My summer baby started Kindergarten when the cutoff was December 31. I recall that I didn’t give a huge amount of thought to whether I should  send her or not. If I was sending her to Kindergarten now, I would explore the concept of “redshirting.”

School award ceremonies are even more fun with music.

I thought about redshirting. Back in 2003, the whole redshirting thing wasn’t on my radar. Plus, most of the preschools in my community (it’s semirural) do not have a PreK program. Most preschools near me only have programs for 4s. These programs are not as rigorous as traditional PreK programs and tend to meet only 3 mornings or afternoons a week. The benefit of redshirting your child is that your child is one of the older and more mature Kindergarteners after the extra year of preschool.

The options for schools with PreKs were over a 30-minute drive from my home. I had an infant at the time and it was awfully tempting to have my K and 2nd grader hop on the same bus to school. My kid was in morning K so I felt that she had time to decompress in the afternoons as well as do at-home learning, library storytimes, play dates, and nature center outings. She loved Kindergarten. She found the joy of reading. Became adept at counting, sorting, and patterns. Loved riding the school bus.

Did you redshirt your child? Why? Why not?

Before I forget I have winners!

• Congrats to Sara, Heidi, Stephanie, Debi and Michelle on winning the Super Diaper Diary prize pack from Scholastic. Happy reading!

More winners to be announced soon for the following giveaways. Don’t forget to enter:

• Keep your PC safe with antivirus software from Chicalogic – ends 10/14/2011.
• Real Steel prize pack — ends 10/17/2011.
• Kneebouncers Who Says Moo? storybook app — ends 10/28/2011.
• McDonalds New Happy Meal coupons – ends 10/31/2011

And I have one more giveaway for my local readers. If you live near to Rockville or in Montgomery County, I have a giveaway for a gift card to the Bean Bag Deli in Rockville, MD.

Runaway Bunny.

Guess How Much I Love You?

Berenstain Bears Go to the Dentist

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The books listed above are among my favorites. I have spent many hours reading books to my children. Do you love reading to your children? What is your favorite book to read to your child? Kids love books!

My oldest was about 18 months old. We were browsing in a bookstore. I was looking at books while she sat in the stroller. As I perused a book, I heard laughing coming from the vicinity of my stroller, I was astounded to see her laughing out loud at a book. She was giggling and chuckling. I had never seen a little child laughing about anything at that point…and never with such gusto. She has continued her love of books to this day.

Many families are well in to the school year. But perhaps your children are not quite ready for school. Whether your children are in school or daycare or at home, books are a key part of a child’s learning experience. I want to let yoou know about a fun partnership that is putting books first.

Reading Is Fundamental has teamed up with Buddig for the Be A Reader campaign. The Be A Reader campaign aims to get young readers “right back-to-school track.” Books are a key part of our household. From board books to chapter books to the children’s first dictionary, books can be found in every room of our home.

The Make a Sandwich and A Story Sweepstakes was launched earlier this month by Buddig and Reading Is Fundamental. To foster and nourish a love of reading, Buddig is giving away Scholastic children’s books and school supplies through the Make A Sandwich and A Story Sweepstakes.

The details of the The Make A Sandwich And A Story Sweepstakes:

• Sweepstakes ends on Oct. 30, 2011 at 11:59:59 (CST). So, you have plenty of time to enter!
• Enter the sweepstakes by looking for specially marked packages of Buddig lunchmeats, enter the code at Sandwich and a Story, and complete the entry form to enter the sweepstakes.
• Who can enter? The Buddig Make A Sandwich And A Story sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
• How often can you enter? 5 entries per person/email address per day.

Now for the information that everyone wants to know…what will you win!

• Five Grand Prize winners will receive a Scholastic book library plus a Buddig backpack filled with school supplies (ARV $200).
• 400 First Prize winners will receive a Buddig backpack (ARV $13.00).
• 118 winners each week beginning on August 22 will receive a free Scholastic book (ARV $10.00).
• The Total ARV of all prizes is $19,160.
• So, what are you waiting for…go enter!

More about Buddig and the Be A Reader campaign from Buddig:

“For more than 100 years Carl Buddig & Company has nourished families. Now Buddig is nourishing children’s minds as a proud supporter of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and the national Be A Reader campaign. Buddig believes that reading and literacy go hand-in-hand with good nutrition to support a lifelong love of learning.

