Making This Holiday Count

Is there any better way to enjoy this Christmas season and holiday than to spend it having a wonderful time with your family? Possibly have an outdoor event for your kids and so on...

Yeah!! I bet you that One good thing that surpasses all wonderful time you can ever have is to put a smile on a kids face, far away where you may never dream of reaching someday.

I want to encourage all parents reading this to make donations as individuals and as family or even in the name of their children..

READ THIS ......

Happy Holidays from
The Fresh Air Fund!

Knowing that you did something extraordinary for inner-city children this year should warm your heart throughout the holiday season – just as our children’s hearts are warmed by the wonderful memories of their Fresh Air summers!

News Facts
• The Fresh Air Fund relies on donations and partnerships to raise the funds needed to give these children the vacation they deserve.
• The Fresh Air Fund needs hosts for the Summer of 2009

DONATE

You can give a child the experience of alifetime with your gift to The Fresh Air Fund!Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities.Whether it’s a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities.We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.
Your year-end gift will allow us to invite even more children to experience Fresh Air summers full of learning, fun and new friends. Thank you so much for your generous support. Our entire Fresh Air Fund family wishes you all the best this season.

Donate online now

News Facts
• The Fresh Air Fund relies on donations and partnerships to raise the funds needed to give these children the vacation they deserve.
• The Fresh Air Fund needs hosts for the Summer of 2009

DONATE

You can give a child the experience of alifetime with your gift to The Fresh Air Fund!Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities.Whether it’s a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities.We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.
Your year-end gift will allow us to invite even more children to experience Fresh Air summers full of learning, fun and new friends. Thank you so much for your generous support. Our entire Fresh Air Fund family wishes you all the best this season.

Donate online now

HOST A CHILD

Thanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air vacations. More than 65% of all children are reinvited to stay with their host family, year after year.Fresh Air Fund Host FamiliesThere is no such thing as a "typical" host family. If you have room in your home - and your heart - to host a child, you could be one too.
Learn More

Fresh Air Fund Children

Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City and are eager to experience the simple pleasures of life outside the city. Fresh Air children are boys and girls who live in New York City and are eager to experience the simple pleasures of life outside the city.As one child puts it, "In the city, you have to think about what is going to happen around the next street corner. In the woods, you walk with a group of friends and counselors. You don't even think about city problems."

Barack Obama: The Dream Of All Parents!

It Sure Pay To Have A Dream!

I know quite well beyond every doubt that if Barrack Obama's Grand mother in kenya was told 30 years ago that her grandson would become the president of United states, even the most optimistic dreamer will label such statements as a WILD DREAM from a disillusioned parent.

But today, its not even a vision any longer, its a reality.

I want to share this articles with all parents who are yet to see the potency in being a dreamer.

Barack Hussein Obama: A Beacon of Hope

The U.S. Presidential Election has come and gone and the lessons will remain with us forever. Looking back to what I have been saying for a while on this blog, I am sure you will now believe me that we all can achieve whatever we want to achieve if only we can believe it is possible.
Barack Hussein Obama came into the race for the White House with nothing but a dream. He started the race as “that one,” an object of ridicule but he never wavered in his desire to become the President of the Greatest Nation on earth, the United States of America. Now we all can see where his dream has led him to.

He stood up against opponents he would normally have been intimidated by their profile. He was definitely a no match for Hillary Clinton or John McCain but he was able to come out to the people as a charismatic leader and someone that knows what he wants. His message of change resonates with what the people desires most and even his critics couldn’t help but admire him.

What I have learnt from my study of dreamers, right from the beginning of the world, is that they get whatsoever they have dared to dream about. No matter how big the dream is, the dreamer will always have it not minding how long it takes. I don’t know how long Obama has been dreaming of occupying the White House, but it is evident that this is a dream he believed in so much and he gave his all to achieve it.

“The whole world stand aside to let him pass, who knows where he is going,” is a saying I heard years ago and it is always coming true in the life of every dreamer. When you declare a dream, people will laugh at you, but if you did not allow that to get to you and stop you from following the dream, you will find out that people that have ridiculed you will later come to applaud you. You must NEVER allow people’s opinion stop you from following your dream.

They laughed at Joseph, Henry Ford, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Hill, Walt Disney, Ted Turner, Anita Roddick, Bill Gates, Steve Job and even Brack Obama was ridiculed for daring to dream. If this great people were laughed at, at an early stage, in the pursuit of their dreams, and they eventually achieved their heart desires, the moral of their stories, that we all need to pursue our dreams no matter what the obstacles are, should be held close to our heart.

