Posted by : admin in (Outdoors)
The Ladd family is spending lots of time on the football field lately. As the colors on the trees change here in New England, I feel fortunate that we have the oportunity — and the excuse — to be outside enjoying this beautiful season.
Often times, we don’t go out unless we give ourselves permission. There seems that there is always something to do:
- jobs
- housework
- schoolwork
And we always find off-hour activities inside:
- TV
- computer work
- video games
- reading
In the next week, make some excuses to get yourself outdoors. Fall is a fabulous time to be out, no matter where you live.
I came accross an article in National Geographic magazine that you may enjoy. It talks about how Paris is going green! The article is written by Jennifer Ackerman and it says:
That we should find nature rejuvenating is hardly surprising. After all, our tribe arose not in cinderbelt but in wild forests and grasslands. Our ears are made not for the stinging scream of sirens but for the sly scratch of a predator’s paws and the whistle of wind that warns of impending weather. Our eyes evolved to tease apart not the monotonous grays of cityscapes but the subtle gold, olive, and burgundy hues that signaled ripe fruit and tender leaves, and our brains to reward our sensory efforts with feelings of deep pleasure.
Could this be why the citizens of Paris work so hard to reinvent dead urban space and neglected squares of hardscape as places of vibrancy and green? Consider Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the city’s crowded 19th arrondissement. Once this patch of land held an old gallows, then a gypsum quarry, then the city dump. Now the big bucolic park of grassy slopes and grottoes is alive with bloom and birdsong and a healthy jumble of people who spill onto its hilly lawns: kickboxers, musicians, university students perusing their notes or memorizing lines for a play, lovers rolling over one another like tumblers, and old men who have settled themselves on the grass to rest.
It goes on to tell about the study by Frances Kuo and her colleagues at: http://lhhl.illinois.edu/
Read the entire National Geographic Article here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0610/feature3/index.html
I sit here writing this entry at my son Andrew’s baseball game. We only have one game tonight — piece of cake! I trust that my two younger sons are at home doing their homework. When I call, they assure me this is the case, but I can’t be certain.
We have three boys, so most evenings are spent running around town, from field to field, to catch a couple of innings and cheer all my boys on. Andrew is on the Cardinals, Adam is on the Braves and Alex is on the Marlins. So, this means three dirty uniforms to wash at least two times per week. Grass stains don’t come out of white baseball pants, do they?
Scheduling dinner time is tough. I either pack some sandwiches and fruit, or we eat much too late. The kids generally eat a mini-meal before practice, and then eat again when they get home, in between they all have to shower and do homework. I’ve been resisting the urge to put the local pizza parlor on speed dial . . . but it’s been tough! Help! I need some new ideas! Tell me:
- What has worked for your family?
- What have you tried that has failed?
- What strategies have you put into place regarding busy dinner times?
- How do support your children in completing their homework and getting a good night’s sleep?
- What takes grass stains out of white baseball pants?
Please, I want to hear what you have to say! If you don’t have advice, tell me a heartwarming story or a funny anecdote. Laughter will help me through the next few weeks! Play-offs are starting next week and before we know it we’ll be into . . . summer ball! . . . STRIKE TWO!