Whether you are reading to your children at the library or telling a bedtime story after a busy day, you are fostering your child’s lifelong love of books. During the yearlong Be A Reader campaign, parents and their children are encouraged to create their own reading and literacy experiences wherever they may be. As a proud supporter of RIF, Buddig will provide a minimum of $100,000 through May 30, 2012 to help children across the nation discover the joy of reading.”

Like Buddig on Facebook. Now Liking the Buddig Facebook page will not help you win the Make A Sandwich and A Story Sweepstakes, but you could win a Motoroloa Zoom!

Find out about the range of Buddig products on Buddig.com. Perfect for school lunches, picnics, and seizing time with your family.

I was compensated for this post. The views expressed in this post are my own. I blog follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

The dingy walls. The fraying carpet. The mismatched craft supplies. The beaten up teacher’s desk. If you have a child in school, you know exactly what I am talking about.

About 5 years ago, my children’s elementary school had a renovation to convert the interior of the school from the 70s-style open classroom/school without walls to a more modern look with self-contained classrooms with ACTUAL walls. When my oldest was in 1st grade the noise level in the open classroom 1st grade pod was deafening. My daughter never complained about the noise level…she got used to it. Kids adept to their environment.

Your child may be getting the best education that money can buy either through your tax dollars or tuition, BUT your child’s classroom may be in need of a makeover. Macy’s wants to help you. Through the Macy’s Classroom Makeover Sweepstakes, readers of this blog can enter to win a makeover for their child’s classroom. Think about your child’s classroom and you will come up with a laundry list of improvements, I am sure! One of my daughters has a class in a portable classroom. That portable classroom needs reliable AC/heating…STAT. The local high school could do with a paint job inside to make the school look less like 3-4 separate units and more like a unified school.

So, how can you get this fabulous and always needed makeover for your school? Four easy steps, that’s how…

1. Head to www.facebook.com/macys and “Like” the page.
2. Click the Classroom Makeover Sweeps tab.
3. Fill out the entry form & submit.
4. Share the contest via Facebook and Twitter.

One lucky school will win a $25,000 makeover in the Macy’s Classroom Makeover Sweepstakes. Don’t forget to check out this video…

Good luck!

I was compensated by Macy’s for this post. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

A few months ago we saw Tangled. We missed the official screening due to traffic. You would think after living in the D.C. area for over 20 years that I would check traffic BEFORE driving to an event AFTER learning that there was a parade right near the theater where the movie screening was taking place. No! Not me! And yes we walked in front of a group of tiny gymnasts who were walking in the parade to get to the screening even though we were too late to go to the screening. We’re Disney fans! (Lest you think that we are insensitive fans…we did wait until there was a gap in the parade before walking across the street to the movie theater. It was a Thanksgiving parade…all the kids in the parade were super cute.)

Lesson learned.

When we finally got to see Tangled, we were not disappointed. From my 15-year-old teen who would rather see any film other than a PG film to husband, we all loved Tangled. It’s a cliche…but Tangled was “laugh out loud” funny. The DVD will definitely have a place in our family DVD collection.

Disney’s latest film sounds like another winner. Have you heard about Gnomeo & Juliet? Gnomeo & Juliet opens in theaters everywhere on February 11th in 3D. A Touchstone Pictures release, Gnomeo & Juliet is an “off-the-wall makeover on Shakespeare’s classic tale of Romeo & Juliet set to the music of Elton John” per the press release.

Here is a brief synopsis:

Two garden gnomes, Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy — Mr. Tummus from Chronicles of Narnia’s the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt — Meryl Streep’s haughty assistant  in The Devil Wears Prada), try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors.

The movie is scheduled to open February 11. Nothing will stop our family from getting to the screening…not traffic, fog, snow. I’ll post my review once I see it. Gnomeo & Juliet looks like a sweet movie for the kids and a hoot for my husband and me as he is an English teacher and I was an English major in college!

In the meantime while you wait with baited breath for my review. You are waiting with baited breath for my review, right? You’re at least reading this blog post, so you might come back and see my review. Maybe? You will come back, won’t you? There I feel better, less alone now that I know that you might be coming back. You are coming back???

