Monthly Archives: July 2017

It’s pioneer day!

In 1800, the American West was still wild country – no cities, no railroads and no cattle ranches yet existed. It was quiet and untouched. People in the eastern U.S. had heard stories about the western mountains and the desert, but only the Native Americans had been there.

Learn more about this period in American history.

There are many children’s books that take place during this time period. Little House on the Prairie or any of the other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a favorite read-aloud book for school age children. Check the library for stories about Davey Crockett and tall tales about Paul Bunyan.


National Lollipop Day

Today is National Lollipop Day. Lollipops come in many shapes, sizes, and flavors. It’s no wonder why they are a favorite treat for people of all ages! Whether they are filled with gum, chocolate, or solid candy, no one can deny the lure of the lollipop. Do you like to bite right in or lick it until the end? Everyone has a preference for how they like to enjoy their lollipops.

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Fun Activity:  Get a lollipop for the kids.  Count how many licks it takes to eat an entire lollipop.

Fun fact: today’s machines can produce 5,900 lolllipops per minute. That’s plenty of lollipops for you and your friends to enjoy on National Lollipop Day!

If you are feeling particularly ambitious today, think about breaking the world record for the world’s largest lollipop. It weighed 4,031 pounds and was more than fifteen feel tall!

Don’t forget to drink water!

drinking-fountain-water

Step 1
Encourage your child to drink plenty of water. On hot days, children should drink significantly more water than usual, as they are losing more due to the heat.

Step 2
Do not wait until your child is thirsty to give him water. By the time they feel thirsty, they are already becoming dehydrated.

Step 3
Have other liquids on hand for your child to drink throughout the day. Juices also help with hydration.

Step 4
Be alert to changes in behavior.  A child may act confused or more irritable when they are becoming dehydrated/overheated.  Get them into cooler temperatures and drinking more fluids.

Step 5
Dress your child in lightweight clothing in the summer months, particularly if she’ll be playing outdoors in warm weather. You may also consider clothes that are well ventilated as they do not trap heat close to the body.

Additional Safety Note: When there are heat and/or air quality advisories because the weather is dangerously hot, you should avoid taking the children outdoors. Check with your host parents for further guidance on this topic.

Just add water!

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On a hot day nothing is more refreshing than water, for both drinking and playing. Toddlers and pre-schoolers might enjoy a wading pool (never be more than an arm’s length away from a child in a wading pool); children of any age can enjoy running through a sprinkler. School age children would enjoy shooting targets with a water gun, or a water gun fight. For children up to about age six, a large paintbrush and a pail of water can keep them happy and busy as they ‘repaint’ the house. If you have a sandbox, adding some water to it creates new options for pre-schoolers.

Find more water fun at  http://www.ehow.com/how_2324761_play-fun-water-games.html

Cool off with some indoor games!

Here are two simple games to play with young children when it is too hot out to be very active.

I Spy – To play this game simply choose an object within eyeshot and state the color of the object (or with older children say the first letter that the name of the object begins with). For example, if your object is a banana you say “I spy with my little eye, something yellow (or beginning with ‘B’)” Each person takes turns guessing what object you spied. Whoever guesses the object gets to go next.

Hide It – Hide an object in an obvious place. For example, place your portable telephone on top of the television. The first person to find the telephone gets to pick the next object and hide it. The only rule is that the object cannot actually be “hidden”, it must be in a visible place and not hidden from view.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6718041_easy-play-kids-inside-outside.html

Keeping cool in the heat!

Tips for Staying Cool This Summer
• Be aware of the heat. Pay attention to it and modify your activities appropriately.
• Pay attention to your hydration status and be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
• Try to stay in relatively cool areas, even when outside. Many public places, such as libraries, shopping malls and movie theatres, are air conditioned.
•Avoid hot, enclosed places, such as cars. Never leave children unattended in a car!
• Use a fan, if available.
• Stay on the lowest floor of your building.
•Eat well-balanced, light and regular meals.
•Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing.
•Cover windows that receive a significant amount of sun with drapes or shades to help keep your house cool.
•Cool beverages are good for cooling down the body, while alcoholic drinks can impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.

Signs of Heat Overexposure
•Heavy sweating — though if heat stroke sets in, the body can no longer compensate and stops sweating.
•Pale skin.
•Muscle cramps.
•Feeling tired and weak.
•Altered mental status (confusion or disorientation).
•Headache.
•Becoming semi-conscious or passing out.
•Nausea or vomiting.

Steps to Take After Recognizing Heat-Induced Illness
•Call 911.
•Get the person out of the sun and into a cool area. An air-conditioned area is ideal, but moving someone into the shade will also help.
•Apply water to help the person cool off.
• Apply ice to the neck or armpits, where large blood vessels are close to the surface.
•Remove any heavy clothing.
•Immerse the body in cool water, either at a swimming pool or in a bathtub.

photo from lisatortorello.blogspot.com

Hints for Success – Overcoming Homesickness

Almost everyone experiences homesickness and culture shock to some degree, when they come to live in a completely new environment. So much is different and it takes time to adjust.

It is normal to miss your own family, at home. Try to remember that they support you and want you to make the most of this experience. They will enjoy learning more about the U.S., through your eyes, as you share your adventures with them.

Top 5 Tips for Dealing with Homesickness

1. Make Friends – Don’t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There are other lots of new au pairs who are feeling the same way you are right now. Set a goal to reach out to a few of them each day. Some will respond and some will not. Don’t let that discourage you. No one will ever be mad at you for sending them a message to say hello or ask if they want to do something together. Make friends from various countries and you will also get a chance to practice your English skills together.

2. Stay in touch with your home country, but not too much. Skyping or talking on the phone every day with your family and/or friends back home normally makes homesickness worse. Try emailing instead and reduce the Skype and phone calls to once a week, until you feel stronger. It’s much harder seeing the faces and hearing the voices of those you miss.

3. Get out of the house (or your room specifically) – Go to cluster meetings, have coffee or movies with other au pairs, join a gym, go to the library, go for a walk, visit the mall, get a manicure, visit a museum. If someone invites you out, say “yes.” Also, don’t be afraid to do the inviting. If your host family invites you to do things with them, say “yes.” This will help you get to know each other and contribute to your overall happiness.

4. Realize that it definitely gets better – All au pairs experience homesickness and the vast majority of them get through it, stay and have a successful year (some even extend for a second year!) So, it must get better, right? Once you get past the initial homesickness, most au pairs report how quickly the year goes by.

5. Make Plans – Create your own Au Pair Bucket List (places you want to go, new foods to try, new things to experience during your year in the U.S.) and start doing them now. Post on our cluster Facebook group to find others who may want to join you on your adventures.

Photo by:  Shimelle Laine (Flickr)

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It’s national sugar cookie day!

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Sugar cookies are perfect for cutting out shapes with cookie cutters. Do it the easy way during the hot summer and purchase ready made dough in the freezer or refrigerator section of the grocery store.

Recipe:

  • Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter with 2/3 cup sugar.
  • Beat in 1 egg.
  • Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  • Chill 3-4 hours before rolling.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spread a little flour on the counter to keep dough from sticking.
  • Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes using cookie cutters or a glass. Place on cookie sheet.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned.
  • Allow to cool before eating.