A Curiously Awesome Good Time

 I am a planner's planner. I'm a terrible procrastinator. My Meyer's Briggs tells me I prefer things settled and decided. I like to make lists so I can check off the items as I do them. Sometimes I do things and then write them down on my list just so I have something else to check off. However, when it came to Noah's 16th birthday -- I must have hit the pause button on my brain because I had no idea where we could go that would be cool, fun and something out of the ordinary. (That is, after his allergy testing and ENT appointment...I know! It sounds terrible -- How could I schedule those things on his birthday, but the reality was the ENT had taken a second look at Noah's CT scan and he wanted to see him and ordered allergy testing. Schedules were tight on both ends. It was either do it on Noah's birthday or wait til end of summer to be seen. Thankfully, my friend Barb came to the rescue. She called to wish him a Happy Birthday and told me she had heard about a local company that made youtube videos and offered tours. She was sketchy on the details, but one thing she mentioned got my attention -- they have a prize wheel to spin at the end of the tour. Hmmm...

I had no idea what Vat 19 was, but I was getting us a tour. It was either going to be really awesome and score me points with my surly teen or really stupid. I took a chance and we snagged the last remaining spots for the afternoon tour. As Noah and I headed out to his appointments, I asked Natalie to start watching some of Vat 19's videos because we needed to know what we were getting ourselves into.

When we returned home, Nat was still glued to youtube.

She began filling us in on what she learned, but her tidal wave of giddiness had us hearing a mish-mash of topics that didn't make sense like a toe of Satan sucker, a spicy nut challenge, a burrito blanket and something about a man sitting in a tub of putty. She was talking so quickly and her voice went up two octaves as she spoke.

"I couldn't stop watching them," she said. 

"Great! Get in the car. We need to go now if we are to be on time." I replied.

As the kids and I entered the doors of Vat 19, our mouths remained closed as our brains tried to take in the potpourri of  eye candy --  a stuffed toy fox head on one side, an enormous floor to ceiling rendering of Abraham Lincoln made out of pennies on another. A skeeball game and dozens of toys and products adorned the tables while the walls were covered in artwork from Vat 19 fans from all over the world. I was still in the dark about what Vat 19 was about when our tour guide and company owner, Jamie, led us through the offices of the many departments who have contributed to Vat 19's gold button Youtube subscriber status. In a decade their subscriber-ship has swelled to nearly 7 million. They are closing in on earning Youtube's coveted 10 million subscriber diamond button award. Jamie talked about their company's history and pointed out some of the props from past videos like Just Cereal Marshmallows -- a five foot tall cereal box they filled with two million cereal marshmallows. Later he showed us the enormous gummy pizza box which once contained a gummy pizza so large each slice weighed in at 28 lbs! We met the product buyers writers, editors and actors who create videos to entice, entertain and sell "curiously awesome" and sometimes dumb, but awesome gifts. Everyone we met was kind and a good sport about answering everyone's questions. We walked through their extensive prop room and took in their various sets and camera equipment. I noticed many of the tour-goers talking excitedly amongst themselves when they spotted props from their favorite videos and being star struck as they had their photos taken with the actors. I patted myself (Thanks Barb!) on the back for scoring a fun day with my kids and grinned as I watched them entranced and enthused by all they saw. I could see the wheels turning in Nat's head.

"I can't decide if I would rather be one of the writers, editors or the actors! I want to do it all!"shared Nat.

Next we had the opportunity to preview a video not yet released for a new toy they are about to launch. We ended the tour with a trip to their warehouse. Since Vat 19 is strictly an online store, it was kind of a special opportunity to shop the aisles live and in person.

Vat 19's 16 catergories of products includes gummy, spicy stuff, fun and strange stuff, thinking putty, crazy candy food and drink and much more!

I found anniversary gifts for Steve and a birthday gift for Barb. The kids each bought Vat 19 hats which they have been happily wearing every day.

Here are some of our favorite videos. If you are looking for something fun to do to connect with your kids -- especially your tweens and teens - I highly recommend a trip to their Maryland Heights headquarters.

Toe of Satan Lollipop Challenge
Gummy versus Real Challenge #1
7 Gifts So Dumb They are Actually Awesome
Gummy Versus Real: Live Animal Edition

 

Summer Bliss

sum·mer ¹  (smr) n.

1. Usually warmest season of the year, occurring between spring and autumn and constituting June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere, or, as calculated astronomically, extending from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox; "they spent a lazy summer at the shore"

2. the period of finest development, happiness, or beauty; "the golden summer of his life"

However, if you live in St. Louis, summer vacation for our kids begins in late spring and weather conditions aren't always conducive to enjoying a dip in the pool or a trip to the zoo. The kids have been out for 30 days and half of them have been either rainy or too cool for swimming.

What's a mom to do?

