So Irish blessings are second to none in their beauty and eloquence, but the wisdom of Irish sayings rivals that of the Chinese proverbs you see quoted everywhere. The mischievous humor of the Irish makes them much more entertaining, to boot! Here are the translations of the four most common Irish sayings said in the Irish tongue (also known as Gaelic) and our favorite Irish sayings said in English.

1. Erin go bragh! (Actually it’s “Éirinn go Brách!”) – Ireland forever!
2. Sláinte – Health! (like saying cheers before a drink)
3. Fáilte – Welcome!
4. Céad míle fáilte! – a hundred thousand welcomes!
5. You can accomplish more with a kind word and a shillelagh than you can with just a kind word.
6. God is good, but never dance in a small boat.
7. Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening, and live every day as if it were your last.
8. If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you’re lucky enough.
9. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures.
10. Here’s to you and yours, And to mine and ours, And if mine and ours ever come across you and yours, I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours and mine and ours have done for you and yours!

St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the culture of the Irish, who are known not just as drinkers, but as poets and storytellers with an eloquence that few other cultures can replicate. (Of course, I may be biased, being an Irish lass meself, but that’s another story.) Ireland has given us some of the best prayers and blessings in the English language. How many of these do you know?

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Wishing you always…
Walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire

May neighbours respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

May the rains sweep gentle across your fields,
May the sun warm the land,
May every good seed you have planted bear fruit,
And late summer find you standing in fields of plenty.

May the blessing of light be on you—
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire.

May God give you…
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

God bless the corners of this house,
And be the lintel blest,
And bless the hearth and bless the board,
And bless each place of rest,
And bless each door that opens wide
To stranger as to kin,
And bless each crystal window pane
That lets the starlight in,
And bless the rooftree overhead
And every sturdy wall.
The peace of man, the peace of God,
The peace of love on all.

And just for good measure, here’s an eighth:

May you be in Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you’re dead!

Ingredients:

• About 3 pounds corned beef brisket
• 1  7-oz. pkg. mixed dried fruit
• 1/2  cup dried cranberries
• 2  Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/2  cup orange juice
• 1/2  cup water
• 1  Tbsp. mild-flavored molasses
• 1/4  tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8  tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Trim the fat from your meat.  If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker.  Place meat in the cooker.  You can toss the seasoning packet if it comes with one.
2. Cut any large pieces of mixed dried fruit into quarters.  Sprinkle mixed dried fruit, dried cranberries, and tapioca over meat in cooker.  In a small bowl, combine orange juice, water, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pour over the mixture in the cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
4. Remove meat from cooker.  Thinly slice the corned beef across the grain.  Arrange meat slices on a serving platter.  Spoon fruit mixture over meat.  Makes 6 servings.

1. Wear green. No, that small stripe in your shirt doesn’t count!  You need enough green for you to see a few feet away, maybe even something with some clovers on it.
2. Take a journey in you kitchen. Eat like the Irish all day long.  Start with a “full Irish breakfast”.  Items on this menu include bacon, sausage, fried eggs, black pudding, white pudding, fried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and potatoes, brown soda bread and a strong Irish breakfast tea.  Or keep it simple with steel cut oatmeal.  For lunch try a traditional Irish stew.  For dinner you can prepare the very popular corned beef and cabbage.  And perhaps some potato pie for dessert.
3. Play some music. Ireland has a long history with music, and many incredible styles have emerged.  Celtic, folk and traditional Irish songs might just get you in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.  And they are super fun to dance to.
4. Get crafty. Common themes for St. Patty’s projects include rainbows, shamrocks and leprechauns.
5. Host a treasure hunt. Fill a pot or chest with kiddie treasure like candy, toys and games.  Hide it in a secure place.  Then leave trails and clues for kids to find it.  Once they hunt it down, they can all split the booty.

