“This is my life.  It is my one time to be me.

 I want to experience every GOOD thing”

                                                  Maya Angelou

Dedicated to MEO. Rest in Peace…..

***Carefully submitted by a BPM supporter***

 I find that it is so much easier when someone else does the research and I just follow along.  It’s easier said than done when you have the best intentions to have your children read or be read to but who wants to spend an afternoon or two, or three in the library or Borders when you’d rather play basketball or swim in your leisure!?  The following is a compilation of books that you may find very interesting and are very popular for the specific age groups listed.  All you need to do parents/teens, after viewing the lists, is get yourself to your nearest library or book store and GET IT!!!  This BPM supporter has reviewed all the books with my young team of readers and we suggest the following:

For Age 4-8 years old

    * You Can Do It  by Tony Dungy

    * Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

    * Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy

    * Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

    * Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

    * Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr.

    * Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr.

    * Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

    * Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

    * The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

    * On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

    * Horton Hears A Who Dr. Seuss

    * Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus by Mo Willems

    * If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

    * Olivia by Ian Falconer

    * How Do DInosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen

    * Curious George by Margaret Rey

    *Skippy John Jones by Judy Schachner

Any books by the Magic Treehouse are good for beginning readers.  All written by Mary Pope Osbourne.

For Age 9 - 12 years old

    * Diary Of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

    * Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

    * What To Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Dawn Huebner

    * A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’ Engle

    * Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

    * Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo

    * No Talking by Andrew Clements

    * How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

    * The Invention Of Hugo Cabret: A Novel in Words and Pictures

Any books in the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine

    * You Can’t Scare Me; Night of the Living Dummy; The Curse of Camp Cold Lake; Go Eat Worms; The Girl Who Cried Monster

Any books in the Fudge series by Judy Blume

    * Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing; Superfudge; Double Fudge; Fudge-a-Mania

Any books in the Spiderwick Chronicles, The Lemony Snickets Series, and any book by Kate DiCamillo; The Tale of Despereaux in particular which was awarded the John Newberry Medal for the most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children.

**For Girls** The Care and Keeping Of You: The Body Book for Girls (American Girl Library) by Valerie Schaefer. A modern day book on etiquette and how to be a lady.

For Teens

   * The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

   * Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newberry Medal Winner)

   * Hoot by Carl Hiassen

   * Flush by Carl Hiassen

   * Beowulf: A Tale of Blood, Heat, and Ashes

   * Eldest by Christopher Paolini

   * Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

   * Pirate CUrse by Kai Meyer

   * Tree Shaker: the Story of Nelson Mandela

   * Knots in my YoYo String: The Autobiography of a Kid by Jerry Spinelli

   * A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg

   * Growing Up In Slavery

   * Copper Sun by Sharon M Draper

Wouldn’t Hurt For All Of Us To Read The Following One Or More Times

     *Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good , Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz

     * Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss

     * The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

     * Necks Out For Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering

     * The Blacker The Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas

Happy Reading! Keeping a log or a journal of all the books you’ve read is one way of keeping track of your accomplishments, kids.  Especially if you get them from the Library.  In your journal,  you’d want to write down the title and author of the book.  The date and time of day you are reading it.  The pages you’ve read for that particular day and whether you like it or not.  There are so many books, not every book is for everyone.  I guarantee, though, that if you read enough, you’ll come across one that you feel was written JUST FOR YOU.  Once that happens, you’ll be hooked and your love for reading will continue to grow!

***Carefully submitted by a BPM Supporter***

Summer’s Great!! The Beaches are Open! The Amusement and Water Parks are open! Great Movies are Out! Water Ice is Good and Plenty! Playground Basketball is competitive and energetic!!…The kids are out of school!..The kids are out of school!…THE KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL!???…YIKES..Well, a break from making packed lunches, a break from parent/teacher meetings, and a break from checking homework…Hhmmm!  But how do we keep our children engaged and interested in reading? In learning?  Statistically, over the summer, kids tend to forget up to 50% of the material they learned during the school year.  In the first few weeks returning  back to school, kids have a refresher course of the previous year.  To make it a little easier for them, continue education throughout the summer by creating fun themes that you all get involved in.  Stimulating their minds (all or ours for that matter) will maintain a greater portion of there cognitive skills versus not doing anything at all!