I've come up with a list of 6 indoor activities to keep your school-aged kiddos from climbing the walls and you from retreating for the nearest closet with a family-sized bag of Peanut M&Ms: 

#1 Become scientists -- Using everyday household items, together you can do easy, yet fun experiments to spark their creativity and zest for learning new things.  Score extra points with your kids by trying out some sweet ventures that Loralee Leavitt has cooked up at www.candyexperiments.com  

Natalie and I tried to make a density rainbow but instead...

"We got chocolate milk," said Natalie.  She was embarrased by our candy experiment blunder, but I just reminded her that it just gives us another excuse to try it again!

#2 Have a LEGO challenge -- Write down building ideas onto scraps of paper and then have the kids take turns drawing one from a jar. Ideas such as: Build an animal that swims in the ocean, Create your own dinosaur and then name it, Make an alien that you'd find on Mars.  Then, if you want to expand their listening interests, set your Pandora station to something calming yet inspirational like Mozart, Bach or Beethoven. I found an awesome blog filled with 51 LEGO challenge ideas. 

#3 If you have daughters...Have an in-home spa day -- My 6 year old loves to file and paint my nails and spray my hair down with an array of mousse and hair gels.  If you're lucky, you may get a chance to enjoy a Cosmo or People under the guise of "dramatic play". Go here for more than a dozen facial, foot and nail treatments to do with kids using everyday food and kitchen items.

#4 Visit your local library -- Sign up for your library's summer reading program.  Kids earn prizes while building their vocabularies and reading skills.  Libraries also offer an array of summer programs that will keep your kids happy and engaged.  Ours has brought in professionals and aficionados from many different disciplines including juggling, magic, rope and yo-yo experts to storytelling, entomology and hula dancing.  If you live in St. Louis County go here to view their calendar of events.  If you live in the city, go here. 

This week we joined some friends at Oak Bend Library for an afternoon of "Digging Into the Past".  The library's youth services specialist, Laura Polak, stimulated learning and creativity using sweet treats as the catalyst.  The topic was archaeology...a seemingly (YAWN) difficult topic to get kids excited about.  However, she began the event by revving up their silly engines by asking for their help in completing a Mad Lib about Mammoths. Once she had their attention she was able to easily segue into a short, five minute powerpoint to explain the basics of archaeology. Next, she introduced them to a fun, hands-on way to become junior archaeologists.  Each child was given a toothpick, soft-chocolate chip cookie and grid sheet to plot out their dig.  The object of the game was to see how many chocolate chips they could dig out without disturbing their (cookie) site.  Next, they tried it using a crunchy chocolate chip cookie and finally a crunchy oatmeal raisin cookie.  They learned that the conditions of the site (hard versus soft) affected the difficulty of retrieving an object.  They also discovered that if the object was solid (like the raisins) it was much easier to retrieve than items that are soft and crumbly like the chocolate chips. 

Laura asks the kids how many chips they were able to remove successfully.

Connor and Noah plot out their dig.

Natalie and Ava were all business

Success never tasted so sweet!

#5 Go Bowling...for FREE! During the summer kids across the United States and Canada can bowl two free games every day!  Click here to sign up and to find a participating bowling alley near you.

#6 Watch a movie TOGETHER -- Pop up some popcorn (Click here for dozens of new popcorn recipes to try) and introduce your kids to some of the movies you enjoyed as a child...though keep in mind that movies we enjoyed may have more language than your kids have been exposed to as PG movies of the 80's are often filled with PG-13 movie language of today.  The kids and I recently watched all three of the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" movies.  And, although they might not be tops with me, the kids LOVED them and I have to admit it was a nice reprieve from SpongeBob Squarepants.  During the month of June, Family Video will give your kids a free movie rental for each A (or A equivalent) they received on their final report card. Click here for more details or to find a Family Video near you.  

I hope these ideas provide you with more golden than "get me outta here" summer moments. 

Dear Noah...Thanks For Helping Me Grow

The following story is part 2, click here  to read part 1.

Although exhausted, when Steve and I finally crawled into our beds after spending 12 hours in the car to take Noah to Camp Barnabas, I found myself unable to rest.  The house was not only quiet, it was empty.  Natalie was spending the night with her grandma and Noah was more than 300 miles away.  It felt odd not having them near.  I tossed and turned and attempted to get comfortable while Steve lay motionless.

"What in the heck are we going to do when they grow up and move away?" I shared.  "We'll have nothing to talk about!" I continued.

"Oh, we'll just have to have lots of sex then," retorted Steve.

"You're so funny," I replied.

"Hey, that wasn't meant to be funny," said Steve.

Within minutes I was asleep.  The next day, I kept myself busy with various errands, but by late afternoon, I was dying to know how Noah was doing...without me.  I sent a quick email to their "mommy checks" account and tried to go about my day.  I didn't know how often they check the account so figured it could be Tuesday morning before someone responded.  However, at 9 p.m. I received a call from Amanda, a nurse practitioner working at Camp Barnabas.

"Noah has a terrible middle ear infection," explained Amanda.

