Life is a Challenge

Several years ago my children were really into the Fetch with Ruff Ruffman show on PBS.  The host, Ruff, would give the contestants “science challenges” to complete.  It was always entertaining to watch how the contestants went about completing their challenge.  At home we would often complete our own science challenges downloaded from the PBS Kids website http://www.pbs.org/parents/fetch/activities/act/index.html .

One day during that same time period I was pushing my middle child, who was always very particular about the way everything was done, on the swing.  She kept pointing out what I was doing wrong, and giving me very detailed instructions on exactly how she wanted to be pushed.  Finally, exasperated, I said, “If you are going to be difficult I am not going to push you at all.”  She replied, shocked, “But mom, this is your challenge.”

Turns out she was not trying to be difficult, just trying to make up a challenge for me.  Her statement made me do a reality check…I did choose to be a mom and strive to be a good one.  And nothing we strive for is without its challenges.  Quite often now when parenting throws its curveballs I try to put on a Ruff Ruffman smile and remind myself, “This is your challenge.”

Golf Tournament

         

     

 The Ninth Annual Golf Tournament was a success!!!Over a hundred people showed up making the event very successful. The Children’s Museum in Easton could not be more pleased.  The golfing kicked off at 2:30pm, starting the event with lots of excitement and anticipation. Families all gathered together for the shotgun start.       Once the golfing was finished it was time for a fun yet relaxing evening. The evening got underway with a fabulous dinner that everyone seemed to enjoy. It gave families time to get together chat and talk about how much fun they had over the day. It also gave the opportunity for families to meet other families that are a part of their local community, to build new relationships and new friendships!

         Not only was the meal delicious but the items up for raffles were fantastic. The places that donated to the raffle were local businesses such as Paperback Junction, Stonebridge Café and the Easton Country Club. The Boston Red Sox even pitched in to donate an item! Everyone lined up to buy their raffle tickets and think about how much fun it would be if they won!          The next exciting part of the night was handing out the awards to all the different people who had made great accomplishments during the day. Some of the winners included Brian and Drew Anderson, John and Jackson Shevlin for Novice Flight and Steve Tasho, Kevin Dias, Jim Shaloup and Jack Lang for competitive flight.

Steve Tasho, Kevin Dias, Jim Shaloup, Jack Lang

       The final part of the event was a fireworks display sponsored by Evolution Sports Performance and put on by Atlas Pyrotechnics of New Hampshire. Luckily we were blessed to have the Easton Fire Department at the fireworks display as well. The show was stunning. Everyone watched in awe. The fireworks boomed and they burst, and they left everyone feeling like they had had a fabulous day with friends and families.

 

Not only did everyone have a good time at the event but also the event raised a lot of money for charity. All the proceeds will be going to needy and undeserved families and children in the local area. The proceeds from the event really help families and children to be able to be a part of activities that other children and families are accustomed to.  With that being said a special thanks for Halvorsen Orthodontics for their great donation and their loyalty to our cause! 

Thanks to our sponsors, Evolution Sports Performance, Halvorsen Orthodontics, Morse Insurance, Roche Bros, and Easton Pool and Spa! Also thank you to the members of the golf committee Rob Byron from Winter Wyman & Company, Dennis Harkins from The Children’s Museum in Easton, Steve Hutcheson from Mansfield Bank, Richard Kerr from Goodwin Procter, Mark Lombardi from Easton Country Club, Andrew Peterson from the Easton Running Club, Dayne Prothero from TeamPro and Scott Vokey from Bank of America. The hard work of all the sponsors and golf committee members really made this event what it was, a great success! Thank you so much!

Halloween Fun At Home

Ghouls, Ghosts, and Goblins OH MY! Halloween season is quickly approaching, and with that in mind, we've come up with spooktacular experiments, crafts, and snack ideas for you and your children to create together!

