On Wandering Educators I reviewed DK Eyewitness Ireland. It is a fabulous guidebook, and it will make you want to book an Ireland trip immediately! Please check out the review by clicking here.

The Sun Sentinel Newspaper cover story today is all about airline theft. Apparently nearly 5,000 claims have been made in the past 5 years to the Transportation Security Administration by passengers, in South Florida alone, who have lost valuable items in checked luggage. Wow. How many claims are there each year in the entire country? Baggage handlers see everything in every suitcase. And the problem is that is nearly impossible to prove that you actually packed those items, their value, and it is even harder to prove they’ve been stolen in the first place.

http://classroomclipart.com

The good news is that we can all be sure we do not fall victim to baggage theft. We all know that we can no longer lock our luggage for security reasons. Simply do NOT pack valuables in checked luggage. Here are items you need to carry on board with you. Never check these items through:

1. Jewelry of all kinds, costume or real. Why tempt a thief with fake jewelry? If you like it, don’t take a chance.
2. Money- whether cash, checks, or credit cards.
3. Expensive accessories – belts, shoes, purses.
4. Computers – Don’t even think about it. And don’t pack the cords either. If your luggage is lost or stolen you won’t be able to charge the laptop.
5. Electronics – Camera’s, ipods, cell phones, radios and more. Chargers too.
6. Camera Film – X-ray equipment may damage it.
7. House/car keys – Unless you want your house robbed or car stolen while you are away.
8. Parking Receipts – If you lose your ticket, the parking garage will make you pay more $ when you leave.
9. Personal information – Credit card numbers, passwords, travel itineraries
10. Medicine – If your luggage is lost or stolen, what will you do?

The bottom line is that you can avoid theft by not enticing the baggage handlers. I don’t think they want to steel undees and jeans, but I suppose you just never know.

So what do you do if you believe items have been stolen from your luggage? Contact the Transportation Security Administration immediately (TSA) and make a claim. Also, check out AirSafe.com. These are good websites to review for safety regulations before you travel anyway.

Being aware is a good place to start.

1. No work for 48 hours!
2. My kid is home and happy – No school! Daughter playing piano while I cook.
3. Delicious Friday night dinners at home with great conversation
4. Family (including Smart Poodle) all together, cheerful and relaxed, talking about weekend plans
5. Laying out on a blanket looking at the stars at night and feeling the blood pressure going down while hubby plays the guitar

http://www.clker.com

T.G.I.F!

T.G.I.F!

T.G.I.F!

Smart Poodle loves kids, and kids love to go to summer camp. Parents always have so many questions about camp, and there’s no better place to get the answers than from the experts at one of America’s best-loved summer camps – French Woods. Today we are interviewing Camp Staff Director Beth Schaefer and her husband, Marketing Director Michael Knauf, also head of the Video, Computer, and Visual Arts Departments. 

French Woods is an extraordinary performing arts camp for kids ages 7 to 17. It is located in beautiful Hancock , NY, with an office in Coral Springs, FL.

A bird’s-eye view of the sprawling acreage of French Woods Camp

Many parents are apprehensive about sending their children to sleep-away camp. What advice do you have for them?

(Beth) Leaving home for the first time can be difficult. Whether you are seven and heading away to summer camp or if you are eighteen and heading off to college. Personally, having grown up at my Dad’s summer camp and never truly learning to be on my own, I was terrified to leave home for school and put off truly heading out on my own until I was over twenty one! I would want my own child to have the confidence to learn that self-reliance at in a safe environment like a summer camp. The earlier you start, the easier it can be!

(Michael) The biggest problems we have with kids making the adjustment to being away from home, comes from the parents, not the children. To make it easiest for your child, talk to the camp staff for advice before they come to camp, and work with them to help your child have a successful experience. The kids have a support network built into camp, the parents do not — don’t let the fact that you miss your child make it harder on them to make the adjustment.

Camp Staff Director, Beth Schaefer, enjoying horseback riding

What is important for parents to consider when choosing a camp?

(Beth) Families look at different things when choosing a program. Some look for a traditional or religious camp, while others look for specialty programs. Many specialty camps are fairly pinpointed in nature, offering only one type of program. Make certain that the program your child is looking at offers enough diversity to keep your child’s interest during the duration of their stay while focusing on the lessons you wish to teach.