She had checked to make sure he wasn't allergic to any medicines and had already started him on penicillin as they had some available at camp.

"He should be feeling better in a couple of days," added Amanda.

I couldn't believe it.  Noah hadn't had an ear infection in more than two years.  Apparently it was Murphy's Law that he get one when he's miles from home, but I didn't have to like it.  I felt helpless and slept poorly that night.

The next morning I contacted Amanda to ask if I should come and get Noah, but she assured me it wasn't necessary because when she went to give him his morning meds, he told her he slept well and had no pain.  A little while later I received a response from the camp director through the mommy checks email system:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noah is doing great!  He is already feeling better so please don't come get him.  There is another boy at camp that loves Star Wars and they are having a Star Wars party this afternoon.  Noah talked to one of our staff guys about how to make more friends so they are practicing how to do it.  He did all the activities yesterday including sand volleyball, disc golf, and T-shirt making.  He is so sweet and we love having him here.

Thanks,

Kayman

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While I felt relieved he was feeling better, I'd be lying if I said, I wasn't a little disappointed.  I was definitely having a tougher time with this separation than Noah, it seemed.  When the day finally arrived to go get him, I was more than ready.   We pulled into the entrance of the camp just minutes after it opened, but we found the place already full of parents and campers toting their belongings to their cars.  As Steve fumbled with his camera, I snapped at him to hurry up. When we were about 75 yards from Noah's cabin, we spied him waving and calling out to us enthusiastically.  Then, Noah just took off running towards us.  I relished the moment as he collided into my arms.

Looking up at me with teary eyes he choked out "Mahhhmmm."  But, before I could respond, he added, "I want to come back.  Please...can I come back?"

Hmmm...I'm pretty sure you must leave a place before you can technically come back to it, but instead of sharing this bit of knowledge, I simply sighed and replied, "Of course!"

Saying good-bye to his team of counselors was tough.

Noah and I at the closing ceremony.

Noah with his Star Wars buddy, Jack.

He said, "yes" to so many new things.

"Was it scary?" I asked.  "Yes, it was very scary...I only went down it 6 times," replied Noah.

JT, though Noah thinks he's Obi One, played along and took Noah for a ride in the "Millenium Falcon".

Visitor's Day

Thursday was Visitor's Day for the primary-aged groups at Camp Happy Day.  It's an opportunity for parents, friends and family members to shadow their favorite camper.  I arrived a little late as Noah's camp begins before Natalie's and by the time I had dropped her off and doubled back to Camp Happy Day, his P.E. class was already in progress. When I entered the gym, I found Noah making his descent from a 30 ft. climb.  And, he was just fine with that!  In fact, he was so comfortable with climbing - he was happy to head to the top again so that I could capture the Kodak moment.  It was awesome and a good boost to his ego to perform in front of his peers and me.

 

Fearless and Fancy Free

After P.E., I followed him to his speech therapy class.  He and two other campers worked with a therapist on idioms and I wouldn't be pulling your leg if I told you Noah seemed to be at home...maybe even enjoying himself during the session.

After speech he had arts & crafts and I worked alongside him to paint what will soon be a snake with movable parts made from toilet paper rolls.

Ssssss...So Much Fun!

Next, I joined him for his math class in which the kids each created their own cube as a tactile means to understanding basic geometry terms like base, surface, and volume. Prior to heading to reading, his last class, the group made a pit stop at the "prize store" to select a reward for completing their weekly homework assignments.

It's Hip To Be and Make Squares

Click here for more information on Camp Happy Day.   

How Do You Spell Gimme a Break?

I didn't set out to be an activities director...however, school has only been out one week and already we've visited the zoo, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, Powder Valley Conservation Center, Tilles Park, and have made several trips to our community pool.

While folding clothes last night, I heard Natalie calling from the kitchen, "Mom!  How do you spell zoo?"

As I begin spelling out the word for her, I walk into the kitchen to find my precocious princess adding a trip to our June calendar.

So, I guess as activity directors go, I must rank pretty high as to have my very own personal assistant to help me with my planning.

Keepin' It Clean

Oftentimes in our house, Natalie assumes the role of older sibling.  So, when I glimpse moments of Noah acting like the true big brother he is, I get excited.

Yesterday, I walked in on this conversation between Noah and Natalie:

Noah: "I'll teach you all the bad words,"

Natalie: "What are they?"

Noah: "There's hate and stupid," he says as he ticks them off on his fingers...Mom, what other bad words are there?"

Natalie: "You're not cool?"

 

I told the kids I needed to get the laundry from the basement.  I knew if enough time lapsed that they'd be onto something else and I'd be free from answering their questions.  

Anyone who knows me, knows I do a LOT of laundry...not because I like it particularly, but because the walk to the basement (my swearing haven) gives me a few extra minutes to calm my Mommy self down when the kids are testing my patience.  Needless to say, this has resulted in lots of clean clothes and mouths!