Materials:

• Large piece of cardboard
• Razor cutter or scissors
• A shoebox with a lid
• Craft glue
• Green paint
• Stickers, pre-made rainbows and other decoration
• Gold paint and/or glitter
• sticks, craft sticks or wooden skewers cut to these lengths, (2) 6-inch pieces and (8) 1-inch pieces
• small pot or container
• Shiny coins, jewelry, treasure or even Lucky Charms cereal
• Small pillow(s) or soft fabric to line the inside of your box

Instructions:

1. Cut a large shamrock shape out of the cardboard.  Make sure that it is big enough to house your shoebox with at least a 3-inch buffer all the way around.
2. Put shoebox lid in place on top of the shoebox.  Draw a 2×2 inch square on the lid next to the front edge.  Cut 3 sides of the square, leaving one edge in tact.
3. Center your hat or shoebox in the middle of the shamrock cutout.  Glue it down to the cardboard.
4. Paint shamrock, shoebox and lid green.  Decorate with gold paint, glitter, stickers and other decorations.
5. Fill your pot or container with coins, treasure, Lucky Charms or other goodies.  Reserve a few goodies to use as bait.  Place your pot on top of the shoebox lid.  Glue it in place if you are going to be moving your trap around.
6. Glue sticks or skewers together to assemble a ladder.  Lean the ladder against the shoebox, making sure that the top of the ladder lines up with the trap door.  Glue the top the ladder to the shoebox and the bottom of the ladder to your shamrock cut out.
7. Glue down a trail of goodies or coins that lead to your pot.
8. When a leprechaun follows your trail to the goody pot, he will climb up the ladder and fall through the trap door when he reaches the top!  Be sure to put something soft inside to cushion his fall.

IWD has been recognized since the early 1900’s when the oppression and inequality women faced was finally brought to the forefront by women themselves, who became more active and vocal in their call for change and equal rights.

In 1910 the second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen, where Clara Zetkin, the leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany proposed that every year in every country there should be a Women’s Day to both celebrate their achievements and voice for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries – representing unions, socialist parties, and working women’s clubs – agreed unanimously and International Women’s Day was born.

Each year, International Women’s Day chooses a theme to draw attention to issues that effect women. In the past, such topics have included ending violence against women and children, financing for gender equality and women in sports.

For International Women’s Day 2010, the focus is on equal “rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all.”  The International Commitee of the Red Cross is calling attention to the hardships of displaced women due to current armed conflicts.  Many women around the world are displaced single parents, left to raise their children in severe poverty. Displaced women face discrimination, social exclusion and sexual violence, and the ICRC is calling for their protection.

But what can you do?  The Interntional Women’s Day Web site encourages you to think globally, but act locally. Take your children to volunteer at a women’s shelter, donate supplies to local schools to ensure our daughters receive a proper education or sit down with your own daughter and make sure she knows that she can do, say and be anything she wants.  Make sure she knows she can stand up for anything she believes in because there are women around the world who are not so fortunate and it is our responsibility as women to make sure that their voice is heard.

Dr. Seuss created worlds of wackiness and wonder. Why on earth would we do a list with a normal number like 10? Here are the 7 quotes from Dr. Seuss that I strive to remember and why.

“I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent.” (Horton Hatches the Egg) – Horton teaches us to stick to what we set out to do. Difficulties arise, but loyalty and perseverance pay off in the end.

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Horton Hears a Who) – That Horton sure was a wise one, huh? It doesn’t matter how tall, how short, how fat, how thin, how black, white, yellow, brown, or red a person is – everyone is someone to someone and should be treated that way.

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” (Happy Birthday to You) – Be yourself, because you’re the best you there is.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (The Lorax) – We can’t always wait for someone to do something – sometimes that someone is you.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” (Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!) – Don’t stay in the thinking box – exercise your brain and your creativity.

“Say! I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!” (Green Eggs and Ham) – It doesn’t matter how much you think you dislike something – you never know until you actually try it.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” (I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!) – Learn to read. Love to read. Reading is the key in the door of the whole wide world.

February 23 is National Banana Bread Day! Bananas may well be one of the world’s best health foods, aiding the body with everything from anemia and blood pressure to ulcers and warts. It’s even one of the first foods we feed our babies, and a go-to fruit for sick kids.

