carve a pumpkin. Tools and pumpkins will be provided. It takes place at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave. For more information, call the exchange, 301-277-2863.

Holiday Cookbook
Nov. 17, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm. At this FREE drop-in event, you can take your favorite family recipes and turn them into a beautiful cookbook. You bring the recipes and the Brentwood Arts Exchange will provide the rest. The Brentwood Arts Exchange is located at 3901 Rhode Island Ave. For more information, call the exchange, 301-277-2863.

Simple Solutions

One of the things I think it's important to teach kids is to solve their own problems and go for simple solutions. 

Take this conversation I had with my daughter the other day, just 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave for school:

Her: Mom, I can't find any pants I like to wear.

Me: Wear pants you don't like. We have to go to school!

Two good things come from this conversation. One, I've shown her a simple solution. And two, given the face she made when I gave her the answer, I'm guessing she won't be coming to me for pants solutions in the future. She'll learn to become her own problem solver, because I'm sure she'll come up with a more satisfying solution herself (even it's the same solution as mine; it's always more satisfying when you'r responsible for the idea).

That's it for today. Take care.

Research Wednesday: Gratitude Makes for Happier Kids!

I recently came across some research from California State University that made me think about ways to make my kids more grateful.

The fascinating 4-year study found that teens who were grateful were less likely to be depressed or delinquent. The study started when the kids were 10 and went through age 14.  Kids didn't have to start off grateful. They just had to become grateful over the course of the
study to recognize benefits.

“They experienced many of the same improvements in well-being. Moreover, they showed slight reductions overall in delinquency, such as alcohol and drug use, cheating on exams, skipping school, detention and administrative discipline,” said Giacomo Bono, a CSU psychology professor and lead author of the study. “For instance, the top 10 percent of those who developed the most gratitude showed 9 percent less delinquency than the bottom 10 percent in gratitude growth.”

The study found that children who were grateful were15 percent more satisfied with their life overall (at home, at school, with their neighborhood, with their friends and with themselves); and 17 percent more happy and more hopeful about their lives.

To me, this is great news. I just have to figure out how to instill gratefulness in my children, because that is the one area where I feel they struggle. They seem to just expect things to happen and not be that happy for them. I'd like them to be more grateful. I hope it starts with setting a more grateful example, which I am definitely going to strive to do.

The study author, Bono, added: "These findings suggest that gratitude may be strongly linked with life-skills such as cooperation, purpose, creativity and persistence and, as such, gratitude is vital resource that parents, teachers and others who work with young people should help youth build up as they grow up. More gratitude may be precisely what our society needs to raise a generation that is ready to make a difference in the world.”

I totally agree.  More details of the study are online here:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/08/health-benefits.aspx

Anyone out there got tips for raising grateful kids?

Book Tuesday: Foxy & Egg

My daughter found this little gem at the library a couple of weeks ago.

It's a darling picture book that helps kids learn that we can't always assume things.

The book follows "conniving" Foxy (a fox), who finds a spotted egg on her doorstep. Foxy invites Egg in for a bite to eat and plots to fatten Egg up and eat him for breakfast. Egg is polite and seemingly clueless, as he eats Foxy's food, does some exercise to get in shape and even agrees to stay the night and join Foxy for breakfast.

Foxy dreams of eating the egg, debating whether to boil,  fry or poach it. When she awakens, Foxy checks on Egg and finds he's grown enormous overnight. All that fattening up, apparently worked, Foxy deduces eggcitedly. Just then, the egg cracks open and reveals -- an alligator! Yes, boys and girls, alligators lay eggs, too. And Mr. Gator has some plans for breakfast, Foxy plans, if you get my drift.

It's a really fun book because of it's surprising ending. And it gives you an opportunity to talk with your kids about all the different types of animals that lay eggs: chickens, ducks, platypuses, alligators, spiders. I would definitely recommend. It's written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith.

That's it for today.

-Hyattsville Mom

Happy Labor Day!

Enjoy this day that celebrates labor by resting!