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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

For Real This Time

There really won't be anymore posts on this blog. I had to sneak that last one in there. So the new blog can be found at bkestner.blogspot.com

Arrivederci!!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

BikeGlow

We haven't really had a summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Here we sit near the end of August and we've only had (I think) three days that have hit ninety degrees or more. It's so pitiful.

And I know that a lot of people around the country would say, "Heck, I'll trade you. We're so hot here we're melting!" OK, not really. The only people who say "heck" are in Utah. But if you are going to trade me my extraordinarily mild "summer" for your sizzling hot summer, then you also have to take my soggy October through May. Deal?

Oregon only has about 60 sunny days a year, (no, I'm not joking on that one), and about 2/3 of the remaining 305 days include rain, so I like to let my kids soak up every last second of dry, relatively warm weather they can get. As fall approaches and the sun begins to set earlier, that means they are often playing in the dark.

And they also like to ride bikes.

Who else lets their kids ride bikes in the dark? Anyone? Anyone?

Well you would if you had one of the cool toys my kid has. Ever heard of BikeGlow? They make a safety light that is sort of like a really long, flexible glow stick that wraps around your bicycle frame, illuminating so much more of the bike than just a few dinky reflectors. The bike can actually be seen from the side at night.

See:

That's Ethan's bike in the pitch black night. Hard to miss, huh?

To give you a better idea of how it works, I've uploaded a handy video of Ethan riding his bike at ten o'clock at night. (Please remember that my camera is a piece of garbage and it actually looks even more awesome than this.) You can see him coming from clear down the street! (Except for when he's behind trash cans.)

Did you also notice that while Ethan was well lit, I did not make him put on a helmet for the demonstration? That's how with it I am.

BikeGlow is beyond easy to put on your bike. I did it in about four minutes. And the best part is that it runs off of two AA batteries and the battery pack velcros right underneath the seat post. Super easy. Ethan could have installed the whole thing himself, but I don't like to share the fun.

The light can also be set to three modes of illumination: steady on, slow flash and fast flash. I'm pretty sure it's nearly impossible to miss a bike lit up with the BikeGlow on fast flash. Looks a bit like a strobe light.

So if you want to keep your kids safe on their bikes in the dark, or even the not-quite-dark, BikeGlow is a very good idea. It's easy to install and it's effective. It's also affordable. And because you read this entire post, it's even more affordable because you get a 25% discount. Yey for discounts!!

Go to BikeGlow.com and choose your color, (there are 8 to pick from), slam that baby in your shopping cart, and enter organicglow into the coupon code box at checkout. Simple as that. You'll be glad you did. I'm getting a red one for Andrew because he bikes to and from work. That's right - it's for grown-up kids, too!

I received one free BikeGlow Safety Light for free in order to accommodate my review, but my opinion on the product is honest and untainted by the free gift. Just in case you were wondering if this was legit.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Mysteries of Blogger

I know that some of you got an old post in your e-mail this morning...or last night, or whenever. I believe it was called, "The End Approacheth". I did not get that one in my in-box, (and I do subscribe to my own blog via e-mail so that I know if anything odd is going on), so I don't know what to tell you.

It is a Blogger Mystery.

Please ignore it. It's old news.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Fifty Things To Do This Summer

It never fails – kids look forward to summer vacation nearly as much as Christmas, and twelve hours into it we hear the first, “Mom, I’m bored. What can I do?”

We’re all glad for a break from the rigorous schedule of school, but not having to do anything turns into having nothing to do rather quickly.

Kids need to be engaged in something new almost daily or you’ll soon have a couch potato or two on your hands. So in case you’re suffering from the summer blues already, or just want to be proactive, here’s a list of things your might want to do this summer.

1. Build a fort in the backyard. Cardboard boxes, blankets, whatever ya got.

2. Make Kool-Aid ice. (Fill an ice tray with Kool-Aid, freeze it, eat it alone or in a drink.)

3. Fly a kite. Make your own if you’re feeling ambitious.

4. Pack a dinner and take it to the park.

5. For that matter, you could have a picnic right in your backyard, or your living room on a rainy day.

6. Bake cookies. (In the morning if it’s hot!)

7. Let the kids set up a Popsicle or lemonade stand.

8. Play doctor. Now, don’t go thinking this is dirty. You get an old phone and a notebook for making appointments, a card table for a reception desk, maybe a waiting room in the living room and the exam room in the kitchen? Be sure to have band-aids and gauze for any ailing patients.

