Monday's Tattler

Good Morning! This was supposed to be for yesterday! You can see how behind I am, and there is no reason except I've been stretching out the break and enjoying some free time which shouldn't be free - it should be work, work, work. But I did an experiment. They say work, work, work makes one a dull fellow. Well it didn't make me a fellow at all. In fact not working made me feel dull and lazy. So back at it!

This week we are doing a section on the Amazon. The children are having a difficult time with the concept of North South East and West, and we are trying to use South America as a directional. We are also taking advantage of the beautiful Amazon River and all it's lessons. Mrs. St. Louis's son, Regis, has visited and written about the Amazon and it's a delight to share this with the children.

We will be going to the zoo on Friday as a field trip to see the Amazon presentation there. The children must wear their green shirts and their red sweatshirts. We will be leaving at 9:00 and returning at 1:00.

This is the last full week of Lent. As you can see the Easter baskets are growing to bursting. Every time a child is good and keeps his medal during the day, he earns a piece of candy for his Easter basket. Some of those baskets are bursting.

In case you haven't looked, we have a whole lot of horses in our back yard. These are friendly race horses who love a carrot. We are delighted to have them. They belong to Wayne French. The children are welcome to pet them. As the garden goes in, please watch your step.

Calendars will come out for April on Wednesday.

Report cards will be issued next Monday.

Hop-in- ing has been sent out. Every year we are the top school, so please participate!

I would like to thank those who came out for my book signing last Saturday. Your support and love is so appreciated. I got word from the book store that they are already sold out and want more copies. Apparently the copies went to the library. So Miss Judy is at the library! Woo hoo!

Miss Amy and I met yesterday to begin to finalize the field trips for this summer. We are hoping for some new ones this year. If you have any suggestions of a really wonderful place that teaches and the children would love to spend more than a few minutes doing, please let us know.

Have a wonderful week.

Monday's Tattler

Good Morning!

Yes, we are open and ready to get back at it after three weeks of play. It was worth it, however, I think the kids learned a lot.

We are entering into Spring Session, and we will be doing lots of outdoor activities. Miss Elise has ordered two butterfly kits, so we will be watching butterflies grow and develop and finally fly away.

Miss Amy is thinking about the Zoo....

Miss Judy is watching the garden for signs of life. So far, both apple trees, the cherry tree and the peach tree are starting to bloom. I will be putting out peas this week in the yard. The pond needs to be cleaned and resurrected, and I have a bunch of stuff for the front yard this year I am dying to put out.

Miss Molly needs to get out and trim the roses. She's a real rose hound.

Lots of things coming...

We will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and closed Thursday and Friday.

I am searching for an additional teacher. If you know someone you think would fit in at the Garden School, please see Miss Judy.

Have a great day!!!!!

Vitamin D

Forget C, D may be the vitamin for cold and flu protection: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 25-Feb-2009

Increased levels of vitamin D may protect against common respiratory infections such as cold and flu, according to new findings from the US.

Note: So many children have been ill this season, it's a wonder they bounce back as well as they do. We notice so many children are not in the habit of drinking milk, and milk contains vitamin D. So does sunshine, and there are lots of children who rarely go outside. Three cheers and a big glass of milk for this weather and going outside!

According to findings of a study with about 19,000 adults and adolescents, people with the lowest average levels of vitamin D were about 40 per cent more likely to have a recent respiratory infection, compared to those with higher vitamin D levels.

For more of the story go HERE.

Friday's Tattler

Today is the play. We've worked very hard these past few weeks to bring to life our spring play. It's been a first adventure for the little ones and a personal achievement for our older kids who have done several plays. You can see how each of the older children have evolved. Just being on stage in front of many people is enough to scare a lot of people. When you are three, you must make the decision whether this is fun or not. We hope every little guy or gal thinks it's fun.

The older children have taken their roles seriously and have tried to put a lot of themselves into playing one person or another. Kamden has developed a wonderful St. Patrick. He is serious, considerate and funny as I am sure the real St. Patrick must have been. Andrew has developed a thoughtful, inquisitive, and earnest Druid Master role- he enjoys the name Chicken Face.

