While putting the finishing touches on a picture frame for his grandmother this morning, my 7-year-old son asked, “Mom, when is it Kids’ Day?”
Kids’ Day? Really?
“Every day is kids’ day,” I responded.
I guess I understand the question, in a way. We made plans this morning to go get flowers for his teacher and the school nurse because it’s appreciation week at his school. And like I said, he and his sister were completing Mother’s Day gifts last night and this morning. I also know their teachers have had them making giftst for me as well.
I don’t know about making a designated Kids’ Day, but if there were a petition, I bet my son would be one of the first to sign it.
I’ll just remind him that every day, I make breakfast for the family. And on wonderful mornings like today when we all wake up a bit early, we get to cuddle in bed before making our way to work and school. And when they need new underware or socks, or even a break from cleaning their room, mom and dad step in.
Yup, every day is Kids’ Day!
 Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category‘When is it Kids’ Day?’May 7th, 2009, 11:24 am by Michelle ReeseDreaded weekend activity: Matching socksApril 28th, 2009, 9:37 am by Michelle ReeseOk, I admit it. I hate, hate, HATE doing laundry. It’s not the putting it into the washer and dryer that I dislike. It’s the folding, putting away and organizing of piles for the various family members. In complete frustration I started putting socks - those I could not match up right away - into their own laundry basket and I put it in the corner of my bathroom. Mother’s Day writing contest welcomes kids’ viewsApril 16th, 2009, 10:56 am by Michelle ReeseThis news came into the Tribune today:  photospin A kids’ writing contest: 7 reasons I love my mom Four winners will be selected. The first prize winner will receive a Makit Products, Inc. gift basket worth $175 which will include a Make-A-Plate(R) Kit, Contest Logo Dinner Set, White Liner Snap-It Planter, Snap-It Frame, and $20 Makit Bucks. The second prize winner will receive a gift basket of assorted Makit Products, Inc. items worth $100; the 3rd and 4th prize winners will receive gift baskets worth $60.00 each. In addition, each winner will have their lists made into a special pod cast to be aired on May 10th at MeetMeAtTheCorner.org. To enter, kids can submit their list, plus a photo with mom, to: 7 Reasons I Love My Mom Contest, 1710 First Ave, P.O. Box 283, New York, NY 10128. Visit: 7ReasonsILoveMyMom.com. for an official entry form and submission guidelines. The contest deadline is April 30, 2009. Confession: I’m a thank-you letter slackerApril 15th, 2009, 4:40 pm by Michelle ReeseOk, I confess. We didn’t get thank you letters sent out after my daughter’s 4-year birthday party a couple months ago. Come to think of it, we didn’t send them out after Christmas either. I used to be on top of it with this, but the past few months, I’ve slacked (a home remodeling project can be partly to blame!). Foreign study scholarship announcedApril 9th, 2009, 1:37 pm by Michelle ReeseThis information came into the Tribune this week: A new scholarship program designed to increase the number of African Americans who study abroad was announced today. The new program, launched by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), will make $100,000 in scholarship money available to African American undergraduate students studying abroad starting in fall 2010. Scholarship winners will be able to study on programs sponsored by AIFS in London and Italy (Richmond, the American University in London); Stellenbosch, South Africa (Stellenbosch University); the Czech Republic (Charles University); and other programs in Spain and France. Programs are available in the summer, spring and fall semesters. For more information about this new scholarship program, contact: NAFEO, www.nafeo.org, (202) 552-3300 or AIFS, www.aifs.com, (800) 727-2437 What would be easier: an earlier or later school start time?March 26th, 2009, 11:09 am by Michelle ReeseMy school district is debating changes to school start times. The argument is that high school students do better when they start later in the day, since most of them stay up later at night. My children are not in high school yet, but this will still have an impact on them. That’s because a change in high school start times could mean a change in elementary and junior high start times to adjust bus schedules. In my case, plan A calls for a 7:45 a.m. start time and plan B calls for a 9 a.m. start time. Right now, we’re at about 8:35. For us, I could see it work both ways. During the winter, when it’s dark in the morning, my kids tend to sleep in. There have been at least three times this year, since January, that my son has been late to school because we just couldn’t get it all together and out the door. With that in mind, a 9 a.m. start time would work just fine. However, it would get me to work later, and my daughter’s day care absolutely ends at 5:30 p.m. I would be pushing it to get a full 8 hours of work in each day unless I just stay tied to my desk (though I write this as I’m eating lunch