(Michael) Consider your child’s interests first. If they hate sports, sending them to a baseball camp may not be good for them. One camp can be very different than the next in the programs offered, the general atmosphere, and the amount of flexibility they offer each child. Some kids will do very well in a traditional program, some will do better in a specialty program, and some will do best in a program like French Woods, which offers individual choice. I highly recommend visiting the camp while it is in session, to get a feel for the place.

Is there a way for parents to accurately check out a camp’s reputation so they can feel comfortable that their kids are in good hands?

(Beth) The primary camping association is the American Camping Association. This nation wide organization requires camps to adhere to strict standards of procedures, policies and practices. Visit the camp while in session and speak to the director. Perhaps the most valuable tool, however, is to speak to a family who has been to the camp and discuss their experience.

(Michael)

You can also use internet opinion sites like epinions.com or campratingz.com, but like everything on the internet, these sites are often abused… if you ignore the best and worst ratings, you’ll likely get a pretty fair impression.

What do you do to appease homesick campers?

(Beth)At French Woods, we know that every child experiences home sickness in their own way and we try to give them the special attention they need to be successful during their summer at camp.

(Michael) As a basic philosophy, we think that it’s much better for a child to make it through the summer, rather than to give up after a little difficulty. To support that we will do anything required to help a child through homesickness. It is important to realize that it is very normal and happens to nearly every child to some degree or another. We find that the best response to homesickness is to give the child extra attention and to keep them busy, something that we can do very well at French Woods because of our high counselor-to-camper ratio and our wide range of activities.

When camp is not in session, husband and wife team, Michael and Beth travel the globe recruiting camp staff members (Lima, Peru)

When should I start thinking about registering for French Woods?

(Beth)The best time to register for camp is prior to September 15^th so that you can benefit from our early registration discounts. Our middle two sessions begin to close around January and the first and fourth follow suit shortly thereafter.

(Michael) You should start thinking about camp in general for your child when you think they would benefit from it, for some children that’s as early as 7 years old, for some it’s later. The benefits of camp include developing individuality and independence.

How many campers do you have at French Woods?

(Beth) Depends on the session – session one is deliberately kept small at about 250 campers. Sessions two through four run at up to 650 campers.

(Michael) That makes French Woods a large camp, but there are benefits to size, among them a very rich program offering and a great diversity of campers and staff.

Spacious cabins at French Woods

How many counselors do you have?

(Beth) Our full staff will run at over 400 and each cabin is made up of 10-12 campers with a minimum of 3 counselors.

(Michael) French Woods is unique in that almost all of our counselors are qualified to teach in a specialty area, so the cabin counselors may be musicians, or coaches, or artists. We find that this encourages kids to try new activities that they might not otherwise be exposed to. It also allows us to attract terrific staff, because they also are at camp to do the things they love, their enthusiasm spills over to the kids, too.

Where do the staff members come from?

(Beth) We have staff from all over the world. We look for college students who are studying within their area of specialty and for teachers and professionals who function as senior teachers and counselors.

(Michael) Last summer we had counselors and campers from more than 46 countries.

What types of concentrations do you offer for campers?

(Beth) While French Woods is known for our arts programs in theater, music, dance, circus and visual arts, our individual choice program also offers magic, waterfront, sports, horseback riding and skate park. Every child at camp is welcome to participate in all areas of program regardless of their primary concentration.

(Michael) Our program is unique; each camper works with our staff to design their own individual program, made up from the more than 90 activities we offer. Kids that are serious about dance, can take dance classes all day long, kids that are mad for theater can spend all their time doing theater. We have kids that focus on one area of activity, and kids that dabble in a wide variety of different activities; it all depends on the child. We even allow the parents to have input on the process, and to suggest activities that we should encourage the child to try.

“We love camp! The camaraderie among the kids is awesome!” says Michael

Can you describe for us what putting on a full theater production at camp entails from audition to performance?

(Beth) Because children do not audition to be accepted to French Woods, they go through a placement process when they arrive at camp. Within theater, the kids do a basic audition for every show they are eligible for by age in a mass audition for the directors. They can sing something as simple as Happy Birthday or come with a prepared audition piece - we provide the accompanist. Dancers, musicians and kids interested in circus will go through a low pressure placement too.

