There was a segment on Good Morning America this morning about a mother of 2 who protests junk food being served to her kids in school. Read the story here.  Essentially she believes that permission slips should be signed by parents before any child can be given sweets or any other junk food for any reason at school (birthdays, holidays, etc). She even gives her kids special containers to bring the junk food home from school to show her what was being served in the classroom. Apparently this mom’s own mother and grandmother were obese and had many health problems. She does not want her own children to experience the same health problems as they grow.

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She’s got a point. But does she take it too far? Read the article, watch the video and then click on the link to voice your own opinion to ABC news. It’ll be interesting to see the input from other parents.

The story first appeared in the New York Times. You can read it here.

One of Smart Poodle Publishing’s favorite websites of all time is WanderingEducators.com – not just because I am a contributing editor – but because this site provides readers with essential content about traveling and geography. Publisher Jessie Voigts is one of the most brilliant and creative people I’ve ever met. And as you can see from these photos, she’s got a way with the camera. She was generous enough to share them with us. They were taken in her home state of Michigan. Thank you Jessie!

All photos © Jessie Voigts, PhD

If you’d like to read my latest guidebook review (Rio an Buenos Aires) on her website, you can find it here.

Whether you are driving across the country or just taking a short trip close to home, proper planning will make your family journey much more enjoyable. Here are 10 common travel mistakes you should try to avoid:

http://dir.coolclips.com

1. Create a Travel File – Keep all your travel plans within reach by using a simple file. Your reservations, any tickets, confirmation emails, important phone numbers, directions and more can all go in here. Staple the papers to the inside of the file, and you’ll never lose them.
2. Leave Your Travel Plans with Family Members – Always let a trusted friend, neighbor or family member know where you are going, and leave them your hotel information. Someone should always have a key to get into your home in an emergency.
3. Get Your Car Checked – Take your car to your mechanic and have him check it out. If it is almost time to change the oil, just do it now. Most important – check the brakes and tire pressure and wear. You don’t want to have safety problems due to worn brakes or tires!
4. Check Your Route – Not only should you plan your route carefully, but you should also do your best to check if there is major construction on any of the highways you’ll be taking. Check your state’s Department of Transportation website.
5. Pack Healthy Snacks for the Car – If you do not keep the kids happy with enough snacks, you’ll find yourself stopping more than you should, thus making travel less bearable. Don’t even think about junk food and sugar, which will likely make young children restless. Keep in mind here too that you do not want the kids to drink excessive amounts – too many bathroom stops.
6. Pack enough Toys and Books – You want to keep the little ones occupied. Be creative with games you can all play. Make each child a small box with games and craft that will be easy to access and also put away. Books on CD can really make the time pass swiftly.
7. Make Hotel Reservations for the Road – I’ve failed to do this before and have had trouble finding an available room. My family was exhausted by the time we were able to find a place to stay. By pre booking a room, it will also ensure that you travel a good distance each day, by planning out the trip to take as long as you’d reasonably like it to take.
8. Don’t Pack too Much Stuff – You don’t want the car loaded down so much that you do not have enough room to sit comfortably. Unfortunately I know about this one firsthand as well.
9. Pack the Right Stuff – Jackets, enough socks, hats, sunscreen, insect repellent, rain gear, thermometer, medicine. Check the weather before you go to get an idea what you can expect. No matter how hot you think it might be, pack light jackets for rain or evening temps.
10. Go with the Flow – Even though you plan well, you need to expect the unexpected. If it rains when you were planning outdoor activities, make the most of it and do something indoors. If traffic slows you down, so what!? Have fun anyway.

Don’t forget about our I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest Contest! Please tell all the teachers, librarians and children you know.
Click on the picture to read the contest rules.

Some 10 Father’s Days ago, when my daughter was 6 we put on a series of skits for my husband and my step father. It was hilarious. Basically, what we did was make fun of them in a good-natured way. Skit Scenarios:

1. My daughter played her Dad, and I was me, driving in the car giving my husband directions. You see, my husband gets agitated if I tell him where to turn or that he needs to change lanes to get ready to make a turn. “Don’t you think I know where I am going?!” If I do not tell him where to turn or change lanes he often misses the turn. I get, “Why didn’t you tell me?” The family faced us as we pretended like we were in a car.
2. One day my husband said “Cable TV is getting so expensive, we should just cancel it and get rid of this idiot box. I certainly wouldn’t miss it.” The next day, the cable went out when an important basketball game was on, and he was flipping out – trying desperately to fix it, frantically calling the cable company. I played my husband, and my daughter played me for that one.
3. My stepfather, Jack used to stand in front of the TV – inches from the screen. He always tuned out my Mom. For this scenario, I put my (then 6 yo) daughter in shorts and a bra stuffed with small balloons, and a shower cap, and she had a feather duster in hand. She played my Mom and yelled at Jack, and I played Jack, standing in front of the tube, ignoring her, just like in real life. Everyone in the family was roaring with laughter.

After we were done performing, we enjoyed a cake I made in the shape of a remote control.

If you really want to give Dad a special TOTALLY FREE treat this year, “roast” him with the kids with a homemade skit he’ll always remember.

