Triangle TRACKS has Laura Kelly Holiday Activity Sheets for Kids

We've posted links to download each activity sheet on our home page. You can also view images of each sheet on our home page photo slideshow.

50 Fun Things for Track 3 Families to Do During Their Break

Hey Track 3 families in Wake County, there's no shortage of things to do when you're tracked out during Halloween. Here's our looong and spooky list of stuff for you to do while you're on your track-out break!

1. Hill Ridge Farms Fall Pumpkin and Harvest Festival (through Oct. 31)
2. Tweetsie Railroad Ghost Train (through Oct. 31)
3. October ZooFEST at the North Carolina Zoo (through Oct. 31)
4. Museum of Life and Science Presents Halloween Village (through Nov. 14)
5. North Carolina State Fair (through Oct. 25)
6. Town of Apex Pumpkin Decorating Contest (through Oct. 31)
7. Classic Productions Presents "Junie B Jones" (Oct. 19)
8. Educational Concert by the North Carolina Symphony (Oct. 20)
9. Come See the #6 Con-Way Freight NASCAR "Show" Truck at BounceU of Apex (Oct. 20)
10. Double Author Night at Quail Ridge Books (Oct. 20)
11. The Durham Bulls Celebrate Their Triple A National Championship With a Party at DBAC on Oct. 21
12. Wild Things (Chapel Hill Author Clay Carmichael) book discussion and signing (Oct. 22)
13. "Astro Boy" Movie Releases Oct. 23
14. TheatreworksUSA Presents "Seussical" Oct. 23
15. Witches’ Tea, Oct. 23
16. New Hope Valley Railway Pumpkin Party, Oct. 23
17. Halloween Boo Bounce at BounceU of Apex, Oct. 23, 30 and 31
18. The Durham Jaycees and American Tobacco District Present the 37th Annual Haunted House, Oct. 23-31
19. North Carolina Symphony Presents "Fantastique", Oct. 23
20. BOO at the ZOO, Oct. 24-25
21. Raleigh Wide Open/City Plaza Grand Opening, Oct. 24
22. Halloween Storytime at Barnes & Noble, Oct. 24
24. Kids Halloween Spooktacular at Borders, Oct. 24
25. 2009 Raleigh Jaycees Terror at Possum Creek: Kids Day, Oct. 24
26. Magic of Michael Creech and Jeff Lloyd, Oct. 24
27. Halloween Train at New Hope Valley Railway, Oct. 24
28. Tricks & Treats Halloween Bash, Oct. 24
29. Broadway Series Youth Presents the Vienna Boys Choir, Oct. 25
30. Children’s Pumpkin Carving at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, Oct. 25
31. Museum of Life and Science Presents Science Spooktacular with a ChemMystery Show, Oct. 28-29
32. Free music and movement class for tots at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, Oct. 29
33. Morehead Planetarium and Science Center Presents "Scare-o-lina Skies", Oct. 29, Nov. 1
34. Darkside Haunted Estates Low Scare Night for Kids, Oct. 29
35. Trick or Treat at Crabtree Valley Mall, Oct. 30
36. New Hope Valley Railway Ride Day: Steam Spectacular, Oct. 31
37. BATOLOGY at the North Carolina Zoo, Oct. 31
38. Chapel Hill Creamery hosts Plow Day with the NC Percheron Horse Association, Oct. 31
39. HollyFest 2009, Oct. 31
40. 7th Annual Day in Downtown Fuquay-Varina, Oct. 31
41. The Phantom of the Orchestra! Oct. 31
42. Natural History Halloween at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Oct. 31
43. NC Museum of History Presents "Make It, Take It: Make Your Own Fun", Oct. 31
44. Fright Night '09 at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, Oct. 31
45. Free Family Day at the Nasher Museum of Art, Nov. 2
46. N.C. Museum of History Presents Time for Tots: American Indian Life, Nov. 3
47. NC Museum of History Presents History Corner: Aw Nuts! Nov. 5
48. Raleigh Little Theatre Presents "Snoopy!!! The Musical", Nov. 6-22
49. PAGE Super Saturday is Nov. 7 at NCSU's Talley Student Center, Nov. 7
50. NC Museum of History Presents Make It, Take It: Army Dog Tags, Nov. 7

Track 4 Track-Out Fun: 40+ Fun Things To Do!

The weather is cooling and kids' activities are mounting up like piles of leaves! Track 4 families: check out all of the fun things you can do while your kids are on their fall break. For more, visit our calendar!

1. Carolina Ballet Presents "Swan Lake" (through Oct. 4)
2. Hill Ridge Farms Fall Pumpkin and Harvest Festival (through Oct. 31)
3. NC Museum of History Presents History Corner: An Apple a Day (Oct. 1)
4. ANIMALIA Golden Rod Puppets - by Hobey Ford (Oct. 1)
5. Fall/Winter Kidz Stuff Consignment Sale - Hayes Barton Baptist Church (Oct. 1-3)
6. Wild Rumpus Teacher Celebration at Borders (Oct. 2)
7. NC Museum of History Presents First Friday at the Movies: “The Pirate of the Black Hawk”
8. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Meet Josefina at Barnes & Noble (Oct. 2)
9. Tweetsie Railroad Ghost Train (Oct. 2-31)
10. Iron Man Tournament at Dreamsports Center (Oct. 3-4)
11. October ZooFEST at the North Carolina Zoo Begins Oct. 3 (through Oct. 31)
12. Raleigh Author Tisha Duncan Reads From Her Book "My Dirty Cat Mutt" at Quail Ridge Books (Oct. 3)
13. Fox 50 Family Fest at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham (Oct. 3)
14. PETER AND THE WOLF- with face painting and crafts! $5 for performance; $2 combined for crafts and face painting (Oct. 3-4)
15. Celebration of Children in the Arts at the Cary Ballet Conservatory (Oct. 3)
16. New Hope Valley Railway Ride Day (Oct. 4)
17. Carolina Kids Consignment Sale at Smithfield National Guard Armory (Oct. 4-5)
18. Meet Author Angie Sage and New Septimus Heap Book (5th in Series, "Syren") (Oct. 5)
19. "Grease" Comes to the Durham Performing Arts Center (Oct. 6-11)
20. N.C. Museum of History Presents Time for Tots: Down in the Pumpkin Patch (Oct. 6 and 13)
21. Just 4 Kids Fall/Winter Consignment Sale at LifeSpring Community Church in Fuquay-Varina (Oct. 6-9)
22. Great Pumpkin Contest at the NC State Farmers Market (Oct. 8)
23. N.C. Transportation Museum Will Host "Disney's A Christmas Carol" Train Tour (Oct. 9-10)
24. Parent's Night Out at BounceU of Apex (Oct. 9)
25. Family Fun Night -- Curious George (Oct. 9)
26. Readers Theater: Design, Create, Perform for Your Family and Friends! At Eva Perry Library in Apex (Oct. 10)
27. Raleigh Dance Theatre's Storybook Tales (Oct. 10)
28. Cary Diwali: Festival of Lights at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary (Oct. 10)
29. Wolf Awareness Week at the Museum of Life and Science (Oct. 11-17)
30. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Book Release party! (Oct. 12)
31. Author Event: Katie Kazoo KATIE KAZOO: GOING BATTY at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh (Oct. 12)
32. Museum of Life and Science Presents Halloween Village (Oct. 14-Nov. 1)
33. North Carolina State Fair (Oct. 15-25)
34. Town of Apex Pumpkin Decorating Contest (Oct. 15-30)
35. DPAC Presents "Imagination Movers National Tour" and Buy-One-Get-One-Free Kids Night (Oct. 15)
36. "Where the Wild Things Are" Movie Releases Oct. 16
37. Taste of the Market at Wake Forest Farmers Market (Oct. 17)
38. The Second Annual Hillsborough Handmade Parade (Oct. 17)
39. NC Museum of History Presents "Government Matters!" (Oct. 17)
40. Haunting at Harris: Land of Oz (Harris Lake Park) (Oct. 17)
41. Battle of the Books Club and Graveyard Book Party at Quail Ridge Books (Oct. 18)
42. In advance of the June 18, 2010 release of "Toy Story 3," Disney Digital Studios will release a double feature of "Toy Story 1" and "Toy Story 2" in 3D Oct. 2 at theaters nationwide.