Later in the day individual theater directors will ask kids they need to see again to return for a “call back” where they might sing or act from the show they are directing. That evening, the theater director meet cast all the shows. We make sure that each child is cast in the best roll available to them. Every child who auditions for a musical is cast in a show.

Shows rehearse for two to three hours each day for two and a half weeks. Musicals have rehearsals with full pit orchestras and the sets, costumes and props are prepared for each show. During our final weekend of each session, we invite parents and friends to come visit so they can see the final performances in each of our five theaters in repertory style. What the kids produce is incredible. Every summer I am impressed by the talent of the kids at camp.

(Michael) The theater department is supported by the music department, which provides orchestras for the musical theater productions – also made up of campers and staff, the costume department, the tech theater sound and lighting departments, the dance department (for choreography) the props department, and the stagecraft department, for sets. Campers are involved in every area and the support from every area helps the productions really come together and feel professional. There’s also opportunities for kids who don’t want to be on stage: to design costumes, to run sound and lighting boards, to move set pieces, or to play music for the shows.

That sounds like a lot of fun! It sounds like you have many talented campers and counselors. Do you have campers who return year after year?

(Beth) Of course! We also have kids who find us late in their teens who many times stay on as counselors.

French Woods production of the musical, Chicago

It must be sad when they are too old to return as campers.

(Michael) It is, but a surprising number stay in touch, and seeing kids build on the foundations they start at French Woods is very rewarding… this year, Beth and I have seen 8 or 10 current and former campers on Broadway, and that doesn’t mention the ones that go on to be fashion designers, or rock stars, or teachers, or writers…

What is your favorite part of being in camp yourself?

(Beth) The joy. Whether that it is the moment the kids see their friends who they haven’t seen since last summer, the thunderous applause of opening night, or watching a child discover that they are truly good at something, camp is about kids finding their joy; Helping kids do that is why we do what we do.

(Michael) Seeing the way the kids support one another. The camaraderie is awesome.

Beth and Michael, thank you for all this great insight. You have made summer camp sound like such an enriching experience for our children, and you have helped to ease parents apprehension. I wish I were a kid again!

To learn more about French Woods Camp, click here. Or call 845-887-5600.

A great place to start is by watching the video. The website is spectacular, and once you read about the extensive activites available to please every camper, you’ll understand why so many children return again and again, year after year.

Yesterday’s blog entry was all about clearing out the “stuff” in our home that we really don’t need and donating to those who may need it more. Today my emphasis is on evaluating the intangible “stuff” in our lives that could be replaced with positive energy.  Relationships with family, friends and associates, time-consuming careers and general life challenges are good areas to “mine” for positive feelings.

http://www.clker.com/

The older I get, the more I realize this:

I may not be able to control my environment, but I can work to control my own reactions, thoughts, emotions and actions.

Here’s my new philosophy:

• When choosing friends, I concentrate on what I enjoy most – spending time with positive, sincere, reliable people who like to laugh a lot like I do.
• I challenge myself to be even more positive and supportive for my friends so that they know they can count on me.
• I will be a better friend to others by listening and supporting them through thick and thin. Sometimes people need someone to just listen without judging or giving advice.
• When people do ask for my advice, I give them the best I can offer. The healthiest way I can be a caring friend is to show concern, but not let others’ problems get me down myself.
• I can choose to focus more on my blessings and the things I take for granted and less on problems or challenges.
• I cannot control every situation that I experience in my life, but I can think before I react. “Is this situation worth a _________ reaction?”  (Fill in the blank, i.e. hysterical, angry, sad, stressful, etc.) “Is this as big of a deal as I am making it?” What will I accomplish in the long run by reacting negatively?
• I can work on being less critical of others and myself.
• I can replace negative thoughts with feelings of gratitude.
• I’ll strive to be the best person I can, but I understand that it is not possible to please everyone.
• I can recall pleasant life memories and let the rest go like a big red helium balloon into the blue sky.
• I can continue to help others but also know that the word “no” is sometimes what is needed the most.
• If I am not on the right path, I have the power to think the situation through and make changes.
• I cannot realistically expect perfection from myself (or others) in all that I do.
• I can be kind to my body by maintaining a good diet, healthy fitness level and overall well-being.
• I can celebrate and appreciate life and the simple things every day.

