“Commentary: Don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out, kids - San Jose Mercury News” plus 2 more |
- Commentary: Don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out, kids - San Jose Mercury News
- Kid to Kid: Recycling Kids Clothes in Santa Clara, California - Associated Content
- How to find the best soccer deal for your kids - Walletpop.com
| Commentary: Don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out, kids - San Jose Mercury News Posted: 06 Sep 2010 08:16 PM PDT In late summer you passed them in the grocery store, shoulders slumped, dragging their heels with exhaustion. They smile at you at the beach as they wearily pass out sandwiches to their little sandy creatures. My eyes met one at the pool last week as she broke up yet another fight between her offspring. This worn-out parent looked at me with my own misbehaved little ones and groaned, "Five more days. How about you?" "Same," I replied with clenched teeth. "But who's counting?" Starting in early to mid-August we parents start the countdown until school starts. We are done. The kids are done, and it's time for the professionals to take over. At the onset of summer it's entirely different. Parents are elated that we no longer have to pack lunches, supervise homework and make multiple trips to drop off and pick up kids at school. Personally, I'm ready to make popsicles, barbecue with friends and relax. Just as the last school bells rings in mid-June, I promptly hold my head up high and proudly wear my "Mother of the Year" badge. All things seem possible. "Sure you can have a sleepover!" I said with a smile. "I'd love to make homemade chocolate chip pancakes in the morning!" I pronounced. "Let's watch a movie until 10 p.m.!" I shouted with glee. The children love my new, relaxed, easygoing attitude. For the next 2 1/2 months we sleep in, take friends to amusement parks, swim at the pool and enjoy our schedule-free days. We pack up the car to go camping, take long bike rides and stay up far too late without a care in the world.Then in mid-August all the harmony, teamwork and goodwill fly out the window, and the mosquito bites, sunburn and impatience set in like a dark winter cloud. It feels like we've all been on a camping trip for way too long. Our family has officially spent too much time together and we can't take much more. "He hit me with the water worm!" one child shrieked. "She won't stop following me around!" another complained. "He is the meanest brother ever!" the third yelled, all in one painfully long afternoon. By late August, I felt myself transforming from June Cleaver into Betty Draper, without the pearls and perfect hair. (Betty is the mom in Mad Men on the verge of a breakdown). I'm beyond impatient and tired. I'm starting to shut down and hope that someone will remove these wild beasts from my home so I may regain some sort of sanity. Each day of the last week of summer felt like dog years. I was as depleted as someone who had crawled across a desert for days, desperate for nourishment, water and shelter. "Mom, what's for breakfast?" one of the small creatures asked. "Cereal," I groaned, pulling my pillow over my head. "Help yourself." "Mom, can we play outside until it gets dark?" my daughter begged. "No, school is starting next week," I said, trying to sleep while standing up. "Can we go to Raging Waters today, Mom?" my oldest asked. "God no!" I snapped, wishing I could fast-forward to Monday. Then like a bright light in the midst of the darkest time, it happens. School starts. Energy fills the air and excitement of a new year lifts everyone's spirits. Children are eager to fill their sparkling clean backpacks with supplies, put on their shiny new shoes and head out the door to see long-lost friends. Parents start to daydream about how to fill free time. Shall I have coffee with a friend? Workout for the first time in months? Read a book? It is truly hard to imagine an hour much less six without someone wanting something from you. We happily set our alarms knowing the promised land is just around the corner. We pack lunches, slather on the sunscreen and comb hair on the little ones as we prepare to send them off on a new adventure. On our first morning of school, it was hard to tell who was more excited, me or the kids. "Here you go honey!" I said, shoving my oldest child's backpack into his arms. "Don't forget your lunch, dear!" I said, tossing the pink Hello Kitty box to my daughter. "Let me tie double knots on your shoes!" I said while enthusiastically securing the laces. And then within seconds, they're off. School has officially started. Look out, teachers. Here they come. Thank goodness for you, and may the Force be with you. Holly Hunter Morley can be reached at holly@talesfromthetrenches.