The Triangle TRACKS Fall Membership Drive is Sept. 14-30

It's time for another Triangle TRACKS membership drive, and our 1st place prize package is worth over $700! We've also got 2nd and 3rd place prizes to give away, and we've listed all of them below the rules.

Here are the rules for participating.
1. You must have become a member of Triangle TRACKS before Sept. 14, 2009 in order to participate.
2. You may invite as many friends as you would like to join Triangle TRACKS between now and Sept. 30. Just use the "Invite" tab at the top of this page.
3. When you send the invitation, ask your friends to put YOUR name as the answer to the profile question "How did you hear about Triangle TRACKS?" This will help us track how many of your friends end up joining the site.

That's it! The member with the highest number of joined friends wins! We'll announce the winner Oct. 2 in order to provide a additional time for friends who were invited toward the end of the contest to decide if they would like to join Triangle TRACKS. Questions? Email us and we'll try to clear everything up.

Here are the prize package descriptions. (Click here to link to each of the businesses providing prize donations.)

1st PLACE:
1. Four tickets to the Carolina Ballet's presentation of "Swan Lake" Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.
2. Two tickets to the "Imagination Movers National Tour" at the Durham Performing Arts Center Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
3. A Polar Ice House birthday party package.
4. Two BounceU Apex Parents Night Out admissions, one BounceU Teen Bounce Night admission, two BounceU Open Bounce admissions, and one BounceU gift set (water bottle, bag, socks and wrist band).
5. A family fun pass to Marbles Kids Museum and an IMAX documentary film (admission for up to four people).
6. Premium membership (worth $199) to "The Sitter Connection." (This consists of five one-time placements per month, which are $15 each. So throughout a full year, this is a $900 value. The client pays the sitter their hourly pay rate of $10 to $12 per hour.)
7. Two adult and two children's passes to Phillips Corn Maize and Family Fun in Cary.
8. Five passes to Winterpast Farm in Wake Forest.
9. A signed copy of the parenting book, "Ships Without a Shore" by Anne R. Pierce.

2nd PLACE:
1. A Southern Living Green Bountiful Bowl from Consultant Karyn Wolf.
2. Two BounceU Apex Parents Night Out admissions, one BounceU Teen Bounce Night admission, two BounceU Open Bounce admissions, and one BounceU gift set (water bottle, bag, socks and wrist band).
3. A signed copy of the parenting book, "Ships Without a Shore" by Anne R. Pierce.

3rd PLACE:
1. Two BounceU Apex Parents Night Out admissions, one BounceU Teen Bounce Night admission, two BounceU Open Bounce admissions, and one BounceU gift set (water bottle, bag, socks and wrist band).
2. A signed copy of the parenting book, "Ships Without a Shore" by Anne R. Pierce.

Triangle TRACKS’ Fall Membership Drive Kicks Off Sept. 14

This just went out to the local media:
Triangle TRACKS’ Fall Membership Drive Kicks Off Sept. 14
More Than $600 Worth of First Place Prizes Await Winner

Apex, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2009) Triangle TRACKS, a social network for Triangle parents located at http://www.triangletracks.com, will host its fall membership drive Sept. 14-30. All members of Triangle TRACKS who join the site before Sept. 14 are eligible to participate. Leading up to and during the fall membership drive, Triangle TRACKS members are encouraged to invite friends to join the site by Sept. 30. The member who produces the highest number of joined friends wins a first place prize package currently worth more than $600. Second and third place prizes are also awarded.

First place prizes currently include tickets to the Carolina Ballet’s presentation of “Swan Lake,” a family fun pass to Marbles Kids Museum and an IMAX documentary film, a premium membership to The Sitter Connection, passes to BounceU in Apex, passes to Phillips Corn Maize and Family Fun in Cary, passes to Winterpast Farm in Wake Forest, and a signed copy of “Ships Without a Shore” by Anne R. Pierce.

Triangle TRACKS’ content focuses on education, museum exhibits, parks, youth sports, camps, music lessons, art lessons, performing arts studios, birthday party venues, amusement centers, restaurants, childcare facilities, healthcare resources, children’s trends and much more. The Triangle TRACKS calendar is updated daily and offers the Triangle’s most comprehensive accumulation of children’s events in the region. A team of Triangle TRACKers blog regularly about education, sports, trends, health, food, technology and travel destinations. You can learn more about them at http://www.triangletracks.com/notes/Triangle_TRACKers.

Triangle TRACKS hosts a page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Triangle-TRACKS/61147979949?ref=ts, and a Twitter account at http://twitter.com/triangletracks.

Let the Triangle TRACKS Blog Carnival Begin!

Welcome to Triangle TRACKS first blog carnival! We have eight participants who manage their own blogs. Some of their posts are extremely insightful, others incredibly creative! But ALL of them focus on kids and parenting. We've listed excerpts from each below with a link to the rest of their posts on their blogs. If you like what you're reading, post a comment and let these talented ladies know!

The top three posts that generate the most discussion (in the form of comments or questions) will be awarded their own promotional box on the Triangle TRACKS home page for two weeks, and include a link to the winning blogs’ RSS feed or subscription page. We'll announce the winners Sept. 4. Here we go...

Where My Heart Rides Away
By Janel Bunten from her “Dandelion Dayz” blog

Tinted windows make it hard for me to see the faces inside.
The driver waits for the activity to die down before she pulls away from the curb.
I'm just staring and waving at faces I cannot see. Hoping for a couple just to see me.
Then I see him.
He must be on his knees because I see his whole face now.
He is waving to me. Smiling.
My heart leaps out of my chest.
I wave back. Smile back. Blow some kisses.
He blows some back.
He waves again.
Suddenly, I only see the top of his head. I'm sure the driver has told him to sit down now.
Then, she pulls off and just like that my heart rides away in a big yellow bus.
Read the rest of Janel’s blog here.

You Might Be Cute, But Your Sh*t Still Stinks
By Cyndi Soter O'Neil from her “Junius and Pippi Take the Cake” blog

When Junius was about 10 weeks old, we took him to my cousin's wedding. Because he was prone to spitting up in quantities that defied his tiny body, I didn't dress him in his fancy clothes until we were in the church parking lot -- didn't want to ruin the look. It was one of those beautiful white, pintuck oufits that requires ironing and has impossibly tiny buttons up the back -- one that my husband had worn when he was a baby and his mother saved for us. Completely impractical, but Junius looked so sweet.

So sweet, that is, until his enormous pooplosion leaked out all over the fancy clothes (did I mention it was white?) and onto my husband's suit.
Read more of Cyndi’s post here.

2009 Raleigh-Area Consignment Roundup
By Holly Ross from her “Holly’s Golden Twig” blog

It's that time of year again... back to school shopping will start all too soon and parents will be sorting through clothing & toys to decide what still fits and what needs to be replaced. Almost a year and a half ago I discovered a new favorite hobby in bargain shopping called Children's Consignment Sales. I posted a blog last summer about my initial experiences with consignment shopping. Since then I can easily say that I've been to more than a dozen sales total, which are kind of like giant cooperative yard sales. I'm still by no means an expert, but do eagerly look forward to the chance to get nearly-brand-new clothing and toys for my child for about 25% of the original retail cost. Even toys or "play clothes" that look a little worn work fine for a toddler... she doesn't care or know the difference!
Read more of Holly's post here.