My daughter’s best friend just got a darling mutt from the Humane Society. Getting a new dog can be very exciting, but you’ve got to do your homework before you make a choice. Ask yourself these questions:

How likely is it that your children will take care of the pet?
Let me answer that for you. NOT likely! In families, Moms are the most likely to feed, walk and care for the family dog.

Do you have time for a pet?
They need a lot of attention. And they all need interaction and exercise.

How long is your work day?
If you are not home from 6 am until 6 pm, don’t get a dog. No pup should be left alone for that long.

Do you travel a lot?
Consider who will watch the pet. This can be a burden. You may not want to bring the dog to the vet because he will be kept in a crate. It is also expensive to board a dog.

Does anyone in the house have allergies to pets?
If you’re not sure, spend time with the dog, pet it and see if you sneeze, get a stuffy nose or itchy eyes.

Do you live in a house with a big yard or an apartment?
That will dictate the size of dog you get. You do not want a 180 lb. mastiff in a 700 square foot apartment! A small dog would do better in a small home. Larger dogs really need a yard for running around.

How old is the dog?
Puppies require a lot of work and time for training. Slightly older dogs from the Humane Society may already be trained. That is a BIG plus. However, a younger dog can be trained more easily.

Do you know anything about the dog’s history?
If she was abused or neglected you may have some behavior problems.

Is he gentle?
Observe the dog interacting with other dogs and people and especially children. Avoid aggressive or wild dogs like the plague.

Is this breed of dog known for having any behavior or health problems?
Labradors chew the furniture, your shoes and everything else. Some large breed dogs can have hip problems. Dalmations and Chihuahuas don’t like kids. Chow Chows are loyal to only one person and are known to bite. What about the dog you are choosing? Do your homework!

Does the dog require extra grooming?
I have a standard poodle. She requires major grooming, which I do myself. It costs $175 to groom a standard poodle. OUCH! Poodles are the smartest dogs on the planet, and my standard is so gentle.

Are you committed to the pup for life?
There’s nothing sadder for a dog than being returned to the animal shelter. Make a commitment to love the dog for life.

I adore my dog, and she loves me unconditionally. She is truly my best friend.

People with obsessions (both major and minor) are fantastic inspiration for developing unique characters in a story. Take my real life Grandma Nellie, for instance. She was obsessed with containers and their sizes. She was a tiny person (like I am) and did not like anything BIG. This included her food portions and the containers she stored them in. Let’s say she had some tuna salad left over and had it in a Tupperware container. If she ate some of those leftovers – but not all – she would look for a new, smaller Tupperware container. She did not care about all the extra work washing the extra containers. The thought of leftover containers containing empty space kept her up at night. Literally.

Granny would go to the grocery store and ask for 3 slices of turkey at the deli counter. (They could never see her over the counter, but she was loud and they cold certainly hear her!) When she came home she would wrap each piece in waxed paper and freeze them. Yuck! Once when my brother was in town, he went to the grocery store for her. While reading her list he thought he’d be “nice” and buy her 1 pound of turkey slices and not just 3 slices. Nice? She yelled at me about that for more than 6 months. “I’m one person and I cannot eat all that food! What is wrong with your brother? Tell me! What was he thinking!” (It’s been 12 years, but I still have to get him back for putting me through that.)

While she was in Hospice care and on her deathbed, she grabbed my arm and said, “I knew it. God is punishing me. I am going to die with all that #%*&*#@*!@ butter in my freezer!”

I promised her I would use her butter when she died, and I assured her it would not go to waste. “You’ll never use all that #%*&*#@*!@ butter,” she told me. “You are just telling me that so I will calm down. No one can use that much butter!” When I cleaned out her freezer after her she passed away, thinking I’d find 25 pounds of butter, there was a measly 2 and half sticks in there! They were individually rewrapped in waxed paper. I had a good laugh.

Megalophobia is fear of large spaces. But I have yet to find a word for fear of too much food.

Kids are out of school for the summer, but that does not mean their brains need to turn to mush! In addition to checking out a good book or DVD, libraries offer many special programs over the summer for kids of all ages.

• Summer Reading Clubs – Win prizes depending on the number of books you read over the summer
• Story time for tots
• Author Visits
• Family Night
• Nursery Rhyme Hour for little ones
• Music Programs
• Arts and Crafts
• Bookmark Contest
• Drawing Workshops
• Write and Illustrate Your Own Book
• Summer Interactive Theater Programs
• Dance Parties
• Summer Movies
• Science Programs Complete with Experiments
• Etiquette Programs
• Clown Visits
• Writing Workshops

Libraries are an Amazing Resource!

Take Advantage of All Your Library Has to Offer!

Wow, this is a great movie! I LOVED it! You’ll experience every emotion, and the artwork is beyond spectacular. It is a story about a man and his wife, and an adventure they had planned since they were children.

Life doesn’t always work out the way we plan, but sometimes it is for the better.

Go see this movie!

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/up/

We had a violent storm this evening, followed by an incredible rainbow!

Here is a good explanation of just what causes a rainbow.