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Kid to Kid: Recycling Kids Clothes in Santa Clara, California - Associated Content Posted: 02 Sep 2010 09:22 AM PDT Last year a friend of mine told me about a cool new children's recycled clothes store that just opened up in Santa Clara. I mentioned that my young daughter was outgrowing her clothes faster than I could store them, and  Kid to Kid, located at 2666 Homestead Road in Santa Clara, CA 95051, is a store that you can sell your gently used kids clothes and either walk away with cash in hand, or get store credit. I told my friend this was too good to be true, and went to the store myself. She was not kidding and I now have a new local favorite kid's store. Kid to Kid is a small store, but not small on the quality of merchandise or service. The staff is wonderful and very knowledgeable of their inventory. You can make an appointment by calling (408) 244-2248, or you can stop by with questions. If you are going to sell clothing, they only allow freshly laundered items, preferably stain free and wrinkle free. (It will go from your hands to the racks if approved, and they like having their stock clean.) They accept sizes birth to kid size 8. They also accept maternity wear, cribs, toddler beds, strollers, high chairs, bouncers and playpens. If you are going to sell toys the little ones have outgrown, then please clean the toy(s) first before bringing them in. The cleaner and better condition, the more you might get for them. They offer great prices for the used goods, and if you opt for store credit, they will give you an extra 20%! I have sold them numerous items that both my kids have outgrown, and have used the money to purchase 'new' clothes, toys, books, shoes and even movies the same day. If you sign up for their newsletter and mention it when you are checking out, you get an additional discount, too. It is always best to call ahead, visit the store, or check their website to see what their current need is as it changes week to week, season to season. To visit that portion of their site, click here. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| How to find the best soccer deal for your kids - Walletpop.com Posted: 02 Sep 2010 01:04 PM PDT  Forget back-to-school shopping. While last year's lunchboxes and backpacks likely can stretch into another season, soccer shoes tend to last just the one. And so we dutifully made the annual pilgrimage to the Big Three of soccer supplies: Big Five, Sports Authority and Sports Chalet. What did we find? That our local "mom and pop" soccer store had the best prices, not to mention a sales person who actually knew the difference between cleats and shin guards.Here's the lowdown: Each of the Big Three, as well as many chains like Target, offer a soccer package that includes soccer cleats (shoes), shin guards and a soccer ball. The packages range from $29 to $59 and make sense if your child is a first-time player and indeed needs all three items in the package. Buying the package will generally save you about 15% off the cost of buying the items separately. But therein lies the rub. Does your child really need new shoes, shin guards and a ball? Because if he doesn't, you most likely will spend less by just purchasing what you need instead of the package. Don't buy what you don't need. Most likely you're there because your child needs new soccer shoes, known as cleats. Kids feet grow in a year, so chances are your child has outgrown last year's shoes. Soccer shoes can be purchased separately for anywhere from $15 up to $100. Does your U-6 little girl really need $100 soccer cleats. No, she does not. Does your U-16 club-level player need them? Perhaps, but only if she's tried out the ones that cost half as much first. Club players have practices three or four times a week and can play as many as four games in a weekend tournament. Better shoes prevent slipping, help the player land kicks and passes more precisely and won't blister your child's feet. Some kids with narrow or wide feet need the more expensive shoes. But for your local AYSO recreation league, it's hard to justify buying the top of the line shoes that they will wear once a week for a 10-week season and outgrow by next year. Shin guards, while they certainly get scuffed up and stinky on the inside from sweat, basically hold up for a second season's use. I don't find they wash well, or at all, actually. But we do extend their use by putting folded paper towels next to the leg before the shin guard goes on. The towel stays in place firmly and will absorb the sweat. Less sweat, less stinky. As your child progresses into higher level play, it is recommended that you get more serious (read: better made and more expensive) shin guards. Kicks to the shins hurt. When the shin guard is covered in hard plastic, it will hurt the kicker's toes more than your child's shin. This is a good thing in soccer. Expect to pay about $8 for basic shin guards. The top-of-the-line shin guards are about $20 although we did see a very high-end pair for $49 in our travels. We left them for Beckham. You should also check with the coach or your league's website to see what size ball your child needs. My family has a bad track record of leaving our soccer balls at games and practices, so I don't mind having a spare, but better organized families might not need this expense. As the age division goes up in most leagues, so does the size of the ball. Balls run about $10 and last until the dog bites them and they puncture. Or until lost. Every child playing needs his or her own soccer ball. And since 90% of them look alike, always good to write your name on them. Soccer bags? We have bought them dutifully for every all-star team our kids have played on. It's a team pride thing and all that. But in reality, they dress for practice and games at home and the only thing they have in their soccer backpack or bag is their soccer ball, which frankly fits nicely under their arm. A good water bottle, now that's a worthy investment! This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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