Feel Good Friday – Women’s History Month, 4 ways to celebrate

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Did you know that March is celebrated as Women’s History Month? This is a great time to explore your family’s history. What are some of the stories you have heard about the women in your family? Include your children as you celebrate Women’s History Month.

Below are four ways your child can celebrate:

1.      Have your child interview a woman in their life.

2.      Your child can write a letter to a woman they admire.

3.      Your child can a read a book about a woman who made contribution to our world   or perhaps who was  a local hero (shero).

4.      If you have young children, read books to them about women who made contributions to our society.

How about a round of Women’s History trivia? See if you can identify what the following notable women were/are famous for.

1.      Ella Fitzgerald

2.      Jackie Joyner-Keree

3.      Rosa Parks

4.      Mae C. Jemison

5.      Mya Angelo

6.      Emily Dickenson

7.      Oprah Winfrey

Before you peak at the answers below, here’s one more way you can celebrate Women’s History Month…read books by local authors. I have been fortunate to meet many great children’s book authors and participated in workshops, conferences and other gatherings with them.

It was recently announced that our very own Michigan author, Lisa Wheeler, has received the Golden Kite Award. Pick up a stack of her books at your local library or book store. Read to your child or enjoy them yourself. Have you met any local authors in your area?

Now for the answers to the Trivia questions. Check below to you did.

Answers

1.      One of the greatest jazz singers, lived 1918-1996

2.      First American woman to win Olympic Gold in the long jump (won in 1988 & 1992)

3.      Refused to give up her seat to a white person on a crowded bus during bus segregation time

4.      First African American woman to travel in space

5.      Poet

6.      Poet who wrote close 2000 poems

How will you celebrate Women’s History Month?

Fun Friday – What’s in your cereal bowl? – Fun Facts and other trivia

Photo credit: www.blog.bridgespottery.com

Do you have a favorite cereal? For several years I lived in a city that was called the cereal capital of the world, Battle Creek, MI. During the time I was there, it was the headquarters of Kellogg’s. I’d have to say I’m partial to many of the Kellogg brand cereals with Froot Loops topping my list of favorites, but Chex and MultiGrain Cheerios are on my list too.

Some mornings on my way to work I could smell the cereal cooking, baking, being prepared. Often it was a fruity smell and I’d try to guess which cereal it was. Did you know that cereal was invented in Battle Creek by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William Keith Kellogg? They founded the Kellogg Company in 1906.

Do you remember the days when you used to sit and eat a bowl of cereal and read the back of the box while eating? Yeah, I still do that sometimes. This led to the idea of posting fun facts about cereal. Test your knowledge with the information below. Did you know…

·         Cereal was first invented when colonial housewives started serving popcorn with sugar and cream for breakfast.

·         The word cereal comes from Cerealia, the name of ancient Roman ceremonies that honored Ceres, the goddess of grain.

·         The average American eats 160 bowls of cereal each year.

·         One bushel of wheat will make 53 boxes of cereal.

·         Breakfast cereal is the third most popular item sold in grocery stores after carbonated beverages and milk.

Can you identify the cereals below by their tag lines?

1.      “They’re G-R-E-A-T”

2.      “Coo Coo for…”

3.      “They’re magically delicious”

4.      “Just follow your nose, wherever it goes, the flavor of fruit…”

5.      “The cereal of champions”

6.      “Snap, Crackle, Pop”

7.      “Silly rabbit….are for kids”

If you still enjoy eating cereal as an adult, know that you are not alone. Check out this cereal commercial of adults who confess to indulging in cereal as a treat.

 

Are you ready for the answers to the tag lines?

       1.      Frosted Flakes

       2.      CoCo Puffs

       3.      Lucky Charms

       4.      Froot Loops (the old commercials with Toucan Sam)

       5.      Wheaties

       6.      Rice Krispies

       7.      Trix

Did you get all of the tag lines correct?

Fun Facts Friday - What was said about successful people before their success?



Photo credit: geeksdreamgirl.com

I’m trying something different today; let’s call today Fun Facts Friday. While Reading the Metro Parent Magazine I came across an article titled Good Parents Let Their Kids Fail. Across the top of the page were photos of six people we know to have been successful in their lifetime. They included: Fred Astaire, Walter (Walt) Disney, Thomas Edison, Stephen King, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.

The take away factor of the article was that we need to let kids experience failure. In experiencing failure kids learn to “realize their limits, adjust and learn from their mistakes (Metro Parent February 2013).” So what are the facts about the six people above thought to be least likely to succeed? Here they are:

Fred Astaire:   Mr. Fancy Footwork was evaluated unfavorably after his first screen test – “can’t act. Can’t sing. Can dance a little.”

Walt Disney:   This creator of Mickey Mouse and the Disney Empire was fired from a Missouri newspaper for not being creative enough.

Side note: Did you know that originally Mickey Mouse’s name was going to be Mortimer? Walt Disney’s wife suggested he change it to something less pretentious.

Thomas Edison:          This famous inventor was labeled by his teachers as “too stupid to learn.”

