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An Italian Style 9th Birthday

Posted on August 18, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL,

I do believe that your ninth birthday was a success. We managed to surprise you with all of your presents. I genuinely think we did a great job getting items that you wanted and were into. We spent the day at home testing out your new goodies (which I will write more about later). Then, it was time to figure out where we would go for your birthday celebration.

At first, you were said you wanted to go to The Cheesecake Factory, but get cheesecake at another location to celebrate with Nana and Papa after. Then, we listed some other possibilities. Once we were able to get you away from the Dunkin Donuts idea (not sure where that came from), you said you wanted to head to Buca di Beppo for the second year in a row. We had a great meal.

Then, it was time to head to get a quick birthday cake. Since we were not close to a grocery store, we went to BJ’s Wholesale Club to look for a cheesecake. On the way over to the cheesecake area, something caught my eye.

You kept right past it, but had looked at them briefly. Then, you decided you wanted a marble cake more than a cheesecake. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any of those that were not monster size. So you asked to go back to the other display. When we read the cake description, you were sold.

It’s My Party: Moist yellow and velvety chocolate cake layers are married together by an indulgent fudge filling.

Of course, there was also the fun design on the outside. Before we knew it, the cake was heading to the cash register to go to Nana and Papa’s house with us. We realized we forgot candles, but we improvised. Thank goodness there is an app on the phone for that.

The cake was really delicious and everyone enjoyed your selection. It was a relaxing and fun day to celebrate you turning nine years old. Now, I look forward to watching how the next year goes.

Love,

Categories:
birthday Dear Kid Saturday decisions family food glorious food fun nhl Phone Apps photos yummy

Ninth Birthday Wishes for my Big Kid

Posted on August 17, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL,

Nine years ago seems like such a long time, but it really does feel like you were just born. Thanks to you coming into the world, my life became even better than I imagined.

Your sweet little face melted my heart. That day I understood what everyone said about being willing to fight to the end for your child. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn’t do to help you to be happy and make your dreams come true. This year, you have taught me so much about so many things. You will have to trust me that one day you will understand this more.

Now, let’s continue with our tradition of looking back at the last year. Your eighth year was filled with a lot of things and I want to highlight some of them here.

After your birthday, you were supposed to head to spend time with Bubbe and Grandpa while Daddy and I went to Disney World for our anniversary. Instead, our plans changed thanks to your first experience with a hurricane heading up to our parts. We also spent the end of the month enjoying time relaxing before you went back to school. (August 2011)

The start of third grade was your first full year in the new school. You were excited to see how this would be and I loved that you were so enthusiastic. We also took advantage of the warmer fall weather and went to Hoffman’s Playland one last time before it closed down for the season. (September 2011)

Halloween may not have been the biggest item in October. That was the month that you started to play band. With the help of your amazing band teacher, you selected percussions and before we knew it you loved practicing and showing us all that you had learned. (October 2011)

A lot of November was spent with family. Bubbe and Grandpa came to visit and we did fun items with them. Cousin A’s Aufruf also took up a weekend with extended family from Papa’s side. Then we had a quiet Thanksgiving with Nana and Papa. It was a great month with many memories. (November 2011)

Muppets and Smurfs were part of our world for much of the month with the movies, fun items, and Build-A-Bear. We also spent time getting ready for Chanukah. Thanks to a new drawing book, we figured out that you were a fan of creating character sketches like they do at Disney Hollywood Studios. (December 2011)

The new year and winter brought cold weather, but hardly any snow. Thanks to this, we spent a lot of time inside reading, playing games, doing homework, and getting used to the bunk beds that arrived for the start of 2012. (January 2012)

As the winter continued on, we had a trip to Disney World to look forward to. You were studying up and working on your Mickey drawings when there was some time over winter break. (February 2012)

Headaches were the key to us solving a problem. The spring meant you were ready for your first pair of glasses. It was fun watching you pick them out and realizing how much you looked like a young Harry Potter. Perhaps that is even more fitting given our summer theme. (March 2012)

Matzah, Seders, and Passover preparations filled the time as we got ready to go to Walt Disney World. You conquered multiple fears while in Orlando which included riding your first upside down roller coaster. (April 2012)

Once we were back from Disney World, you settled back into school. A highlight of your time was a day away with Nana and Papa. You went to Howe Caverns and went zip lining with Papa. I wish I had been there to see your face, but the photos are priceless. (May 2012)

As the school year was winding down, we were keeping busy with other enrichment activities. You love science and seeing how things work. The CMOST museum was a great place for you to explore a lot of different items. (June 2012)

The summer was filled with activities at the library, crafting, and Harry Potter. You started reading the book and your love for the young wizard grew even more. We also spent a the 4th of July mini-golfing with Nana and Papa. Then, you and Daddy went back with me there when JSL spent the day with Nana and Papa. It was fun watching you play in a location that I had gone to as a child. (July 2012)

Now it is your birthday month again and I am trying to figure out where the time has gone. You have grown up so much and are such an amazing kid. You amaze me with all that you have learned, created, and dreamed.

I hope that you know how very proud I am of you and how much I love you. You are such a sweet boy that adores helping others that you love. I have a really good feeling that the upcoming year is going to be a stupendous one in fourth grade and beyond. Less stress, more smiles, and lots of watching you spread your wings and become more of the person that you are meant to be.