Creepy Toys and Mommy Guilt!
By Lindsey Hignite, from her “Mama Sews: Random Goodness from a Mama Who Sews…” blog

So I've been going through all our old toys and clothes for an upcoming consignment sale.
(BTW, if you're in the Cary/Apex, NC area, you simply must stop by the Twice as Nice sale this Friday and Saturday to pick up great deals on children's toys and clothing. And make sure you follow them on facebook or twitter so you know about upcoming sales. Fabulous!)
As I was going through my daughter's toys, I ran across some that I find truly creepy. And, no, I'm not talking about plastic snakes which my kids love to hide in my bed in hopes of hearing me scream.
The newest is the Polly Pocket dolls and pets with interchangeable heads and bodies.
Then there's the Barbie dog that was gifted to my daughter by my oldest brother.
First, Barbie feeds the dog a treat. And then, you guessed it, the dog poops the treat out. But what's so disturbing is that Barbie is to scoop the poop into the doggie trash like a responsible pet owner. But look what is on the other side of the trash can. The doggie treat box! All the poop is diverted from the can into the food box. The poor dog has to eat his own poop.
There is something wrong with that.
Read more of Lindsey's post here.

Fresh Air
By Janice Dusseau Jones from her “Jan About Town” blog

Last year, I left a 14 year career in television- to get some fresh air.
I am now a stay-at-home mom.
A write-at-home mom?
Professional mom?
Domestic engineer?
Bon-bon eater?
I don’t mind “good wife” either.
Why did I leave?
One January day, I admitted to myself that I no longer liked my job.
In fact, the normal stresses of being a broadcast meteorologist now seemed unbearable.
But, specifically, I could not think of what was really wrong. What needed to be fixed? Why was I unhappy?
That’s when I admitted it. I WAS unhappy. As soon as I admitted it, it got worse.
Read more of Janice’s post here.

S.O.A.P. Episode One – All My Children
By Jackie Bedard from her “North Carolina Wills and Trusts" blog

Welcome to the first episode in our series, Soap Operas About Planning. I thought I’d try out something a little different to show how taking the time to prepare today can be a huge gift to your family and loved ones. Through a series of stories, I will compare and contrast the lives of families that have not adequately planned and those that have. Although thinking about one’s own demise is a scary and uncomfortable prospect, I hope you’ll find the stories (and my attempt at fiction!) interesting and educational. This post is also part of the blog carnival being hosted by Triangle TRACKS, a website full of resources and ideas for parents in the Triangle area. Finally, be sure to see our raffle details at the bottom.
Read more of Jackie’s post here.

Do Your Children Have Goals?
By Eileen Batson from her “Batson Group Marketing and PR Blog”

A friend of mine sent me an email describing what she has been up to and I thought it very useful to pass the content on.
She has been delivering a series of workshops to school kids for several years. One of the questions she asks them to to is to write down their goals in life.
Sadly, more than once, she found herself surprised when a child said he has no goal. They come to school because that's what kids do or because their parents will be angry with them if they don't. They go through the day suffering because they are forced to do things without any understanding, and without having any idea as to how it will really contribute to their lives.
After working with thousands of children, adults and businessmen, she observed that when a boy/girl, teenager, or an adult has no goals in life - they get bored easily. From this point on, the person's interest declines and the individual begins to look for games and "interesting" things to occupy themself.
With the lack of goals and without encouragement and guidance in their life about how to set worthwhile goals, the person - feeling emptiness - goes hunting for excitement. And this is the shortest road to violence. It starts with teasing others, using dirty words and cursing and moves on to strikes, alcohol, drugs, stabbing and worse.
Read more of Eileen’s post here.

Let’s Shop! Tips for Shopping at Consignment Sales
By Kelly Rives from her "The Divine Children’s Show" blog

Well, we have discussed the details of selling your children’s outgrown clothing, but now we need to get to the important stuff! SHOPPING! There are several things that you can do that will make you shopping experience super efficient.
Know your kid’s sizes.
Spend some time before the sale trying last falls clothes on your children. Have they really gone up a size, or are they still about the same? What size do you think they will be wearing next February/March at the end of the winter season? It is much easier to shop if you do not have your kids with you. However, this can make the “size” question tough. But we have seen several people come up with some clever ideas.
Read more of Kelly’s blog here.

A Touching Father-Daughter Book Based on "King of the World" Song

A beautiful song by the Christian rock band Point of Grace titled "King of the World" has direct ties to a new children's book titled "Dance Me Daddy." Barnes & Noble's synopsis of the book states the following:

“If I am your princess, then you are king of the world.” Singer and songwriter Cindy Morgan celebrates the love God blesses between a girl and her father in this picture book that families will treasure from childhood to wedding day. Includes a CD of the song King of the World performed by Point of Grace and author Cindy Morgan reading the book. (Source: Barnes & Noble)

You can watch Point of Grace sing this song via YouTube here. The song, sung in the sweetest harmony by the band's three women with one guitar in the background, features the following lyrics.

Spinning around on the tops of his feet
smile of the angels can not be so sweet
wide blue eyes and piggy tail swirls
shes her daddy´s girl
cuz he knows the jokes that always make her laugh
takes her for ice cream instead of her math
at the end of the day by the light of the moon
they turn up the music in their living room
and she yells

dance me dance me around till my feet dont ever touch down theres nothing better than being your girl and if i am your princess then daddy you are the king of the world

its funny how life moves in circles of time to think so long ago that face was mine houses get smaller we take different names but some things in life stay the same

dance me dance me around till my feet dont ever touch down theres nothing better than being your girl and if i am your princess than daddy you are the king of the world

some day she go off and find a life of her own and marry a good man and make a happy home until she comes back and sees with those same eyes what time can not disguse she walks through the door with that look on her face cuz daddy´s brown hair has all turned to gray they talk for hours they cry and they laugh watchin old movies and thinking back, just as she turns to go she says hey dad how bout one for the road

dance me dance me around till my feet don´t ever touch down

dance me dance me around till my feet dont ever touch down cuz theres nothing better than being your girl oh theres nothing better than being your girl and if i am your princess than daddy you are the king of the world
king of the world
Spinning around of the tops of his feet
smile of the angels could not be so sweet

Source of book image: Amazon.com

The Blog Carnival Submission Deadline Has Been Extended to Monday!

Due to a very busy weekend, I'm extending the Blog Carnival submission deadline to Monday. This will also give our members more time to submit a link to their blogs.

The BLOG CARNIVAL will link to one blog post from each participating blogger. If you have a blog and would like to drive traffic from Triangle TRACKS to your blog, consider participating in this blog carnival. Here are our rules:

1. You must be a member of Triangle TRACKS to participate. To join, click here.
2. Your post—but not necessarily your overall blog—must be related to children in some way. It could cover a topic relating to or combining topics focusing on parenting, child development, children’s trends, childhood memories or other related topics.
3. Your blog must allow comment-posting so our members and visitors can post their thoughts and/or questions.
4. You must link to Triangle TRACKS somewhere in your blog entry or on your blog’s front page.

Email your blog post link to epshugg@triangletracks.com by Monday, Aug. 24. We’ll review the entries then post the blog carnival on the Triangle TRACKS home page Aug. 25-Sept. 4. The top three posts that generate the most discussion (in the form of comments or questions) will be awarded their own promotional box on the Triangle TRACKS home page for two weeks, and include a link to the winning blogs’ RSS feed or subscription page. This is a wonderful way to use your blog to reach out to other Triangle parents. We can’t wait to read your posts! Got questions? Email them to epshugg@triangletracks.com.