Homemade green Flubber: You aren't a true mad scientist until you've created your own Flubber. This is a very hands-on experiment that kids will absolutely love and the final product is something that your children won't want to put down for hours! One of the best things about this experiment is that your child is able to play a big role in making the Flubber. While they are conducting this experiment, ask them questions along the way like "What colors are you using?", "How many drops of this did you put in?", or "What does the Flubber feel like?" Asking questions like this will keep your child engaged and thinking about what they're doing. To get more information for this experiment, visit this website. Click here

Magic Puff Paint: Have you ever wanted a painting to come to life right before your eyes? Well, when you create some magic puff paint all your paintings will take on a new life of their own! The directions are very simple and the ingredients include easy to find things like flour, salt,and baking powder. To get the rest of the directions, click on the link to this website. Click here

Make a Ghost Appear: Everyone know the classic volcano experiment where you combine baking soda and vinegar to make the volcano "erupt". Well here is a new and fun twist on that project. This time, you will combine the two ingredients but instead of an eruption, the final product will be a balloon inflating on its own! All you need other than baking soda and vinegar is a water bottle and a balloon. To make this experiment Halloween themed, get a white balloon and draw a spooky face on it while it's deflated. If you are interested in giving this experiment a try, take a look at this website. Click here

What good is Halloween if you can't have some creepily cute decorations around your house? Take a look at some of these simple and fun craft projects that you and your child can make together!

Paper Plate Ghost:
What you'll need
-Paper plates
-Black marker
-White paper
-White streamers or toilet paper
-String
-Tape
-Scissors
Directions
Step 1: Draw a spooky ghost face on the back of your paper plate
Step 2: Cut out some arms for your ghost and then tape them behind the face
Step 3: Rip off strips of toilet paper or streamers and tape them to the on the bottom half of the plate behind the face of the ghost
Step 4: Punch a small hole at the very top of the plate then pull the string through so that you will be able to hang up your ghost.

Foam Cup Spider
What you'll need
-Foam/paper cups
-Acrylic paint
-Pipe cleaners 
Directions
Step 1: Paint your cup with any color  you want your spider to be. Then set it aside to dry
Step 2: Take 4 pipe cleaners and cut them in half. Then bend each pipe cleaner from about a third of the way down. 
Step 3: Paint some details on your spider like spots, fangs, eyes, and a mouth
Step 4: Poke the shorter half of the bent pipe cleaners through the cup. Then bend the bottom of each pipe cleaner so that it creates a little foot.


Glowing Eyes
What you'll need
-Toilet paper/paper towel rolls
-Scissors
-Glow sticks (any color)
Directions
Step 1: Take a toilet paper roll and draw an outline of a pair of spooky eyes.
Step 2: Now, using a pair of scissors, CAREFULLY cut out the shapes that you have drawn on the toilet paper rolls.
Step 3: Crack the glow stick so it starts to glow. Then tape it to the inside of the toilet paper roll.
* You can use these to decorate the trees and bushes outside your house. It makes it look like there are glowing eyes watching you!!! 

Even mad scientists and monsters have to eat. What better way to refuel you and your kids than with a couple of frighteningly delicious snacks!

Witch's Hat Cookies: Who knew that hats could be so tasty? Especially a Witch's hat! This easy to make recipe will provide you with some of the most creative and adorable cookies you've ever seen. One of the best parts about this recipe is that there is no baking required. All you have to do is provide the ingredients and then you can let your child take care of the rest. After making these cookies, you'll wonder why you've never thought of something like this yourself. To find out more about this recipe, click on this link. Click here

Frankenstein Pudding: Frankenstein isn't just a fictional monster, he is also a snack! This recipe is perfect for Halloween parties because not only is it fun to eat, but you also get to draw your own monster on a cup! All you'll need for this recipe is vanilla pudding, green food coloring, clear plastic cups, and Oreos. To find out more about this recipe, click on this link. Click here

Gingerbread Skeleton Men: Gingerbread men aren't just for the holiday season! Whip up some of your own horrifyingly delicious skeleton men! the only difference between skeleton men and gingerbread men is how you decorate them. All you have to do is pick up a package of gingerbread cookie mix and some gingerbread men cookie cutters (if you don't already have some), and a tube of decorating frosting. If this sounds like an idea that you want to try, follow this link to the website. Click here

After giving all of these ideas a try, your house is bound to look like something straight out of a ghost story! You'll have spiders and ghosts infesting your halls, skeletons being served as snacks, and paintings that look like they're about to hop right off the paper! We hope that these ideas will help you and your children have one of the most fun filled Halloween seasons yet. Don't forget to keep checking our blog for new updates and other creative ideas as well!