     My family’s theme for the summer is Dragons and Treehouses! Parents - when choosing a theme, I think it is easier to choose a series of fun books that you think your child would be interested in, then go for it! For example, if ” Dragons” is your theme and your child is between the ages of 4 and 14, you can have them read or have read to them the books by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (as told to Cressida Cowell), “How To Speak Dragonese”, “How To Cheat A Dragons Curse”, and  ”How To Train Your Dragon”.  A book my nine year old is reading right now is Dragon Rider…. This book was so interesting, our theme for the summer evolved.  To make it more fun, you can watch documentaries and movies on the topic.  Have them go through magazines and cut pictures to make collages.  Have them cut out pictures to make collages.  Have them draw pictures with crayons, markers, paints to have them imagine what their dragon would look like.  Make or buy clay for them to sculpt a dragon of their own.

     The other theme we have planned for the summer is “Treehouses”.  We will study treehouses and read books from the Magic Treehouse Collection.  The collection contains at least 12 books*.  My child’s task is to pick at least three to read for the summer in addition to the other books we’ve chosen for the summer.  Luckily this summer in the Philadelphia area, a couple museums  are exhibiting treehouses as well.  Longwood Gardens presents “Nature’s Castles” in Kennett Square, Pa.  A t Longwood Gardens, “the sky’s the limit for this spectacular display of treehouses.  Three large scale treehouses created by the country’s best designers take center stage in picturesque settings around the gardens”…”let  your inner child come out to play in three fantastic creations: The Lookout Loft, a rustic Adirondack-style treehouse in the shady Forest Walk; The Canopy Cathedral, an ornate two-story house inspired by a Norwegian church overlooking the Itlaian Water Garden; The Birdhouse, located in the Terrace Woodland, offers bird’s eye views of the surrounding natural landscape”.  This event runs through Labor Day 2008.

     Also available in the Philadelphia area is “Totally Terrific Treehouses at Tyler Arboretum” from now until September 28, 2008. At Tyler Arboretum, you’ll see these magnificent treehouses displayed in which will inspire and spark the imaginations of all who witness the scenery!  Where man meets nature for an extraordinary view for all to see.  Once you’ve seen these two, have your children come home and develop their own structures.  See where their imaginations can take them!!  Whether it’s stenciled on paper, painted, sculpted out of clay or popsicle sticks and string, or building it in the backyard, it’s all considered your child’s unique creation!! (I bet that’s how Steven Spielberg started!! LOL)  This adventure could last all summer by encouraging them to think of different ideas of how they can enhance their treehouse!

     Creating a theme for them doesn’t necessarily mean you need to focus on that subject for the entire summer!  When they see a tree house, however, they’ll pay closer attention to that particular theme you’ve studied than not having the theme at all!  Maybe I can give you a better example for the adults.  Say you test drive you favorite Infiniti FX.  You leave it at the lot but as soon as you leave it you notice everyone driving around in it!! You didn’t think so many people drove it before you test drove it but there it goes!…and there it goes again! You remember all the special features of the car and then wait a minute….There it goes AGAIN!! before you know it, EVERYONE is driving around in YOUR CAR!!!  Having been exposed to different subjects, no matter how minute or quirky, we all seem to process it in some natural way!!

      You can have a theme of the week if the summer would weem too long and too much for the one subject.  The point is to keep your child engaged in learning and reading books associated with the subject matter.  They’ll be so excited when they find books and other materials associated with the theme!  It just gives the child some variety and shows them we ( the parent) is interested in their learning and proud they are taking the time to learn something new.  And OH WHAT A FEELING…..when you discover your parent is PROUD OF YOU!!!

     Some ideas could be a Pirate Week; Dinosaur Week; Castle Week; Sea Creature Week; Princess Week; Circus Week… Anything really!  What ideas can you come up with?  If you need help, I’d be happy to help invent a theme for you and your family.

Carefully Submitted by a BPM supporter…..Let’s Hear It!!

**Carefully posted by a BPM Supporter**

My little homies were getting ready for their vacation and they asked if they could take DVD’s on their trip. I asked “what are the top 3 favorites?” Well the top 3 became the top 5. The top 5 became the top 10. The top 10 became the top 20. So now I present to you the top 25 Animated DVD’s.