Triangle TRACKS Hosts Its First Blog Carnival

Many of Triangle TRACKS’ members run wonderful blogs covering a variety of topics. We’d like to share some of their posts with you, so we’ve decided to host a BLOG CARNIVAL, which will link to one blog post from each participating blogger. If you have a blog and would like to drive traffic from Triangle TRACKS to your blog, consider participating in this blog carnival. Here are our rules:

1. You must be a member of Triangle TRACKS to participate. To join, click here.
2. Your post—but not necessarily your overall blog—must be related to children in some way. It could cover a topic relating to or combining topics focusing on parenting, child development, children’s trends, childhood memories or other related topics.
3. Your blog must allow comment-posting so our members and visitors can post their thoughts and/or questions.
4. You must link to Triangle TRACKS somewhere in your blog entry or on your blog’s front page.

Email your blog post link to epshugg@triangletracks.com by Friday, Aug. 21. We’ll review the entries then post the blog carnival on the Triangle TRACKS home page Aug. 24-Sept. 4. The top three posts that generate the most discussion (in the form of comments or questions) will be awarded their own promotional box on the Triangle TRACKS home page for two weeks, and include a link to the winning blogs’ RSS feed or subscription page. This is a wonderful way to use your blog to reach out to other Triangle parents. We can’t wait to read your posts! Got questions? Email them to epshugg@triangletracks.com.

Maximize—Don’t Waste—Those Little Spaces of Time With Your Kids

A friend of mine looked at my calendar one day and said, “How in the world do you fit all of that into each week?” I replied that sometimes I simply don’t, but I always try my best!

As my children grow older, we grow busier. New interests sprout, and the only way to find out if these interests will blossom is to dig a little deeper. That often means adding another sport, hobby or club to our garden of activities. For many parents who face these same challenges, we find ourselves making quick trips here and there filled with little spaces of time as we wait for an activity to end. Or we sit in not one, but two carpool lines at two different schools, two times a day!

Since there is no end in sight to this haphazard schedule for our family anytime soon, I’ve decided to maximize—not waste—those little spaces of time throughout my family’s day.

My 10-year-old son wakes up early every morning—early enough to see his big brother off to middle school. Meanwhile, my 7-year-old daughter sleeps in as late as possible. This is the time of day my younger son shares his thoughts with me—about a story he’s writing, a book he’s reading, a sport he enjoys or friends he hangs out with. This is time well spent that we will never get back.

My 10-year-old is also on the safety patrol team at his elementary school, so we drop him off 15 minutes before the carpool line starts rolling. That’s 15 minutes I have with my daughter alone. Lately, I’ve used that time to read aloud to her. Other times, I fix her hair or we just have a good mom-daughter chat.

In the afternoon, I wait in a long, winding carpool line to pick up my 12-year-old at middle school. I often work on a freelance writing project or read a book before the line starts moving—and get quite a bit done during this time. But when my son gets in the car, the real quality time begins. We spend the drive home talking about his day. Sometimes he complains about his homework or a bully, other times he boasts about a good grade or funny experience. I wouldn’t trade these talks for the world. After all, I have only six years left with him before he heads off to college.

During my oldest son’s weekly viola lesson, my younger two bring books, markers and paper so they can spend this time working on stories or drawings. My only rule: no electronics. I don’t mind if they bring them in the car, but we use the 30-minute lesson to have quality creative time.

And just this morning, I wrote the first half of this blog in the carpool line, and the second half awaiting the arrival of my husband’s flight at the airport. I guess making good use of my time often involves having a laptop on hand!

It’s so easy to make a phone call during the drive home from school, or turn up the radio as you drive to an activity. Why not embrace the little spaces of time throughout your day to enhance the relationships you have with those who matter most to you. It really makes a difference, even when you don’t think it does. I asked my oldest if he liked our “quality time” together after school each day. He just rolled his eyes and said “Sure, Mom.” But when I glanced over at him to see if his expression matched his tone, I saw the same smile on his face he used to get when he was 3 years old, driving trains around his train track. And that was all the confirmation I needed.

Here's How We Celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11's Landing on the Moon

We never timed a family vacation so perfectly.

Photo: Original Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Module

Just four nights in Orlando with tickets to Sea World, Universal Studios and Kennedy Space Center meant we would be running from park to park nonstop, and we did. But the most amazing moment was when we learned that Endeavor's launch had been rescheduled for July 15, a day after we were to arrive in town! (See my previous post for details on that.)

Photo: Launch Pad 39A

And then, to visit Kennedy Space Center just two days before the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon transformed a typical vacation into one we would never again experience in our lives. Our day at Cape Canaveral turned out to be more fun than Sea World and Universal Studios combined. We took the bus tour, climbed atop the viewing tower to see pad 39A (where Endeavor launched from) and watched a super cool movie in the old control room, which featured the launch of an early rocket, complete with original audio, control panels that lit up to authenticate what the control room looked like during the launch, and an amazingly loud, window-shaking reproduction of the actual launch.

Photo: Original NASA control room before the show.

Photo: Original NASA control room during the show.

Then, we walked underneath an Apollo rocket strapped to the ceiling of a very long building (check out the photo of its engines), and watched another very cool movie about the Apollo 11 moon landing. This presentation also incorporated original audio and video footage from July 20, 1969, and featured a landing pod and astronaut prop standing next to an American flag planted into the moon's surface. I admit, the writers of this presentation got me. I felt what may have been the same emotions people all over the world experienced as they listened to the landing report on their AM radios. Truly unbelievable!

Photo: Check out the size of these Saturn V engines -- and there are 5 of them!

Photo: Back of Saturn V rocket.

Photo: Middle of the Saturn V rocket, where the third stage is located.

Photo: The world's largest building: the Vehicle Assembly Building. This is where the shuttles are assembled. Three empire state buildings can fit in there!

Five T-shirts, a handful of Apollo 11 commemorative Christmas ornaments, two robotic hands, 6 ounces of Galactic Ooze, a moon rock, a 500-piece NASA puzzle and a package of astronaut ice cream later, we exited Kennedy Space Center $183 poorer, but rich with awe-inspiring experiences and memories of NASA's many accomplishments.

Photo: We had to get one of these for each of the kids!

I do hope our next space adventure will be a rendezvous with history. We walked on the moon 40 years ago. Why shouldn't we attempt this again? The incredulous among us have only to look at the giant leap Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and many other astronauts took for mankind.

Photo: The cockpit of Shuttle Explorer

Photo: Exterior of Shuttle Explorer

Frozen Coconut Bars, MTV Videos and Creek Explorations Set the Scene for My Greatest Summer Traditions

Favorite childhood memories drift into my mind as the scents and sounds of summer arrive each June.

I used to walk across that log as a child. It's still there!

Banana Boat Coconut Oil summons memories of sunbathing with my mother in our backyard, the radio blaring ’80s tunes from my bedroom window. During the summer my mother, a special education teacher, would earn extra cash working at my uncles’ nursery. She would take my sister and me with her several days a week to split an hourly wage cutting ivy stems and planting them into 12-by-16-inch flats of fertilized soil. I fondly remember break time, when my sister and I would purchase a cold, glass bottle of Mello Yello for a quarter from the Coca Cola vending machine. Nothing tasted better than that.

My beautiful mom in the 1980s

The first hint of chlorine takes me beyond infinite memories of summertime swimming to a favorite treat: the coconut “FrozeFruit” bars my sister and I enjoyed poolside in Columbia, S.C. during our month-long July visit with our dad. Remember those? Delectable frozen blocks of all natural goodness filled with real pieces of fruit … I typically chose coconut, though I tried strawberry and banana once or twice.

Becky and I would swim for hours at the St. Andrews Fitness Center swimming pool while Daddy worked out at the gym, then we would quickly dive underwater when we saw him sneaking back to play “Turtleheads” with us, a game that required holding our breath for as long as possible, knowing that when we finally popped up, he would nail us on the head with a tennis ball. (This is the same man who taught us how to accurately fire a lit bottle rocket at his best friend across the parking lot.)

