Vacation vs. Staycation

Well, this year we decided to try something new - a staycation! Normally, we will take a vacation (usually to visit family out of town), but since the economy has taken a toll on our budget, we decided to do a staycation instead and take advantage of some passes that we had won recently (we had one to the water park in Great Wolf Lodge and another to the Cincinnati Nature Center).

While going away has it advantages, the staycation still did provide us with something new: discovering new places to visit in Cincinnati. I had (briefly) visited the Nature Center before, BUT it was only for less than half an hour. This time, we were there for almost three hours and agreed that we would like to go back (we're even considering a membership at some point in the future). We LOVED it there and want to see more. We even got to see a sunset in French Park. A sunset may not seem like a big thing, but if you're so absorbed in your daily life, being able to see a sunset is not always possible. I like having the ability to slow things down (like we did this past week) and do something that we're not always able to do - like seeing a sunset....

We're Back!

You may be thinking: 'Where have you been?' Well, since Cincinnati Child Resource is still primarily run by one person, unfortunately the website took a back seat to what has been quite the roller coaster ride over the past year and a half (deaths in the family, a car accident, a nanny position that consisted of 45+ hrs/wk and two dead computer hard drives - just to name a few). Things to have settled down about in the past few months, and I'm hoping they stay that way.

Information has kept coming in (thank you to all who have submitted info) and it is currently being organized & categorized offline to make updating the website easier. Updates to the website are now taking place during the week and will be posted on Facebook and Twitter. I'll also be posting interesting articles on Facebook and Twitter, as well.

Back to School

It's that time of year again - children dread it, but parents love it: Back to School!

I've searched iTunes for some apps that you may find useful for your littles as they get ready to go back. Know of any good apps for Anroid users? Please feel free to share your finds in the comments section below.

Reading
SUPER WHY ABC Adventures: Alphabet
The Monster at the End of This Book...Starring Grover
Another Monster at the End of This Book...Starring Grover & Elmo
Goodnight Safari
There's No Place Like Space!: All About Our Solar System
SUPER WHY!
Build A Word (from the creators of Word World)
Montessori Crosswords - Spelling With Phonics-Enabled Alphabet

Math
Bugs and Buttons
PLAY123 for iPhone
Geom-e-Tree
Memory Train
Grover's Number Special

Writing
Shake-a-Phrase: Fun With Words and Sentences
Intro to Letters, by Montessorium
iWriteWords (Handwriting Game)
Build A Word (from the creators of Word World)
Merrian-Webster Dictionary

Clothing
Forever XXI
H&M
Target
Old Navy
Gap
Aeropostale
Express
Hollister
JCPenny

Don't forget about the teachers, though. Some good places to check out online (to help support our teachers):

Waiting for "Superman"
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/

StudentsFirst.org - A Movement to Transform Public Education
www.studentsfirst.org/