! On Tuesday, July 26, 7:00 PM, you and your family are cordially invited to celebrate P.T. Barnum’s 200th birthday and the arrival of the circus to the Metroplex. The party will be held at AT&T Plaza, which is on the south side of American Airlines Center off Olive Street. The arena is located at 2500 Victory Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219.

I decided to make an unexpected 4th of July post today about hotdogs and hotdog buns. It came as a result of a revelation to my son this past weekend.
I have mentioned numerous times …

Stay hydrated- water is tough many times as kids prefer the sweet drinks, try taking a pitcher of water and adding their favorite fruit (berries, limes, lemons) and let the fruit sit in the pitcher. The flavor of the fruit will make the water a bit sweet and keep them hydrated with the good stuff.

The old adage that our children do what we do and not what we say is appropriate here. If you treat other people with kindness and respect, your children will too. If you say please and thank you, your children will too. If you are honest and tell the truth, so will they be. Your children watch your every move. One of my favorite parenting quotes of all times is by author and expert, Joseph Chilton Pearce who said, “We must become the people we want our children to be.” What are you modeling for your children on a regular basis?

With the advent of new technology and programming abilities, North Texas Kids has launched a browser-supported version of the June issue that is reader-friendly on almost any device. Today’s moms are very tech-savvy and embrace technology. As moms ourselves, the staff of North Texas Kids knows how important it is to make information accessible, easy to find and readable in a variety of formats. Liz Mangelsdorf, VP of Business Developments and mom of 2 says, “I love that we are continuing to develop and create ways to reach all more moms. As busy moms, the time we have to read can be limited. Having North Texas Kids magazine available on the iPad and smart phones is going to be invaluable for so many of us!”

Music Together’s Annual Summer Disco Party benefiting the Joel Shickman Children’s Music Fund is on May 29th 2011, from 3:30 to 5:30pm Levine Academy (SW cnr Hillcrest and Frankford). Tickets are $5 per person. All ages from 0-120 are welcome

Planning on taking a camping trip soon in this wonderful spring weather? In my Everything Organized blog post this month, I will share with you useful ideas for organizing your trip from what to pack, locations to camp, and of course having fun around the campfire.

Shane Harper is currently on tour NOW with Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson and will be coming to the House of Blues in Dallas on Sun May, 8th. You can win tickets to see Shane Harper, Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson in concert by posting a comment here about why you want to go (and yes, because your daughter would love you forever is a valid reason!)

According to Kidshealth.org, “Children who become anxious at the thought of a test often feel convinced they are going to fail. Test anxiety occurs for many reasons, such as lack of preparation, fear of disappointing the teacher or parents, or low self-confidence.” The statewide TAKS test are taking place in April across Texas and many children feel the pressure to perform or are afraid they won’t be able to pass their grade level if they don’t do well on the TAKS tests. There are a variety of ways that parents can help their children to overcome test anxiety and certain coping skills they can teach their children so they learn to manage their anxiety in stressful situations both inside and outside the classroom.

“In my efforts to be a better parent, I discovered that I was not alone. All parents ‘lose it’ at times and we can learn to be centered more often. But I also discovered that children want to express their best selves—to develop their highest potential–and they depend on us to help them. We’re actually on the same side. And that makes all the difference” says Dr. Ilene Val-Essen, author of Bring Out the Best in Your Child and Your Self: Creating a Family Based on Mutual Respect (February 2010).