It cost nothing to dream and if you are going to dream, copy Obama and dream BIG! I have learnt that there is no gain in dreaming small because what ever you dream will surely come to pass. Most of the dreams I had years ago, that I thought were big, have been achieved and I realised I still need BIGGER dreams for the future. I can now borrow a leaf from Obama and even dream BIGGER than I am doing now

Now that you know that there is no dream that is too BIG to achieve, what are you going to do my friend? Will you continue to play small or dream BIG? Will you continue to complain about things you don’t have or circumstances not being in your favour? Do you realise that Obama is an orphan? He lost his father to an automobile accident in the 80s and his mother to cancer in the 90s so what are you complaining about?

Barack Obama has proved to us all that NOTHING is impossible and it is our duty to live with this truth. We have a choice in this matter to continue living without a dream or to pick up a dream and start start pursuing it. Remember, this is just a CHOICE!

Thanks Barack for teaching us this important life lesson. Wishing you well in your drive to take America back to where it belongs!

culled from : http://www.naijamotivation.com/2008/11/06/barack-obama/

Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children

Social Media News Release

You helped us get this far. Now, your vote could mean $1.5 million for malnourished children around the world.

Quicklinks: News Facts | About International Medical Corps | Help International Medical Corps | Contacts | Multimedia Elements | Social Media | Tags

NEWS FACTS We made it into the American Express Members Project - Top 5. “Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children” is now guaranteed a share of $2.5 million in prize money. The project with the most votes receives $1.5 million, 2nd receives $500,000, 3rd $300,000, and 4th and 5th $100,000. The funding – made possible by your votes – would bring a vital lifeline to hungry and malnourished children around the world. But we need your help between now and October 13. Voting is easy and doesn’t cost a thing! In just a click, you can save the lives of thousands of malnourished children. Click here to vote: For severely malnourished children, we offer a step-by-step treatment program that gives them what they need to recover, including nutrient-dense food supplements like the peanut-based product, Plumpy'Nut. Our comprehensive monitoring system saves more than 90 percent of children being treated in our feeding centers. Being one of the Top 5 would mean our nutrition could reach more children around the world who need our help. CLICK HERE TO VOTE! Hunger and malnutrition kill more people in the world than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. As food prices rise, this funding is even more critical. More people are being driven deeper into poverty trying to afford basic staples. Many have nothing to eat at all. Your vote makes it possible for fewer young lives to be lost because they do not have enough to eat. Getting the word out to your friends and family makes a huge difference! Forward this link to a friend and you bring us that much closer to the $1.5 million to help malnourished children around the world!

About International Medical Corps International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, IMC is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, IMC rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

Help International Medical Corps Double your impact. Donate today. Your gift is matched before October 31st. International Medical Corps has received a pledge of $100,000 in matching funds to provide vital health care to millions of children and families suffering in the global food crisis and other emergencies around the world. Every donation made before October 31st will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. That means that we can double every dollar you provide, multiplying your gift and reaching more children and families who so desperately need our help. Did you know that hunger and malnutrition kill more people than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined? As food prices soar, billions of people around the world are more vulnerable to malnutrition and severe food insecurity. Malnutrition often puts children at risk for malaria, diarrhea and respiratory infections – creating a vicious cycle. We see the impact of this emergency at our feeding sites and clinics everyday. By making a donation, you provide a lifeline for children and families who desperately need our help. Click here to help Contacts For Press Inquiries Stephanie Bowen Communications Manager International Medical Corps 1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 400 Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-826-7800 sbowen@imcworldwide.org Ilori Olalekan

Parenting Parents

Dear Carolyn,

My mom's been living alone since my dad died. I'm starting to worry about her. She forgets things and yesterday she forgot to lock the front door. I don't think she's eating some meals, either. Should I put her in a home or is there something else to try?
Signed: Parenting my own Parent


Dear Parenting my own Parent

Having to take care of your own parent is a scary thing. It's especially scary if your mom has been there for you for so many years and now she isn't.

There are a lot of things to consider before a nursing home. A recent study found that living with a partner reduces the risk of Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases by 50%! Widows and widowers who continued to live alone ran the greatest risk; they were six times more apt to show signs of Alzheimer's.