Consistently, we returned home with tired limbs and hungry bellies, turned on MTV and settled on Daddy’s totally ’80s black velvet sofa with a bowl of Sunchips to watch the latest videos. “Jump” by Van Halen, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cindy Lauper and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson ranked among our favorites. (“California Girls” by David Lee Roth shockingly revealed to me what I could only hope to look like someday, after growing out of my figureless pre-teen frame.) These were the days of Cookie Crisp cereal for breakfast every morning and Breyer’s chocolate chip ice cream for dessert every night. Putt Putt, bowling and Vectrex games held our attention during the day. Chicken wing dives and TV dramas won our attention at night. (Will there ever be a better police drama than “Miami Vice”?)

Becky, me and Daddy in 1988

Exposing my kids to another favorite old-fashioned summer tradition requires something I don’t have here in North Carolina: acres of pristine, family-owned land. In 1910, my great-great-grandfather bought several hundred acres in Athens, Ga. along the Atlanta Highway. He built a beautiful summerhouse on the property overlooking a wide, burbling creek.

My grandparents later moved into a home on the other side of the creek that once served as a meeting facility for my great-grandfather’s Presbyterian ministry retreats. We spent many days—and nights—in both houses, eager to burn a trail down to the creek the very next morning—no shoes necessary. Our feet were as worn as a hobbit’s.

It was, and is, a perfect creek. We even named the sections of it we frequented most the log bridge, the waterslide, the swimming hole, the minnow pond and the “foot washer.” This was a rectangular groove of smooth slate over which a steady stream of ice-cold creek water ran. We could neatly slide our feet into that small space whenever we determined they needed a wash—which was often!

Further up the creek, we reverently climbed the Cinderella steps, so-named by my grandmother when she was a little girl, to a cluster of large, flat rocks where we would sit and talk, soaking up the sun and reclaiming our energy for more fun. Sometimes, when our adventurous uncles accompanied us, we would walk all the way to Eagle’s Nest, the furthest point of the creek on our property. It was marked by a large, high stone jutting out from a bank of Georgia clay.

We do have a small trickle of a creek behind our home, and my children have developed an intense love of it. They say to my husband and me, “Don’t ever move. We don’t want to leave our creek.” I know exactly how they feel.

Just west of my childhood creek was a golden meadow edged with blackberry bushes. Becky, my cousins and I would eat them right off the bush every July. We held family picnics under a large Beech tree in the middle of the field, and later, as teenagers, Becky and I sunbathed there with our battery-powered boom box and a cooler full of cold cokes.

Climbing the towering magnolia tree next to the goldfish pond behind my great-grandparents’ house was simply majestic. I climbed so high I felt invincible, as if nothing could ever change. But it has. I recently took my children back to see the creek, the meadow and the magnolia tree that serve as icons of my childhood. The creek seems lonelier, and is quieter. The golden meadow is now owned by the City of Athens, which thankfully has no plans to develop the land, but will instead preserve it as part of a greenway. The magnolia tree is enormous—much too tall to climb to the top of anymore. But those icons are all still there. And now my children can experience them, too.

The now very tall magnolia tree I climbed as a girl.

My sister and me on our great-grandparents porch, just above the magnolia tree. There's a nursery flat just behind us!

My kids, enjoying my creek.

I took some photos of my kids playing in the creek and watched them climb the magnolia tree. It was more for me, then them. Surreally, I felt as though a cycle had completed, and indulged in a memory of myself at my daughter’s age: 57 pounds of bliss and bounce twisting through branches down the path to the creek. A soft landing on the sandy banks and splash! Into the cool fresh memory of my childhood. Hours later, the Georgia sun sets and I fall into a deep, sound sleep, ready to do it all over again in the morning.

When I take the time to really think about those days, I realize I may have already experienced heaven on earth. Now, I just need to make sure my kids have an opportunity to do the same.

Check Out Our Old-Fashioned Summer Fun Blog Contest!

UPDATE: we have 8 wonderful blogs on our home page that our Triangle TRACKS members are voting on today. Check them out here!


Triangle TRACKS would like to kick off summer with an “Old-Fashioned Summer Fun” blog contest. What were your favorite old-fashioned summer fun activities and how are you keeping those traditions alive for your children? Did you operate a lemonade stand? Love grandpa's homemade ice cream? Catch fireflies? Build creek dams? Post your story on the Triangle TRACKS blog by Wednesday, July 8 and we’ll feature all entries on our home page July 9. Then, we’ll ask members to vote for the old-fashioned summer fun activity they identify with the most from their own childhood by the end of the day July 10.

The writers of the top two winning blogs will each get a four-pack of tickets to an outdoor concert performed by Grammy winner Dan Zanes and Friends at the North Carolina Museum of Art July 18. They’ll also get a Dan Zanes CD! Writers of the third- and fourth-place winning blogs will each get a four-pack of tickets to the North Carolina Museum of Art’s outdoor showing of “Kung Fu Panda” July 11. Both events will be held in the 2,700-capacity open-air theater Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park.

Read more about the concert here, and the movie showing here. Good luck!

Introducing our Book TRACKer, Aylin Regulski!

Aylin lives in Apex with her dear husband, 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. Her background is in science and law, so this blog is clearly a deviation from her prior writing experience. She does, however, have a passion for reading, as do her husband and children. Sometimes she tries to sneak in reading during the day but just as often ends up taking her book out for a ride and some fresh air while watching her children at their many arts and sports activities and talking with other parents (some who are also airing their books or doggedly trying to read the same page for an hour). Sometimes the discussion turns to the books they aren’t reading. However, bedtime reading is an unwavering ritual. Her family enjoys many activities the Triangle has to offer, including hiking the local greenways and trails, visiting the museums and zoo, and attending outdoor events. Aylin and her husband also help teach church school at their church and do their best to squeeze in an occasional date night together.

They still find time to take care of Beauty and Flipper, their two long-lived and demanding (for fish) female Betas, and to feed most of the squirrels of Apex with their “squirrel-proof” bird feeder. However, there is another plan being hatched to keep the squirrels at bay. It has become clear that squirrels don’t actually care if one dashes out the door in pajamas with a squirt gun to excitedly shoot water at them. They’ve got nothing but time and people eventually need to get on with their lives. Send Aylin a blog idea here and check out her debut blog here.

Win 4 Tickets to North Carolina Theatre's Premiere of Disney's "High School Musical 2" on Stage!

Triangle TRACKS is excited to offer our members and visitors in the Triangle region another awesome contest opportunity. This time, we're giving away 4 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre's regional premiere of Disney's "High School Music 2" on stage at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium June 13-21!

To enter, have your child dress up as his or her favorite "High School Musical" character, take a picture and submit it along with your child's name, age and the character he or she is dressed up as by Wednesday, June 10 at midnight. We'll ask all of our Triangle TRACKS members and newsletter subscribers to vote for their favorite photo, then email it to epshugg@triangletracks.com or via the Triangle TRACKS messaging system by midnight Thursday, June 11. We'll announce the winner at noon on Friday, June 12. Good luck to all the Gabriellas, Sharpays, Troys, Ryans and other HSM characters out there!

We Found Belle's Biggest Fan!

Visit www.triangletracks.com to see our winner and her 68 Belle items! The prize: two tickets to the Carolina Ballet’s premiere performance of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Here is why this is the only "Jon & Kate Plus 8" blog post you'll see on Triangle TRACKS

We've received emails from several Triangle TRACKS members and/or visitors asking if we will be addressing the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" drama. We will not for the simple reason that we believe Jon and Kate need to put their children first, and their show last. At this time, they do not appear to be doing that. Since Triangle TRACKS exists to improve the life of children, we do not feel posting information about the current direction of the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" show is within our mission. Feel free to post your own comments about the show here, but keep in mind that this is the only time we will address this topic until and unless we see the children's best interests being put first.

