HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

Family Fun Friday (late but here)

This week we did Backyardigans Super Secret Super Spy. If your kids are a NickJr fan, you probably know about this. There was a hour long episode for this that my kids watched. It was a great episode that taught about teamwork and having fun. There is also a game online you can play. It is a 3-D game that my son just loves. There is a 3-D thing you have to download to play it but that is not a big deal. I printed out some of the stuff you can do with your kids to have your own Super Secret Super Spy (SSSS) Scavenger Hunt. There are spy sheets that come with a decoder wheel. You can even make your sheet at home if you want to and use this decoder wheel. I did all the SSSS stuff the night before. I hid the scavenger hunt cards and put the bags somewhere where they would find them easily in the morning. I put some "spy gear" and a spy snack in there...every spy needs something for their tummy.

Here is my kids in their SSSS gear...check out kincaid...i bet you didn't even recognize him!

all i could keep on corrine was the bow tie...but she sure does look like a super spy.

kincaid found all the SSSS scavenger hunt cards. Here is the checklist...something every spy needs.

You can even buy the episode if you missed it. Your kids will love it and you can play and dance along with the Backyardigans!

Do you know what your kids are posting?

Kids will be kids, right? Isn’t that what we say when kids do something kinda dumb? But kinda dumb and the internet do not go together.

Last month alone, 12 million children, give or take, between the ages of 12-17 used social networking sites. Many of these children have friends on those sites they have never even met. Those friends could be cops, other creepy adults (you know the ones I am talking about), or just other kids. Do you know who you child is hanging out with on the internet?I guess a better question is "Do you know what your child is posting and sharing on the internet?" Kids will be kids. Everyone knows that. But kids can say some very stupid and damaging things also. These things can involve the whole family. These things could get you fired from your job. These things could get one of your other kids in trouble in school or with other kids. Or worse yet, these things could get them hurt by an adult that does not have the best intentions.

We live in an age where kids turn to the internet for friendship. They think that what they post or say will never be found out by their parents. But these kids need to know that everything they say and post can end up back on their parent’s doorstep. They are not just talking to their friend down the street. They are airing your family's life for the whole world to see. Your child may be talking with the child of your boss from work and share some family secrets that are a big no-no at your work. Your child may be posting inappropiate pictures of themselves, not even thinking that there are adults out there that want to find your child and hurt your child.There are things, as a parent, you can do to keep track of what your son or daughter is doing online:

• Simply talk to them about the internet and just how public it really is.
  
• Check your child’s profiles on these networks from time to time to see what is really being shared or posted–they may get upset but an angry child is better than a missing child or a lost job.
  
• Google all the names in your family just to see what is out there about you and your family.
  
• Do alittle research on the social networks. There are a ton of them out there but the more you know, the better parent you can be.
  
• You can block the sites on your computer at home. (Remember they can find those sites anywhere with an internet connection so it is very important that you talk to them about internet safty.)
  
• Create a family social network. You can create your own network on Ning.com. You can post pictures, videos, invite family and friends, write comments to others you have invited to your network, and all sorts of stuff. This is alot more private than some of the other public networks.

I know kids will be kids. But you have to remember you are the parent and we all want the best for our kids. So teach your kids to be smart about the internet. This way the only dumb things they do is buy too many clothes at Amazon!

Gamer Thursday (alittle late)

Here is a cute game for little kids...

Kindergarten Take care of all the babies in your kindergarten.

Play this free game now!!

And here is a game called

Bowmaster Prelude

Your kingdom is under attach and it is up to you to save it

The Mini-Blogger in every child

As all of you know, I am all for kids on the internet, learning and creating their own cyberworld. While checking out Fun Monday, I found a 9 year old's blog and I could not be more excited.

Her name is Pencil. She is the daughter of Misslionheart. Her blog's name is My Little Scribbles. As of this moment, she has only 5 posts but I have gone back to her site about 5 times in 3 days. Her little site already draws me in. He has posted a fun monday already (her mother didn't do one so she could do it herself). She has a song on her blog...I haven't even learned to do that yet! She has pictures and even a poem already. I honestly can't wait to see what she posts tomorrow.

I love the idea of a fellow blogger supporting her child in blogging. Blogging is a fantastic way to teach children reading, writing, social skills, creativity, research skills, skill learning, typing, and so many other skills I can't name them all.

If only more parents and teachers did this for their children, we would have a generation that could change the world one blog at a time!

FUN MONDAY UPDATE

OH MY GOD...I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...I MADE IT TO EVERYONE'S FUN MONDAY! I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF...AND IT IS ONLY TUESDAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF MY WEEK?!?!?!?!?! MAYBE I COULD ACTUALLY FIT IN SOME REAL BLOGGING THIS WEEK. I JUST HAD TO SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD!

