Pluto Demoted Day

Pluto Demoted Day on August 24 commemorates the day in 2006 when Pluto's status was downgraded from a full sized planet to a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

With so many things going on in our world today I step up on to my soapbox to say….

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn’t always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned, but overbearing, regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teenagers suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they had themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer paracetamol, sun lotion or plaster to a pupil, but could not inform the parents when a pupil became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home, but the burglar could sue you for assault because you protected yourself and your own.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I’m A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realised that he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author Unknown

PARENTS START YOUR MINIVANS……… August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

by @DreamBox_Learn

How do you get your child ready for the beginning of their academic career? How do you prepare yourself for this life-changing transition?

Prepping for the first school send off

We’ve all seen those movies and T.V. shows where the child clings to his parent’s leg, weeping and refusing to go inside the kindergarten classroom. This emotional exchange can be just as difficult for parents as it is for the kids. That’s why we came up with eight tips to quell your child’s fear to ease them through those big, scary doors. 

1. Read Books
Read books about kindergarten with them, such as The Night Before Kindergarten or First Day Jitters and gently get them familiar with the concept. Storytime is a good way to get your child talking about the new school.

2. Take a walk
Walk with your child by the school, play on the playground, and maybe take him or her inside for a special tour. Research shows that children who have established routine in their lives feel more safe and secure.

3. Sleep Schedule
Adjust their sleep schedule gradually to the school’s schedule.

4. Practice Trip
Take a practice bus trip if your child is going to take the bus to school or point out (and count!) buses you see on the road.

5. Kindergarten math
Being a Mathematics based game company, our desire is for your student to excel in Math. Math can be integrated into many daily activities.  You can start prepping your child for kindergarten with kindergarten-appropriate math games like Uno and number Bingo. Practice counting by asking your child to count the buttons on your shirt, the daisies in your lawn,  the candy in a dish.  Use our Math Development Growth Chart and find out where your five-year-old is in math before school begins.

6. How do parents get ready?
Kids are the ones who have to face a whole new routine, but parents need to prepare too! During the school send off, you’ll probably cry more than the little one.  Invest in a giant pair of sunglasses to hide those tears.  And definitely have a video camera handy. 

7. Questions to ask yourself before your child begins kindergarten:
What forms do you need to fill out?
Do you have a kindergarten yearly calendar and daily schedule?
What are the procedures for getting your child to/from school?
What immunizations are required for school entry?
How do you register?
What’s the principal’s name and the name of the kindergarten teachers?
What is the policy for school snacks and lunches?

Wordless Wednesday

MedicAlert® Awareness Month: Celebrating the Services Behind Your Medical Bracelet

MedicAlert Foundation
By Carrie Soares on August 12th, 2014

MedicAlert – isn't every medical bracelet a MedicAlert bracelet? Unfortunately, the answer is no. While the MedicAlert name is synonymous with medical identification bracelets; not all bracelets are created equal. That is why, this August, we celebrate MedicAlert Awareness Month. This celebration is designed to educate the public about MedicAlert Foundation and the extra life-saving benefits that set us apart from general medical jewelry providers.

The collection of services found behind every MedicAlert medical ID bracelet is how shoppers can distinguish MedicAlert Foundation from all other medical ID providers in today’s market. Only MedicAlert continues to deliver 24/7 life-saving services that other providers simply can’t match.

MedicAlert Awareness Month is a special event to recognize that, for over 50 years, our foundation has continued to protect the health and well-being of millions of members’ worldwide. We do this by ensuring you receive proper medical treatment and care during an emergency.

 MedicAlert’s trusted 24/7 emergency support network, offers peace of mind for both you and your loved ones. If unresponsive; your personalized engraved MedicAlert medical ID will work for you, immediately connecting first responders and medical personnel to your up-to-date medical information.

Happy Birthday to our favorite brown-eyed beagle, Snoopy! 🎂🎉 This strip was published on August 10, 1968

Wordless Wednesday

Romance Awareness Month

Romance Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in August.

CELEBRATE
Being aware of and adding more romance into your relationship will be a win-win for both you and your significant other.  Romance has always been a very important part of relationships. Sometimes it is the little things that really make a big difference,  such as; holding a hand, rubbing a shoulder, a flower, dinner, a song, a note, watching a movie together, etc..  

Romance Awareness Month is also a great time to catch up on some reading with the wide selection of romance novels that are available. 

If posting on social media use #RomanceAwarenessMonth.

HISTORY
The origin of Romance Awareness Month has not been determined. 

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

With a large number of states beginning the school year earlier, August is the new September! Along with school supply shopping and purchasing those back-to-school clothing items, it’s time to make comprehensive eye exam appointments for the kids. Conveniently, August is designated as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!

A good rule of thumb is to have your children’s eyes examined during well-child visits, beginning around age three. Your child’s eye doctor can help detect refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism as well as the following diseases:
Amblyopia (lazy eye)
Strabismus (crossed eyes)
Ptosis (drooping of the eyelid)
Color deficiency (color blindness)

If you or your doctor suspects that your child may have a vision problem, you can make an appointment with your local ophthalmologist for further testing. There are some specific warning signs that may indicate that your child has a vision problem. Some of these include:
Wandering or crossed eyes
A family history of childhood vision problems
Disinterest in reading or viewing distant objects
Squinting or turning the head in an unusual manner while watching television

Keeping your children’s eyes safe is another part of maintaining healthy vision. Eye injuries are the leading cause of vision loss in children. There are about 42,000 sports-related eye injuries every year in America, and children suffer most of these injuries. Help prevent your child from being one of the more than 12 million children who suffer from vision impairment by remembering a few basic rules of safety:
All children should wear protective eyewear while participating in sports or recreational activities

Purchase age-appropriate toys for your children and avoid toys with sharp or protruding parts (Source: HAP).

Help your children have a successful school year by scheduling a comprehensive eye exam and taking safety measures to ensure their eyes are free from injury. If you need assistance finding a licensed eye care specialist in your area, click here.
 

WPC-Collage

An assortment, a collection, a hodgepodge. This week, share one — whether found in the wild or assembled yourself.

This week, share a collage with us. It can be a collage you find out in the world — a grouping of flyers on a telephone pole, patches of plants in a bed of flowers, a parking lot checkered with colorful cars — or a collage made of multiple photos. (What a great use of a tiled gallery! Nudge nudge.) If you want to indulge your inner arts-and-crafts nerd, make a paper collage and share a photo of that.

To see more pictures of collage.