CRY Walk – Naperville, IL

My husband was keen on the walk so we set off last Sunday morning to the CRY Walk. The 5 KM or 3.1 mile walk was a good experience along with the satisfaction of contributing for a social cause and the fun of family walk and nature study. 🙂

CRY

Child Rights and You (CRY) is a non-profit organization driven by its vision of a just world in which all children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential and realize their dreams. The following are the achievements of CRY in 2009-10. 

  • Covered over 13089 villages and slums across India
  • 728,799 children were impacted through our programmes
  • 30427 children were mainstreamed into government schools
  • 14433 government schools retained 100% of the children mainstreamed into the schools
  • 17076 of births were registered
  • 1288 ICDS Centres (anganwadis)/ Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were revived/ retained
  • 351 Panchayat Village Education Committees were activated
  • 315 villages were made 100% child labour free
  • 3254 children’s groups were formed and strengthened

    • You can join the CRY as a member or volunteer and donate or contribute toward the cause.

    Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve

    Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville is a natural area that has reaped the rewards of conservation. The conservation teams take care of the natural vegetation and wildlife. The forest area is a perfect place for sightseeing, nature study, jogging, walking and biking. The trails are long and peaceful with beautiful trees around.

    You will not feel the tiredness of the walking or biking as you will be immersed in the beauty of the surroundings.:) Further, the forest has additional facilities such as golfing, boating, horseback riding, hiking, picknicking, fishing, camping and other activities for your recreation.

    While walking is best for your health, it is also better if your family accompanies you. Overall, the CRY walk was fun and am glad we could make it. Further, my seven year old completed the five kilo meter walk that surprises and makes me even more happier. 🙂

    Boy Scouts Popcorn Sales

    The Boy Scouts of America are a self supporting organization which earn through popcorn sales. Scouts sell yummy popcorn online and face to face to earn money for their troops.

    The Boy Scouts of America

    The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.


    For nearly a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes — and, through nearly a century of experience, knows — that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.

    To buy popcorn and support your local scouts visit Trail’s End.

    CRY 2010 Walk – Let’s make a difference

    Dear Readers,

    It would be great if you can make it for this event or even donate for this cause.
    Take few minutes to go through some of the numbers on children in India and in America

    http://america.cry.org/site/know_us/cry_america_and_child_rights/stat…
    =============================================================

    CRY America Chicago Action center presents

    WALK FOR CHILD RIGHTS 2010

    By participating in this walk, you can ensure that thousands of
    underprivileged children in India are restored their basic rights to
    live, learn, grow and play.

    5 KM and 3KM Walk for families

    Sunday, September 19, 2010

    Time: 9.30am onwards
    Venue: Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve (opp. Springbrook Golf
    Course) 2220 W 83rd St, Naperville, IL 60564

    Other than snacks and water, participants will also receive an
    attractive CRY T-shirt and finishers of the walk will receive
    participation certificates. Post event activities include balloon &
    mehndi artists, Dosa BBQ and exciting raffle prizes.

    For more information, email i…@crychicago.org or call Sunil
    Kulkarni: (630) 440-8718; Girish Rao: (847) 372-1068

    Sponsors for CRY Walk 2010 in Chicago include Zee TV, OfficeMax and
    CyberKorp.

    CRY – Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America) is a 501c3 non-
    profit organization driven by its vision of a just world in which all
    children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential
    and realize their dreams.

    Family Free Day at Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa

    Do not the miss the family free day at the Figge Art museum, Davenport this Saturday from 1-3pm in the afternoon. Sponsored by John Deere the event is free for all to enjoy the displays and shows.

    Fall Harvest Family Free Day is on September 18th, Saturday 1 pm to 3pm. Story time, art search, 3-D Harvest Collage, pumpkin coloring and other events are planned for the entire family.

    Tanners Orchard, Speer, IL

    Tunners Orchard at 740 State Route 40, Speer, IL 61479 (309.493.5442) is one hour drive from Quad cities and offers a unique farm experience for visitors. The farm, the picking and the activities make it worth visiting every September.

    Apple Picking

    Apple picking is a different experience in the Fall. The fat and cholesterol free fruit is the favorite for many of us. Children can easily pick the fruit as the trees are short and the fruits are easy to reach. After picking them, handle them gently and store in a cold place. Apple picking tips must be followed for enjoying the fruit.

    Tanners Orchard

    Tanners orchard, since 1947, are in the apple business. The drive to the farm in the country side is pleasant. You get to see many barns and windmills in the route along with wide and open fields. I wonder how much energy the windmills produce and after how many rotations.

