The website www.grandparents.com has a good series of articles going on places to go with special needs children or grandchildren. The first article in the series is here and the second one is here. Some of the places I have already blogged. There are some great suggestions for other ones, too.
Places to Visit with Special Needs Kids
August 25, 2009
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Places to Explore | Tagged: child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, Places to Go, special needs, theme paarks, traveling with special need kids | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe and More
August 20, 2009Summer days at the lake were always memorable! The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has two articles about lakes: Lake Tahoe – where Sand Harbor is the place to swim – and then the Top 10 Lakeside Camps – the on-line article has 15, including the best photo ops, sunsets, fun, small town feel, and four-star food!
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National Parks of the West
August 19, 2009The August 2009 Sunset Magazine has a great article by Peter Fish and photographed by Ian Shive on National Parks With Amazing Views: Grand Teton National Park, Yosemite National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Yellowstone National Park. It has an on-line link to an interactive page with lots of information on Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Olympic National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Zion National Park. Watch the video of Sunset editor-in-chief Katie Tamony interviewing Ken Burns, who is the filmmaker of “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” – PBS will show it on September 27. The other videos are also very good. There are suggestions, photos and a map where you click on the park for even more info on activities, accommodations, campgrounds, and “top wow spots” from Sunset. I found it quite awesome!
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Take Time To Be A Dad
August 17, 2009Sometimes it is really hard to be a dad. Sometimes it is hard to feel you are a being good dad because you just don’t know if you are doing what you are “supposed to be doing.” Father involvement with their kids is so important for the youngster’s well-being.
The Ad Council reports on their website: “More than 79% of Americans feel “the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father from the home.” Research shows that the lack of a father in the home correlates closely with crime, educational and emotional problems, teenage pregnancy, and drug and alcohol abuse.
In an effort to show dads the critical role they play in their children’s lives, the Ad Council has partnered with the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and volunteer ad agency Campbell-Ewald to create a new PSA campaign that communicates to fathers that their presence is essential to their children’s well-being. The campaign provides fathers with the information they need to become better dads.”
The ads are great! I saw the cheerleader one at the doctor’s office this afternoon, which is what inspired today’s blog. Here is a whole set of ads – they are all good! I hope they inspire lots of Dads to stick around and be part of their kids’ lives. My dad left my mom and us three girls when I was 7. I was the oldest. I know what it’s like.
Like President Obama said in his recent Father’s Day Message, “even the smallest moments can have the biggest impact in a child’s life” – which is what Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too! is all about, as well. The National Fatherhood Initiative site has examples of things you can do. Hopefully my blog is full of ideas for you, too!
The FatherFactor blog sponsored by the National Fatherhood Initiative is awesome for thought provoking passages. You can check out and maybe join the Dads Club or the Fatherhood Programs.
Being a Dad should be a very special experience. Then when the kids are all grown and have their own children, you hopefully get to do all the fun parts again as Grandpa!
1 Comment | People Who Make A Difference | Tagged: children, Dads, family, father, Father Involvement, grandchild, grandchildren, grandfather, grandpa, grandparent, kids | Permalink
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Teaching Kids About 9-1-1
August 16, 2009There was an awesome news story on AOL tonight from parentdish.com about a 5-year-old boy who saved his 8-month pregnant mom’s life when she had a seizure because she had taught him what to do just in case! There are lots of pro and con comments about it (mainly about having a single 911 button versus having to teach the kids the 9-1-1 sequence), but it sure has saved lives! Here is the 911forkids.com website for you to check out the suggestions for home safety, creating a family Emergency Plan, and links for the answers for what to do when…
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Creating A Statement of Family Values
August 13, 2009Michael Josephson today spoke about the importance of family values or core beliefs and creating a Statement of Family Values for our children. Take the time to think about how you really feel about these 12 areas and put into words what you want your children to believe. It will be hard and will probably have to be done in many sessions, but it is amazing what you end up with!
The 12 areas that Michael Josephson listed are: Character/ethics, Faith/spirituality , Marriage/family relationships, Friendship, Education, Self-reliance, Attitude, Service, Success, Money/material possessions,
Drinking/drugs, and Premarital sex.
Leave a Comment » | People Who Make A Difference | Tagged: child, children, core values, family, family values, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, Michael Josephson | Permalink
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Fun Filled Family Favorites
August 12, 2009Oprah has suggested 13 fun family activities for creating family memories as our summer winds down. If you need some ideas, be sure to check this list out! Some of the activities have already come up on my blog. Do enjoy!
Leave a Comment » | Indoor Activities, Nature Activities, Places to Explore, Routine Activity | Tagged: aquarium, child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, hiking, kids, kids museum, Oprah, Places to Go, Playing with Children, train ride | Permalink
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My Daughter Is Expecting A Girl!
August 12, 2009So, it will be a girl! Cyndi found out today that the baby is a girl! Austin already told her it was a girl! He is ready to have a little sister! Now to wait to see if she is a late December baby or an early January baby! 🙂
Congrats to Cyndi, Aron, and Austin!
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2009 Perseid Meteor Shower
August 11, 2009Grandpa Ron and I have seen several meteors streak across the sky in the last couple of weeks. The Perseid Meteor Shower is very intense right now. According to Space.com: In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.” More info in the NASA story. Check out Space.com’s Top 10 Perseid Facts.
Here are some totally awesome photos captured on www.RealClearWx.com – which also has great weather photos. – Could spend a couple minutes with the kids (longer if their attention span holds!) discussing lightning and storms.
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Hot August Nights
August 10, 2009The Reno Hot August Nights string of events is over for another year. Sounds like the Beach Boys were awesome at the Peppermill. The cars cruising all over Reno, Sparks and surrounding area were fun to see. You may want to keep it in mind for next year. We saw lots of pre-1973 cars. More cars were there than ever before but , surprise, surprise, spending was down as reported here in the RGJ. Here is a Reno Gazette-Journal listing of articles and photo albums from this year including the Saturday parade and the trailer queens.
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