Triangle TRACKS Contest Seeks Belle’s Biggest Fan

How much does your little girl love Belle? Does she have more Belle paraphernalia than a Disney store? If so, she could win two tickets from Triangle TRACKS to see the Carolina Ballet’s premiere performance of “Beauty and the Beast” the night of either May 29, 30 or 31.

If you would like to participate in the contest, just itemize and photograph all of your daughter's Belle stuff (dolls, jewelry boxes, necklaces, clothes, etc.), then email your list and photo documenting the items to epshugg@triangletracks.com by noon on May 29. Triangle TRACKS will announce the winner that day at 2 p.m., in time for the first show.

Triangle TRACKS is a social networking site for local parents that links to almost 2,000 resources for local kids. To visit the site, go to http://www.triangletracks.com.

Check Out Our New Discount TRACKS Page

Everyone is looking for ways to save money these days, so we've added a
Discount TRACKS page. Please email us your discount sites so we can add them to our list.

"The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" Inspires Young Writers

My son's 4th grade teacher recently introduced her class to "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." Have you heard of these? My son loves to write so he really got into this project. The students were asked to look through the book, select one of Burdick's drawings and descriptions, then write a story to go with the picture. What makes this book so interesting and mysterious, is the manner in which the images came to be published. Here's an excerpt from the book's official website describing how "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick" came to be. Keep in mind, this was written in 1984, so the meeting he is describing actually took place in 1954. The meeting involved Peter Wenders, who once worked for a children's book publisher, and Harris Burdick himself.

Thirty years ago a man called at Peter Wenders's office, introducing himself as Harris Burdick. Mr. Burdick explained that he had written fourteen stories and had drawn many pictures for each one. He'd brought with him just one drawing from each story, to see if Wenders liked his work.

Peter Wenders was fascinated by the drawings. He told Burdick he would like to read the stories that went with them as soon as possible. The artist agreed to bring the stories the next morning. He left the fourteen drawings with Wenders. But he did not return the next day. Or the day after that. Harris Burdick was never heard from again. Over the years, Wenders tried to find out who Burdick was and what had happened to him, but he discovered nothing. To this day Harris Burdick remains a complete mystery.

So, if you are a public, private or home school teacher--or if you're a parent who likes to offer your children inspiring writing assignments--this is the book for you. You can find it at most bookstores and public libraries, so be sure to check it out!

Photo source: www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Disney Star Wars Weekends Scheduled for May 22-June 14

The force is with Hollywood Studios in Florida May 22-June 14, as Disney continues its tradition of Star Wars Weekends. Star Wars fans of all ages come out to celebrate the saga with Star Wars celebrity guests. Join hosts Jay Laga'aia and Ashley Eckstein during the first Star Wars weekend, as they welcome Ray Park, Warwick Davis and James Arnold Taylor. Go to http://www.starwars.com/fans/events/news20090515.html for a schedule and map of activities.

Track 2 in Wake County Schools: 21 Very Cool Things to Do During Your Break!

Track 2 is tracked out May 13-June 2. Triangle TRACKS, a local social networking website for Triangle parents that links to over 1,800 resources at www.triangletracks.com, has posted a list of local events planned for kids and families that fall into track 2's break. Check it out:

1. Go to an IMAX movie at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh:
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is back in IMAX as a prelude to the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" July 17. "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian" opens May 22 at IMAX and in theaters nationwide, and NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience IMAX® film opens May 29. "Up” also debuts May 20 in theaters nationwide, but it won’t be in IMAX.

2. Check out the N.C. Museum of Natural Science Presents "Chocolate" exhibit. Yum!

3. Peruse the Town of Cary Presents the 15th Annual Children's Art Show May 4-29: http://www.triangletracks.com/events/town-of-cary-presents-the-15th
Or check out Durham Public Schools Spring Art Show at Northgate Mall, May 13-27: http://www.triangletracks.com/events/durham-public-schools-spring-1

4. Applause! Cary Youth Theatre Presents "The Beeple" May 14-16.

5. Go to a Durham Bull’s game. Spongebob's friend Patrick returns to Durham Ballpark May 15-17.

6. Broadway Series South Presents "Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage" May 15-17.

7. Kids Rock! at Marbles Kids Museum May 16-17.

8. Shop the Carolina Kids Expo May 16-17 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

9. Watch “The Blue Grass Blues” at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex May 16.

10. May 16 is Fishing Fun Day at Harris Lake Park.

11. Head out to Bat Day with Rob Mies at the Museum of Life and Science May 16.

12. Check out Artsplosure 2009's Kidsplosure May 16-17.

13. Kids, Kids Everywhere! at Womble Park May 16.

14. Broadway Series South Presents Bob the Builder Live! May 22-24.

15. Watch the Bread & Puppet Theater present "Cardboard Celebration Circus” May 22-24.

16. Teen Bounce Night at BounceU of Apex is May 22.

17. Carolina Ballet Presents World Premiere of "Beauty and the Beast" May 28-31.

18. Check out “Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up” May 28.

19. LEGO Master Builder Event at Crabtree Mall: Help Build 8' Tall Yoda! May 29-31.

20. "Buggin' Out" is at Stevens Nature Center/Hemlock Bluffs May 29.

21. Get Into the Driver's Seat IMAX® Film Opening Event is May 30.

Indulge in the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s Delectable Chocolate Exhibit Beginning This Weekend

I wanted to post a May Triangle TRACKS newsletter article here for you all to see. Check out this exhibit! (I get hungry just reading about this.)

The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh will open its doors to a very delicious special exhibit May 9 through Sept. 7. “Chocolate” offers a deliciously unforgettable journey through the sumptuous treat’s history.

The story begins in the rainforest with the unique cacao tree, whose seeds provide the foundation for making chocolate, which has served as gifts for the gods and a symbol of wealth and luxury.

It continues with a presentation of how the ancient Mayans in Central America used chocolate nearly 1,500 years ago, and how the Aztec civilization of 16th-century Mexico valued cacao seeds as though it was money. Upperclass European society’s discovery of chocolate helped transform chocolate into a mass-produced world commodity.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $5 for members of the military, $5 for students, $4 for children age 5-11, and free for children under age 5 and museum members. This national tour was developed by The Field Museum in Chicago. For more information, visit http://naturalsciences.org.

The Birds and Bees Text Message Service for Teens

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina has launched the Birds & Bees Text Line enabling teens to text questions about "the birds and bees." An excerpt from the home page:

How It Works: You text us a question to (919) 699-0911. Within 24 hours, we text you back with an answer. It’s that simple. We won’t judge you or preach to you; you get the best advice and information that we can offer free of charge. All questions are welcome and no question is too outrageous. We’re here to help.

What's your take on this? Should teens have access to something like this or should parents provide the answers?

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Janel Bunten, who also happens to be the Triangle TRACKS Trend TRACKer, for winning 1st place in our Spring Membership Drive contest! Her invitations resulted in 20 new members joining Triangle TRACKS between April 6 and 27, and now she gets to enjoy a prize package valued at $463. Overall, we had 90 new members join during our membership drive!

We'd also like to congratulate our 2nd place winner, Lisa Christensen, and our 3rd place winner, Heather Vansteenbergen. We greatly appreciate all the work these ladies did to help spread the word about Triangle TRACKS. You can view a list of the prizes they won at this link.

We'll do it all again next fall, so continue sending your invitations out. Any invitations sent out after April 27 will count toward your overall fall total!

Tolkien Returns With "The Children of Húrin"

Legendary author JRR Tolkien (1916-1973) charged his third son, Christopher Tolkien, with the job of serving as his literary executor after his death. Christopher's first job was to organize the huge volume of papers that JRR Tolkien generated during his lifetime. This lead to Christopher publishing "The Silmarillion" in 1977, which condenses the creation and mythology of Middle-earth, elves, men, dwarves and other creatures. Christopher went on to publish "Unfinished Tales" (1980), and the 12-volume "The History of Middle-earth" (1983-1996).