FUN MONDAY

--This week's Fun Monday is being hosted by WT, he wants to see some clothing art. That's tee shirts, baseball caps, hoodies, sports uniforms or any bit of clothing that you or your kids own that has interesting, funny or artistic graphics.--


so here are my families t-shirts...i think they are ssssssooooooo funny:

i love buying my hubby funny t-shirts...but he always turns them into work shirts...here is one

here is another funny one...and yes...it is now a work shirt...he is not scary but i just could not resist buying this one..and it was on sale for a dollar---as a cheap skate i could not resist!

this one i got for my son...he may be only five but he has a great sense of humor...and he love the Napolian Dynamite move...if you have seen the movie...you will love this shirt.

i had two more shirts (I Make Up Stuff and one with HUGE picture of Mr. Clean--my hubby shaves his head) but i couldn't find them...he probably made them in to workshirts and just left them at work...but enjoy and check out everyone else...i will see around fun monday everyone!!!

Family Fun Friday

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

I am back from being sick. Just in time for family fun friday. This week I have something special. Last year I was looking for digital scrapbooking...and it is not easy to find scrapbooking sources that are free and internet based. but i finally found it...and i love it...and so does my family...i have been using this to e-mail new pictures and also to keep my family in the know on some social networks.

I had a great activity i was going to do with the kids but because we were sick all week i could not do it. But this is what you should to...go on a family scavenger hunt for something...halloween decorations, the first leaves of fall, cool cars...you pick. Bring the pictures back and do the Smilebox thing. You do have to do alittle download but no biggie. It is awesome. You can even pay next to nothing to be able to see the digital scrapbooks with no banners and to also print them off. So if you wanted to do an actual scrapbook, you can get awesome pages ready on Smilebox, print and go nuts. I love it and I know you will too!!!

Gamer Thursday

Here is a fun little game for all those little gamers out there

Flingo Complete all the levels in this underwater adventure!

Play this free game now!!

ok...i posted this while i was sick so i wouldn't forget to do a real post on it. go and check it out. it looks like alot of fun. there are monthly themes and crafting galore...i really hope i can do it...i am starting to get too much on my plate...and i am loving it!

sickie sickie

ok...everyone must stay away...we are all sick...so no posting today...but i just had to get my blogging fix...see ya all tomorrow (hopefully)

THURSDAY 13 BLOGROLL

They really are More Than Meets The Eye!!!

Have you had your Transformers Day?

I am kind of beginning to see a pattern for me on Fridays. I seem to have picked this as a sort of family fun day. So I guess I am going to call Fridays "Family Fun Fridays". And if you have not guessed it, this Friday is Transformers.

My son loves Transformers. He has for years (and he is only 5). So one day while he was just playing around on the computer he found a site with Transformer games on it (there are other fun stuff but today is just for the TFs--TransFormers). This site is a Hasbro playing site for all sorts of their toys. My son went nuts on it. You can play a racing with Bumblebee game. He, of course, was able to watch Transformer cartoon episodes...so many in fact it must have kept him busy for weeks. You can even make your own TFs cartoon, of sorts. It is very cool...we all had fun with this but we forgot to save ours.

He is able to window shop for Transformers stuff. This is where he learned the most important and disappointing words known to kid-dom--OUT OF STOCK! This is Brawl...and you guessed it...OUT OF STOCK!

But one of his favorite parts of the site is the activities part. As you can see, he has been busy doing all sorts of stuff that we hang on the fridge.

--this is note pad paper you can make---

---here is his poster---

---and a doorknob hanger---

And to make the day complete, I bought matching plates and cups (yes...i am that much of a cheeseball). I also made a TFs lunch sack to take lunch to school that day.

If you want to, you can even click to the Transformer, The Movie site...some younger kids may find that scary but you decide.

My husband and I we totally into Transformers when we were little. You can even find the TFs we played with (if only I had taken care of them...i would be rich). I secretly still am. I think Transformers help our young men...and little ladies...with teamwork and sharing. And in that sense...they really are more than meets the eye!

Autumn Goodie Swap--check it out!

go and check out the Autumn Goodie Swap..you will love it...you can never get enough little goodies!!! And tell her Kerith Collins sent ya!

Will your child measure up?

You are looking at your child right now and thinking they are just the best little thing ever put on this earth. They are so smart and and can do anything…except play on the computer. They want to so bad they can taste it but you don’t let them on because they might break something…or worse…crash you system. So what?

Whoever said this was right…Children are our future. We must nurture that future to the best of our ability. One of the most important things, I believe, we can do as parents, computer age-blogging parents, is to let our children play on the computer. If children are our future, then computers and the gadgets that go with them are theirs.

Look at what we, as a world, have now to play and work with…the clunky desktop is out and the iPhone is in…we almost have a computer that can fit in the palm of our hand. A person can now run their small, home based business with all of their office needs found on the Internet for next to nothing.

Letters and e-mail are out and now we have tumblelogging, or microblogging, if you will, at sites such as Twitter and Jaiku. Just a few flicks of the finger and we can not only update our friends on our cyber-lives, but now the world can know our every step as well.

