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When I was a kid, the closest relationships I had were with my grandparents. I loved going to visit them, especially when we got to stay overnight. When I was with my grandparents I felt loved and accepted. I didn't have to worry about making mistakes. Everything was right with the world when I was with them. Grandma Shirk loved birds. When I was a toddler she had two baby chicks, Cuckoo and Lulu. They ran around the house with kleenex for diapers. Grandma and I loved those chickens!We loved staying up late at night with Grandma Light playing games,…

School will be starting soon. It's always a bittersweet time. Time to start something new, but a loss of time you spent together as a family over the summer. You and your kids might have some stress concerning returning to school this year. Here are a few ways to ease that stress.Before school starts, reconnect with a classmate your child hasn't seen in awhile. Maybe have a playdate at a playground. If your child hasn't been around school friends in a while, this will make her more comfortable on the first day.Plan your clothing for the first day…

Summer is almost here! After a very long year and a half, some of you might be traveling this summer, spending well deserved time away with your family. If you have some great pictures of your vacation, that will make your memories even better. Here are some tips to improve your vacation photos: Before you leave on vacation be sure your batteries are charged, you have extra batteries and your charger, and pack plenty of media cards. Also make sure you have a safe place to hold your media cards so they don't get lost traveling home. Tell…

Are you ready for a dog? And if so, what kind? Pets bring such love and joy into our lives. They give the kids a kind of unconditional love they can't get anywhere else. Kids can learn empathy caring for an animal.Is your family ready for a dog? Some questions you might want to ask yourself are:How much time do you have to care for a give attention to the dog?Is anyone in the family allergic?Is anyone in the family afraid of dogs?What do you plan to do with the dog when you travel?Shelter dogs are a great…