Where was I? Uh…that’s right I have a giveaway for my readers of a a youth-sized Gnomeo & Juliet t-shirt, beanie, and mini-notebook to tide you over until I post my review. Not just one giveaway, but TWO. That’s right two readers of Musings from Me on Kids, Preteens, and Teens will win a Gnomeo & Juliet prize pack!

Gnomeo & Juliet Prize Pack:

• Gnomeo & Juliet t-shirt in youth sizes of S, M, L, XL and colors of red or blue
• Gnomeo & Juliet one-size fits all beanies in colors of red or blue
• Gnomeo & Juliet mini-notebooks shaped like a Gnome hat (front cover is red, back cover is blue)

For a sneak peek at the trailer…go here.

Mandatory Entry: You must leave this mandatory entry for all other entries to count.

• Tell me your child’s or your favorite Disney character.

Cell Phones

We let our girls (now 11 and 14) to both get cell phones in 6th grade. Both spend all day at volleyball tournaments 2 weekends a month. Their dad is always with them, but if he had to leave early the girls would have a way to contact us. The other moms and dads on the girls’ teams look out for all the girls too. I have the cell numbers of the parents, so that I can contact them if needed.

No cell phones broken, Phone chargers go missing. One was replaced — I think the tween left it at a hotel.

ipod

My teen got an ipod at 9. I thought she was too young, but the grandparents insisted. She proved to be very responsible.

My tween got one at 8. She was younger and needed more hand holding as far as downloading songs.

My 7-year-old desperately wants one, but I am holding off. He is so-so in the responsibility arena. He still listens to CDs in his bedroom, while his sisters only listen to itunes.

itouch

I won a itouch. I have barely seen the darn thing! My tween always seems to have it. She has downloaded a dizzying array of apps. She likes playing games. My youngest likes watching pre-approved by me YouTube vidoes.

The itouch comes in handy when we travel to swim meets, volleyball tournaments, etc. Since it is too hard to share a device, we set up a schedule of show gets the itouch for the entire day. There is no argument since the kids know that who has the itouch next.

Nintendo DS

My tween got one when she was 9. The teen got one when she was 11. Both play with them intermittently. My youngest was the lucky recipient of a DS that I won. I gave it to him for his 6th birthday with a few games. He plays with the DS the most. He and his sisters share Mario and Nintendogs games.

Age 6 is really too young, but I was tired of him pestering his sisters for a turn. It is impossible to share a DS. The games are too long.

Now, the only thing I have to worry about is where the various chargers are!

Want to add your voice to this conversation? Head over to BitMoms!

This past week was Cra-Zy. The kids are finishing up all the wacky and time-consuming end-of-the-year projects. One video on the British colonization of India — check. One recitation with a partner of a speech from Romeo and Juliet — check. One study for a spelling test with very difficult words — check. And, the piece de resistance? One 3-day volleyball tournament at Penn State.

My tween and teen were keyed up all week in anticipation of going to the volleyball tournament. The tween wanted to pack before I had done laundry. The teen wanted to pack her props — she likes to get her teammates to participate in skits/a variety show while at the tournament each year.

Suffice it to say, the girls did not get on Yoursphere much last week. With homework, projects, and preparation for our road trip to all-things-volleyball, I didn’t press the issue. I want Yoursphere to remain. Mom might be a Yoursphere Test Drive Mom, but the kids should play Yoursphere when they want to.

My tween did mention that she played a game in Our World. She wasn’t very specific…you know how tweens can be?! But, she liked the game. I asked her if she would play again. She gave it a thumbs up!

Yoursphere is FREE to join!! I have a FREE code for you to use should you decide to sign up your kid, tween, or teen: YSMC-0051. For everyone who signs up using the code I will be entered in to a drawing for a gift card. Remember, it is FREE to sign up for Yoursphere. You can sign up using code YSMC-0051.

I wrote this review while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com, Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of KAO Brands. All opinions are 100% mine.

For as long as I have known my husband he has talked of a trip to Vegas. For our honeymoon we toured Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Beach trips and a trip to the Bahamas, were highlights in our pre-kids days. Once we had kids we tended to stay close to home. Twice we have traveled to Disney. But, Las Vegas remains my husband’s must-see destination.

