CuriosityCafé
Shows Its Stuff!
By
Stephen F Smith
This year we
will be exhibiting at three homeschool shows throughout the Southwest.
Homeschool shows are our favorite events in which to participate. Why? We
love talking with you about our exciting products! Seeing a photo in our
online catalog or reading a description of product features and benefits
is a good introduction to our unique product line but, at a show, you can
really see how to use our products first-hand. We will help you to fit a
particular CuriosityCafé product into your curriculum, help you to plan
family game night, or just get the most from each activity.
What
can you expect from the imagination of CuriosityCafé at this year's
shows? We will demonstrate our two new must-have products along
with our great line of existing merchandise. You will even see photos of
our pets.
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Wash
Away Winter Blahs
By
Susan Sehi-Smith
Everyone loves the crisp air and first
snowfall of winter but now, after months of early nightfall and cold
blasting wind, most families are experiencing cabin fever. It is time to
shake the doldrums by adding some color and fiesta to your day. Forget
winter for a few hours and remember the splashy fun of summer: have a Pool
Party in your living room!
Here are some ideas to get you planning a
swimmingly good time:
more
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Monthly
Challenge - A Talking Parrot?
Christine
decided to buy a parrot to keep her company. She only wanted one that
talked. “Are your sure this
parrot speaks?” Christine asked the pet store owner.
The
owner was certain. “This parrot,” he said, “repeats every word he
hears.” That convinced Christine to buy the beautiful bird. She named
it, Al.
After
months of trying to coax Al, the parrot, into speaking, she never heard a
word out of him.
Had
the pet store owner lied to her? Or is there a piece of important
information he left out?
The
answer will appear in our next newsletter!
Answer
for the Challenge in the last Newsletter
Singe
and Lone become SINGLE and ONE
Trough
and Study become TOUGH and STURDY
Dam
and Wept become DAMP and WET
Grove
and Rout become GROOVE and RUT
Bawl
and Fright be come BRAWL and FIGHT
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From Our Kitchen
Nothing
makes a house seem more inviting and homey than the smell of apples
simmering in cinnamon. Make a cold weather treat, like roast pork, and
serve this delicious sauce (that your family made) to perk things up.
Chunky
Applesauce
Makes
about 3 cups
Ingredients
-
5
tart apples (about 2 pounds) peeled, cored, and chopped
-
¾
cup packed light brown sugar
-
½
cup apple juice
-
1
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
-
1/8
teaspoon salt
-
18
teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine
all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan; cover. Cook over medium-low
heat 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender. Stir occasionally with a
wooden spoon to break apples into chunks. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool
completely.
Leftovers
can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one
month
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Five Fun Facts
That Will Astonish Family and Friends . . .
·
In
Japan,
you can rent a dog. It costs 500 yen, or about $4, for a walk around the
block.
·
Reeding
is the technical term for the narrow grooves around the edges of dimes,
quarters, and half-dollars.
·
22EEE
is the shoe size of NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal.
·
The
merry-go-round was invented by Wilhelm Schneider and was patented in 1871.
·
Naval
ships are named using this protocol: Destroyers are always named after
naval heroes; cruisers after cities; submarines after fish; and
battleships after states.
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Just Ask!
Q:
My nine-year-old has a beautiful desk in her bedroom that she refuses to
use to do her homework. She prefers the sofa (while the TV is on) or
sprawling on her bed with music blaring. Her father and I find her work
suffers from these distractions. She makes careless errors and can’t
remember what she has read. How do we improve her study habits without
making homework seem like a punishment?
“Meanest Mom” Candidate
in Monterey
A: The best way to
help modify your child’s behavior is to make the changes positive,
taking into account your family structure and the personality of your
daughter.
more . . .
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Kids Are Asking, Too!
By Christine Slusser
Q:
My friends are always harping on me about my weight and say that I am
bulimic. I like being skinny and watch my weight. I wouldn’t ever do
anything to make myself sick. How do I convince my friends that I am ok?
Scarcely Skinny in Springfield
A:
First, be glad that your good friends care about you. Take an honest look
at yourself. Are you TOO skinny? Why do they fear bulimia in your case? Do
they see you overeat or purge? You must not sacrifice
your health in order to be ultrathin.
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CuriosityCafé Shows Its Stuff
(cont'd)
Pet Professor, for ages 5-8, provides easy, fun, family-based activities
that teach your child about their favorite pet. Science With Your Pet, a
marvelous addition to the "Science While You . . . " series,
provides 20 pages of activities for the entire family, especially for
students 8-12. Both Pet Professor and Science with Your Pet provide the
entire family with remarkable activities - even your pet will have fun!
- In
April we will be in
Albuquerque
for the New Mexico Homeschool Convention and Curriculum Fair, sponsored
by the Christian Association of Parent
Educators of New Mexico (CAPE). The Convention will be held at the
Hoffmantown
Church
,
8888 Harper Avenue NE
, from April 24-26. Get directions to the Convention here.