You didn't say how long it's been since your dad died. Has she grieved his loss? Is she ready to move on? If not, you could talk to her about finding a grieving group for her to join. Everybody needs to grieve losses if they want to move on.

If she's grieved, is she ready to find someone to share the rest of her life with? Maybe share the study about how it could reduce her risk of Alzheimer's with her. (See link below).

Maybe she's not ready to go that far, at least not yet. Encourage her to meet people her age, maybe through a religious, social or educational group. If she lives nearby, you could even invite three or four people her age to dinner or to play cards. Do family live near her that could help with this? Get them involved, too.

Here are some other things to consider: Encourage your mom to

* obtain counseling for unresolved grief or trauma
* attend social functions
* engage in intellectually stimulating activities such as doing crossword puzzles, reading, learning a language or other new information

For more about the study, click on:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731073549.htm
Try some of these ideas and let me know how it goes…

by

Carolyn Chambers Clark

Family Meetings 101

Family meetings provide opportunities for feelings to be aired and validated. They also allow younger children to feel they are an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to family vacations and other major and minor family functions.

Before the first meeting commences, set a few ground rules such as: Speak in a calm tone. Avoid name-calling, finger-pointing, and sarcasm. Turn off the TV, radio and telephones. Allow each person to voice his or her concerns and ideas. Listen to all opinions before making a decision. If a person voices a complaint, they must also bring to the table at least one possible remedy to the situation.

Locations for future family meetings may also be brainstormed at the first meeting. Here are a few examples: Circle Time Very simply, sit on the floor together, in a circle. Designate an object as a "talking token". This can be a small stuffed animal, a necklace to be worn, a hat, or any other item that will be passed around. Whoever holds the talking token may speak.
Once they are finished, they must pass the token to the next person. Restaurant Rendezvous Take turns choosing a favorite restaurant to host your family meetings.

For this option, choose an afternoon or evening in the middle of the week, or at off-peak times, to avoid heavy crowds. End the meeting before dessert arrives, so everyone can indulge their sweet tooth happily.

Hobby Haven I know of several families who hold their meetings at places that cater to their favorite hobbies. For instance, one family conducts their meeting at a bowling alley. Once the meeting is over, they enjoy bowling together. Another family combines their gathering with their love of books, by meeting at a caf頩n their favorite bookstore.

And yet another family I know holds their weekly meeting after a joyful round of put-put golf. This option combines family communication and fun. However, and wherever, your family decides to host the meetings, remember this all-important point: Always end each meeting with a hug!


Thanks Article From : Deborah Shelton
Deborah Shelton edits The Five Minute Parent email newsletter.
For your free subscription,
send a blank email to mailto:Five_Minute_Parent-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or
visit http://www.fiveminuteparent.com www.fiveminuteparent.com deborah@fiveminuteparent.com

the FRESHAIR fund

.co serving children since 1877

Remember your summer vacations? Doesn’t every kid deserve that kind of fun?


We have over 200 children scheduled for Fresh Air trips this summer and need your help to host or find hosts!

• 
  The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer vacations to New York City children from disadvantaged communities since 1877. This is your summer to help!


• 
  The end of July is growing closer and we still have 200 children who need to be placed with host families for this August


• 
  Unless all prospective host families are screened and vetted by the end of July these 200 children may miss out on an invaluable experience


• 
  Please host a child or help us get the word out that we need folks who can welcome a child from the city into their homes next month


• 
  One last thing that is actually very important. We are looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old. We really need more families who want older children and boys


• 
  Please Email Angie, mailto:angie@freshair.orghair.org, immediately and she'll speed you through the process!
  Or, you can call us at 1-800-367-0003 (212.897.8900) -- ask for Angie


• 
  If you want to help but don't live in these areas - BLOG about this program, tell your friends, recommend someone, or DONATE

There are trip dates set for August 2008 for over 200 children and we need host families to volunteer to host these inner-city children. The dates and locations are as follows:

8/11-8/21
New Jersey: Warren County, Bergen County, Union County, Somerset County, Morris County, Hunterdon County
8/11-8/22
Pennsylvania: Lancaster, Akron, Christiana, Denver, Donegal, East Earl, Elverson, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, QuarryvilleNew York: St. Massena, Ogdensburg, Potsdam
8/12-8/22
Harrisburg, Pa
8/15-8/22
Central Massachusetts: Acton, Hopkinton, Lexington, Marlboro, Wayland
8/15-8/25
New YorkWestern Fingerlakes: Canandaigua, Canal Towns, DansvilleCentral New York: Fulton, Marcellus and OswegoMassachusetts:Cape CodPennsylvania:Doylestown, Upper Bucks, Lower Bucks, Chalfont
8/25-9/1
New York:Columbia CountyRed Hook/Rhinebeck (Dutchess County)Albany County


News Facts
THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877.Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2007, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.









