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Turtle Lessons Lesson #1 Standing on the beach in one of my favorite spots in the world, Honokawaii, Maui, I saw a giant sea turtle lazily sunning on the shore. With the start of school, most families are feeling anything but lazy. But as I watched the turtle, it was a good reminder that no…

Back-to-School – Excitement or Dread? Back-to-School sales are everywhere! When I was a kid, I loved the preparation for going back to school – new clothes, new shoes, and all the cool new school supplies! People like NEW! Our brains like NEW – it’s interesting and different. But for families whose children have traditionally struggled…

Today is my sister-in-law’s birthday. Growing up, my children always loved visits from Aunt Nancy because she was so much fun. She would make them laugh and they would do anything for her! Laughter makes us feel good! Laughter supports our health. Laughter is just plain fun! Victor Borge said: Laughter is the shortest distance…

This weekend we went to the Ringling Brothers, Barnum, and Baily’s Circus. Besides being truly amazed and a little bit terrified by some of the acts, I was struck by the incredible amount of organization involved. Everything ran like clockwork and everyone and everything was in its place, right down to the shovels and buckets…

We love our sports, but parents beware Growing up, my mom flatly refused to let my brothers play football. It wasn’t because my dad loved baseball so much, but because of the possible head injuries associated with football. We are a pretty sport-driven society. Most of the children and teens I know play some kind…

It’s Fourth of July. Dogs and Sensitive Kids Beware! My neighborhood happens to be one of the few in Southern California that allows people to shoot off their own fireworks. With Fourth of July right around the corner, our evenings are now punctuated with unexpected explosions as people try out their fireworks. We love Fourth…

This adorable picture of 19-month old Jaxon matching letters on an iPad was posted by his mom on Instagram this week. Isn’t it amazing what technology can offer our kids these days. Even more amazing is how adept kids (even toddlers) are with it! It’s mind-boggling! What fun it is to see the problem-solving, attention,…

It’s Pool Time! From the time I was 12, I spent virtually everyday of the summer hanging out, or lifeguarding once I was old enough, at the high school pool. Even now, the smell of chlorine at a pool brings back fond memories. If you’re an underwater swimmer, you know that sounds are very muffled…

I’m having trouble writing my blog this morning because I’m sitting at Starbucks trying to write and everyone around me is talking about the Kings’ huge win last night. I’m a big Kings fan, so it’s hard to not engage!  For those of you who are not NHL Hockey fans, the Los Angeles Kings are…

STOP the Band-Aid Approach to Dealing with Learning Challenges Dr. David Angus, author of A Short Guide to a Long Life was recently on talk radio speaking about preventing and reversing disease and pain by addressing the root cause of the problem.  What struck me, besides my interest in health, was that his message was…