So it’s a given that we need to eat our bananas, but what to do when the kids (and Mom for that matter) are tired of eating straight bananas? Make banana bread! It’s fast; it’s easy, and there’s no kneading, floury mess to deal with – perfect! Most people think of banana nut bread when they hear banana bread, but I’m one of those weird people that actually prefer my banana bread without nuts. The sugar content of most recipes is also concerning. This is the recipe I’ve developed that lowers sugar content, eliminates nuts (perfect for those with allergies) and oil, and includes whole wheat. It turns out an incredibly moist loaf that will most likely not last 24 hours. Cold or hot, with or without butter, everyone in the family will love it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup natural, unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs or egg substitute equivalent
• 1 cup bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Grease 9 x 5 loaf pan
3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly
4. Mix sugar, applesauce, and eggs together until light and fluffy
5. Mix in bananas
6. Add dry ingredients
7. Stir just until smooth
8. Pour into prepared pan
9. Bake until firmly set when lightly touched in center top, 50-60 minutes (bread may crack across top)
10. Cool on rack
11. Remove from pan after 10 minutes

The third Monday in February (that’s today!) represents President’s Day: a day set aside to remember two of the greatest presidents to ever serve our nation, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Here are some fun ways to teach your kids that President’s Day is more than just a free day off of school, but also an opportunity to honor these two valiant men and all of our other presidents for their contribution to our way of life.

1. Find Washington and Lincoln quotes and read them to your kids.  Discuss what they mean and why they said them.  This will give your kids insight into the kind of people they were.
2. Show them pictures of Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Monument.  Ask children to choose their favorite president and propose a new monument that is dedicated to that president.  Then have them explain why they’ve chosen the individual they’re honoring and how the monument will represent that president.
3. Show kids different coins and dollars.  Discuss who is on each one and why.
4. Help kids make fun president related crafts, like a log cabin made out of pretzels.  Then discuss how these crafts relate to the president they are about.
5. Have kids brainstorm about what they would do if they were president.  Have them write it out and keep it as a patriotic keepsake.

1. Doodle Sweet Nothings. Get a big glass jar and some pretty note paper.  On each piece of paper write something that you love about your partner.  You can also write love poems, song lyrics and special memories that you have shared together.  You can spend the night reading them and reminiscing.  And your loved one can enjoy this gift year round.  They can reach into your “love jar” anytime they have a rough day or just need something to lift their spirits.
2. Show Your Love For All To See. Nothing makes a person feel more special than a public announcement.  All bashfulness aside, it is a real ego and romance booster.  You don’t have to hire an airplane banner.  There are lots of simple ways to proclaim your love.  You cut out big letters and tape them to your garage door.  Hang a banner at the park.  Spray paint it in the snow.  Decorate their car.  You might even get your local store or mall to go along with you and announce it over the P. A. while the two of you are shopping.
3. Celebrate All Day. Most couples celebrate V-day in the evening.  but it is always nice to find a little surprise during a mundane day.  How romantic would it be to find special treats everywhere you turn?  A note next their toothbrush.  Their favorite breakfast on the kitchen table.  Balloons or flowers on the coffee table.  A gift card in their pants pocket.  A mix CD in their car stereo.  A surprise package at work.  All of these things are simple to do, but they will make your partner feel like you went to a lot of trouble.

Food:

• Make heart shaped pizza
• Host a tea party
• Cookie or rice crispy treat conversation hearts
• Strawberry or raspberry parfaits
• Chocolate covered strawberries
• Stained glass candy
• Cherry 7-Up floats

Decorations:

• Hang construction paper conversation hearts and from the ceiling with yarn.
• Cover tables with white tablecloths and spread rose petals on top.
• Use a Valentine card tree as a centerpiece.
• Scatter battery powered votives for a kid friendly ”candlelight” backdrop
• Fill clear dishes or jars with Valentine candies like conversation hearts and cinnamon bears
• Dress up stuffed animals with red and pink clothes or ribbon and set them throughout room.

Activities:

• Have kids make homemade valentines for Dad, siblings or grandparents.
• Play Cupid’s Surprise by having kids play musical chair of sort where instead of trying to find a seat they unwrap festive gifts.
• See who can build the highest tower of conversation hearts in a given time.  To even the playing field, give younger kids the large hearts.
• Have kids make a favor spinner.  Similar to the hug coupons often given out at V-day, this spinner let’s kids spin to get a special privilege.
• Play matchmaker.  Have kids call out the second half to famous couples (ie: Mickey and Minnie).  Or you can do a “memory” style game where you write the individuals’ names from each couple on index cards and have kids try to match them up.
• Play Catch My Heart beanbag toss.

