Recipes for Oobleck: From Dr. Seuss Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Dr. Seuss celebrates his birthday on March 2. We celebrate Dr. Seuss legacy of literature. Dr. Seuss's charming fable Bartholomew and the Oobleck is pure fun. Here are recipes to make oobleck with your children, homeschool or students. What is oobleck? Dr. Seuss is not only a wit with cartoon drawings, but he's pretty creative with words too. Oobleck is just what it sounds like: goopy, gooey, slimy putty flubber. And Oobleck has a mind of it's own as poor Bartholomew discovers. Celebrate the wonder and magic of Dr. Seuss in your homeschool or classroom. Read  Recipes for Oobleck: From Dr. Seuss Bartholomew and the Oobleck

Be Careful What Names You Apply and Self-Apply

Volumes have been written about what to name babies. And volumes should be written on what NOT to name them. I have a friend who has been trying to stay on top of weird kid names, but that's a Herculean task with. It's a lot of work --as soon as you nail one set, another bunch crops up. Now I don't say it has to be like it was when I was young--12 standard boy and girl names and woe be it to anyone with a different one. Like Marilisa. But still, Be Careful What Names You Apply and Self-Apply Picture is Little Miss Marilisa at three.

Did you Play Powder Puff Football?

  I'm dating myself big time, but hey, at almost 50, every reference is. I've been reading a lot about football. Which is a thing I know next to nothing and care even less about. I had two encounters with the game. I played touch football in 8th grade and Powder Puff in 12th. Neither was a great experience, in retrospect. For laughs and memories, read on   Anyone Beside Me Play Powder Puff Football?

Winter 2014 is a Day at the Beach Compared to the Blizzard of 1978

You know how kid memories seemed so vivid and extreme? Then you got older and realized that your young mind might have exaggerated the experience? In 1978, I was 13 years old and in 8th grade at Grand Haven Junior High (now White Pines Middle School). In that winter, I remember what seemed to us the winter 'storm of the century'. But living in Michigan, snow and snow storms are a way of life. I thought my memory may be hazy and that the storm wasn't as bad as I remembered. I couldn't remember when it hit, only that we were back in school after Christmas break and baby new year was 1, 978 years old  30th Anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978

Bub's Daddy Bubblegum Memories

I'm leaving for a week of sunshine in Louisiana soon, so perhaps I'm feeling a little friskier than usual. Scary thought. Or maybe my coating of normal has finally worn down to the center of weird underneath. Scarier thought.

Whatever, the result is pawkish humor. I was trying to think of a cute nickname for Arvind, relative to Bubblews. CEO is nice, but formal. That's his "dress blues" if you will. He needs some basic fatigues for everyday wear. So I thought of Bubblews Godfather.

But that has unpleasant mob associations. I didn't think that fit. Then I thought of Bubble Daddy. Better. But not quite it. And then I lit on the best moniker of all (I think). Bub's Daddy.   This was a fabu gum back in the early 70s. Anyone remember it? Daddy Bubblews and Bubblegum Memories - News - Bubblews

Kids Love Helping With Holiday Preparations

Entertaining little ones during holiday preparations can be a real juggling act. I've been a teacher for almost 30 years and a mom for 25. Plus I was a hands-on (in the way) kid myself. I'm the little tot in the photo and even at 3, I loved helping adults. So I know about making things kid friendly. I say don't just entertain, put them to work helping. I love it, my kids loved it and your children will too.
Here are ways kids can help with Thanksgiving.

* Party decorations patrol. Bust out the craft stuff, print turkey, pilgrim, Native American or fall foliage crafts. Have children color, cut and paste to make neat table decor. Here are free printable Thanksgiving activities.  Ways Kids Can Help With Thanksgiving Preparations

Remember Decoder Rings and Secret Codes--Here are some

Secret decoder rings are enjoying a new vogue after a decades hiatus from kid-culture. Remember how we'd saved box tops and mail in for decoder rings? Or buy them from novelty shops? Adults are getting in on the the secret code fun. I've seen decoder marriage rings. It's Doctor Who and James Bond gone steampunk, oh frabjuous day! But I say why follow the herd? Make your own decoder ring. Here are secret code patterns to help.  Secret Codes to Print for Decoder Rings

DIY Bible Character, Saints Costumes for All Saints Day

When I was a kid, the word DIY wasn't invented. But everything we did was do it yourself. Like Halloween. Mom might buy you a cheap, plastic boxed costume, but usually you just whipped something up at home. I was protestant Christian then and made a lot of Bible character costumes for Sunday School, VBS and Christmas pageants.

I carried that tradition into my own family. I converted to Catholicism and we celebrate All Saints Eve more than Halloween. But I've made costumes for both. If you'd like to make a quick All Saints Day costume, here's a guide. Make saints and Bible character costumes easy with found and recycled Easy Bible Character and Saints Costumes for Halloween or All Saints Day
household stuff.

Easy Costumes for Twins: Pull-String Talking Toy Dolls

The Creation of the Halloween Costume was sacred tradition when I was a kid. Here are
fun costumes for couples or twins I invented. It won my husband and I Halloween costume prizes: pull-string talking dolls. Younger people may not remember pull-string toys and dolls, but those in my generation surely will. To activate the doll's mechanical voice box, there was a string with a plastic ring attached. When pulled, the string would unwind a mechanism that made sounds as it rewound. Do you remember the See 'n' Say toys? They had a pull-string sound box. Dolls in photo are Blythe dolls whose eyes changed color with a pull string. Anyone remember those? I loved mine! Couples Halloween Costume: Pull-String Talking Toy Doll Twins 

National Taco Day Insult Highlights Profiling Issues-What it is and isn't

 October 4 was "National Taco Day." An incident occurred which highlights American cultural ignorance and underscores how profiling stems from said ignorance. I subscribe to a Latino empowerment group, Presente.org. An update was sent which explains:

"Not all Latinos grow up eating tacos. The idea that we do is just another harmful stereotype of Latino people and cultures. But that stereotype was embraced, validated, and propagated by Fox News Channel host Brian Kilmeade. During a celebration of “National Taco Day” on the October 4 Fox and Friends broadcast, Kilmeade asked meteorologist Maria Molina, "So what are the tips we need to know? You grew up on tacos, correct?" But Molina was born in Nicaragua — tacos aren’t even commonly eaten in her country!" Read more on why I signed the petition but with reservations. National Taco Day Insult Underscores Racial, Ethnic, Religious Profiling Issues