This ideology can really clear the clutter inside. Combine that with a thoroughly cleaned house and you just may have a great new lease on life.

My readers know how I feel about clutter and possessions; they are burdens. We have clutter in our homes, offices and cars.

“But I can only find things when they are on the floor or counter, so I don’t want to put them away.”

“Okay. I haven’t used that in 25 years, but I cannot part with that. I may need it some day.”

“I’ll get around to fixing that soon, and it’ll be as good as new.”

“I love this skirt, but it doesn’t match any of my shirts. I’ll keep it and some day I’ll find a top to match.”

Have you ever found yourself saying anything similar to the above?

That is why spring cleaning is such a wonderful thing.

A lot of effort is required for a truly successful cleaning and reorganization project, but you will find it to be so rewarding. In order to successfully clean and reorganize, you’ve got to have a plan. Here’s how to start:

House

• Write down what you’d like to accomplish – Whether that is cleaning out every single room in your home, plus the garage or just a select few places in your home, know what your goals are.
• Get help from your kids and spouse.
• Determine how you will remove your unwanted possessions from your home. (Donate to a charity, have a yard sale, sell items on Ebay)
• Make sure you know what each charity will take. Most will not take everything you have. Have a pick up date set in advance. That will get you motivated to get it done. If you are cleaning out many rooms, you may need to do this in segments. But whatever you do, do not keep the discards lying around. GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE!
• Plan your project using a calendar. Be realistic about how long each room will take. You may want to set aside one weekend day every 1-2 weeks until you are done or take a few whirlwind days or a week to get the entire project done during the summer.
• Before getting started gather non-toxic cleaning products and collect cardboard boxes, protective wrap for breakables and large trash bags for storing removable items. Boxes from liquor stores are the strongest for holding glass items.
• Tackle one room at a time, and clean thoroughly as you go.
• What to get rid of:
  - Any item in the house you have not used or thought about for years.
  - Clothing that does not fit.
  - Clothing and accessories that are out of style.
  - Clothing items that have been hanging for a while but do not match anything to make a complete outfit.
  - Anything in closets, drawers, shelves or in the kitchen that is broken, tattered, torn, scuffed or otherwise ugly.
  - Anything you find yourself moving around the house because you never really know where to put it.
• Your goal is to make drawers, closets, shelves uncluttered and easy to organize and maintain. Tackle even that junk drawer in the kitchen. Toss pens that do not work, old business cards and little junk that collects.
• Shred unwanted personal papers and old files.
• If you cannot decide whether to keep something or not, talk to the family about it and take a vote. Ask yourself, “If I were moving tomorrow, would I take this with me?”
• Make a list of all the stuff you are donating, and take photos of boxes and bags for tax purposes.
• Throw out unusable items. Check with the City Waste Management to find out how to properly dispose of unused household paints, chemicals and pesticides.

Celebrate your hard work after each room is done!

Run through the sprinkler with the kids,

go out for a huge ice cream sundae, go on a picnic!

Follow Up

• Do not start shopping and collecting more stuff!
• When you do need something, have a policy that the new item is going to replace an old one. That way you will not start to accumulate again. Remember what a pain it is to get rid of your stuff.
• When the holidays and birthdays come, agree that less is more. Celebrations do not have to always include stuff. Refuse to buy items that will end up in the discard pile within a year!
• Enjoy the time you have freed up having less clutter! Less to dust, clean, move, store.

This is all about stuff we have in our homes. But have you ever thought about the clutter we have in our minds and with our associations with others? We’ll tackle that subject tomorrow.

Motherhood is by far the biggest privilege I have ever had. Yesterday – Mother’s Day – got me thinking about what kind of mom and person I am. There’s some good in there, but there’s always room for improvement.

Me and Rachel

I have always believed that life’s best lessons are learned by both the good and not so wonderful traits of those in our lives along with the positive and negative experiences we have. Sometimes the best way to improve ourselves is to reflect upon the mistakes our parents (or others important to us in our lives) made with us, even though their intentions were good. That way we can be sure (negative) history will not repeat itself.

The same is true for positive traits. We look to our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles as teachers and role models. We can choose to practice in our own lives, the traits we respect about each of them – especially if we take the time to make a conscious effort.