    The farm has ample parking and restrooms. They do not charge the entry fees, but you need to buy a bag for $10 before entering the truck. The covered truck takes you to the apple farm, pumpkin farm and corn farm. You can get down at different places to pick. The apple farm has the apple trees lined up and full of apples. You can find green, red and yellow apples. The farm is full of bees and mosquitos. Depending on the weather you may have to choose the appropriate dress and shoes.

    Once you are done with the apple picking, you can wait for the truck to come and take you to the pumpkin farm. After the pumpkin farm, the truck drops you back at the start point where you find the corn farm. The orchard staff have organized a corn maze game. To enter the corn maze, you have to pay an entry fee of $7 for adults and $5 for children.

    Children’s Play Area

    The entrance fee for the children’s play area is $7 for children and $5 for adults. 50% of the fee directly goes to the local emergency fund. Children can play a wide variety of games inclluding the T-Ball, Mini golf, Slides, Swings, School bus games, mini rides, pony ride, barrel train ride and so on. Adults can ride a pedaling bike with large tyres on it. I was exhausted after 6 rounds. 🙂

    Different goats and other farm animals are on the show in the orchard. You can feed the animals by collecting their food from the nearby machine. The pony ride and tree house are good to watch.

    Store

    The store is my favorite place where you get yummy donuts, cider, frittles (egg-less), pies, jams, pickles, sauces and so on. They have a bakery where you can buy coffee or icecream. Different decorative items are on display. Also seen are large pumpkins and mums on sale. Overall, the trip leaves a good memory for all especially for children. 🙂

    Fall is ‘On’ and so are children’s activities

    With school reopening and kids running around most of the time, parents are busy picking and dropping. I am glad to have free time in the mornings. 🙂 But also am pretty busy in arranging sports and other activities for my kid. In the Fall season, kids can be engaged with a wide range of activities, but may have to chose based on the priorities.

    Moline Parks and Recreation

    The Moline Parks and Recreation board along with other local sports clubs is offering wide range of sports sessions for children at an affordable cost. What may be costing around $200 per kid if we approach separately, will cost $45 now with the special offer. You can register the Moline Parks and Recreation and add the required activities for your child.

    The sports club participating in this event include the Quad City Tennis Club, Quad City Mini-Wheekers, Summit Gymnastics Academy, and other local schools. The sports taught are Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, Basketball, Soccer, Football, and Gymnastics.

    It is better to expose your child to multiple areas so that they can decide which activity is better suited for them.

    Blackhawk College Aquatic Center 

    The Blackhawk College Aquatic Center is offering swim sessions in fall thru spring on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The cost is $38 per session and each class is for 45 minutes. Wednesday evenings the batches are from 6.15 pm to 7 pm and 7.15 pm to 8 pm. In later sessions, a 5.15 pm to 6 pm batch may be started. Saturday morning sessions are from 9.15 to10 a.m., 10.15 to 11 a.m. and 11.15-Noon.

    You can reach them on 309 796 5601 and register and may pay the check at the time of the session.

    Quad Cities Kite Club

    The Quad Cities Kite Club is organizing a kite festival on September 25th and 26th. The admission is free and different cultural events and performances aer planned. You can reach them at 563 650 4143 for more information.  The event is at the Centenial park in Davenport, Iowa.

    The kite battles for children and adults are some of the events aprt from the India Kite Message Tree. Several games and contests will be there and prizes too. 🙂

    Choose Wisely

    Whatever activity you plan for your family must be based on your family priority and goals. Do not overload the child and yourself with too many activites. Plan properly so that your kid is engaged while having fun. 🙂

    Scouting – Developing future citizens

    Scouting is popular worldwide for nurturing and developing children. The names of the organizations may differ in different pars of the world, but the basic motto of supporting young children in their physical, mental and spiritual development remains same. Girl scouts and boy scouts are active in Quad cities local schools.

    What do Scouts do?

    Boy scouts or Girl scouts are trained in a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs. Their leaders teach about multiple skills and topics including the country, God, society, personal safety, sports, aquatics, nature, outdoor adventures, camping, hiking among others. Character development along with life skills is a part of scouting.

    Scouts abide by common oath and common principles. They meet weekly once or according to their preset schedules. The scouts are grouped based on the age or grades. So, the kids can relate and learn from each other while learning and having fun.

    How much does Scouting cost?