Is Vegas on your list of places to visit? Would you like to win a trip to Vegas? I know I would. I entered the contest — Temptation is Beautiful sweepstakes. This sweepstakes was super easy to enter.

After entering my name, etc., for a chance to win a trip to Vegas, I took a Temptations quiz. Now, don’t worry the quiz is very tame and fun. Nothing racy about it.

The prizes are something else, too! Each day a tempting beauty basket will be awarded. Be sure to get in your daily entries. The Grand Prize will be a tempting trip to Las Vegas for you and 3 of your friends with $1,500 in spending money!

Be sure to take the Temptress Temperature — the site’s interactive quiz. I took mine. I was relieved to find that my temperature was…
…just right. What a relief!

Don’t forget when you finish the Temptress Temperature to share your temperature with your social networks…you know…your buds on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Are you “hot, hot, hot” or “cool as a cucumber”! Let your friends know. If you share your score with your friends you will get bonus entries in the Temptation is Beautiful sweepstakes.

When you enter the Temptation is Beautiful sweepstakes, leave a comment to let me know what your Temptress Temperature was.

Fine print: This contest is for U.S. residents only.

My children are not adventurous eaters. We live far enough away from a big metropolis that we are not able to expose the children to a variety of food types. Truth be told I am not an adventurous eater, either.

I have a few Indian dishes that I like. On our trip to England this summer, I met up with my friend from primary school at an Indian restaurant in Hammersmith, London. Before ordering I asked my friend what she recommended as a “safe” dish for me…she steered me towards a platter with a variety of Indian dishes…most were mild or medium.

Other nationalities of food are foods that I would try once and never have again. Ethiopian is one such food. I visited the Red Sea in Washington, D.C., many years ago with college friends. One friend loved Ethiopian food. She schooled us on what to and what not to order. I pondered the menu. Thought about one item. Settled on a safe choice. All our meals arrived arranged on a huge circular platter. The waiter did not tell us which entree was which. All looked runny, soupy, and either brown, yellow, or green. The one dish that was recognizable was the one with a hard-boiled egg floating in it. I ate my green soupy entree with heaping quantities of thick, doughy bread. The next day I could hardly move — I felt as though my stomach might explode with the bread I had eaten. I never returned. I stick to Mexican, Italian, and Chinese for my adventurous dining needs.

Chinese food is one of the foods that my children love. Our small town does have a Chinese takeout, but it is not in our family budget to eat out every night. Wanchai Ferry meals are available in the freezer section at Target. We tried Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken one evening between swim practice and volleyball practice. My family all commented that the Wanchai Ferry meal was delicious.

Last fall I was part of a blogger trip to General Mills’ facility in Minneapolis. While at General Mills, I had the chance to sample a few new products from General Mills. General Mills has created a product for on-the-go families — Wanchai Ferry. I don’t know about you, but when I am on the lookout for a go-to meal for my family, I want a meal that is tasty and nutritious. Wanchai Ferry is just what I need when I need to serve a meal to my hungry family.

Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées are also available in three other delicious varieties including Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Additionally, all of the entrées have no added MSG!

Would you like to try Wanchai Ferry meals? There’s a $1.50 off coupon available at http://www.wanchaiferry.com/. For meal tips to enhance the Wanchai Ferry frozen entrée check out their website at: http://www.wanchaiferry.com/MealTips.aspx.

Would you like to win a Wanchai Ferry “Perfect Night In” prize pack? The prize pack that includes one VIP coupon valid for a free package of any of the Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees, a set of great Asian-inspired rice bowls, chopsticks, bamboo placemats, flavored fortune cookies, and a $25 Target gift card. One comment = one entry. Enter now!

• What is your quick meal for busy nights? Leave a comment.
• Subscribe to this blog via reader. Leave a comment.
• Subscribe to this blog via e-mail. Leave a comment.
• Follow me on twitter. Leave a comment.
• Fan my blog on Facebook. Leave a comment.

I was provided with a product, information, prize pack, and giveaway from Wanchai Ferry through MyBlogSpark. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends April 12 at 11:59 p.m.

As the mom of a preteen AND a teen girl I am amazed at how much girls are influenced by negative talk and ads. Just one comment from a friend or frenemy(!) about their outfit, looks, or weight, and a girls’ attitude will change drastically. The middle school cafeteria can be a tough place to hang out…just sayin’.