Fresh Air Children
Children are selected to participate in The Fresh Air Fund Friendly Town program based on financial need. Children are from low-income communities. Fresh Air youngsters are registered by more than 90 social service and community organizations in all five boroughs of New York City.
Fresh Air Fund Friendly Town Program
Fresh Air children, boys and girls from six to 18 years old, visit over 300 Fresh Air Friendly Towns in the summer. Fresh Air children on first-time visits to Friendly Town host families are six to 12 years old and stay for 7-14 days. Most families have such a great summer with their Fresh Air child that 65% invite the child back the following summer.
Friendly Town Host FamiliesFresh

Air Fund volunteer host families open their homes to inner-city children for two weeks or more in the summertime. Each Friendly Town community is supported by an experienced local volunteer.
There are no financial requirements for hosting a Fresh Air child. Most hosts simply want to share their homes with inner-city youngsters. Host families are not paid. The Fund has a program for placing children who have special physical or emotional needs.
Fresh Air Fund Camping Program

3,000 New York City youngsters, ages eight to 15, attend five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. Camp Hidden Valley is for boys and girls with and without special needs, eight to 12 years old; Camp Tommy is for 12- to 15-year-old boys; Camp Anita Bliss Coler is for girls, nine to 12-years old; Camp Hayden-Marks Memorial is for nine- to 12-year-old boys, and Camp Mariah is a coed camp for 12- to 14- year-old career campers.
Additionally, 2,000 young people participate in year-round weekend camping experiences. Special features shared by all camps include a planetarium, model farm, wilderness trail and ropes course. Camp Tommy is named in honor of Board member/designer Tommy Hilfiger for his dedication and support of Fresh Air children.
Career Awareness Program
The Fresh Air Fund’s innovative Career Awareness Program is designed to help New York City youngsters understand the relationship between school and work and how to make choices that will determine their futures. In New York City, 12- to 14-year-olds participate in job shadowings that offer close-up views of business and a career fair.
The year-round program includes weekend camping trips and an intensive three-and-a-half week summer session at the Career Awareness Camp – Camp Mariah. The career camp is named in honor of Board member/singer Mariah Carey for her dedication, support and commitment to Fresh Air youngsters. Career awareness graduates continue to receive support through the PreOccupations Club and benefit from the guidance of volunteer mentors.
About Fresh Air Fund

In 1877, the Reverend Willard Parsons, minister of a small rural parish in Sherman, Pennsylvania, asked members of his congregation to provide country vacations as volunteer host families for children from New York City tenements. This was the beginning of The Fresh Air Fund tradition.
By 1884, Reverend Parsons was writing about The Fund for New York’s Herald Tribune, and the number of children served grew. In 2007, close to 10,000 New York City children experienced the joys of summertime in Friendly Towns and at five Fund camps in upstate New York.

Donate

Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities. Whether it’s a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities. We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.

Donate online now Join Our Monthly Giving Program For a few dollars a day, you can have a tremendous impact on the life of an inner-city child. Sign up to be a monthly donor today – easy, convenient, automated and life-changing.

Sign Up Now Printable Donation Form If you'd like to fax or mail in your donation, please print out a form and follow the directions below.You can fax a completed form (with your credit card information) to (212) 681-0146 or mail one (with your check, money order or credit card information) to:
The Fresh Air Fund633 Third Avenue, 14th FloorNew York, NY 10017Make checks payable in US dollars to: The Fresh Air Fund.

Open a Printable Form Donate by Phone To make a donation by telephone, call us at (800) 367-0003. Please ask to speak with the Development Department.

Press Contacts

Sara Wilson, Outreach Coordinator

sara@freshair.org

Jenny Morgenthau, Executive Director(212) 897-8898

Kate Brinkerhoff, Public Relations Director(212) 897-8890

Andrea Kotuk, Andrea & Associates(212) 353-9585

Tour De Fitness by o2MAX

The event even too BIG for Lance...
Tour De Fitness
powered by
O2 MAXJuly 20, 200810-6

O2 MAX PRESENTS THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE SUMMER: TOUR DE FITNESS

A tour too big even for Lance Armstrong but Kate Hudson's personal trainer, Ashley Conrad will be attending (and maybe Lance will show up).