Christopher might be a more prolific author than many who create their own stories. According to The Tokien Estate website, JRR Tolkien ranked the completion of three of his stories higher than any other: "Beren & Lúthien," "The Fall of Gondolin," and "The Children of Húrin."

According to the website, Christopher "succeeded in assembling the multiple variants, unfinished pieces, and outlines of the tale to produce a standalone and complete version, entirely in the author's original words. The work therefore is accessible both as a new and complete version of the text for the Tolkien scholar, and as an entirely new tale from Middle-earth for the Tolkien reader who is not overly familiar with the great tales and mythology that are the roots of The Lord of the Rings."

"The Children of Húrin" takes place long before "The Lord of the Rings" and is set in an area of Middle-earth that was to be drowned thousands of years before the story of the One Ring. At this time, Sauron was only a lieutenant of Morgoth, the fallen Vala. The story focuses on a man, Húrin, who dared to defy Morgoth. It tells the story of Húrin and his family's tragic destiny by following his son Túrin Turambar's adventures in Beleriand. Renowned artist Alan Lee created the book's illustrations, and readers will appreciate the map of Beleriand, drawn by Christopher, himself.

It's as though JRR Tolkien has returned to us. We now have this wonderful book to enjoy with our children and to remind us of Tolkien tales we may have read as children ourselves. The book is available at most bookstores and online. We've got ours and can't wait to begin reading it! If you've read it, let us know what you think.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Movie Split Location Hinted at by Producer Heyman and Actor Radcliffeh

Many of you Harry Potter fans may have heard that the movie of the final book in JK Rowling's series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two movies. How will they do it? Rumors continue to circulate, but the actor who stars as "Harry," Daniel Radcliffe, and franchise producer David Heyman, are slipping out a few details about this. According to Ace Showbiz, an entertainment news website, Heyman says the split will occur in a "place that we think is very exciting, and I think quite bold, in that it's not necessarily where one might expect." This place will impart what Heyman calls a "sense of completion" but allude to the fact that there's more to come. Nineteen-year-old Daniel Radcliffe calls the split's location a "very tense cliffhanger."

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" is due for a November 19, 2010 release in both the U.S. and U.K., and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II" has been set for July 15, 2011 release.

Don't forget, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," book six, will hit theaters July 17. View the trailer here.

Source of clip art: FreeClipArtNow.com.

Talk to Your Kids About the Choking Game

Please, do it. Even if you think he or she is a tad too young, or that it might create temptation. The parents of Breanna Anderson, the smart, beautiful Holly Springs High School teen who died of this horrible game March 22, want as many parents as possible to communicate with their children about what the choking game is and how it can kill.

I read about this today in the Southwest Wake News, but heard about it originally in March just after the news broke. Out of respect to the Anderson family, I chose not to address this here right after it happened. But now, Jay and Susan Anderson are working on creating a website and canvassing local schools to get the word out about the dangerous game, so I felt it was appropriate to extend their mission here, at Triangle TRACKS. We'll inform you of the Andersons' website once it has been created. For now, you can learn all of the facts about the Choking Game at www.stop-the-choking-game.com.

My oldest child is in 6th grade. I sat down with him today and read the Southwest Wake News article to him. I told him it kills between 250 and 1,000 kids between 9 and 16 years old each year, answered his questions, made sure he understood the seriousness of this dangerous game and told him to talk to us if he ever is exposed to the game, or is around people who are playing it. Keep the doors open (literally!), look for the signs and stay on top of what many call "the smart kids' high." Here is a video explaining how the choking game works (source: Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play, GASP.com). Warning: this is VERY difficult to watch, but that isn't stopping me from showing it to my 10- and 11-year-old sons first thing tomorrow:

http://www.stop-the-choking-game.com/en/flash_vid.html

Introducing Charlotte TRACKS, a New Website for Charlotte Parents

First of all, Happy Easter and Happy 1st Birthday to Triangle TRACKS! One year ago today, on April 12, 2008, Triangle TRACKS burst onto the Triangle region's Internet scene. Today, in addition to enjoying a beautiful Easter, we're also celebrating the launch of our sister site, Charlotte TRACKS! Here is a press release with more details that will go out to Charlotte's media today.

Charlotte, N.C. (April 12, 2009) Apex, N.C. mom and former magazine editor Elizabeth Shugg has launched Charlotte TRACKS at http://www.charlottetracks.com, a social networking website for Charlotte parents that consolidates 1,500-plus links to local resources for children in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. TRACKS is an acronym for “Tools, Resources and Activities for Carolina Kids.”

Charlotte TRACKS enables members who register for a login to the site to post blogs, forums, calendar entries and other helpful information for local families. It links to children’s businesses and resources in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Union, Iredell, Lincoln, Lancaster and York counties. The site’s content focuses on schools, museum exhibits, parks, youth sports, camps, music lessons, performing arts studios, birthday party venues, amusement centers, restaurants, childcare facilities, healthcare resources, clothing stores and more.

“There are thousands of wonderful resources just for children in the Charlotte region, and now they are all consolidated on one website,” Shugg says. “Charlotte TRACKS simplifies the process of locating the resources families are looking for, and members can help generate the website’s content by posting blogs, forum discussions and calendar events to share information.”

Those interested in joining Charlotte TRACKS can visit http://www.charlottetracks.com and click on “sign up.” Members will receive mid-month and end-of-month emails listing links to accumulated blogs, forum discussions and calendar events posted during that part of the month. “It’s like getting a biweekly newsletter created by all of Charlotte TRACKS’ members,” Shugg says.

Charlotte TRACKS displays whimsical art created by internationally renowned artist Laura Kelly, and follows Shugg’s launch of Triangle TRACKS exactly one year ago, on April 12, 2008. Shugg came up with the idea and name for Triangle TRACKS in January 2008 during her children’s winter break. “I started thinking about how nice it would be to rely on one website that consolidates all of the resources for children in the Triangle. I did this as much for my family as everyone else’s, and was excited to share it with other parents. Now I can do the same for Charlotte parents.”

Happy Easter from Triangle TRACKS!

Still need photos with the Easter Bunny? Here's where you can find him:

Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh
March 21-April 11

The Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham
March 28-April 11

The Commons at North Hills in Raleigh
April 4 and 11
10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Most of the region's egg hunts took place last weekend, but there are still a few left this weekend:

Raleigh’s Biggest Easter Egg Hunt: April 11; kids can hunt for 4,000+ eggs at Moore Square Park during age-specific hunts starting at 8:30 a.m.

Morrisville Egg Hunt:
April 10 at 10 a.m. in Cedar Fork District Park.

Fun Stuff to Do During Spring Break Week

1. Go to the North Carolina Zoo.
2. Visit a local farm.
3. Sample the fresh spring produce at a local farmer market. Click here and scroll down the Farmers Market section to access them online.
4. Enjoy nature and a good story with Trail Tails on the American Tobacco Trail: "Jump, Frog Jump!" April 9.
5. Go to a movie! Don't forget, "Hannah Montana: the Movie" hits theaters April 10!
6. Create something unique during the Scrap Exchange One Bag Workshop at University Mall in Chapel Hill
April 11.
7. Visit a local museum. There are so many to choose from!
8. Read a good book. Now's the time to catch up on Harry Potter's adventures in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which hits theaters in July.

Visit the Triangle TRACKS calendar for even more ideas!

Wake County Public Schools' new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays

From the WCPSS Press Office:

In its meeting today, the Board of Education approved the 2009-10 bell schedule including a change for the use of time to support learning and teaching, developing techniques for strengthening and enriching students’ skills.