#1 Toy Story

#2 Cars

#3 Shrek

#4 Incredibles

#5 The Lion King

#6 Spirited Away (by Hayao Miyazaki)

#7 Finding Nemo

#8 Howl’s Moving Castle (by Hayao Miyazaki)

#9 Ratatouille

#10 The Iron Giant

#11 Toy Story 2

#12 Shrek 2

#13 Happy Feet

#14 Sharktales

#15 Open Season

#16 Atlantis

#17 Lilo and Stitch

#18 Surf’s Up

#19 A Bug’s Life

#20 Ice Age 2

#21 Over the Hedge

#22 Emperor’s New Groove

#23 Spongebob the Movie

#24 Barnyard

#25 Dumbo

For The Little Princesses….Top 5 Princess Movies

#5 Mulan

#4 The Little Mermaid

#3 Snow White

#2 Sleeping Beauty

#1 Cinderella

Babysitting Ideas/Playdate Ideas

When you are babysitting other people’s children, it’s always a good idea to have a back up plan to your first plan. The first plan would be (if there’s 3 or more) to have everyone out of your house and outside! They can find tons of things to do because each one wants to out do the other as far as bright ideas are concerned. However, if rain is in the forecast, and there is absolutely no way of getting out of the playdate, the entertainment portion of the day lies on you. (YOU=the babysitting adult that will have their home tore up if you don’t come up with ideas quick).

You can do marathons or themes of the day for them. Of course you would plan this in advance. You would switch up the plan according to the age range of the children. You also want to have simple supplies available - paper cups, paper plates, napkins, construction paper, crayons, washable markers. Let’s say the age range is 4 years old to 10 years old and you have a mixture of boys and girls. You can plan a ” Shrek Day”! With Shrek Day, you would have all 3 movies available for them to watch. You have them work on placemats while the movie is going on (cause honestly, children don’t sit still for 6 hours to watch movies unless specially trained to do so!). You tell them, “I’m going to give you green, black, and orange crayons and markers. I’m going to give you construction paper and plain white paper. Whoever has the best SHREK placemat will get their snack first!” And say it with ENTHUSIASM as if your snacks are the yummiest they will ever experience!! (Fun snack ideas coming soon!) A placemat can be any size. You will have them draw the characters in the movie and their placemat will be SHREK based. Just a simple snack idea, you can have green or orange drinks and popcorn with green and /or orange nerds or skittles mixed in. You can have orange and green plates, cups, and napkins you’ve picked up from the dollar store! Serve lunch to everyone, cause frankly everyone’s a winner, and praise them on how lovely you think everyone’s placemat turned out! You’ll be the coolest sitter in town and unfortunately all the kids will want to be at your house over and over again!!! But you’ll be hype for the next one! After the movie is over, you ask the kids which one was the best, then you turn around and write a blog about it, and rate it #12 on your top 25 best animated movies!! LOL! In other words, any information is usually useful information!!! Have Fun!!

Other Marathon Ideas

Batman 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

Star Wars 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 (Weekend-week long idea)

Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2, & 3

Narnia (boxed set)

Harry Potter 1, 2, 3, & 4

Superman 1, 2 & 3

Toy Story 1 & 2

Ice Age 1 & 2

Emperor’s New Groove and Kronk’s New Groove

Rocky 1, 2, & 3

Fantastic Four 1 & 2

The Mummy 1 & 2

Jurassic Park 1, 2, & 3

Lord of the Rings 1, 2, & 3

Indiana Jones 1, 2, & 3

Cinderella 1 & 2

Any questions? I’d be happy to help you plan your next playdate. It’ll be a babysitting EXPERIENCE!!!

As an adult, I didn’t think when I was 16 years old, that once I started working, my days of not working were over.

My best friend and I had our mothers help us get working permits and we were so excited to finally be able to fill out a job application! Back then, we didn’t need a reason to work cause we LOVED IT! My best friend and I loved getting up and loved having to be somewhere at a certain time. My best friend reminded me today, the first year we worked, we didn’t even get paid!! My best friend’s mother said, “that’s okay! it will be good for your resume!” We said “Yeah! Our RESUME!…..What’s a resume?”