Emma has brought Queenie to life with her interpretation of the all knowing, all teasing, helpful and loving Queenie - Friend of God - Friend of Leps. Her voice is strong and her entrance is dignified and lovely. We are so proud of all of them.

The middle ground is covered by the Leprechauns better known as the Leps. They are still learning to be actors, and they are still squirreling around. Sometimes they remember a line and sometimes they don't.

Our Druid Princesses are a basketful of beauties. They have really done a beautiful job this year. They are campy and elegant and they make me laugh. Every one of them has made their part a perfect part for them.

The Snakes and the Brownies are as cute as every we have had. We actually bought a couple of costumes for India and Kylie because this is such a special year and we wanted something different. We were delighted that Kylie and India were the first to know their whole scene. We have added and added and added to their scene, and they have responded with such positive delight.

Austin has really come into his own with the role as Mr. O'Leary. He seems to have really enjoyed this role and he has learned his lines beautifully. The other O'Learys are doing very well too.

We have no one to read the initial story to our audience this year, but Mr. Jaylen has agreed to be our narrator, and his mother, Miss Kelly, has come up with a very ingenious plan to allow him to tell this story. We are so proud of him.

Please arrive before 3:00. We will begin the play very close to 3:00 and will lock the front door and take the bell down at 3:00. Please enter through the kitchen if you are late. Not a lot of seating this year. We have a double back drop, so there is no standing in the front hall. It's about 30 minutes this year.

Please don't forget to bring a treat to share.

Looking forward to it....

See the Flowers

Tuesday's Wisdom

Black Male Children Face Highest Risk for Food Allergies

Peanuts and shrimp cause the most problems, survey finds

Posted March 17, 2009 by US News and World Report

TUESDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers analyzing a survey on food sensitivities have found that black male children may have a greater risk of having a food allergy.

The national survey included 8,203 people, from infants to seniors who tested positive for the allergen antibody linked to possible issues with eggs, milk, peanuts and shrimp. The sensitivity levels to these potential food allergens was then tested in all participants.

Based on their analysis, the researchers estimated that 2.55 percent of the general population has food allergies, most often to shrimp and peanuts. But they found that the odds were much greater among blacks, males and children -- especially young black boys.

Males and children had nearly twice the risk for food allergy as others, blacks had triple the risk, and black children were four times more likely to have food allergies.

When looking at having just a sensitivity, rather than a more serious allergy, to foods, the most likely to have sensitivities were children, males, non-Hispanic blacks and people of lower income. About 17 percent were had food sensitivities, the study found, with about 4 percent sensitive to eggs, 6 percent to shrimp or milk and 8 percent to peanuts.

The study was to be presented in Washington, D.C., at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology's annual meeting.

Monday's Tattler

Good Morning!

It's a brand new Monday morning and we're headed for a warm week. Lots of play and playground. I almost bought ice cream this week, might send Elise...

It's play practice all week. We will work especially on the snakes and the brownies, blocking and lines. It's a great fun play, and we will enjoy some successes this week.

Please remember this week if your child feels puny, you need to keep him home. This is your first priority. Puny children contract all kinds of things from other incubating children and it's not fair to anyone to leave a child at school who can't keep his eyes open. Puny children can make the whole group sick. One missed day of work will become three or four if a child comes down with several things at once. So be kind and be smart and keep puny children in bed.

Some kids want to stay home because they get special treats, and they get to play all day. Ill children should be in bed. Keeping a child in bed will deter truancy and encourage wellness.

Our play is on Friday at 3:00 p.m. Every child needs an adult. We will lock the front doors at 3:00 p.m. and take down the bell. If you come after 3:00 you must use the kitchen entrance. children who are not attended by a parent will be fined $25.00. This is an important program for every child, and every child is proud of what he has accomplished.

Please plan to bring a treat to share with our company. Please do not bring candy unless it is homemade candy. Candy will be left off the table and put into the kitchen. Chips, fruit, and cheese are always welcome.

