JAK CHAT

Or So I Wish It Were I suppose it depends on the day, the hour, the weather, the circumstances....It's pretty unpredictable. Sunday marks yet another one of my kid's birthdays.  Not that every birthday isn't special, it absolutely is, yet this milestone is my oldest daughter's "Sweet 16" birthday. Just like a lot of moms and their teenage daughters, our relationship is a bit strained.  All I want to do is, especially in light of her birthday, is to create a special, happy memory. So I threw a couple of "surprise party" ideas past my husband asking him what he thought she would like to do, on top of the standard big family party (including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a few other VIPs considered family). You never know, as he answered, "Honey, you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't"  You see, on top of the challenged relationship, my daughter suffers from clinical depression and January is a real beast ...

Frozen Babies in the Tundra I was born and raised in Packerland , Titletown ...good' ole Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Okay, well a suburb... Howard.  Same thing, except our schools had their own district.  To say I could've ever became anything but a Packer fan, would just be ridiculous.  It was just part of your life growing up in Green Bay... Packer players lived in your neighborhood and attended your church, I even hung out with Jerry Kramer's son, Dan. (I actually had a bit of a crush on him.  Who didn't? He was hot!) But of course, being a fan runs the gamut of the fair-weathered fan to the "extreme, over-the-top, to the extent that you are just plain stupid" fan. I remember the excitement of Superbowl XXXI back in January of 1997.  I absolutely could not settle for watching the game in Racine (dang, couldn't afford a ticket either), so I ventured back to my hometown.  The day before the big game, I had to go shopping, so I went to Bay Park Squar...

Cheer Up, Baby Chick by JAK's guest mom blogger from Pleasant Prairie, Bonnie Hahn This post is pretty personal and a bit of a testimonial, but will also hopefully serve as a ray of hope to some folks out there who deal with mood disorders or behavioral issues, whether in themselves or their family or friends. My son recently turned 9.  He's a great kid, smart, very social, active in Taekwondo.  He is mine, I own him, and I love him to pieces.  I don't care how 'cool' he is...I will grab him and kiss him and squeeze the daylights out of him any time I please.  That's my boy.  My first, my oldest, my son.  Any parent knows what I'm talking about, you will do anything for your kids! From the time he was a baby we knew we were in for a heck of ride - he has always been strong-willed.  At first it may seem an undesirable quality, especially in a small child, but strong-willed can be good!  If cultivated correctly, he can turn into one det...

Just Add Kids 101 New Year's greetings to all!  I thought I would start out the first JAK Happenings e-newsletter of 2011 reviewing for some/ introducing to others, the basics of Just Add Kids ! I am always surprised when I learn that someone who knows about and is familiar with Just Add Kids doesn't realize all of what JAK's got to offer.  So let's get this class started! First of all, Just Add Kids is many times referred to as it's acronym JAK. The Just Add Kids business provides resources that are quickly and easily accessible for families looking primarily for kid-oriented, family-friendly activities and events. JAK currently focuses on serving those in Racine, Kenosha and the surrounding communities with children ages preborn through 18. At this time, JAK' s product offerings consist of: website: www.JustAddKidsOnline.net e-newsletters: weekly JAK Happenings , monthly JAK Birthday Bash , seasonal CAMP JAK. social network sites: JAK on Facebook...

And the minute countdown So it's about 11:15pm on Thursday, December 30th. T minus 45 minutes to get the correct date stamp on this email newsletter and I've got a way to go. My mind both full and empty as to how to fill up this commentary space.  So why not talk about resolutions? 'Tis the season afterall! I've got my personal New Year's resolution, pretty much the same as last year...loose some weight.  This year my weight loss goal is bigger than last year's.  Go figure, I am heavier this year than I was last year at this time.  I started out great creating a Facebook page called "Fat Girl in a Skinny World" .  It was a place where myself as well as others documented our daily successes and challenges of weight loss.  I had two previous successes with Weight Watchers, so I plugged into an old points program.  This time, I thought I could do it on my own (without the weekly meetings).  I was holding myself publicly accountable with the ...

Yes Victoria, There is a Santa Clause One would think that with having two teenage girls who have worked through the ranks of the "tween" years, that I'd be exceptionally prepared for just about anything my 8 year old daughter might throw my way.  Yah, right! I just finished the gihugic project of sorting through the clothes of all four of my kids. Discard.  Carry over.  Donate.  Those were the 3 major stacks that consumed my life for way too long.  I'd be embarrassed to share with you how long this process took. There's about a six year gap between daughter #2 of 3 and daughter #3 of 3.  So all of those cute bib overalls....bye bye.  (I finally got rid of my own beloved bib overalls last year.  Love 'em!  Waiting for that comeback!) Among one of the few things I am storing for my 8 year old's future use is all of the training bras we have. As I start loading the 11/12 year old stuff into a rubber storage tote, darling 8 year old grabs them....

Take Center Stage For those of you who have subscribed to JAK Happenings for a while, you know that this space is typically dedicated to sharing my family life experiences and observations as a Racine mom, who is married, with four school-aged children. I know some of the commentary here has started great conversations, stirred up some emotions, and perhaps initiated a little bit of controversy. We've had fun, now we're movin' on... Read more. Just Add Kids ' focus is to deliver the most complete and up-to-date kid-oriented, family-friendly event and activity resource mostly with the Happenings Calendar of Events and this weekly email. JAK strives to serve all families with children 0-18 in Southeastern Wisconsin, with an emphasis on Racine and Kenosha counties. With that in mind, Just Add Kids would like to know what happens in the ordinary day of other families living here in the greater Racine and Kenosha area.  Experiencing any life challenges or other...