    Young children ages five and above can become a member of the scouts for a minimal annual fee of $12 to $15. Additional charges apply for the uniform and camping. If you want to send your child for a camp, you may have to purchase additional camping gear.

    Most scouts are self-supporting and raise funds through popcorn sales or the yummy cookie sales.

    What can parents do?

    Parents can be part of the activities and fun during their children’s meetings. Offer additional information if the child has any queries about their scouting experiences. Parents can help their kids by offering extra support through the scouting.

    Back to School Carnival at Rock Island County Fair Ground

    This weekend get ready for the rides and games at the Back to School Carnival at Rock Island County Fair Ground.

    The fair opens Thursday and Friday at 5 pm. On Saturday and Sunday the fair opens at 1 pm and the rides are 15$ unlimited until 4pm.

    You can reach the Rock Island County Fairgrounds, Avenue of the Cities & Archer Drive, East Moline, IL 61244 and can call 309-796-1620 for more information.

    With school reopened and kids and parents stressed out, it is the perfect time for a jolly ride. 🙂

    Moving – Do not forget address changes

    The next big task after moving to a new place is changing the addresses. You need to change your address on all the accounts and opt for mail forwarding until up to an year with the local post office. Initially, it may seem only a couple of places, but after digging further you may find the list unending. 🙂

    Address Change

    You need to change address for receiving bills in time and to get the address proof at the new place. Here is the list of the address changes required:

    • Government authorities
    • Driving licence
    • Office records
    • Health insurance
    • Social security office
    • Bank accounts
    • Credit cards
    • Library cards
    • Shopping cards
    • Phone providers
    • Movie video accounts
    • Post Office

    Mail Forwarding

    USPS has a facility to forward any mail you receive to your new address. They have online and telephone request facility, but I find the paper request feasible. If the entire family has one last name only one form is needed, else you may have to fill in separate forms for each name. They forward the mail up to one year.

    The more accounts you have, the more changes you have to make. Some accounts may not send a paper bill to your physical address and only maintain online transactions. Even then, you may want to change the address in those accounts too. Finally, you may wonder why you created so many accounts and why you have to change address at multiple places. 🙂

    Scared to be a Role Model

    Whatever I do, whatever I say, wherever I go, I am aware that two tiny eyes are watching me and observing. Yes, children watch and observe us all the time and often imitate. Sometimes its scarier to be having so much influence and being a role model to children.

    Children and Parents

    Children observe parents’ every move and action. Most kids imitate their parents which some times is amusing and some times not. They observe:

    • What we say
    • What we do
    • What we eat
    • How we behave
    • Where we go
    • How we exercise
    • What we do in free time
    • How are we managing friends
    • What we do in critical situations

    Often, children can catch us telling lie or skipping a chore and immediately point it out. 🙂 And of course, they learn from us.

    Most of the times it may not be convenient for adults to explain their actions and behavior. But, we have to explain why we are doing or not doing a task if they ask. Then, they may take a decision or draw a conclusion what is alright or not.

    Role Model

    Being a role model is not always easy. We may not be perfect all the times and cannot always preach to do the right when we ourselves are not doing. I think it is a continuous struggle to be honest with children and set up good examples for them to adhere.

    Children immediately look up to their parents in any situations during their initial development stages. So, we need to be a little careful and choosy in using the words and doing the actions. After all, we do not want children to learn what is not good for them eventually. 🙂


    Need motivation to walk? Buy Shape ups from Sketchers

    My husband recently bought me Sketchers Shape ups after he was impressed with my walking results. Just when I am lazy to get out for a walk the new sketchers tempt me and motivate me to start. 🙂 Walking is the best exercise for many. But, most lack motivation to carry out the daily walking routine. The latest footwear from Sketchers may add to your result apart from boosting your motivation and confidence.

    Sketchers

    Sketchers is the popular brand and global leader in lifestyle footwear for children, men and women. They design, produce and market innovative products through out the world. Sketchers has head quarters in California and has retail stores in major cities around the world.

    Shape Ups

    Shape ups is the latest brand from Sketchers that assists in good body posture and toning muscles while you walk. The regular sports shoes or running shoes will give adequate support to your feet, but Shape ups promise improved posture and reduced stress on back and legs.

    Initially, I felt that my walking style has changed and am walking in an unnatural way. But, after couple of days, I noticed that my walking pace has improved and the stress on thighs is increased. The stress on my back is reduced and hope all this will help in improving my posture. In that case its worth the price.