Have a great week!

Sunday's Plate

So what's new on the GS table? Well they all love artichokes. Now I have to come up with something to dip the leaves in just for fun. I use mayo, but that's not a likely combo for the kids. I steam my artichokes and we share the leaves. The kids have really enjoyed this.

Another newby the kids are enjoying is our breakfast for lunch day on Wednesdays. I keep serving this because they eat it. I bake shredded hash browns, cubed hash browns or even French Fries until nicely cooked on a big stone pizza pan. I add bacon or sausage or this week, sandwich ham. On top of that I scramble fresh farm eggs and top the meat with lots of fluffy eggs. Then I add cheese to the top of the heap and when the cheese melts, it's ready to eat. I tried this on Mr. Terry at home, and he ate the whole thing.

The nutrition categories are: 3 proteins, and a starch. So we add 3 fresh fruits, and we have a meal. We can count the potatoes as a vegetable and add cinnamon bread. We can also bake the fruit into a critter.

Critter is the following: canned pineapple, peaches and cherries with a Dutch crumble top.

Another thing to use as a bread would be blueberry waffles.

Mr. Terry has been doing some of the grocery shopping at Aldi's. The food is much cheaper than most other stores, and it's very high quality. I can't get my specialty items there, however, like whole wheat pastry flour and different varieties of cookie chips.

The GS has gone over to burnless bakeware. I would never ever have tried this, but I am tired of digging pieces out of pans that refuse to cooperate. I bake 48 muffins every Monday, and I have to replace the typical muffin pan about every six months. I've ordered the new silicon bakeware from a company called Easybakeware.com. The items are free - I pay the postage. It's worth looking into. So far I have three bread pans, two bunt pans, and I've ordered four muffin pans.

Sunday's Table

Campbell on board with salt reduction effort

By staff reporter, 24-Feb-2009

From Food Navigator.

Comment: Too often we remember a name brand product, and because we grew up with it, we think it's got to be good, and that's simply not the truth. As a food contractor for the United States Department of Agriculture Child Care Food Program, I have to know what I can and can't serve our children at the Garden School. The foods I can't serve are foods that have no nutritional value. Some of these non-food food items are Campbell's Soup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Kraft singles, and Chef Boyardee canned pasta. There is not enough food value in these products to qualify as a food. These products are filled with sugar, salt and water. Might as well down a pitcher of coolaid. It's nice to see that at least the salt content is being brought under control.

As the Institute of Medicine (IOM) considers a strategy to reduce salt in the American diet, the food industry is under pressure to cut products’ salt content. Campbell is the latest company to announce new low sodium products, in its soup line.

For more of the story go HERE.

Friday's Tattler

It was a splendid week. Lots of kids rallied the last couple of days from illness, and we had a nice big crowd on Thursday and Friday.

Here's the thing to remember about illness: If a child is not himself when he wakes up, and you suspect he may be coming down with something, the best thing to do is let him stay home. This will either prove the point and bring out an illness, or a child will be able to fight it off, and not be ill at all. This week we sent home the same child three times in a row. This child was not allowed to fight off his illness, and then instead of bed, mom let the child rough house all day, and sure enough next morning he was ill again. Children's illnesses are not like grown ups. They incubate slower and they stay and stay and stay.

Next week is play week. We would love for all of our children to be well. Please make sure your child goes to bed early every night to be fresh for the play.

Several parents asked if the play was last week. If you are reading the calendar we send home every first of the month, and the blog, there should be no confusion.

Our play begins PROMPTLY at 3:00. At 3:00 our front door will be locked and the bell removed. After 3:00 you may enter quietly through the back door.

Our play is going great guns. Most of the children know their lines reasonably well. We are working on placement, costumes, and backdrops this week. It's a big production, and one we are really proud of.

If you have not registered for summer, please do so. We will begin planning summer following the play.