An older and wiser me these days would rather be swimming or fishing somewhere, than be at work! As an adult, you find something in your job, however, that makes you go back and you find yourself making the best O The Day! That motivation takes you back day after day! In my profession, we put in long hours but one of the best parts of my job, the part that is truly exciting to me, is that I meet very different people, with very different values, who have had extraordinary opportunites, in which were very different than mine, and on a regular day, these same people probably wouldn’t look at me, let alone have a conversation with me.

The best conversations are those when people recall their happiest moments. You can get the best conversations from folks who were born before the 1950’s. 1) because most of them LOVE to tell you their story and 2) because most of them LOVE the chance to sit a young whipper snapper down like me to give me some advice! I get TONS of advice on money, marriage, relationships, child rearing, traveling, cooking, shopping! You name it, I’ve probably heard of it! Not cause I’m smart, or cause I love to read, but because the older generations love to give good advice to good girls like me! The sign on my back that reads PLEASE ADVISE could also be a reason:)….just kidding…..Thanx Mr. McCabe!

I always ask the question - what was the most exciting thing you’ve ever done in your life? A few of the answers were kinda funny like, escape from prison (I guess that would be kinda exciting!) But after some thought, they’d say, “Hmm… the most exciting thing I’ve ever done?….fall in love! Most men I’ve ever asked say something about Love and they very proudly reveal how many years they’ve been married. I can hear myself now when I say, “Oh my goodness, 58 years…” or ….”Oh my goodness, 63 years…..” or…” Oh my goodness, 75 years!! 75 years with the same person!!! That’s just amazing to me!! We live in a day and age now where my generation are witnesses to these great marriages but statistically, our children are seeing 50% of them turn into divorce. In all the conversations I’ve ever had, love kinda came secondary because the truth of the matter is that these people who have these long marriages for so many years genuinely LIKE each other. They share everything, they like their partners, they respect each other, and are willing to make sacrifices for their significant other! What didn’t work, they made work…. together! Instead of all those years seeming like a sentence (a jail sentence)…their response to my “oh my goodness” is usually, “it doesn’t even seem that long!”

In my quest to find my own answers to marriage, divorce, and childrearing, I came across some really good books that, in reading, made me realize the things that were done correctly, the things that may have gone wrong, and how now, everything that has happened, has happened and it’s okay. I would like to introduce a book to the BPM family. With wedding bells in the air for some and separations brewing for others, this book is good for single men and women, those who are engaged to be married, those who are contemplating separation/divorce, and those who are divorcing or who are divorced. The book Lies at the Alter: The Truth About Great Marriages by Dr. Robin L. Smith is very interesting because not only does it talk about marriages, it talks about respecting each other and how to communicate with each other effectively in our relationships, to get those years of longevity we all have as a goal when we initially fall in love. I think the majority of people would rather spend their Golden Years with a loved one….and if that opportunity is not available, we will at least feel blessed that we had the experience at some point in our lives. When we get older, some of the happiest moments we’ll talk about is when we were in love. Studies have shown that the more we can recall the happier times in our lives and are able to talk about them, the happier and healthier we are as older adults!

Overall, the reading is deliciously composed with great examples and scenarios but the portion of the book that had me sold was the TOP 10 LIES and the TOP 10 TRUTHS about marriage the author had on the back of the book. Before I give you the top ten, I’d like to say Good Luck and Congratulations to those of you who are beginning new lives as a married couple. For those of you who have made the decision to separate and/or divorce, I say Good Luck and Congratulations as well! Making that decision is a tough one and hopefully was made after trying and giving it your all. (Keep your head up L.J.) The following are Dr. Robin Smith’s Lies and Truths about Marriage:

Lie: Marriage is an automatic ticket to self-esteem.

**Truth: You have to be whole before you can be joined.

Lie: You have to go along to get along.

**Truth: In a great marriage, you can ask for what you need without fear of reprisals.

Lie: If the package is beautifully wrapped, its contents will be fabulous.

**Truth: The packaging doesn’t tell you anything about what’s inside.

Lie: The past is over.

**Truth: The past is driving you to the chapel.

Lie: Anything is better than being alone.

**Truth: Being alone and free is better than being together and controlled.

Lie: It’s important to be right.