at my desk). An earlier time may be a struggle at first, but I think it’s the better option for my family - and perhaps others. That’s because most days - the kids arise quite early. I don’t know how, but in the summer they’re up between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. Today, it was 6:45. When that happens, we would have little problem getting to school by 7:45 a.m. if I ignored the dishes, the pick up in the kitchen and prepping dinner for that night (all of which usually delay me in the morning). And, truth be told, if they get up at 6:30, but don’t have to be at school until 9 a.m., what on earth are they going to do to keep busy? They’ll pull out toys and books and colors and be distracted and we would likely end up late anyway! A decision is a few weeks away. But I’ve put my opinion out there for the earlier time. Scholarship opportunitiesMarch 2nd, 2009, 10:37 am by Michelle ReeseThis news came into the Tribune this week: Hispanic college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are invited to apply for more than $2 million in scholarships through AHETEMS (Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science), the educational foundation of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Students may apply for as many scholarships as they please, as long as they are eligible. The scholarships range in value from $1,000 to $5,000. There is no fee to apply, and individuals may apply for multiple scholarships via one single application. All applications must be postmarked by April 1. “The opportunities are there for hard-working, dedicated Hispanic students interested in the crucial fields of science, technology, engineering and math, and we don’t want youth with talent and drive to be limited because of financial constraints,” said Rafaela Schwan, director of programs, AHETEMS. “Thanks to generous sponsors, AHETEMS has scholarship funds to support Hispanic students studying these fields. We encourage students to apply for these scholarships before April 1 so they may continue to pursue their academic goals in fields that will play a huge role in the future of our country.” Several scholarships are available, including AHETEMS General Scholarships, AHETEMS Dissertation Scholarships, AHETEMS Professional Scholarships, AHETEMS/ExxonMobil Scholarships, AHETEMS/Kellogg Scholarships, AHETEMS/Northrop Grumman Scholarships, AHETEMS/U.S. Steel Scholarships and AHETEMS/Verizon Scholarships. The different scholarships vary in terms of qualifications and the amount of scholarship money granted, but all scholarships require a minimum 3.0 GPA both at the time of application and throughout the scholarship period. Students must be registered fulltime (taking at least 12 credit hours as an undergraduate or nine credit hours as a graduate student) in a STEM discipline. Applicants may find specific requirements and apply for all scholarships at http://ahetems.org/scholarships.html. Students may either complete a scholarship application online at http://ahetems.org/scholarships.html or they may download an application and submit the completed application by mail. Only one complete application is necessary to be eligible for more than one scholarship, so applicants do not need to fill out multiple applications. When mommy is sick, she’s the “best on Earth”February 10th, 2009, 3:43 pm by Michelle ReeseI left work yesterday sick and decided, rather than running from home to the doctor to home to the kids’ schools, that I would just pick them up early. But I also knew, with Mr. Reese working late, that I would have two kids to handle on my own. I made it easy on myself. McDonald’s and movies from Red Box in hand, I picked up my 4-year-old and 6-year-old. They argued (they hate leaving their after-school programs early) until I showed them their surprises. They dashed to the car. After we ate and did homework, I crawled under the covers and they watched movies. At one point I heard my son say, “You’re the best mommy on Earth.” Ok, so I’m not sure McDonald’s makes me the “best mommy,” but for that moment, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. Free range kids: What would you do?January 30th, 2009, 3:12 pm by Michelle Reese Photospin When is it time to give your kids some freedom? Mine are only 6 and 4, but I do try to let them have some free reign at home. If my son has done his reading, he can go upstairs and play with his toys after dinner. If my 4-year-old wants get on Nickjr.com or Disney’s new Fairy site, I plug her in then go about doing what needs to be done (usually laundry). I love this site. I love this idea. I just don’t know if I would do it. More students hit mark for AIMS High Honors Tuition ScholarshipsJanuary 22nd, 2009, 3:58 pm by Michelle ReeseThe latest numbers show 4,338 students qualified for the AIMS High Honors Tuition Scholarship in 2008, according to Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction. To qualify, students must exceed on the AIMS test and meet other academic requirements. The first year of the scholarship to all three state universities was 2006, when 2,498 students qualified. |