Chances are, the return of warmer weather means you’re pretty excited about being able to leave your winter coat at home and break out your flip flops.

When you head to the gym, treadmills are often the most popular destination, occupied by everyone from the first-time exerciser to the focused athlete. If you were to watch, you would likely see someone make a mistake, however inadvertent, while running. Regardless of your skill level, educate yourself by learning about common mistakes to avoid when exercising.

The other day I was walking through the grocery store watching a child throw a fit over something his mother wouldn’t buy him.  I smiled at her, saying “no worries, it happens to the best of us”, as she felt the need to apologize.  My heart went out for her.

When I was 15, I got my first job in a toy store at the mall by my house.  I loved the feeling of having my own spending money without asking my parents for it. 

As the World Cup comes to a close, it brings with it some thoughts on the integrity of all professional sports players and their role in the game.  While I love watching just about any sport, and am a big fan of soccer (my youngest started playing when he was 2 ½ ), I must admit by Sunday’s final match I was turned off by the blatant dives performed in all the games I watched in attempt to force a penalty against the opponent.

Today was day 3 of our “water” theme week that we planned as part of our summer fun, so I took my boys in a paddleboat for the first time.  This was a new and exciting experience for them which they enjoyed much more than I expected.  I really thought boredom would set in quickly, but they didn’t want to get out of the boat when it was time to do so. 

If I’ve asked the kids to do something once, I swear I’ve asked them another dozen times during the week – and that estimate is generous.  I don’t understand why it is that, for things they repeatedly need to do every day, they still need constant reminders. 

Being the parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, I’m constantly educating myself on easier ways to help my son with his challenges.  One challenge which becomes more difficult for those with this disorder as they progress from elementary school to middle school and beyond is their limited social skills. 

Since my boys started walking and talking, I’ve been adamant about the importance of respecting and accepting others regardless of gender, beliefs, etc.  I’ve taught them that no one is better or worse than another, and we should all be treated equally and fairly.  So my youngest, who is just turning five next month, caught me off guard the other day when we were driving passed a police officer who had pulled someone over for speeding. 

Today is officially the first day of summer break for both my boys.  First trip of the day – to the pet store to buy a tank for our new tadpole, which is currently in a plastic bowl. 

As if we don’t have enough pets with our two dogs, 4 fish, frog and snail – we now have a ninth.  My oldest brought him home from school with much excitement about a new buddy to care for.  When he brought home the permission slip a few days ago, I signed it, thinking many other kids would be vying for the four tadpoles his teacher needed to find homes for.  However, since only seven kids were hoping for one, the chance of his name being picked was pretty good.

I guess I’m OK with it.  At this point, even though it’s up to me to clean the fish tank (which is one of those LOW priority items on my list), my boys are pretty good about caring for the whole clan.  And I see this not only as a responsibility builder but also an educational experience as this critter transforms into a frog.  So it’s decided that our first fun topic to study this summer will be this process. 

If you have pets, how much responsibility do you give your kids to care for them?  At what age do you think they are ready to handle multiple types of pets?