Truth: It’s more important to relate.

Lie: You can learn to live with compromises that trouble your soul and make you suffer.

**Truth: Suffering is not love.

Lie: “It’s you and me against the world.”

**Truth: You can’t have a great marriage if you live in a bunker.

Lie: If you believe in the same God, you’ll share the same values.

Truth: Values are what you live, not what you believe.

Lie: Marriage magically changes people for the better.

**Truth: The person at the alter will be the person at the breakfast table.

Thank you…Carefully submitted by a BPM supporter.

Let’s hear it…

Okay! Here’s the deal. I got $40 and the kiddies want to go to the movies. Will I torture myself and listen to them fight over the remote control, who’s gum is who’s, and repeatedly hear “stop touching me!” or will I take them to the movies?..Boys! Put your shoes on…We’re going to the movies!

Now, here’s where I need your help. There are at least a dozen good movies currently out or coming out and there will be plenty of non-pay weeks when I am only willing to spend $40 on the movies. We need to know the bestest movie to get the mostest out of our money.

This week alone, there are at least 6 choices for the kids…

1) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

2) Kung Fu Panda

3) The Incredible Hulk

4) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

5) Ironman

6) Get Smart

I need the feedback folks on the best choice. This week, I need the older and wiser decision of my peeps cause I certainly don’t want to leave the theater pissed off!

Just an FYI: a five year old saw Kung Fu Panda and said it’s so funny and soo good, “you’ll want to get it on bootleg!”….(HUH?!?!?!). Now who can top THAT review?

It’s going to be a Blazin Summer, however very expensive if we don’t do our research before leaping into a theater near YOU. Check out the line-up for this summer’s movies:

Wall*E - coming out 06/27/08 - animated/computerized movie about a robot

Hancock - coming out 07/02/08 - a new Will Smith movie that’s sure to be another epic hit (Go Philly!)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - coming out 07/11/08 - This movie seems like it’ll be good. I was impressed with Pan’s Labyrinth, the movie, and the maker’s of this movie also produced Hellboy. The costume design and theatrical scenery looks very appealing in it’s trailer. Looks like an action packed good time! Will have to see Hellboy 1 prior to seeing this one in theaters.

Journey to the Center of the Earth - A 3D movie - coming out 07/11/08 - If you like 3D, here’s the one you wanna go see this summer. Hopefully this is one that will be available in an IMAX theater! Check the fineprint on this one parents. Sometimes 3D is only available in certain theaters

Meet Dave - coming out 07/11/08 - starring Eddie Murphy (hmmm) and Gabrielle Union (oh, okay!!). Parents, you may have to watch this one without the kids. Do a screening first. Norbit was funny but it wasn’t for the kiddies!!!

Dark Knight - coming out 07/18/08 - (Hip Hip Hooray!!) For all you Marvel Superhero Fans, we get one for the summer. This is the new Batman Flick!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - coming out 08/01/08 - Yes! Part 3 of the Mummy series…but hold your horses. I think this movie is rated R. Not fair. Again, this may have to be pre-screened by the parents. The first two were so exciting, how can they restrict this to Adults only? Somebody should’ve done the research in Hollywood. Don’t they realize if the kids can see it, it’s a HIT?!? When you go to prescreen, just make sure you remember what parts to cover the eyes of the babes. If the movie is too bad for the kids, shame on them!!!

Well, I am sure I missed quite a few. That’s just a couple I can think of that I want to see! Feel free to add to the list and please give us your homemade, “keepin it real” review!

Summer’s here!!! YIPPEE!!

A Very Happy Graduation to those who graduated this year. Another long and busy school year has ended and Yippee! Summer’s here!! But hold up! Has soaring gas prices got you down Dad? Has buying food and gas this summer taken the place of some of your summer vacation plans, mom? How will we entertain ourselves and our kids this summer without feeling the stress of the REAL WORLD? It’s so hard to find low cost and fun activities for you and your child to enjoy. I have some ideas that could invigorate some of the kid in all of us. If camp is not in the plan this summer and it’s just too expensive to go away, here are some ideas to spark some creativity in your world!