O2 MAX will be conducting the Tour de Fitness as it innovative guerilla marketing campaign on July 20th, 2008. With an obesity epidemic spreading nationwide, it is imperative that adults, teens, and children learn the importance of fitness, exercise, and nutrition.

This event is going to be "BIGGER than BIG", gathering an army of O2 MAX teens clad in American Apparel t-shirts that look like a concrete gym floor, orange bandanas and slathered in sun-block. Professionals, tourists, and families will witness a herd of fit, health-conscious young guys and girls on a mission. They will start the day @ The O2 MAX studio and head to he famous Santa Monica Stairs for a workout, trek over to Starbucks for some green-iced tea.


They will then walk up Montana Ave., walk down Wilshire Blvd as they head to Top to Top doing pushups, lunges & running drills along the way such as fartleks & sprints along the way. Then the tour proceeds to Whole Foods to refuel with a Larabar and an electrolyte beverage and walk the perimeter of the store aisles, highlighting healthy and natural foods. They will presume by heading to the 3rd Street Promenade and Main St. for lunch & a workout demo in front of American Apparel.Workouts will be led Karen Jashinsky, Shirley Brown AND some of Hollywood's top trainers and other top fitness instructors.

In addition to Ashley Conrad we will be joined by Michael George who has trained Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan and Christian Slater and Gina Lombardi who trains Andy Garcia, Val Kilmer, Kirstie Alley & Beck to name a few. Amy Dixon, Columnist for Health Magazine& Group Exercise manager @ Equinox Fitness will be joining as well.This event was largely produced by business students interning from Washington University, George Washington, Berkeley & USC. High School students participating are from Santa Monica High School, Venice High, Palisades Charter High School, Hamilton Music Academy, Ocean Charter, Lincoln & Franklin Middle Schools, Harvard Westlake & several others.Join us along the way & get some free stuff such as guest passes to Equinox Fitness & O2 MAX, t-shirts. Bring your dogs too-we will have healthy treats for them provided by Dogswell. Check our website for the agenda or call 310 867 1650 to find out where we are.

All Parents, friends of O2 MAX & FOKr's (Friends of Karen) are invited. We would love the support to take pictures and keep everyone hydrated. O2 MAX is a teen fitness 'HUB' that includes private trainers, yoga, pilates, dance, group workouts & classes, a lounge, snacks, wireless internet, and tutoring.

With its opening just this past March, O2 MAX is new, fresh, young, and on the run!


For any questions, please contact

Karen Jashinsky.Karen Jashinsky,

Founder/CEO(310) 867 1650
Karen@o2MAXfitness.com

Parenting: Tips For A Sunny Day Relaxation With Your Kids

Hello all, todays post is just a tip for parents on activities that can be carried out when spending a good time with your children on a sunny day or when you go out for a picnic.

Build Your Own Stonehenge Activity

Age: 8 and up
Time: 1 to 2 hours

Materials needed:
Center stake for reference point.
50 feet of rope.
20 to 30 marker stones or small stakes.
A compass.

Here's a unique way to celebrate the solstice: Build your own Stonehenge. As you might know, Stonehenge is one of the oldest (4,000+ years) and best known astronomical calendar sites in the world. You can recreate it without going through the bother of lugging 25 to 50 ton slabs of rock around the neighborhood. All you'll need is a bit of ambition, and a location offering an unobstructed view of the eastern or western horizon. Locations offering a 360º horizon view are ideal (and rare).

What to do

The first thing you'll need to do is create a viewing circle. Anchor a reference stake at the center point of the circle and place your compass on top of it. Find due north and place a marker at 50 feet north of the center. Repeat the process for east, west and south. (The rope is used as a guide to insure that all markers are equidistant from the center stake.) Again, using the rope as a guide, place a small marker stone every few feet around the perimeter of your circle. The center of the circle now becomes your fixed reference point and the westward facing perimeter is where you'll be placing the sunset markers.
The calendar can be started at any time, but the solstice sunsets are the most fun. Mark the point of sunset with a pole, stake or other (not easily moved) marker. Tag the marker with the date of sunset.
Repeat the process every seven days or so. Over the weeks and months you'll note that the sun appears to "walk" faster at some times of the year than others. When you've finished (in a year's time) you'll have a working astronomical calendar and an excuse to invite friends and classmates over to the house to check the date.
Non-construction alternatives

Photo-op: Take a snapshot of the western skyline and tape it to the wall by a western facing window. With a felt tip marker draw an arrow on the photo corresponding to the point of sunset and note the date. Repeat the process.
Window marks: (This takes two people.) Standing at the same point in the room of a western facing window, have the other person make a small mark on the glass where the sun sets. Note the date and repeat the process on a weekly basis.