Valentine’s Day

1. Cupid’s Heart- This adorable heart-shaped card has a straw arrow going through it.  Classmates can open it up to read your child’s heartfelt message.
2. Hanging Heart Mobile- This valentine doubles as a design accent.  If you are a room mom, you could hang these on the wall or chalkboard as a decoration and the kids can grab them when the party starts.  After the party, students can hang this in their bedroom and think of your cool kid every time they see it.
3. Love Bug- Most Valentine stuff caters to girls.  These are great because they are valentines that little boy can get into.  Who knows more about bugs than little boys?
4. Love Scroll-Kids will feel like they are passing around mystic secrets with these fun scroll valentines.
5. Lollipop Flower- These valentines are sweeter than roses.  And they include a hidden treat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• lightly sweetened whipped cream
• fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot.  Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined.  Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160 degrees F on thermometer.  Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring frequently.  Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
3. Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks.  Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
4. Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours.  Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes and garnish with whipped cream and raspberries before serving.

Today is National Wear Red Day

Women are susceptible to the traditional risk factors – high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity – but their hearts are also far more affected by mental stress and depression, smoking and metabolic syndromes.  Low levels of estrogen after menopause also pose a risk.

Female symptoms are often more subtle than the crushing chest pain often associated with heart attacks.  Women tend to have small vessel hear disease, rather than just blockages in the main arteries.

Learn to recognize the symptoms:

• Neck, shoulder, upper back and abdominal discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Unusual fatigue

And today, wear red.

He most certainly did. That means six more weeks of winter for us!

Groundhog enthusiasts are still looking to Phil to tell them how much longer they’ll need that winter coat though, unless, of course, they live in Alaska. In Alaska, thanks to Sarah Palin, if you want to know how long winter’s going to last you’ll have to ask a Marmot. Palin signed a bill last year to make Feburary second Marmot Day in her home state.  The bill was introduced by State Senator Lind Menard, a Wasilla Republican. Groundhogs aren’t common in Alaska, so Menard thought that it would make more sense to look to local Marmots. Not, of course, that the government of Alaska can legislate rodent weather predicting talents – but Menard hopes that local school systems will produce more educational activities around the animal now that its taken over the popular holiday.

But Phil isn’t worried about the competition. Not only does he have his own movie, his own concert and his own Web site, he has learned to text so that he can share his predictions even faster. Marmot Day doesn’t have a chance.

The tradition started in Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries with German immigrants who brought the tradition with them from Europe.  Groundhog Day is an evolution of Candlemas, a medieval Catholic holiday.  Not surprisingly, the biggest celebrations are still in Pennsylvania.  Specifically in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home to Punxsutawney Phil, the official star of this particular holiday. At least according to Punxsutawnians.  Of course, they also claim that Phil is semi-immortal due to the “groundhog punch” he drinks every summer at the Groundhog Picnic which supposedly gives him seven more years of life with each sip.

Groundhog enthusiasts claim that the rodents’ forecasts are 75% to 90% accurate.  A Canadian study for thirteen cities in the past 40 years puts its accuracy at 37%, which is close to the National Climatic Dad Center’s rating of 39%.  Accurate or not, this is still a fun holiday for children. Not only does Punxsutawney Phil offer an array of fun activity sheets, Groundhogs make great DYI toys building projects.  If you’re looking for something a little more scientific, this is also a great moment to talk about meteorology and the seasons (knowing that winter technically ALWAYS lasts six weeks after Groundhog Day won’t spoil the fun).  If you want to get really ambitious, get into the science and mathematics of shadows too!

Right after Christmas and New Years our family activities come to a halt.  It is due partly to holiday fun overload (we go non-stop from Halloween to the end of the year).  But it is more because of the lackluster weather.  When it gets chilly outside, I barely have the desire to get out of bed, let alone leave the house.  But there is some great family fun to be had during the month of love.  Just bundle up and before you know it you’ll forget what that thermometer says.