I don’t remember being bombarded by scantily clad models, ads for weight loss pills, and media degrading to women in my teen years. Come to think of it as a teen in England at an all girls Catholic school, I barely thought of myself as a teen. I wore a school uniform everyday and had a few outfits for weekend wear. I have no recollection of other girls commenting on how I looked. Did I mention that I wore one pair of shoes to school and then changed in to another pair of schools once I got to school? We all looked the same in our brown pleated skirts, cream blouses, brown v-necked sweaters, and school ties.

Not so for preteens and teens today. My girls have each been teased over some aspect of their dress and appearance. The sad fact is that some girls need to make themselves feel better by teasing and belittling other girls.

I wanted to pass on some information to any moms of preteens and teens out there…

The Dove mission is to reach 5 million girls with self esteem programming by 2010. Since 2005, the brand has reached over 3.5 million girls globally. In fact, every time you buy Dove beauty care products your purchase supports the Dove Self Esteem Fund. This fall Dove launched the “Thank you for Making a Difference” program to thank supporters for building girl’s self esteem and to invite everyone to share their stories about making a difference in self esteem.

As a “Thank You for Making a Difference”, Dove will donate $1,000 to a national charity that supports self-esteem around the Holidays, on behalf of all our self esteem supporters including you.

Musings from Me readers?  Want to win a Dove prize pack? The Prize Pack features a Dove plush terry bathrobe, a Dove body wash, a Dove mist, and two True You guidebooks — one for Mom and one for daughter! Enter now! One comment = one entry.

- Leave a comment about what you have done to raise the self-esteeem of a girl in your life.

- Subscribe to this blog via reader.

- Subscribe to this blog via e-mail.

- Follow me on twitter.

- Tweet this giveaway: @MusingsfromMe is giving away a Dove prize pack and a mom-daughter workbook! Enter now: http://tinyurl.com/yabfsqy!

- Fan me on Facebook.

I was given the Dove prize pack and two copies of the mom-daughter guide as part of this promotion. Giveaway ends December 4 at 11:59 p.m. Giveaway open to U.S. residents only.

After Thanksgiving dinner...

As a former foreigner, I now claim Thanksgiving as a my holiday.

As a child Thanksgiving was celebrated intermittently. When in America, do as the Americans do.

As a freshman in college, far away from home I was taken in by English friends of my parents. I trekked from Amish Country PA to Edison, NJ, via taxi and train. My memories of Thanksgiving involve dozing off repeatedly on my host’s couch — too many all-nighters. Eating a deli sandwich that was easily 6 inches tall. Attending a Thanksgiving feast at the Jewish day school where my host worked. Sampling a stuffing biscuit that resembled and tasted like a hockey puck at the feast. Thanksgiving dinner? I have no recollection of eating it…possibly because I slept through it? I did visit my old elementary school while I visited — Menlo Park Elementary School. My 4th grade teacher was at school working…Mrs. Flood remembered me as there were not many kids who transferred out of school mid-year to go back to England.

As a new college graduate, I spent Thanksgiving shuttling between my parents who moved to MD while I was in college and my in laws house. My parents did Thanksgiving lite, while my in laws did Thanksgiving on steroids. Turkey large enough to feed 20…sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on tops…stuffing biscuits not like hockey pucks…pies (pumpkin, apple, pecan, and always a layer cake. The in laws do not mess around with their food when it comes to Thanksgiving.

As a mom and a noncook, I don’t mind not cooking Thanksgiving dinner. This year we celebrated at my parents house with a meal purchased from Safeway — yum and very labor saving. My in laws were sick so we had to miss the Thanksgiving dinner. My FIL brought part of the meal to our house so we wouldn’t go without.

I wonder what Thanksgiving will be like next year…or when the kids are in college…or when the kids get married…

One tradition will remain…I will always be thankful that I am an American citizen!

What was your Thanksgiving like? Leave a comment and let me know.

One more day of my Blog Anniversary! Giveaways that end tomorrow…Dino Train CD, TJ Maxx, Movie Tickets, and more.

Do you know what happens December 1? My Holiday Gift Guide starts. More reviews, more product listings, and more giveaways!