Love,

Past B-day posts to NHL:

Categories:
arts and crafts birthday Disney fun looking back milestone nhl parenting photos school travel vacation

Night Time Disney Magic

Posted on August 15, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

With young kids, it has been a while since we really enjoyed Walt Disney World at night. During the spring, we changed that up. We made sure to rest with the kids so we could enjoy some of the marvelous moments that require darkness to see all that sparkles at night. This week, the theme of the Disney Wordless Wednesday is Night Time Magic.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Blog Hop Disney fun looking back photos travel vacation

Tuesday Tales – Summer of Harry Potter

Posted on August 14, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

This summer appears to be filled with Harry Potter. Last year, NHL saw the first movie and adored it. For his birthday, he received the Harry Potter LEGO games for his Nintendo DS. It was love at first sight. He quickly completed the games and seemed to want to know more about Harry, Hermione (his favorite), Ron, and the others. Then, of course, he happened to pick out Harry Potter style glasses when he needed his first pair in the spring. When school ended, TechyDad and NHL started to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time. They are enjoying it so much, they just finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets over the weekend.

Yes, now NHL and TechyDad will begin reading the third book in the series by J.K. Rowling. This means that, once finished, NHL can let us know if he wants to try watching the third movie. Our rule is that once you read the third book and beyond, you may watch the movie. Of course, when NHL started to read the books again – his interest in Harry Potter LEGO game and figures started back up. Even I started to get creative one day. Recently, NHL received a fantastic book called LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World.

This book has been in the car, on the go, and in NHL’s hands a lot since he received it. He is fascinated with the characters, mini-figures, history, and tales of Harry Potter. LEGO enthusiasts who are big Harry Potter fans will really like seeing the history of the collectables since they were released.

One of these days I want to sit down and really get a chance to read it because it is filled with so much information. You can read about your favorite character. NHL’s is Hermione and this is the page dedicated to her.

Another thing that was really interesting to see were how the LEGO characters changed over the years. Not only did they grow up on the big scene of Harry Potter, but their LEGO figures morphed as well. Here is one example.

I love that there are books available for older children that are not simply traditional chapter books. NHL adores this book and, as a parent, I am thrilled that he is reading and learning about something new. They are also great for parents and children to look at together to discuss a common hobby.

What books are you reading right now? I would love to know. Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: One Amazon affiliate link is included and, should you purchase the book mentioned, I will receive a small percentage from the sale. As always, all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books fun interesting Movies nhl TechyDad Tuesday Tales

Adventures in Amazing World

Posted on August 13, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

When I was in fifth grade, my teacher Mr. D introduced me to the world of Carmen Santiago. I was on a mission around the world learning about people, places, and things. I was able to problem solve with friends to apprehend this notorious fugitive all while at an old style Apple computer while playing a game. Later on, my parents bought a game where I was a surgeon. I had to read about my patients health conditions and then help them to get better. Games allowed me to gain confidence in my problem solving skills, and use of technology.

All of these moments helped change my world. I was sold on the benefits of educational gaming. My views grew stronger as I used games while tutoring children who were reluctant readers. Then, I found games that helped to reinforce content in my own classrooms. Now, as the mother of a soon to be kindergartener and fourth grader, I allow my children to use them as well.

Of course, finding games that I am comfortable with is not always easy. Many are violent, filled with more game than learning and/or problem solving skills. I often rely on word of mouth from my friends, or a great campaign opportunity to introduce me to something I had never heard of. Thanks to Global Influence, I recently found out about a new game for children called Amazing World by Ganz Studios.

Since I have been looking for a new game for my oldest son to try, I allowed NHL to test out the free version of Amazing World. Once we downloaded the game, we were transported into the virtual world full of Zings. If you were curious, Zings are the citizens of Amazing World that are able to be named, customized, and get challenged along their adventure. NHL named his generic free Zing – Agent Z (homage to Agent P) and he was off. Within minutes, he was hooked. He was laughing at the interactions with other characters. The 3D colorful and fun environment within Amazing World engaged him like I have not seen in a while. I loved that he was reading, solving puzzles, and navigating throughout the world. He was thrilled to locate new items, collect prizes, and figure out how to build his own home for Agent Z.

In addition to the free version of Amazing World, you can also register Amazing World plush toys or figures (Zings). They will then come to life in your game and allow you to use an exclusive item within the world.

The full subscription to Amazing World also allows players to have full access to the gaming world. The free trial account limits you to the first 20 levels (there are 50), only four friends on your friend list, access to only four Amazing World hosts, and limited items that you can buy in the World Shop. NHL quickly realized that there were items that he could not do, but was okay with it now. I have to admit, with his love for the game, we may invest in the subscription to allow him to have more fun within this world (his birthday is this Friday).

Check out the video to see a bit more about Amazing World:

Giveaway Time:

The folks at Ganz would like to help a child in your life to get started expanding the fun in Amazing World. One lucky reader will receive two Amazing World toys. To enter, you must have a Twitter account and tell the world about the Amazing World game. You must use the hashtag #AmazingWorldGame and mention that the game is free to play within your Tweet. An example:

Come discover and explore Amazing World, a new free-to-play 3D virtual world full of challenges and fun! #AmazingWorldGame

***Do not forget, once you Tweet, please be sure to come back here and link to your entry Tweet in the comments below. This will be the only way that I can track entries and contact the winner.

Please follow the rules above within the comment section. Giveaway begins August 13, 2012 and ends August 23, 2012 at 10:59 EST. You do not have to be a blogger to enter (you will need a Twitter account), but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US residents only.

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a compensated Global Influence campaign. As someone who understands the value of computer based video gaming for children, it was fun to learn and watch my son enjoy something so much. Now, I just hope he will allow me to explore some as well. Ganz will not be held liable for any problems during the administration of the contest, but they are responsible for fulfilling prizes to the winner.