When I visit schools, I tell middle school students that everyone from every background will experience challenges and hardships in their lives. It is easy to blame our parents, other family members or unfortunate events for our personal failures. But what does that accomplish?  We are in control of our actions and thoughts. Though we do not always realize it, on our own we can choose to be giving or selfish, kind or cruel, complimentary or critical, motivated or lazy, curious or indifferent, positive or negative, grateful or unappreciative and good humored or angry.

What positive traits of yours do you see in your children? What do you hope they’d do differently than you did? What choices have you made in your life that you’d like to change for your own personal growth?

It is cliché to say “No one is perfect,” but it’s important to remind ourselves of that. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the good and working to improve the not-so-good in ourselves.  It will make us better parents and happier people.

Mom in her Youth

My Mom passed away from cancer in July last year right after her 70th birthday. About 4 months before that, we went on a really fun, relaxing picnic at our local park. (In this picture below Mom was listening to the beeping sound of my husband’s metal detector when it has detected metal in the ground.)

I cannot allow myself to think about all the challenges Mom had in her life including her cancer. It’s too sad and unproductive. Rather, I’d like to remember how much she loved life. This woman knew how to get out there and celebrate! She didn’t let life pass her by. She truly lived it all the way until the very end, a will many people only wish they had. If I had only recorded her infectious laugh, I’d play it for you right now. But just trust me, when she started laughing, everyone in the room couldn’t help but laugh hysterically along – even if they had no idea what she was laughing about.

We miss you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

www.kaboose.com

Stressing over what to get your Mom for Mother’s Day? Forget about elaborate gifts. Here’s what Moms really want:

1. To know she is appreciated (Tell her! Make a list. Write it on a card.)
2. A day off (and I mean NO work at all – dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc)
3. A clean house (tidy up for her)
4. Harmony in the house (no bickering, arguing, screaming, sassing)
5. A simple celebration (brunch, picnic, quiet dinner)
6. To reminisce about good times with her children, young or old
7. A massage, manicure or spa treatment
8. A luxurious bubble bath
9. A culinary delight (chocolate, cake, special coffee drink, etc.)
10. New photos of her children

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…. No two author visits for me are the same. Yesterday was a particularly unique experience at Greenfield Day School in Miami. When I walked in, I was greeted by this sign:

The K-8 students at Greenfield Day participated in the Greenie Book Awards. Students nominated their favorite books by writing an essay nomination. Then the children in each grade voted for their favorite books. One of the grades chose a Dave Barry book. Someone at the school cleverly contacted Mr. Barry, and he graciously showed up to surprise the students during the Greenie Award Ceremony. How wonderful was that for these children?!

This all happened before I got there. Dave Barry is a tough act to follow!

I was invited to come to talk to all the students in the school about my book, being an author and about Costa Rica. I started my visit by enjoying a delicious kosher lunch with Librarian, Jackie Fine and one student presenter from each grade. Then I spoke to the middle school students, and we sure laughed a lot! They enjoyed hearing most about what inspires me to write. It was a pleasure to talk to such a small group of students.

Then I presented to two elementary age groups. A first grade boy knew what the word “fiction” meant, and all the 3rd and 4th graders loved the geography game! We hope that all the elementary students enter our free “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” writing and art contest. All prizes are donated by Rand McNally’s online store.

Thank you Principal, Dr. Binder for having me and Librarian, Mrs. Fine for making me feel so welcome and for being so enthusiastic about Lilly Badilly. Greenfield Day is lucky to have you. This was a very special day for me. Had I only arrived before Dave Barry left, I’d have gotten a photo taken of him with me, in millipede costume.

About Greenfield Day School

This unique school offers a learning environment that concentrates on both general and Judaic studies. The classes are small, the teachers are dedicated and the students are happy. The children are encouraged to learn about and embrace their Jewish Heritage. What impressed me most was that the middle school students published a book called We Listened and We Learned A Holocaust Project: Teaching Tolerance. With a grant from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Center for Advancement of Jewish Education, students wrote about their experiences meeting Holocaust survivors. They penned stories about the people they interviewed, poems about what they learned and even drew some pictures. What a life changing experience this was for the students! It is a great book everyone should read. To learn more about this book and about the school, check out the website or call 305-595-4868.