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Forever and a Day: Jesse's song
A man is supposed to be strong, tough, and show no emotion. Showing emotion, such as fear or pain, would only leave a man weak and vulnerable. This is how Jesse, 22-years-old, feels as he is forced to face these feelings after battling cancer for several years. You see, emotions such as anger, hurt, pain, and fear, are something that Jesse feels every day, as a result of this disease. To cope with his emotions, he turns to music as a way to process what he is going through and help his loved ones understand. Music has become his “safe place”- a place where he can expose his thoughts and feelings, being free to share the turmoil of his heart, without feeling judged or any less of the courageous man that he is.
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Have you had the “sexting” talk with your teen?
“Sexting” has probably turned up on one of those lists of new words for 2011 or 2012. Since I work with young people and have a 20-year-old son, I try to keep up but the first time I heard this word, I did a double-take—sexting?! However, in just the past couple of years I’ve heard a lot more and what I’ve learned kind of scares me.
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Laundry detergent pods: can they poison your kids?
Could convenience cause more harm to little ones? It could. When it comes to laundry and dishwashing detergent, the new capsules, or “PODS”, are the way to go. They are less messy, easy to store, and easy to use. And, they are pretty to look at too. That’s where the dangerous part comes in.
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Put down the phone!
Words with Friends. Angry Birds. Facebook. Texting. Online banking. Google. Our smart phones sure are hard to stop playing with. Anyone who’s got one can relate. Smart phones are just… fun. They truly give us the world at our fingertips. But, what happens when we can’t stop playing with that world and we start ignoring the one that we actually live in?
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School Days
As the back to school ads began appearing a few weeks ago, I remembered the days when my son was in elementary school and how we greeted each new school year with hope, determination and some anxiety. To say my son was an “active” child is putting it mildly. Except for the growling, he resembled the Tasmanian Devil from Bugs Bunny cartoons in terms of his activity level and his attention span.
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September is childhood cancer awareness month
You probably won’t finish reading this post.
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The meaning of true beauty: Talia’s story
The first thing you’ll notice about Talia are her striking brown eyes opened wide with wonder, shining a light and a warmth that radiates from the inside out. And then her smile- a toothy grin that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit mischievous. With a sideways grin, she draws you in as if you’ve been best friends your whole lives.
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Trampolines aren't just fun and games
“Watch this!” cries your youngest child, as his older sibling bounces him high into the air on the backyard trampoline. Your child is all giggles and smiles as he quickly flies into the air and lands with a big bounce on the trampoline’s giving surface. Your child bounces a few more times, until he finally comes to a stop. What may seem like all fun and games at the time, can quickly take a turn for the worse when someone gets hurt.
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Celebrating Independence Day
Happy 4th of July to all of our readers! As we take a break from our traditional blogs this week, we want to leave you with some great 4th of July tips to make your holiday a memorable one for your family. Independence day is filled with activities such as outdoor BBQ’s, family picnics and get togethers, parades, and of course, fireworks! Get your kids involved in the decorating, cooking, and games to get them excited about this special day.
Teaching your kids the meaning of Independence Day
Independence Day is more than good food and fireworks- it’s a celebration of our nation’s birthday. Explaining the meaning behind the words “independence”, “freedom”, “patriotism” will help your kids understand why we celebrate Independence Day. “Independence”- One of the most recognizable symbols of Independence Day is the American Flag. The flag is a great visual representation of the history and meaning of this day. Give your kids a short history lesson by making a homemade flag! All you need is a sheet of blue construction paper, strips of red and white paper, and star stickers. As your kids create their own American Flag, explain what the 50 white stars and 13 red and white stripes symbolize and how they fit into the history of Independence Day. “Freedom”- Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and essentially, our freedom. Read a kid-friendly copy of the Declaration of Independence together as a family and talk about the importance of the men who signed this document. Help your kids understand that with independence, comes a lot of freedom AND responsibility, something our nation faced on this very day. “Patriotism”- One of the ways we take pride in our nation is by singing The National Anthem. Print out the lyrics and sing along to a recording of The National Anthem to help them learn and remember the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner”.4th of July Fun
After a quick history lesson on the importance of Independence Day, get your kids in the festive spirit with 4th of July crafts and activities! Check out the Arnold Palmer Hospital Pinterest board that is dedicated to great decorating, food and craft ideas for the 4th of July that your kids will love. -
How was your day?
Every day since he’s been old enough to answer, I’ve been asking my son that question when I pick him up at the end of the day. Usually, I get a relatively enthusiastic “good” and not much else. Sometimes, he’ll offer a little more: a few details about kindergarten drama in the cafeteria, maybe a tidbit about how he and his buddies dug a hole on the playground big enough for them to fit inside (that explains the grubby, little fingernails!).