Thursday's Teacher

Study Links Fitness and Academics

From Teacher Magazine:

This is no surprise. The better you feel the more you will do. The better health you are in the more you will accomplish. Even the laziest non-achieving personality...

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Physically fit students in Texas are more likely to do well on the state's standardized test and have better attendance, according to a study released Monday.

The study, which reviewed results of fitness assessments of students across Texas, also found that fit students are less likely to have disciplinary problems.

"Now, we have hard evidence that there is a link between fitness and academic success," said state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, who pushed the 2007 legislation calling for a renewed emphasis on physical fitness. "We need to continue our efforts to decrease these trends as if lives depend on it, because they truly do."

The two-year old law requires annual fitness assessments for public school students beginning in third grade. The results were reported to the Texas Education Agency and the Cooper Institute of Dallas analyzed them.

The Cooper Institute found that cardiovascular health, measured by a walking/running test, had a higher correlation to school success than the students' body mass index.

"Increased exercise improves cardiovascular health and that helps the brain function more efficiently and enhances its ability to learn," said aerobics pioneer Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of the Cooper Institute.

The results of the first fitness assessment, which measured students in the 2007-08 school year, found that Texas students were startlingly unhealthy and their fitness levels declined sharply through 12th grade, where less than 10 percent of students passed the fitness test.

Students will be assessed again this spring.

The Fitnessgram test includes a skin fold test, curl-ups and push-ups. Another exercise tests flexibility, with students sitting with one bent leg and one straight leg and then reaching forward as far as they can.

In the trunk lift, which tests trunk extensor strength, students lie on their stomachs and raise their upper body while the teacher measures the distance between the students' chins and the floor. The last test is called the pacer, a paced 20-meter run that increases in intensity as time progresses.

The results are recorded on a report card that allows parents and teachers to identify the physical strengths and weaknesses of each student. Results, unattached to students' names, also are submitted to the TEA.

"Our state and nation are struggling with obesity, thanks to the combination of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and the declining quality of diets," said Gov. Rick Perry. "We owe it to our children to take the appropriate steps to encourage fitness, steps that are made clearer by the information contained in this first round of testing. I am confident we are on our way to making a difference that will improve and even save lives."

Wonderful Wednesday!

Need I say more?

Children's Plays - To Do or Not To Do? by Judy Lyden

Twice a year I ask myself the same question - Do we REALLY want to do this play? And the answer is always the same. It's good for the kids.

Producing a children's play can be extraordinarily hard. It can be a nightmare if there is no cooperation from every single resource because it takes a lot of work by everyone included. It means all out cooperation from teachers, parents and students. First, every teacher needs to help with the practices. They need to understand how the lines are meant to be delivered and help train the children to offer the lines the same way until they are second nature. The lines have to be led so that they make sense, are funny when they need to be and straight man delivered when that's the ticket. That's half the work. If one teacher is accepting the lines delivered one way, and another teacher is demanding something else, it won't work. The children won't understand the flow of the play. If one teacher's heart is not in it, or there is a failure of enthusiasm, the children will latch onto that descent and the play will be a poor attempt.

Parents need to help children learn not only their lines, but the lines that surround their lines. If only their lines are learned, they won't know when to come in and speak, and the director is left with a cast that needs every single line prompted -- not fun to listen to, not fun to do.

Children need to be enthusiastic about the play. This is accomplished with lots of kudos, fun practices, and lots of rewards. It can't be the last thing on the list; it has to take precedence and it has to be important to all involved - not an easy trick.

So, if this is really such a work out and a royal pain in the neck, why do it at all? Because The Play as an art has all but been taken out of the lives of small children simply because it is too hard for adults to preside over and teach. It is something that needs to be taught, and there are few adults who know how to teach this until they actually do it. Those yesterday little dramas that children used to get together and do are really no more, and children are missing this early childhood piece of the puzzle. It's a puzzle piece that helps in the development of the whole human being because it uses the whole human being to accomplish!

First, a play allows a child to express himself by becoming someone else. It's a kind of discovery that will benefit him all his life with "becoming someone else" as a theory to understand one another. Putting yourself in someone's place is not something many children do well. It's learned through play acting, through drama, through the unique art of the play.