2009-10 Bell Schedule

The new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays. On six of those Wednesdays, school will release 2.5 hours early.

2009-10 Early Release Days

The new school schedules add 10 minutes to the school day and provides one hour early dismissal on Wednesdays. On six of those Wednesdays, school will release 2.5 hours early.

This will provide time for teachers to meet for an hour on Wednesdays in professional learning communities, or learning teams. In these teams, teachers meet across grade level or subject area to review instruction and look at ways to better meet the needs of individual students. Schools will continue to use the six 2.5 hour sessions for schoolwide faculty professional development.

The schools that have the earliest start times have added the additional ten minutes at the end of the school day. The schools with the latest start times have added the additional ten minutes at the start of the school day. You can check the bell schedule here to see school bell schedules for 2009-10.

The board established the six 2.5 hour sessions as common early release days. The school system had been providing four early release days for schoolwide faculty professional development.

School administrators and representatives of the Time Committee say the changes will provide the desired status of:
Common understanding and expectations for professional learning teams;
Consistent, structured time for all WCPSS K-12 educators;
All staff participating in professional learning teams; and
Community understanding of the value of the learning teams’ work.

Representatives of the 40-member Time committee that includes school administrators, principals, teachers and parents told the school board’s Student Achievement Committee that they’ve been studying the issue for two years as schools have worked individually to figure out ways to create time for teacher learning teams to meet. Schools are at different stages in putting learning teams to use across grade levels and across subject areas.

The Time committee representatives recommended the school system provide a more uniform system that provided all schools the time for learning teams to work.

Superintendent Burns said learning teams will allow educators the time to collaborate that will help the school system improve student academic performance. He said the school system has already been studying the implementation of learning teams and will continue to look at ways to use learning teams effectively.

Time committee members said the drivers for their recommendation were the Board of Education goal for all students to graduate from high school; the need to provide time for collaboration; the need to increase student achievement; the opportunity to close academic achievement gaps among groups of students; the chance to provide job embedded professional development; and the need to provide equal opportunity for all teachers to participate in learning teams to help students achieve.

More on Time Discussions

TV’s Golden Era Was Black & White

Thought I'd share another column from writer Tom Poland, aka my dad. Wouldn't it be fun for our kids to see some of these old TV shows?

Across the Savannah
TV’s Golden Era Was Black & White
By Tom Poland

Remember the first TV you saw? I do. A small, boxy TV that had a pink cabinet. It just caught two stations ’cause that’s all there were back then. For a long time, we caught just two stations through a rickety antenna strapped to the chimney: WRDW 12 and WJBF 6. TV was pretty simple back then. No color to adjust and just three knob functions: on, off, and channel changer.

We’ve come a long ways since then what with color, UHF, cable, satellite, digital TV and high definition. No more test patterns on all night but no more “Star Spangled Banner” either as stations signed off. Maybe that’s when patriotism began to wane.

Yes we’ve come a long ways but it’s a downright shame the quality of programs hasn’t progressed as much. It seems to me the programming geniuses went for volume instead of quality. The Time Warner programming guide for my area lists an astounding 1,234 channels. Not programs but channels! Thousands and thousands of shows are out there but few worth my time. I feel like the parched Ancient Mariner on Coleridge’s ship.

“Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”

I see shows and shows everywhere and most make my brain shrink. Thousands and thousands of shows but few make me think. For solid programming, I watch “National Geographic,” the “Discovery Channel,” and “The History Channel.” That’s it.

I am no fan of reality shows. My life is reality show enough for me. And those marathon infomercials hyping diets, real estate, and get-rich-schemes disgust me. It makes me long for the good old days. I can’t speak for you but it’s hard to beat the TV shows I grew up with. They seemed genuine in ways today’s shows do not. They resurrect memories today’s shows will not.

Here are but a few I loved to watch growing up, shows whose characters seemed real. Remember “Lost in Space?” That stowaway, Dr. Zachary Smith, was quite the cad wasn’t he. And even now I can see Chuck Connors, “The Rifleman,” spinning his Winchester Model 1892 rifle.

“Leave It To Beaver” brought the naïve Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver and his idealized suburban family into our homes. Eddie Haskel and his fawning ways were always good entertainment. “You certainly look nice today, Mrs. Cleaver.”

“Captain Kangaroo” brought the mischievous Bunny Rabbit into our lives. That rabbit always managed to trick the Captain into giving him carrots. Mr. Moose would pose riddles to the Captain and a wrong answer brought hundreds of ping-pong balls cascading down on his head. I never could figure out that Green Jeans guy, though. He probably deserved a lot of space. I mean what kind of guy would call himself Mr. Green Jeans?

Bob Keeshan who played the Captain was the first Clarabelle the Clown on “Howdy Doody,” yet another memorable show. Our childhood stars were human. Keeshan left Howdy Doody, by the way, over a salary dispute and later became Captain Kangaroo. Any of you remember how Buffalo Bob would ask, “Say kids, what time is it?” And the kids in the Peanut Gallery would resound, “It’s Howdy Doody time!” Howdy, a marionette, had 48 freckles, one for each state. If he ever comes out of retirement, he’ll need two more freckles.

“The Patty Duke Show” aired from 1963 to 1966, the heart of my high school years. The show featured two identical cousins. One was from Scotland and worldly; the other was a New York City innocent, if that’s possible. The two cousins clashed, setting a tone and many a plot. Patty Duke became a star but suffered a troubled adulthood. I met her in December 2006 and was immediately struck by her short stature, five feet even. I told her I watched her show as a kid. She thanked me and told me she found Southerners “warm, accommodating people.”

My family and I vacationed in Florida once and one of our destinations was Silver Springs, a shooting locale for “Sea Hunt.” This program followed the adventures of scuba diver, Mike Nelson, played by Lloyd Bridges. An ex-Navy frogman, Nelson rescued people from drowning and salvaged things such as a missile from beneath the sea.

What great shows we had in the days of grainy black and white TVs, rickety antennae, and no remote controls. (If you wanted to change the channel, you could make junior do it or get up off the sofa.) We had “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “I Love Lucy,” “The Twilight Zone,” and later on “The Flintstones,” a cartoon version of Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners.” “The Flintstones” made history as the first prime-time show with two people of the opposite sex in bed together. Fred and Wilma, hang your heads in shame!
The Western thrived back then. We had “The Cisco Kid,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Zorro,” starring Guy Williams who later starred in “Lost In Space.” And “Rawhide” gave us the consummate cowboy, Clint Eastwood, who parlayed his role as Rowdy Yates, a hotheaded ramrod, into the “Dollars Trilogy/Spaghetti Westerns” and superstardom. Frankie Laine, you’ll recall, sung the theme song, later made infamous by the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd).

“Cheyenne,” starred Clint Walker, a twin by the way. His good looks caught the eye of Cecil B. DeMille who cast a part for him in The Ten Commandments. Soon, he had a show of his own.

The list goes on ... “Andy Griffith,” “Flipper,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Dr. Kildare,” “The Outer Limits,” and others. I suppose the young people of today could argue their shows are just as good but I don’t think so. The difference is simple but huge. We, the babyboomers, not only grew up with TV but more to the point, TV grew up with us. We were part of TV’s Golden Era. The fact that it was black and white is part of the glory to me.

Progress marches on and sometime it’s ruthless. All across this country landfills hold the remnants of bent and broken TV antennae that once sprouted from every rooftop. Someone said the TV antennae of yesteryear looked like the product of a wild night between a towel rack and a steam radiator. They ruined the looks of neighborhoods but no one cared for those skeletal-like contraptions snatched the signals from WRDW 12 and WJBF 6 right out of the air. They brought us laughter, entertainment, and legends. They brought us a lifetime of memories and there’s not a landfill on Earth that will ever hold those.

Email Tom with feedback and ideas for new columns.