Stephen King:            This best selling horror author was rejected by 30 publishers.

Steven Spielberg:      This Academy Award-winning director was rejected from the University of Southern California three times due to poor grades in school.

Oprah Winfrey:          This media mogul was discouraged by her first boss, who told her she was too emotional and not right for television.

Test your knowledge with trivia questions related to the people above.

1. What female actress did Fred Astaire dance with in many of his movies?

a.      Betty Boop

b.      Ginger Rogers

c.       Betty White

d.      Elizabeth Taylor

2. Where was the first Disney theme park built?

a.      Florida

b.      China

c.       California

d.      Africa

3. Which item below is NOT one of Thomas Edison’s creations?

a.      Phonograph

b.      Light bulb

c.       Telegraph devices

d.      Computer keyboard

4. What was Stephen King’s first book that was turned into a movie?

a.      Carrie

b.      The Shawshank Redemption

c.       The Green Mile

d.      Christine

5. Which movie below is NOT one written or produced by Steven King?

a.      ET

b.      Shrek

c.       Jaws

d.      Jurassic Park

6. Where was the Oprah show taped?

a.      Las Angeles

b.      Detroit

c.       Chicago

d.      San Francisco

Answer Key

1. b
2. c– California 1955
3. d
4. a
5. b
6. c

Did you discover any new information? What fun facts have you come across that you would add to this list? Have you let your child fail at something in order to teach a lesson?

Who is your hero?- A tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen (seated in white shirts) on tour in Detroit.

The older kids at the summer camp where I work had the opportunity to meet several of the Tuskegee Airmen. There was a traveling tour sponsored by Focus Hope in Detroit. The kids learned a bit of history as they watched a film, shook hands and asked questions of the airmen who were present.

Parkridge Community Center camp kids visit with the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

 

Here’s some of the information the kids learned:

·         The Tuskegee Airmen were African American pilots who fought in World War II. They were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces.

·         The airmen were aviators “during the time of Jim Crow laws and a time when the American military was racially segregated (Wikipedia).”

Some of the kids already had background knowledge of the Tuskegee Airmen. They were familiar with the movie Red Tails which was based on the trials and triumphs of Tuskegee Airmen. These airmen were considered heroes for their accomplishments.

Below are a few trivia questions about the Tuskegee Airmen

1.      The Tuskegee Airmen are known by the color of their P-51 tails. What color were they?

2.      The first 36 graduates at Tuskegee formed the 99^th Pursuit Squadron. Where were they stationed for their first combat mission?

3.      How many aerial victories are credited to the Tuskegee Airmen?

4.      Who is unofficially credited as the only “Ace” of the Tuskegee Airmen?

5.      Using the record of the Airmen, along with other contributions by African American soldiers during the War, President Harry Truman issued an Executive Order in 1948 that did what?

Answers to trivia

1.      Red

2.      Tunisia – The 99^th Squadron was sent to North Africa and flew its first combat mission against the island of Pantelleria on June 2, 1943.

3.      112 – The Airmen flew rescue missions and remained with the bombers until an enemy aircraft actually attacked.

4.      Lee Archer Jr.

5.      Desegregated the military.

To view all of the trivia questions from where these were gathered check out www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-Tuskegee-Airmen-303143.html.

 
There are many heroes in history, some are local, and some are in our families. My hero is my grandfather Robert Pollard who served in the army during World War II. He served his country and his family well.

 

Who do you consider to be a hero?

Monday Musings – Trivia – Can you identify products/electronics, games from the past?

 Do you remember when all T.V. shows ended by 2:00am? There was no flipping through channels after 2:00am. Test your knowledge or memory by looking at the items below to see how many you can identify. The answers are at the bottom of the page (don’t cheat).

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

 Bonus questions (s) – Do you remember the theme song to any of the following T.V. shows

• The Brady Bunch
• Gilligan’s Island
• The Jefferson’s
• The Addams Family

In the TV show, The Munsters, what was their home address?



Answers

1. Eight Track Tape

2. Cassette Tape

3. Vinyl Record
4. Easy Bake Oven
5. GI Joe
6. Rotary Telephone
7. Record Player
8. Super Friends (including Aqua Man)
9. School House Rock
10. Soul Train dance show
11. Hong Kong Phooey - cartoon  (dog) detective/police
12. Lawn mower - the kind my grandfather still has...he's 95 yrs old
Answers to bonus questions

The Brady Bunch - "Here's the story of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls. All of them had hair of gold, like their mother...the youngest one in curls..."

Gilligan's Island - "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful trip...that started on a tropic Isle aboard this tiny ship..."

The Jeffersons - "Well' we're movin on up to the east side, to a delux apartment in the sky..."

The Addams Family - "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky. They're altogether ooky, the Addams Family..."

How did you do? If you got all of the bonus trivia correct, you watched a lot of T.V. as a child (so did I). Did the trivia challenge bring back memories?

What items do you remember playing with as a child or what T.V. shows did you watch?