Becoming someone else is a kind of invention a child rarely gets to do in real life. Even a secretive, quiet child can come out of his shell to play at a new personality. I remember a little girl named Hadley who started her play life as a turtle and spoke her lines into the carpet - but she said them. Two years later, she was one of the stars. There is nothing like a play to bring out an introvert. My grandson, Jack, had to hold up a sign because he was so shy about saying a simple line. But by the time he graduated from the Garden School, he was saying all of his lines out loud. Today he's a bit of a funny man.

Secondly, the play allows children to work together and this bring yet another kind of understanding for each other. It's a bonding friendship maker that doesn't go away. Children who enjoy working together to laugh at funny lines, to become hams on stage, and then enjoy the costumes, solidify friendships. Helping one another is the name of this game.

Learning lines or memorization is a lost art and this is something children need to practice because memorization will serve them all their lives. It's a skill children need to learn early because they are auditory learners until they begin to read, then most of them will change over to visual learners. The quick audio study artist, the child who memorizes sound quickly and can repeat is always at the top of their class, and plays help to make children good memorizers.

A play is a project with a beginning a middle and an end. The project of watching the project grow and develop and have a finishing point is a good lesson for a child. We begin our projects, we work hard on them, and then we have a finished project. For all those adults who start a billion things and let them lay unfinished... perhaps a play in early childhood would have taught the lesson of finishing.

There is a lot of art that goes into producing a play. The making of the backdrop; the costumes; the drama of line delivery; the actions of the characters; the whole ambiance of the show itself. Being a part of this is important for young children. It is especially important at the end of the play when it's done and children have that brilliant sense that THEY have accomplished something wonderful.

So every year when I ask myself the question - "To do or not to do...." I remind myself of all that we would be missing if we decided not to. And we begin.

Monday's Tattler

Good morning! It's another bright Monday. It's supposed to be a nice warm day and we will get the kids out for an airing and a nice long recess at least twice today.

There is a nasty flu bug going around, and I know of at least three children who will be out today. This seems to be a very contagious little bug, so if your child is puny or not feeling well, please keep him home. He will end up vomiting and going home for 36 hours at least to keep in step with the official state code.

This week is play practice. Every child needs to know his lines ASAP. This is a mommy and me or daddy and me thing. We will practice the play twice every day. Blocking will come next.

This week we will try to watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People. It's Sean Connery's first role ever.

No field trip this week. If you have not paid your field trip fees, please do so.

Sunday Dinner and More

From Food Navigator:

Blueberries may reduce childhood cancer risk: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 23-Feb-2009

Extracts from blueberries may reduce the size of tumours primarily found in infants and children, and improve survival, suggest new findings from a study with mice.

According to new results from the Ohio State University, mice fed the blueberry extract doubled their lifespan, and had tumours 60 per cent smaller that in control mice.

Writing in the current issue of the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, the researchers report their findings against tumours in walls of blood vessels called hemangionendotheliomas (HE), which affect about 3 per cent of children. Such tumours usually occur within four weeks of birth and more often affect premature infants. Although such tumours are often resolved naturally, they may reoccur and cause deformity, and can be life-threatening if they obstruct the airways.

“This work provides the first evidence demonstrating that blueberry extract can limit tumour formation by inhibiting the formation of blood vessels and inhibiting certain signalling pathways,” said lead author Gayle Gordillo.

“Oral administration of blueberry extract represents a potential therapeutic strategy [against] endothelial cell tumours in children.”

The research could boost further the healthy image of the berry, already firmly engrained in consumer's minds for its apparent cholesterol lowering abilities, as well as indications that the fruit could offer protection from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Sales of the fruit have been booming, going from £10.3m (€14.9m) in 2003 to almost £40m (€58m) in 2005, according to UK supplier BerryWorld, driven by dieticians and scientists hailing the fruit as one of nature's superfoods.