Look for us in the program guide and at our booth. The conference is
designed to provide parent-teacher enrichment, and we will provide a
healthy dose for you! We love showing our products to parents, and
students can never get enough of our astonishing products.
- In
June, we will be in
Denver
for the 19th Annual Home Educators Conference. The Conference, sponsored
by the Christian Home Educators of
Colorado (CHEC), runs from Thursday, June 19th through Sunday, June
21st, and will be held at the Holiday Inn-DIA (
Denver
International
Airport
).
- In
July we will be in
Phoenix
for the Arizona Homeschool Convention and Curriculum Fair, sponsored by Arizona
Families for Home Education (AFHE). The Convention will be held at
the
Phoenix
Civic
Plaza
July 18-19, 2003
.
Three
months, three States, three great shows - don't miss our booth at one of
these important events. Does your homeschool group need presenters? If you
are within driving distance of
Albuquerque
, we
would love to visit your group and provide and entertaining, educational
presentation. We will gear our presentation to any age, experience level or
ability. We will even provide one of our astonishing products for a
give-away raffle at the presentation.
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Wash Away Winter
Blahs
- Dress
for a trip to the beach: beach hats; sunglasses; flip flops.
Swimsuits? Why not! Think bright. Think warm weather. Forget winter!
- “Surf”
on the blanket. Turn a sealed family sized hiC-type juice can on its
side. Place a cookie sheet over the can, teeter-totter style. The
rider stands on both ends of the sheet, keeping her balance as she
rocks the sheet back and forth over the can. Have a contest to see who
can keep their balance the longest.
- Play
“Pass the Marshmallow.” Every player gets a straw. The first
player also gets a plate of large marshmallows. On the “go”
signal, the first player uses his straw to suck a marshmallow off the
plate. Using only his straw and his breath (no hands), the player
passes the marshmallow to the straw of the player to his right. Play
continues in a circle. A player who drops the marshmallow is
eliminated.
- Use
blow up pool rings (or make large life preserver rings out of
cardboard) to play ring toss. Use mom or dad as the score post.
- Make
boats out of folded paper and race them across the blanket. Use the
air from waving hand fans to propel them across.
- Break
out the picnic-wear or use brightly colored paper and plastic to serve
fruit kebobs and yogurt dip; lemonade with paper umbrella garnishes;
shrimp cocktail; melon slabs.
- Pass
the sun tan lotion!
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Just Ask (cont'd)
If
your family is very social, your daughter could simply be rebelling
against the idea of being set apart from the rest of the family. If this
is the case, try to find a time that allows the whole family to share
quiet study time. Perhaps immediately following dinner your family can
gather around the dining room table to do homework, office paperwork,
budgeting, or special projects. In
this scenario it is important that all family members participate. This
way your daughter won’t be feel unfairly singled out…and the whole
family will benefit from this work time spent together. Children without
homework assignments can join the group by reading, drawing, building
models, or writing letters. Mom and dad can answer correspondence or catch
up on their own reading.
Unfortunately,
many families have such involved schedules for its members that finding
extra time (during effective learning hours) for another group activity is
difficult. In this case, a better approach might be to establish a routine
of one-on-one time with your daughter. You and your child could work
together in some quiet area (maybe her room). As she completes homework
you can read or, if needed, work with your daughter. An added bonus of
such togetherness is the increase in opportunities to share, talk, and
strengthen your relationship.
Another
possibility is a trial period with rules that you, your husband, and your
daughter work out together. She will be motivated by being part of the
decision process and the middle ground might allow your goals to be
successfully met. For example, you might agree that music at a low volume
is ok, but that work must be completed at the kitchen table before dinner
is served.
The
importance of developing good study skills now cannot be overemphasized.
These skills could make the difference between success and failure in high
school, college, and beyond.
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Kids
Are Asking Too! (cont'd)
So
many people (from adults to teens) have what they feel are weight
“problems” that their self image and good sense are compromised.
Skipping meals or throwing up after eating is not a solution. Not only are
such solutions not effective in the long run; they are dangerous for your
health.
Experts
say that bulimia is often caused from stress that accompanies unhappiness
about your body image. It is a very serious disease. Most people who have
bulimia can’t control it. If it progresses too long, death results. IT
IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO GET SOME ADULT HELP!
Do
not try to sort this out on your own. Your friends’ concern is serious.
Share what they are saying with your parent or an adult whom you trust.
Talk to your family doctor. She can tell you what your ideal weight should
be, based on your height and metabolism. If the doctor feels you need to
lose weight, work with her to put together a plan of diet and exercise
that is safe and effective.
Again, don’t ignore
your friends. Even if they are just being over-cautious, your friends
obvious see something that makes them uncomfortable. They are not trying
to hurt your feelings so don’t get mad or ignore them. You might not be
objective enough to see what they see…and this is very serious.
Friendship is about honesty and your friends truly have your best
interests at heart…listen to them and get some adult help in determining
if you go too far to be skinny.
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