• Take A Ski Trip. By the time February rolls around even the most affluent ski resorts are ready to haggle.  You can find incredible family deals on flights, hotels and lift tickets.
• Celebrate Black History Month. Check out your local libraries, museums and cultural centers for Black History events.  You can also do crafts and learning activities at home.
• Enjoy Winter. The start of winter is usually so bombarded with holiday functions that you hardly have enough hours in the day to sleep.  So now that all of that has passed, February is a great time to get out in that winter wonderland.  Go sledding or head out to your local ice rink.  It is good cheap fun that will keep you all entertained for hours.  And it is a great excuse to drink hot cocoa!
• Celebrate The Year Of The Tiger. The Chinese New Year is February 14th.  Check your local library for celebrations and educational programs.
• Make Homemade Valentines. Your kids will have the most unique valentines in their class.  And it will give you a chance to let your creativity run wild together.
• Catch A Show. The winter is the perfect for indoor activities.  Check your local playhouse for kid friendly showing (Cinderella is on in our neighborhood right now).  Or head to the movie theater to check out a flick.
• Have A Spot of Tea. If your kids are old enough, take a trip to your local tea house.  Kids love the finger sandwiches and scones.  And the many wonderful teas will warm you up.

(Photo Via: Spirit Mountain)

Wave All you Fingers at Your Neighbor Day – Sunday, February 7 – See who can wave at the most “neighbors” today.

Boy Scout Day – Monday, February 8 – In 1910 in the District of Columbia, Chicago publisher William Dickson Boyce filed incorporation papers for the Boy Scouts of America. Did you know that there were over 3.1 million boy scouts as of 2004?

Make a Friend Day – Thursday, February 11 – Everybody needs a friend. Talk about what makes a good friend and reach out to make a new friend today.

Get a Different Name Day – Saturday, February 13 – Hate your birth name? Change it today – just leave the wacky names to the celebrities.

Do a Grouch a Favor Day – Tuesday, February 16 – Find a grouch and kill him with kindness!

Hoodie Hoo Day – Saturday, February 20 – If you’re sick of winter, scare it away! Go outside at high noon (local time) and wave your hands wildly above your head while yelling, “Hoodie Hoo!!” at the top of your lungs.

International World Thinking Day – Monday, February 22 – It started with Girl Scouts being encouraged to think of each other. Today, it’s for girls and women to think about how they can change the world. The 2010 theme is poverty and hunger and aims to raise awareness of these issues worldwide. What can your family do today to ease the suffering of poverty or hunger where you are?

Tell a Fairy Tale Day – Friday, February 26 – Easy – tell a fairy tale.  Whether is a classic or a twist on a classic fairy tale, have fun with it!

National Tooth Fairy Day – Sunday, February 28 – Celebrate the Tooth Fairy today! But don’t go trying to lose a tooth on purpose – maybe just watch a movie about the Tooth Fairy instead, eh?

image source

Decorate Together

• Hang steamers in your favorite team’s colors.
• Let younger kids spread festive confetti or put a football theme tablecloth on the coffee table.
• Little ones can help tie team color balloons in the front yard.

Let Them Help in the Kitchen

• Let the kids use football cookie cutters to cut the crust off of sandwiches.
• Cut up some small cubes of cheddar cheese. Have the kids wrap a piece of crescent dough around each cube.  Place them on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• Let the kids mix their own Italian sodas using soda water and flavored syrups in your team’s colors.  You can also add half and half to make cream sodas.  Top them off with whipped cream and fun straws!

Get Them Pumped for the Game with Games

• Blow up a brown balloon to represent a football.  Play some music while the kids try to keep it from touching the floor.
• Set up a training area in the playroom, backyard or garage for antsy little ones to take a break during the game.  You can use small boxes and pillows to create an obstacle course.  Have an adult or older kid time everyone with a stopwatch.  Complete the gym with jump ropes and Nerf footballs.
• Write different football terms and their definitions on small pieces of paper.  Put them in a bowl and have each child draw a piece of paper.  After teaching them the word and the definition, challenge them to use it as often as possible during the Super Bowl.  This is especially fun if the adults join in and help the kids call them out.

It’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day

BWAD is celebrated every year on the last Monday of January.  This fabulous holiday was created in 2001, when “Spirit 95″ a local radio station in Bloomington, Indiana, started the tradition. It’s spread like wildfire across the internet – there are hundreds of Bubble Wrap oriented Facebook groups and every year Bubble Wraps special holiday sparks tons of Twitter chatter.

