Sunday Post: People: Who Are the Most Important People in Your Life?

Posted on September 23, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is PEOPLE.

When I saw the theme, I immediately began thinking of the most important people in my life. First, I thought of my husband. We’ve been married over 45 years and still enjoy sitting on the couch, watching a good movie and walking down a country lane, hand in hand, talking about anything and everything under the sun. Yes, I know, we are so very fortunate.

A WORD TO THE WISE: Every relationship has its ups and downs and no one is perfect. We all make mistakes…don’t be ashamed to say, “I’m sorry!” Be consistent, be compassionate and think before you speak.

Then I thought about my children and grandchildren. I love spending time with them…and count myself fortunate that they enjoy spending time with me as well.

WORD TO THE WISE: Parenting young children is a difficult task…you need patience and energy and lots of love. We all make mistakes…don’t be ashamed to say “I’m sorry!” Be consistent, be compassionate and think before you speak.

Then I thought about my friends…some I’ve known for many years. Jane and I met each other when we were only two years old…we played house and Superman and colored in coloring books and had picnics together in the park. When we each got married, we continued that friendship and now, after sixty-three years, although we live thousands of miles apart, we are close in heart and soul.

WORD TO THE WISE: Friendship is a skill we need to teach our kids…how to care for and respect one another. We all make mistakes…don’t be ashamed to say, “I’m sorry!” Be consistent, be compassionate and think before you speak.

Then I thought about the friends I have made this past year in the blogging community…especially those who blog about writing and illustrating for children. There are dozens of them…authors, illustrators, librarians, teachers, moms…and they inspire and encourage me to pursue my dream of seeing my own children’s picture books on the bookshelves of libraries and homes around the world.

Does this dream sound familiar? Would you like to pursue your writing in an unbelievable setting? Have you always wanted to go to Italy, but hesitated because you didn’t want to go alone or with a group of travelers with whom you have nothing in common? Here is your golden opportunity to spend a week in Italy, learning and writing with a fantastic group of like-minded women.

A writer friend of mine has organized an amazing retreat for women writers in Florence, Italy. It will take place from April 7-13, 2013. I cannot attend, but you might like to go. Julie has an overview of the retreat on her website, plus specific information about the Program, Faculty, Accommodation and Rates. If you do register, please let Julie know I sent you!

We have ten more days for nominations to give a dozen free copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cookingto schools or other childcare facilities. Nominate your child’s school, or your own school if you are a teacher, in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like that school or classroom to have this book. If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive! Please tweet this or spread the word across any of your social media networks. At the beginning of October we will use Random.org to choose 12 lucky schools.

Author and educator Susan Case just did a fantastic review of Show Me How! on her Kindergarten Basics blog. Click on the link if you’d like to see what she thinks about this award-winning resource that makes planning activities and spending quality time with your kids a SNAP!

Want to scoop up a copy of Show Me How! while you can still get FREE SHIPPING and a BONUS GIFT? Please visit my book’s website.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

Sunday Post: Splendid…Places, People and Things (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: From a Distance…Parenting Solutions (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Sunday Post: Autumn…Five Tips for a Healthier School Year

Posted on September 16, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is AUTUMN.

Take a hayride down scarlet and gold tree-lined country roads!

Pick the best pumpkin!

Have the healthiest school year ever by following these five simple steps:

Wash hands often: everyone should have their own towel…perhaps a different color for each member of the family. This helps colds from spreading.

Dress appropriately: when it is cold, children should be dressed warmly, with hats or hoods on their heads.
Get enough sleep: young children need LOTS of sleep so set up bedtime routines and stick to them. Our body renews and cells regenerate during sleep. Did you know that children between the ages of 2 and 5 need 11-14 hours of sleep? For more information about sleep and young children, you can go to: http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/sheet.html.
Make every meal and snack count: a good breakfast is a MUST and snacks can provide additional important nutrition, especially for picky eaters. For more ideas on healthy meal planning for the whole family, you can visit: http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/habits.html
Keep a sick child home: I know it is difficult, especially when parents work…but your child will get better sooner and the teacher and the other children in the class will thank you.

Open just two more weeks: We want to give away 12 free copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cookingto schools or other childcare facilities. Nominate your child’s school in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like them to have this book. If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive! Tweet this and spread the word across any of your social media networks. At the beginning of October we will use Random.org to choose 12 lucky schools.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

Sunday Post: Autumn (shaanthz.wordpress.com)

Sunday Post: Morning…We Remember 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is MORNING.

When tragic events take place, we almost always remember where we were and what we were doing.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the unimaginable happened…planes piloted by terrorists crashed into the Twin Towers in NYC and into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. One plane, destined to destroy the White House, was retaken by a group of courageous passengers and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, killing all aboard, but saving the target from harm.

I was at home, trying to follow up on some phone calls for my husband’s business…but no one was answering. I wondered about that and turned on the television in time to witness the horror on live TV. My first thought was to call my own children, spread out across the country, to make sure they were all ok.

Morning is a time for renewal when all things begin again. Each of us has the opportunity every day…to make changes, choose different options or follow a new path…because every day is the first day of the rest of your life.

We remember that morning eleven years ago…and pray for all who were impacted by it.

We thank the brave firefighters, police and others…many who gave their own lives.

And we pray for guidance to make the world a safer place for our children.

I’d also like to share a few important details:

If you’d like to hear my interview on Michael Scott’s Bookmark Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookmark-radio-network/2012/09/11/bookmark-radio-netwok-with-author-vivian-kirkland# (Yes, my name is spelled incorrectly…perhaps I need to change it to Kirkland…so many people seem to like it better that way.)
The Summer Short and Sweets Contest winner will be announced tomorrow on Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog…if you’d like to read the stories submitted by the six finalists (I’m honored that mine is one of them), please go here. You can even VOTE for the one you like best!
We are still looking for more nominations of schools to receive a free copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog post, naming the school or child-care facility that you’d like to enter in the Show-Me-How School Initiative.