9. Have a bike race.

10. Or a bike parade! Let the kids decorate their bikes with streamers and balloons.

11. Run through sprinklers.

12. Play-doh creation contest. See who can build the best alien, wedding cake, longest snake, etc..

13. Movie day! Pop popcorn, give out tickets, make posters with show times, invite the neighbor kids.

14. Make a bug habitat and find some residents for it.

15. Go to the library. Most have pretty cool summer programs going on.

16. Tell the kids to plan a talent show for Mom and Dad to watch. (Or grandparents?)

17. Let the kids make their own summer scrapbooks and spend three months filling it up!

18. Read a book under a tree with an apple.

19. Pick berries at a farm.

20. Watch for community activities throughout the summer – check your city’s web page.

21. Water balloon fight, or water balloon volleyball – (two kids hold opposite ends of a towel and launch a balloon across a net or imaginary line, team on the other side has to catch it in their towel and re-launch to the other side.)

22. Sidewalk chalk mural in the driveway. Make it HUGE!

23. Sleep under the stars.

24. Take a walk through the neighborhood, let the kids take a picture with your camera of something they’d like to paint, (a rosebush, a pond, a bug…), and come home and let them paint their representation of it.

25. Visit an elderly neighbor who might need some company.

26. Visit Dad at work and go to lunch together.

27. Play school. (Sounds awful this soon out of it, but kids love to take turns being the teacher.)

28. Game day. Pull out every board game you have and play them all, indoors or out.

29. Drive in movie – have the kids spend a day making cars out of cardboard boxes and park them in the backyard at night and watch a movie outside. (Just bring an old TV out and plug it in to an extension cord or something.)

30. Spa day. Give each other mud facials, manicures, etc.

31. Go to the community pool.

32. Invest in a slip n’ slide. Hours of fun, all summer long.

33. Teach your kids a new sport – tennis, baseball, whatever.

34. Learn something new with your kids – chess, cross-stitch, French, anything that strikes your fancy.

35. Check out a library book about plants and identify some in your neighborhood. Same could be done for trees and bugs.

36. Invite friends over. All their old games and adventures will feel new if they have someone to share them with.

37. Plant a garden or a flower.

38. Practice your cartwheels, hand-stands, somersaults, etc. Attach a ribbon to a dowel and do a ribbon dance.

39. Make simple scenery and costumes and put on a play. Or just use your imagination and skip the scenery.

40. Play hopscotch or jump rope.

41. Color in a coloring book.

42. Explore a new part of town – is there a park or restaurant you haven’t tried?

43. Build a bird feeder out of an empty milk carton.

44. Go hiking.

45. Make your own ice cream.

46. Climb a tree.

47. Wash the car.

48. Go to a museum. I bet you can find a free one near you.

49. Go camping! Don’t forget the s’mores.

50. Have a carnival. Tell your kids and their friends to make their own game or booth, invite them all to your backyard and have a blast! Try making your own corn dogs, elephant ears, or snow cones. (Or all of them if you like to slowly kill your innards like I do.)

Post Note - This is an article I wrote for a website about a year ago. I was an idiot and just gave them my content for free. Nice, huh? So I'm re-posting it here because I can and because I think it's relevant, and they can bite me.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Drewby Doobie Doo

My Drew unofficially turned four today. Today isn't his real birthday, but it was close enough and a convenient day to invite a few of his same-age cousins over. If we had a bigger living room we could have invited them all - alas, we do not.

When he woke up, he was crowned King For A Day, and was presented with handmade cards from his older brothers. Both contained a dollar and one also had a Pokemon card inside. (Generous brothers.) He felt pretty special, as you can see.

Later on he got a bike from Nana and Papa and Mom and Dad. He seemed to think it was an ok day so far.

And because Trent is so close in age to Drew and just as big, we thought he needed a bike to ride, too. Otherwise, he'd just knock Drew down and steal his. So he covered his eyes while we brought his trike in from the garage. What a ham.

I love this kid!

Both boys were excited and eventually did ride the bikes outdoors. With a lot more success, I might add.

Later on there were even more presents - like this box of Legos from Grandma. Big hit.

Iron Thor. He's the supreme super hero, in case you didn't know.

And finally, it was time for cake. Except my kids don't eat cake, so I thought it was a waste to make one. I asked Drew what he wanted instead, and he asked for Sticky Popcorn, (carmel corn), and ice cream sandwiches. I got ticked at the price of ice cream sandwiches in the store and made them myself. Looking back, the store price would have been worth it. But Drew was happy, and that's all that counts today.

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