Bubble wrap was invented by a pair of engineers, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, in 1957. They founded the Sealed Air Company in 1960 to sell their new, unexpectedly addictive packing material. The term “bubble wrap” is, like Kleenex and Q-tip, a brand name that has become common vernacular for the object itself, including it’s generic copy cats.

While bubble wrap is well known as a packing material, it’s even better known as a thoroughly entertaining form of play and stress relief. There are even digital bubble wrap computer games designed to help blow off steam (though no where near as effective as the real thing). The easiest way to celebrate? You could go check out www.bubblewrapfun.com or http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html for fun ideas and silly pictures of your fellow devotee’s. Or, you could just bring home a couple of yards of the good stuff and see what kind of mischief young minds can come up with – inevitably you’ll find yourself with some silly pictures of your own!

There may be a fun family holiday every day of the month, but we must not forget the somber, world-changing holidays in the midst of all the fun. We here at KidGlue encourage you to gather the family, watch the video of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, and discuss civil rights, equality, and color-blind friendship.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

1. Backwards – This theme is great because it is fun and silly and it allows yours guests to get involved and creative.  Send invites written backwards so that recipients have to hold them up to a mirror.  Encourage guests to where their clothes backwards.  For the party itself, do everything backwards.  Open presents first.  Eat cake before lunch.  Have kids run backwards relays.  Get creative.  For some inspiration. check out what these parents did.
2. Hollywood – Kids love glam.  Your initial thought might be that this is for girls only, but you could do a rock star motif for boys.  A super fun way to invite guests would be to record them all dressed up or in a “scene” inviting their guests.  Then you could do like a credits voice over with all of the details.  Encourage guests to dress up like a movie/rock star.  A great venue would be a local playhouse or small theatre that has the ability to lay a red carpet.  Recruit family members to be camera and crew.  Not only does this make kids feel like they are on a set, but  you can also send pics or video of each guest with their thank you cards.  An obvious snack would be popcorn.  Steal some ideas here from real parents that have thrown Hollywood parties.
3. Mystery – This is basically “Clue” shrunken down into kid form.  Cut your invitations up into puzzle pieces for guests to assemble when they open them.  If you are brave enough, this would be a great sleepover party.  Come up with a mystery, commensurate with kids’ level of understanding.  Then drop hints through out the party to help them figure out what happened.  A good game idea would be to have partiers guess how many candies in a jar.  You can announce clues, hand them out as prizes, or hide them throughout the party like under cake plates, in the pinata, taped to a bounce house, etc.  It would be a good idea to have a big prize for whoever figures out the mystery.  Look here for more settings for this theme.
4. Safari – Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!  For invitations try making a mock passport with an Africa or “safari” stamp inside.  A great venue would be outside, such as a big park or campground.  Hand out passports with stamp boxes.  Set up game stations and have a special stamp for each one.  When a guest completes that game, they get a stamp.  At the end of the party, have each guests show you their passport to obtain a favor bag.  For more safari tips check this out.
5. Magic – Tada!  Birthday perfection.  Make your invites look like playing cards.  Obviously a magician would be a good investment. Or if your child enjoys magic, you could have them perform for their friends.  Give out pop rocks and magic erase boards as favors.  For more magical inspiration look here.

We’re starting a new series here at KidGlue to highlight our favorite fun holidays each month, but I just couldn’t wait until February. I couldn’t very well let you miss out on Kazoo day, could I?

National Hat Day – Friday, January 15 – See who can create the craziest hat! Fun Fact: You lose more body heat through your head than any other part of your body.

Winnie the Pooh Day – Monday, January 18 – Celebrate A.A. Milne’s birthday by watching your family’s favorite Pooh movie and have honey on bread for dessert. Fun Fact: Did you know that A.A. stands for Allan Alexander?

National Hugging Day – Thursday, January 21 – See which member of the family can give the most hugs today. Fun Fact: A hug raises endorphin levels, boosting your immune system.

National Handwriting Day – Saturday, January 23 – Spend an hour writing cards and letters. Fun Fact: The date was chosen because it is the birthday of John Hancock – the first signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Measure Your Feet Day – Saturday, January 23 – Measure your feet to see if they are both the same exact length. Fun Fact: Did you know that your foot is the same length as your forearm from wrist to elbow? Try it and see!

