JAK CHAT

Not Just 4 Kids  The year was 1995...seven moms and their tots gather in the modest living room of a Racine north side home.  The hostess scrambles to clean up and make her house presentable for the once-a-week-on-Thursdays-at-9am event. It's her week to provide the play space and snack spread for the lively 2 1/2 hour mess fest.  Another "Playgroup" is born!  .... Read More... Not sure when the first of such social events took place, however, they are organized either formally or  informally for moms and preschool children to gather  for the purpose of play and companionship.  I was fortunate, as a new mom in more than one sense (1st baby and newcomer to Racine), to have linked up with two of such groups back in the mid nineties. The first came together because this mom's husband worked with this mom's dad, and had a sister-in-law who was also a new mom, who knew of...and so on.   And the other one, was arranged through an organization called Racine Newcomers Cl...

Helping Women, Helping Kids  Living in a household of six people, you cannot imagine (unless you too have 6 or about that yourself, or have boys!) how much in consumables we go through each week...or should I say, daily!  Living frugally has been something we've been forced to embrace, though it's evolved into a bit of an exciting challenge, if not something that has become socially hip. The hoopla and growth of people jumping on the amazing deals bandwagon has churned out extreme couponers, grouponers, and even entrepreneurs, who have taken their lifestyle and passion and have created a business around it.  Enter Kenosha Coupon Queens .... Read More... Personally, I've been following and/or liking quite a few bloggers and experts "in the know" on coupons and money-saving offers.  I am an email recipient of Daily Deals, Living Social , Groupon , almost-more-than-I-can-handle , advertised deals.  Recently, I ran across a new blog called " Kenosha Coupon Quee...

Pray for Emily Maki Done. Myself and a large number her friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and strangers answered to the Facebook call that came out on Tuesday morning. I know you, like me, sometimes feel helpless when you know or just know of someone, or a family that is stricken with a life threatening crisis. I didn't know Emily Maki, a 14 year old girl who died early Wednesday as a result of complications from Juvenile Diabetes, though our paths just recently crossed. Read More Last week, my 9 year old daughter was over at her friend's house playing,  just on the other end of our subdivision.  While there, her friend's mom, who is my friend, gave me a call.  Her next door neighbor had stopped over wanting to see if her daughter (and now seeing my daughter over there, extended the invite) would want to participate in some fundraiser over at the Jazzercise center.  My friend handed the phone over to her neighbor, so she could talk to me about it .   That neighbor is...

Giving It All, To Have It All Hello to all of the readers of Just Add Kids e-newsletter and JAK Chat!  My name is Andrea Pierce and I am a mom of a 20-month old beautiful daughter, Ella Rose, and a 4-month old happy baby boy, Gavin William.  And I am asking the question can you really have it all? Today my business card says "Assistant Vice President" and as of Friday August 5th,  I will be giving that all up to stay home with my precious children.  While I gave notice more than three weeks ago, this week, more then ever, I am questioning myself..."is this the right thing to do?" I worked really hard to get to where I am in my career.  But then,  I get home from a long day of work and my daughter runs to me saying "Mama Mama", gives me a huge hug...Boy Boy (Gavin's nic name) just looks at me with a huge smile within his big blue eyes following me around the room til I pick him up and then....fresh air!.....It is like no other feeling in the world! Havi...

Hosting the Ocean Loved July!  It was jam-packed from the get-go and is wrapping up just the same.  Most of what was planned was, well, planned.  Whether that was our huge annual 4th of July celebration and family reunion, an extended stay of my niece from Arizona, or one of the several rehearsals and/or productions my kids were in...all on the schedule. One thing that wasn't, our families cultural immersion with a young lady from Lyon, France named Océane.  Read More... Late last month, a fairly new acquaintance had shot me an email asking whether I knew of any girl teenagers that she could hook up with a foreign exchange student that she was hosting for 3 weeks in July.  Of course, I do...I told her I'd just check with them (my 14 and 16 year old daughters).  Being as though it was our crazy fun-filled month, I thought I should give them a heads up, we'd/they'd be doing a bit of entertaining for a stranger from a faraway land. Océane is a beautiful, dark long-haired ...

When the SHTF* I somewhat pride myself on being a resourceful, knowledgeable woman.  I am alert to the potential of dangerous situations and plan accordingly.  For instance, I ensure that my kids (and their friends, when they are under my watch) wear their helmets when riding their bikes.  I maintain a keen awareness on the weather, especially when the risk of severe conditions are present, and again plan appropriately.  So as always, I heeded the warnings of the dangers of the hot weather this week, yet, my 9 year old daughter became a victim of it.  Read More... You always dread the call from school indicating your child is sick and needs to be picked up, but when it's approaching 100, and you're told your child has passed out in class (but doing okay), you review in your head how it could have been avoided. Of course, I new about the impending hot hot hot weather.  So off to her theater class I sent her with her hair up, lightweight loose fitting woven cotton tank top, skor...

Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Lesley Redman. I live in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin with my husband Tike, and two daughters, Jalyn and Imani. Our oldest, Jalyn, is our cancer surviving hero. From the day that Jalyn was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) our life changed forever. Through the struggle my own family went through, my eyes were opened to a whole new world. It never even occurred to me what a family actually goes through when their child is diagnosed with cancer. I always thought “getting chemo” meant you go to the hospital for an appointment and then you go on with your day.  Read More... I never realized that it is a life altering experience. I spent sleepless nights in the hospital watching over my daughter as the doctors would try to find the right medication to sooth her little body. As a parent, it is a full time job to be your child’s best advocate and comforter.  Over the course of Jalyn’s eleven month treatment plan, we would spend two weeks ...