Study details

Gordillo and her co-workers investigated if oral consumption of blueberry extracts could be effective in managing HE, and, if so, what the mechanism could be.

Mice received different doses of the extract, with a dose-dependent decrease in HE tumour size recorded, in addition to “significantly enhanced survival”, said the researchers.

In terms of the mechanism, an inhibition of two pathways reported to be involved in the development of tumours, namely NF-kappaB and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Both of these pathways reportedly result in expression of a certain protein called monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) that is important in the development of HE.

“Our hope is that if we feed blueberry juice to a child with this type of tumour, we can intervene and shrink the tumour before it becomes a big problem,” said Gordillo.

“Our next step is a pilot study with humans to see if we can measure response to the treatment using imaging techniques and the monitoring of chemical changes in the urine.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute for General Medical Sciences.

Blueberries and cancer

Previously, researchers from Rutgers University told attendees at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society that extracts may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Data from a rat study indicated that supplementation with pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, produced 57 per cent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in the colon than rats not supplemented with the blueberry compound.

Source: Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
1 January 2009, Volume 11(1): 47-58. doi:10.1089/ars.2008.2150
“Oral Administration of Blueberry Inhibits Angiogenic Tumor Growth and Enhances Survival of Mice with Endothelial Cell Neoplasm”
Authors: G. Gordillo, H. Fang, S. Khanna, J. Harper, G. Phillips, C.K. Sen

Something New for Saturday

No kidding I just got this.

“WINTER’S TAIL,” A PICTURE BOOK ABOUT THE FAMOUS DOLPHIN WITH PROSTHETIC TAIL

WRITTEN BY BESTSELLING CHILDREN’S AUTHORS CRAIG HATKOFF AND DAUGHTERS

TO BE RELEASED BY TURTLE POND PUBLICATIONS,
CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM AND SCHOLASTIC

“Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again”
In Bookstores October 2009

Friday's Tattler

If I were any further behind, I'd have to go to the previous century for time out.

Friday was a wonderful day. We all came in our new hoodies and we looked fetching. The kids ate a little breakfast together and then we headed out for Dr. Miller's office up on Robin Hill Road in Newburgh. The children were exceptionally well behaved. They answered all the questions and asked a boat load of their own. Emma, our school president was gracious and led our line. She went up the the dental assistant and introduced herself as, "Hi, I'm Emma. I'm the Garden School President," and then she graciously offered her hand - no prompting mind you - and shook hands with the assistant and tour guide. I was not too proud ;-))))))))))))))))))))



We had a nice little show of dentistry and Emma got to sit in the chair and opened her mouth and the dentist said, "Emma, you look just wonderful in there."

We headed off to Pizza Hut for lunch. The rules being - you must eat your lunch before you play and every child ate but one who threw his on the floor. The kids had a lot of fun playing on what became known as the "hamster toy."

We came home to play practice, and the kids were just too tired, so we postponed this for Monday.

There is a lot of flu out there. India went home with a high fever; Jaylen never made it to school on Friday; Easton has had it; poor Nathan had a terrible case. Miss Elise went home sick and some of the other children were very drawn and quiet Friday afternoon. Please watch for vomiting. You know it is a very clever idea to sport an ice cream bucket with lid for your car. This ingenious little gadget is great for sudden pukes. It is disposible and the lid goes on quick. Might think about this right now!!!! The Garden School would be happy to take your bucket and eat the ice cream and then return the empty for your car. We'll even clean it!

This next week is a play practice week. Your child is earning Easter basket goodies every day he knows his lines, so please help him now. The sooner the children know their lines, the sooner we can play at this and camp it up.

The King and I was over their heads. They were good sports and watched it, but this is one movie that should have been previewed before we showed it. There was too much talk and not enough action. This week we will try Darby O'Gill. It's got some scary stuff, but it's charming and we think the kids will love it.

Onward and upward!

Wednesday's Wonder

I got this from Edith and I just love it.