Compliment Day – Sunday, January 24 – See if you can give a compliment for each letter of the Alphabet – to 26 different people! For instance, tell Mom that she’s Amazing, your sister that she’s Beautiful, and Dad that he’s Courageous.

National Kazoo Day – Thursday, January 28 – Have a kazoo parade, of course! Don’t have a kazoo? Watch the tutorial at the bottom to make one out of a toilet paper roll. Fun Fact: The kazoo was invented in the 1840s.

National Puzzle Day – Friday, January 29 – Gather around the table and put together a jigsaw puzzle. Fun Fact: The first jigsaw puzzle is believed to have been created in 1760 by a London engraver and mapmaker by the name of John Spilsbury.

Backward Day – Sunday, January 31 – Wear your shirt backward; have dinner for breakfast, and breakfast for dinner; and eat dessert first! Fun Fact: In Europe in the 19th century, baby boys were dressed in pink and girls were dressed in blue.

This is a family tradition you can do every year, and the best time to start is this New Years, with the end of a decade. Gather your family’s memories and make a time capsule each New Years Day to bury in your yard, and open them when your children are grown for a great family memory.

What you’ll need:

* A large empty coffee can with a lid
* A piece of construction paper
* Glue
* Packing Tape
* Scissors
* A piece of notebook paper
* Pen or Marker
* Memorabilia from the year

1. Wash and dry the can thoroughly. Wrap the construction paper around the outside, and secure with glue.
2. Let then kids go nuts decorating the outside of the can. Be sure to remind them to write the year on the can, so you can see which time capsule it is before you open it in the future.
3. When ready, have each family member place a small item that represents an important memory from the past year to them inside the can.
4. Write a list of everything in the can on the piece of paper, and what it represents. Let each family member write their own item’s description.
5. Place the list inside the can with the other items and seal the lid. Reinforce with tape so no moisture gets through the can over the years.
6. Pick a date to open all of the cans when your children are grown. It will be a day to remember when you dig up all of your time capsules and share your memories.

What do you include?

• Make sure your children don’t put anything inside of the box they will regret.
• If you are worried about preservation of important things, like ribbons or documents, make a copy of them to put in the time capsule to not risk it.
• Ideas of things to include: awards, newspaper clippings, photos, trinkets, toys, jewelry, letters, ticket stubs, report cards, hand prints, drawings, cards, school assignments.

1. Balderdash

   

   In this board game players are given a word, a person, an acronym, a movie or a silly law to make up a description about.  The object is to guess the correct answer while trying to get your opponents to pick your answer.  It is so fun to play with family because you all know each other so well.  So when some answers are read out loud we all laugh and say, “Oh, Mom wrote that one!”  My 5-year old enjoys running our answers to the reader when we are done writing them.

2. Uno

   

   This card game is always a blast at our house.  There are many versions out now, but we still prefer the original.  The object is simple, get rid of all of your cards the fastest.  The fun part is that in the process of getting rid of your cards, you have to put up obstacles for everyone else by making them draw cards or skipping their turn.  We get so serious about Uno that when we sit down to play certain family members won’t sit next to each other.  We still laugh about things that happened during games we played years ago.

3. Would You Rather…

   

   The object in this board game is to guess how your opponents think.  One player reads a card that gives two options like, “Would you rather not be able to shave for a year or have to shave your head for a year?”  The reader has to guess what they think the group will choose.  Then the rest of the players have to come to a unanimous decision and check to see if the reader got it right.  This game is especially fun to play if your family has  diverse points of view.

4. Monopoly

   

   We all know this one.  Gather wealth and property while sending your opponents to the poor house (or jail).  Trading properties is always a challenge at our house because I have an unrealistic brother, but that adds to the fun of it.  We have the electronic game, so my boys have fun adding and subtracting money for us on the little bank gadget.  We just have to keep an eye on them so that they do the right amounts.  This year I got the card version, Monopoly Deal, for Christmas.  It is faster and makes it easier to acquire property.  But all-in-all it really is Monopoly in card form!

5. Clue

   

   The classic who done it game.  We always have fun making guesses and scribbling notes while reading each others reactions.  This year my sister got the “The Office” version for Christmas.  It adds some extra cards for twists and turns that make the game a lot more fun to play.  Watch out for that clock card!