ADVENTURES OF MOMMY CAMP (or DADDY CAMP if you will!) Part 1

1) Any child, any age would probably love to camp out especially if it’s with a parent, both parents, a grandparent, or relative/friend!! It’s not camping in the woods, but camping in your backyard, basement, attic, or living room. You can put up an actual tent or make one with sheets. You tie it up to look like a tent as best you can and you can put sheets, pillows, and blankets in to get it real cozy! For the little ones, you can get a couple of stories to read and a flashlight and they’ll most likely fall right to sleep. Now here’s where the fun starts. When the kids get a little older and they can tell their own stories. They get to tell you their own made up story and you listen and they will love the attention. You could probably learn a few secrets along the way!! If you are going to be outside, pick a clear night without clouds so that you can stargaze. A good night would be a *new moon night or a full moon night. Ask your child what they see when they look up at the stars? What do they dream about when they go to sleep? Best of all, what would they like to be when they grow up? Find their answers interesting and remember and share with them what your dreams were when you were their age!! Next present them with a journal you’ve picked out from Borders or Walden Books or one you’ve made by hand and have them write down the date and time and what their thoughts are at that moment before going to sleep! I bet anything, they’ll have their most happiest thoughts written down because someone was interested enough to ask them to write them down!

2)Another camping ritual is eating hot dogs, shish kabobs, and smores. I’ll have these recipes available in another blog. Being creative and allowing your child the autonomy to help and create will build self esteem. Also, taking a moment from our busy lives - moms and dads - and listening to our children will build stronger relationships and conversations! Do this as often as you like and don’t be afraid to be silly!! You may be surprised what your children will share with you when they are most relaxed. And a golden rule to this is no punishment for shared information on these particular nights. Just be grateful in knowing and move on from there!!!

3) In the Philadelphia area, the Norristown Zoo has camp out nights where you can go camping outdoors with the zoo animals. Call them for information.

4)The Natural Sciences Museum in Philadelpia offers sleepovers with Tyrannasaurus Rex! They also offer overnight birthday parties with Rex himself!!

I will post different activities during the course of the summer that can hopefully help ease the strain of high costs. The best fun is spent talking and sharing thoughts with your kids - and all that is FREE!!!

*Tonight we will have the opportunity to see the “solstice moon”, when the full moon will appear to be at its largest! It will appear to be at its largest because the sun is at its highest and the moon will be closest to the horizon (or at least that’s what physicists and theorists claim.) This phenomenon usually indicates the beginning of summer. You can catch it at it’s brightest and biggest around 9pm in Philly and New York; about 9:15 in Miami; and 9:26 in Seattle! As the moon rises, it will be at its biggest. As it rises, as we all know, it will appear to be smaller! If you miss tonight’s full moon - the next one will be July 17th and 18th! Take in a bit of nature with your loved ones. Mom and Dad, the full moon can be romantic as well. Perhaps some romance can spark after staring at the moon for a couple of minutes….and guess what?….It was all for FREE!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more ideas for a BLAZIN’ SUMMER!!

**Sent directly from a concerned parent and BPM supporter…PLEASE help if you can**

Need some assistance with an alarming issue.  My best friend is raising her niece, who is 13 years old. The niece recently ran away for the umpteenth time.  However, this time she did not intend on coming back home. With the help of friends, they found her in the park around 11pm. 

I want to give you a little history to help us get the best help for my best friend’s niece. The grandmother predominately raised her from when she was a baby until around nine.  She was a happy, silly and carefree person.  When her mother married, she and her mother moved, since day one she had a hard time adjusting.  She clashed with her stepfather.  Her hatred for her stepfather intensified over sometime to the point that she became irate and eventually ran away.  She would run away to her grandmother, because it seems she saw her as her safe haven. 

Of course, she went back home to her mother.  For a while, she seemed like she was better.  There were a few disparaging moments where she went through her episodes.  From time to time, they called on the grandmother to assist with calming her down. For the most part, her mother and stepfather reined her back in.   My best friend saw her slowly spinning out of control and offered to keep her before something bad happened.  The mom didn’t think that was a good idea. She felt that counseling would be better.

 Well, when she turned 11, her grandmother passed away.  This was the onset of the worst to come.  She really became uncontrollable.  The State eventually got involved because of a suicide attempt.  They deemed that she be removed from the home and placed in the care of someone else.  This is when my best friend convinced the State that she could provide her with a better living.  For the next year, my best friend helped her cope with the lost of her grandmother (my best friend’s mother).  She treated her like her own daughter. 