How it works

The principle behind an astronomical calendar is simple. The apparent rising and setting horizon point of the sun changes with each passing day. The different points correspond to different days of the year.
At minimum, an astronomical calendar only requires a fixed reference point for viewing and another fixed reference point marking the position of the rising and/or setting sun on the horizon.
In the Northern Hemisphere, if you were to watch a time-lapse movie of a year's worth of sunsets, you would notice that the sun appears to "walk" back and forth across the western horizon. The winter solstice marks the southern limit of the sun's journey and the summer solstice is the northern boundary. Closer examination would reveal that, with the exception of the two solstice extremes, every other point on the horizon is crossed twice during the course of the year. Once on the southern march and again on the northern return.
At the time of the winter and summer solstices, (around December 22 and June 22) the sun is directly overhead at either the Tropic of Cancer (summer) or the Tropic of Capricorn (winter). In the Northern Hemisphere these dates mark the beginnings of summer and winter and the days of the longest and shortest hours of daylight.

Make Your 2008 summer a memorable one.

Watch out for more activities to be suggested on this blog.

Ilori Olalekan

Dealing With Life Crises

Hello readers,I'm very sorry for the long silence that has been characterising this blog for sometime. I promise you it'll all be over soon.

Life crises are unavoidable experiences which everyone of us must pass through. It is not to be bargained.
These experiences though differing from one person to another is at the same time very similar in nature. This is why sharing ones experiences with another is of great help during these critical times, cause it infuses the courage and strength to bear the crises.

Based on this truth mentioned above, I will like to introduce a book written by Jerry White, co-founder of Survivor Corps;"I will Not Be Broken Five Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis". This book is aimed at helping us overcome life crises. For a review of this book please go through this link; http://iwillnotbebroken.org/

Because I personally believe in "try before you buy" I want to share the full Introduction and First Chapter with all my readers as a PDF digital download -- http://iwillnotbebroken.smnr.us/#download -- in fact, you can check out Chapter 2 as well -- be my guest! http://iwillnotbebroken.smnr.us/pdf/IWillNotBeBroken-Ch2.pdf -- and if you would like a proper copy of the book for your review, just pop me your address and I will have a copy delivered to you!

As I mentioned before, If you're interested in blogging about the book or my organization, I have collected everything you need into a couple news releases, one for "I Will Not Be Broken," http://iwillnotbebroken.smnr.us and one for Survivor Corps, http://survivorcorps.smnr.us

Ilori Olalekan
parentingcares@yahoo.com
mykeilori@yahoo.com

Avoid Killer Parenting

Parenting is the source of food and sustenance of a child's emotional development. If you don't love your child-he/she will die!

What happens today between parent and child matters tomorrow and twenty years from now. Loving your child,setting your heart to the sacrificial,energy-consuming,life draining task of loving him/her. This is not just giving him hugs,forgiving her "babyness",being patient and so on,you are actually providing,through this actions,the life and food for the future years.These are ingredients that would form his emotional health.

The Parent is the most important:
As with many parents attitude is the major problem. Healthy children begin with healthy parents.Any approach to family that starts by focusing on the child is putting the cart before the horse. Also , families an only be as healthy as the parents are. The family system will be only as healthy as parents who leads it,even though individual members of family may be healthier than the parents.
Our focus should be on our health as parents rather than Child management.

Don't Kill That Child!!!

Changing Your Parenting Lifestyle in 2008!! -Welcome

Hello all!!!

This post is just to welcome y'all to a new year as this is going to be my first post this year. I'm sorry this is rather coming late but at same time not too late--2nd month of the year.

Over the next few weeks i'll be dealing with Things and Areas we need to take special note of in our parenting lifestyles, particularly our personalities.

I'm just making this post to whet our appetite for the articles to come soon. I promise you that it will be quite revealing.

Stay connected!!!!!