Taking a Child Out by Judy Lyden

Taking a child out in public should be a pleasure for both the parent and the child. It should be no more trouble to take a child out than to be at home. But it takes developing a routine and a set of rules that benefit both parent and child.

I was watching a young family at Mass this past Sunday, and I noticed that this family was packed for the event of Mass. It's forty minutes from start to finish, so I wondered why most of this family's house came with them? Whose insecurity was operating here? I wondered if perhaps this child was in day care all week, and the parents were not accustomed to taking him out.

I remembered back to when I first had a young baby and took him to events at our college. I had to be dressed up, and taking a baby dressed up is not always easy, but I simplified it with some thought. First thought - how long would I be away? How may cloth diapers would I need? Would I need to feed him? I hated diaper bags and from the beginning of motherhood, and I insisted on a lovely square black cosmetic case that matched my shoes. The very idea of dragging some obnoxious hamper with every thing in the nursery sent me into a tasteful orbit. I would pack my cosmetic case with the barest necessities and happily go with my son, Brendan, and for the most part it worked out brilliantly, and the purse sized case had everything I REALLY needed. Less is actually more.

As time did what it usually does without our control - passed - I became more and more conscious of what I really needed and didn't. When we went anyplace, we looked out the window of the car and we talked and played with one another. On long trips, I remember packing four days of very small and useful new toys in separate small boxes which we rotated. Food was in a hamper centrally located and easily accessible to everyone. Garbage was collected on the spot. Drinks were had only on stops.

On short daily trips, we left everything at home. I was and continue to be a believer that the outing is the fun, not the focus of what we can bring from home. The very idea that one would bring food from home on the way to the store, church, shopping, or an errand loses me in the concept - what for? The idea of an outing - even to the bank - is a chance for the child to see how mommy or daddy behave. Then he models his behavior after mommy or daddy.

When a child is taken to the grocery store, it's a time for him to see the different foods, learn about all the things there are to eat, visit with other people, and perchance get a treat, help plan the family meals, and vocabulary. If he's sucking on a cup, how does that happen?

When a child is taken to church, it's a time when he watches mom and dad worship God.

Taking food, toys, and distractions means one thing - wherever a parent takes a child, the parent is teaching the child that what is ultimately important is the "thing" that we brought from home, and the place where we are going is a necessary nuisance - not the focus. The child at church on Sunday had his back to the altar every time my eye caught him. He pounded his father again and again, as if he was annoyed at being on this particular outing. He ate, drank, slammed, and argued. What a loss for the parent and the child. If the parent had left all the child's belongings at home, the child would have two things to do - pay attention and learn, and enjoy the quiet affectionate arms of his parents. "Look at that box; that's where God is; look at the pretty colors; that means Lent; look at what Father is doing; that means...."

The idea with children is not to "get through an outing to the end" but to make it count for everyone, every time from start to finish. Packing sippy cups, snacks, toys to distract the child is doing just that - distracting his attention from what is really important - being with the parent to do something real.

Next time you take a small child someplace, try leaving all the paraphernalia at home. Go to the toilet before you walk out the door, and let the focus be on what is outside the child - not what can go inside the child. Let the child explore without fear that he won't be fed. He won't starve in four hours or less - I promise.

Daily chores, daily routines, daily coming and going should be light weight, convenient, and fun. Make it fun by unloading the camel. A loaded camel can't make it through the gate.

Monday's Tattler

This will be a busy week! We are starting play practice this week. We will be sending home lines for the play. Please help your child learn his lines "in order." That means you need to read the scene with him so he knows when he comes in. Just learning lines does not allow for the child to know when he is supposed to give his line. He or she should know the line before his and what comes after. It's a process!

Costumes will be provided.

This week we will be watching The King and I. The children will learn some of these wonderful songs in this production. This is family watching. You might think about this kind of film at home.

It will be cold today and we will stay indoors. Tomorrow it will be warmer, and we will most likely be going out side. Please send your child in a coat that matches the weather.

Please watch for illness. There have been a lot of very strange infections going around. There are high fevers involved. Please watch your child closely.

Have a great day.