This past year, the niece began to resort to what she knows best, her bad behavior.  Her grades began to slip; she started getting suspended from school; she began disrespecting my best friend and her husband.  They tried putting her on punishment, which only help for a hot second.  They also reached out for counseling, but this too was a lost cause. 

The last and final episode occurred this weekend.  My best friend’s husband, in a playing manner, snatched her phone—and she went off!  This time, she had hit an all time high with her disrespect.  This led my best friend and her husband to question her actions; this resulted in them examining her phone.  She had a password on the phone, which took them an hour to get the password from her.  After giving them the password, she ran out the house.  The husband’s nephew went after her and convinced her to come back home.  When she got back, she was crying and very distraught.  My best friend’s husband asked her if she was so distraught because she knew she would be in trouble from what they would find in the phone.  They searched the phone, found possible evidence of her being sexually active.  The nephew provided some additional grueling details. 

Since my best friend is pregnant, they felt it was best to send her back to her mom until they sort this out.  Bad idea, she ran away within hours.  My best friend, the mom and the cops contacted all her friends to locate her.  Some said she was there, but left.  One of her friends spotted her in the park and contacted her mom.  They picked her up and immediately took her to the hospital.  She explained the situation to the doctor on duty and asked what they could do to help her.  The doctor seemed rude and said right in front of the niece, “what do you want us to do at this time of night”.  The doctor asked her was she suicidal. She said no in a smirking manner. 

Today, the family is trying to find a good place to send her for the BEST help. They are desperately trying to save her life. They are asking for any suggestions or advice, from anyone who has dealt with something like this. 

Help our kids. Help our families…

**Thanks CB**

Have yall heard about this?

A “Black” Man, A Moor, John Hanson Was the First President of the United States! 1781-1782 A.D.??? George Washington was really the 8th President of the United States! George Washington was not the first President of the United States. In fact, the first President of the United States was one John Hanson. Don’t go checking the encyclopedia for this guy’s name - he is one of those great men that are lost to history. If you’re extremely lucky, you may actually find a brief mention of his name. The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land). Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress. As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents. He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch. All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson as the only guy left running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops down and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington. In fact, Hanson sent 800 pounds of sterling siliver by his brother Samuel Hanson to George Washington to provide the troops with shoes. Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite the feat, considering the fact that so many European countries had a stake in the United States since the days following Columbus. Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents have since been required to use on all official documents. President Hanson also established the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department. Lastly, he declared that the fourth Thursday of every November was to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today.

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one year term during any three year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time. Six other presidents were elected after him - Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) - all prior to Washington taking office. So what happened? Why don’t we ever hear about the first seven Presidents of the United States? It’s quite simple - The Articles of Confederation didn’t work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new doctrine needed to be written - something we know as the Constitution. And that leads us to the end of our story. George Washington was definitely not the first President of the United States. He was the first President of the United States under the Constitution we follow today. And the first seven Presidents are forgotten in history.

Interesting…

**Thx LT**

This was sent to me as part of a research paper for a Business Management student. As part of an American History class, below are interview question on WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN AMERICAN (chuckle, chuckle).

I’d like to see what you all think before I go on one of my racially motivated, and politically charged tirades:

Are you a US citizen?  Yes ____ No______

If not a US citizen, what country are you a citizen? _______________________

Are you over 25 years old? Yes _____ No _____

1.      What is the meaning of the term democracy? What type of government does the United States have?

2.      Do you think the current government is effective? Please explain. If you could change something about the government, what would you change and why?

3.      What do you think is the most important historical event of the 20^th century? Why do you think the event is important?

4.      Name two people who you believe have contributed significantly to the United States. The people can be well known or they can people that you know. What is their contribution to society?

5.      Do you think the freedoms outlined in the Declaration of Independence are being important in the 21^st Century? You may need to describe what the freedoms are in the Declaration of Independence.

6.      If you were to go to another country and someone asked you, what does it mean to be an American, how would you answer the question?

7.      Do you have anything you would like to add to this discussion? 

Let’s hear it…