Pass The Torch

A Dozen Years for Darla

Kelly — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:24:25 +0000

My eldest is now a dozen years old. Not quite teenager, but not really “child” either. When I think about my hopes and dreams for her, I often think about a song from Faith Hill’s Fireflies album. My daughter and I first listened to this song on our trip to Mackinac Island [...]

Disney World Flashback — Part 3

Kelly — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:56:08 +0000

My third installment of our 2005 flashback is a single photo. But it says it all. The other favorite ride of our then six- and eight-year-olds was Buzz Lightyear. (Here is last week’s post.) Um, which one is the kid? It’s a good thing we mastered the FastPass — otherwise, waiting in line for Buzz [...]

Book Review - Planet of the Dogs

Kelly — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:07:03 +0000

***GUEST POST BY 4TH GRADE CRAIG*** In September, when Darla reviewed the excellent book, The Secret of Wellington’s Map, the PR folks for Planet of the Dogs contacted us and asked if Craig would be interested in reviewing it, since he’s the perfect age for the series. This is Craig’s first book review. I [...]

Disney World Flashback, Part 2

Kelly — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:14:40 +0000

As promised in part one, today I’ll share photos from one of our kids’ favorite rides. It probably isn’t much of a surprise - the classic “Teacup” ride. How I didn’t lose my hat, I’ll never know. Even through the blur you can see Darla’s mouth is full of orthodontic expander. Notice the [...]

Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial - Washington DC

Kelly — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:13:35 +0000

When we visited Washington DC over Memorial Day weekend, we had the opportunity to visit “the wall” on Memorial Day, a very popular day for veterans to visit as well. The tributes placed along the base of the wall were poignant reminders of so many lost in Vietnam. The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial is built near the reflecting [...]

Disney World Flashback

Kelly — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:55:19 +0000

Our family will visit Disney in a few weeks. We’re all a little excited about the prospect, and when I came across a disk full of photos from the last time we visited (pre-blogging days in 2005,) I though I really ought to share the fun with you. Here’s the first installment of [...]

A Speaker in the Making

Kelly — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:00:45 +0000

More than a year ago, I wrote a post about my daughter entitled, A Teacher in the Making. At this point in life, Darla sees that as her life’s calling — a third-grade teacher, to be exact. But as she hits her stride, it occurs to me she couldn’t possibly know what she [...]

Positively Speaking - Financial Discipline

Kelly — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:46:55 +0000

My November Positively Speaking column has been published at 5 Minutes for Mom. This month’s focus is teaching kids financial discipline. Please stop by and share your comments. Other worthwhile empowerment clicks: Here’s a new review of my book, by Ann Saylor and Susan Ragsdale. Their site, the Asset Edge is an excellent [...]

Powerful Video - The Rights of a Child

Kelly — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:37:27 +0000

“Heather” PSA from First Star - www.firststar.org I interviewed 14-year-old Heather Wilder in the course of writing my book. She is an inspiring young woman, former foster child, and now an advocate for child’s rights. Please watch this short public service announcement - it will change your perspective about the rights of youth in [...]

GIVEAWAY - Roots of Time Family Tree Kits!

Kelly — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:46:54 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS Aimee (comment #49) and Ginny (comment #70)! Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize. Thanks to all who participated! I’m thrilled to offer two lucky readers a Roots of Time Family Tree Kit for free! (Each is a $40 value!) The Roots of Time Family Tree Kit is an easy [...]