No more snail-mail pen-pals, like back in the good-'ol-days. Now the best way of telling all of the world about you and your thoughts and feelings and …well…whatever…is blogging. And all of you bloggers out there know just how great it is to blog–it is a lively-hood, a hobby, an obsession, a scrapbook, a journal, a family web-page, whatever we want them to be, they can be!

I think I should mention that I am already practicing what I preach. We have been letting our oldest (he is 5) play on the computer since he was about 2 or 2 1/2. He is so far ahead of other kids his age or even several years older then him. The computer has taught him in ways we never knew he could learn. He knows his ABC’s forward and back, 123’s into the 50’s, all the basic colors and shapes, he knows huge words and even how to use them, he can use a cell phone (learned from the Internet) he can operate our computer almost as well as we can, he knows his countries and states and know the type of cultural stuff that goes with each country. He has even learned to recognize different languages and speak a few words of Spanish. We could never teach him all of that. His little sister (1 1/2) is already showing an interest. She already knows to click on the X's to close stuff down and she knows how to shut the computer down from pushing the Start Button…don’t even ask…we don’t know how she knows either.

Now I know that there will be some readers that tell me that so much time on the computer will rot his brain or he won’t make friends or he will find grown-up stuff on there and, you know what, you may be right. But the Internet is based on the real world. I keep him away from bad stuff and give him the good stuff in the real world. I do that for cyberspace also—our computer is out in the open, blocking sites, kid-friendly search engine, private profile just for him, bookmark sites he likes so that is where he goes, etc.

Children are our future. I believe that in order for us to have a strong future and for our children to have a flourishing future, we need to have them learning all there is to learn about computers, the internet, and the gadgets that go with them. And if they crash our computers, oh well…to bad…so sad…we needed a bigger, better, brighter, shinier one anyway…right?

DELURKING ALERT!

i am delurking...i will be back tonite...but...holy cow...it is hard...you all write such awesome stuff i get sucked in...like now...i just can't stop posting...ok...bye...later...see ya!

FUN MONDAY HERE I COME!

"I want to see what you see on any given morning this week; from somewhere very near where you live. Front porch, back porch, down the street, around the corner. Just makes sure it's your neighborhood. Post a photo that will send me to the travel agent to book a weekend at your local Bed & Breakfast."
care of The Dust Will Wait


Here is where I live...well...my street corner in Webb, IA anyway...



This is the view right out my front door...this house was used as a boarding house for the teachers back in the day...WWII...



This house is behind ours...this is the oldest house in Webb...



This says: "BM '73" the former owners wrote this when they put in their new driveway and sidewalk...Burel Mathews...1973...



This is our coal shute...no...we are not that back country...it does not serve a purpose anymore...just kinda cool...



This is how we get our heat...propane...sweet, expensive propane...



And our water pump...it does still work...if you want to take the pukey-sicky express for a week or so...yes...we are on the town's water...but doesn't it look rustic and old fashioned!



These are 3 out of our 4 kids halloween decorations...the biggest is kincaid's from school...the little pumkin is corrine's and one gourd is for one of the twins...


...the rain took the other one down...poor little gourd...



I love decorating...this is our garage door...

and this is the quarter-sized spider hanging from our garage...yucky, yucky, yucky, yucky spider...but it makes for a great halloween decoration...brought to you by god and all gross creepy crawly things...

And in all this rain and cold we are having this morning...there is still alittle beauty to be found in the garden...

And last but not least...the ghosties that we put up yesterday...



and that is my october view...thank you very much...now i must go check out everyone else...holy cow...look at that list...

Come back for my Fun Monday! I have to wait for the sun to come up! But check out everyone else in the meantime!

Have you done a Care Bear Day yet?

Do you go to the toy web sites you see on TV? Well, I do, and (for the most part) they are a fantastic way for you and your kids to spend some quailty time together.

What? You didn't know that the internet could bring you and your family closer together? It does...and your kids can learn something along the way.

We were watching a Care Bear commerical and my son noticed that you could also get your fill of the Care Bears on the internet. So we went and we have been going back ever since.

So we made yesterday Care Bear Day. We went on a hunt at stores to find some little care bears of our own. Kincaid picked grumpy and Corrine picked Hopeful Heart.

We printed off coloring pages... corrine loves to color and kincaid loves to color on the computer...but it all makes for a fun Care Bears Day. We all sat down at the computer ( yes, we did...people sit around the TV for hours a day...why not the computer) and watched some Care Bear's cartoons and music videos.

We played some games. Kinciad's favorite is Oopsy's Bubble Bumpers. It is like pinball...only cute and cuddely...and free!

And finally, we looked at a picture of some of them and decided which ones we wanted to buy next.

So the next time you and your little ones are bored, why not open up the Care Bear's world and jump in. You will be glad you did...and besides...they are ssssssssoooooooooo cute, even my hubby can't resist their do-gooder-must-hugger charm!