    You may wear the shape ups during your normal office wear or for your walking routine. Any walk, the shoe promises results. The shoes are available in multiple models and colors. It comes with an instructional CD for our tech savvy friends. 🙂

    Buy Sketchers Shape ups from kuulstuff’s amazon eStore to avail an extra four per cent discount and free shipping!

    Moving? Tips and Suggestions

    Moving to a new place or just shifting an apartment is most daunting for many. Cost of living, packing, booking a vehicle, taking care of kids schools and further planning can be easy if you are well-informed. Cleaning is also an essential part of moving which is equally tedious. Here are some tips.

    Moving

    Due to the job market and summer weather conditions, many people prefer to move during summers. While getting a job is difficult, finding an apartment which suits your needs is also impossible. You can use your networking skills and approach contacts and friends to find a new home or an apartment.

    Once you finalize the new place and home, you can start preparations for relocation.

    Packing

    Start packing ahead of the move date so that you take care of all the belongings. Pack the less frequently used clothes, utensils, electronic items, toys and other items. You can leave some essential items aside and pack the rest of the items. It is suggested to take care of all the important documents and jewelry ahead so that you do not mis them during the transit.

    If you have stored the boxes of all the electronic or electrical items you purchased, it is better to pack them back in the boxes to avoid damage. For all the remaining items you can use small bags or boxes to pack.

    Booking Vehicle

    You have to book a vehicle depending upon the number of items in your house. If the items are less, you can ask your friends to help during the move. Else, you may have to seek professional helpers who load and unload the packed items.

    Book a vehicle one week ahead of the move date, so that everything goes according to the plan. If you book within a short notice, you may have to pay higher charges.

    Move Date

    On the move date, start at an early time or during the evenings depending on the weather. Make sure all the big items are loaded and arranged in a secure manner. You need to monitor the loading and unloading even though you have hired professional helpers.

    Avoid any injuries or bruises during the move. You can move children and seniors early so that they will not be much disturbed. Complete the loading and unloading process and leave nothing in the vehicle. 🙂

    Exit Formalities

    If you live in a rental property, you may have to give the stipulated notice to the owner. If you live in a own house, you may have to plan to take care of your house when you are gone to the new place.  If the property is rental and you have paid a security deposit along with the lease agreement, you have to be careful until you receive your money back.

    Cleaning all the tiles, windows, bathrooms, carpet, wooden cabinets, closets and everything is mandatory before you leave. You have to handover the property so that the next person can readily move in.

    Address Change

    Once you move, start changing the address in all the places. Notify all the banks, authorities, insurance agencies of your new address so that your bills reach you in time. Inform the cable and utilities people of the change. You can inform the local post office to deliver the mail to the new address.

    It may seem never ending to readjust at the new place. But it will soon get over and you can start enjoy the move. 🙂

    Sales Tax Holidays in Quad Cities!!

    August 6th and 7th are sales tax holidays in Iowa and August 6th through 15th are sales tax holidays in Illinois. So, shoppers hurry up and rush to the stores to enjoy the benefits. Beware of the exceptions while availing the sales tax holiday benefits. 🙂

    Sales Tax Holidays

    Every year state government declare certain days as sales tax holidays. Businesses that are open on these are required to participate. However, the maximum cost for which the sales tax is free varies from State to State. The items for which the sales tax is exempted also vary. The sales will boost for businesses during this period at the same time, consumers can enjoy the benefit as well. Businesses can claim this exemption while filing the tax returns.

    Illinois

    Illinois has declared August 6th through August 15th as sales tax holidays. Five percent of the sales tax will be exempted on all school supplies, clothing, and footwear up to $100. School supplies are not subject to the $100 threshold however, if the product is not used by the student in the course of study, that item is not exempted. For example, crayons are exempted but not the paint brushes and other art supplies.

    Iowa

    Iowa has declared August 6th and 7th as sales tax holidays. However, the items under this exemption are clothing and footwear only up to $100. Manufacturer coupon do not reduce the sales price of an item. But, store coupon reduce. So, correspondingly tax is adjusted.

    Watch out

    Notice the following rules while purchasing during the sales tax holidays.

    1. The sales tax exemption is valid for goods exchanged at a later date as well. 🙂
    2. The tax exemption is valid for mail orders during that particular dates.
    3. Clothing or footwear for athletic or swimming do not receive the exemption.
    4. Returns after the tax holiday receive the corresponding tax credit, but not the new item purchased after the dates.

    Iowa has complete sales tax off on clothing and footwear while Illinois has 5% sales tax off on clothing, footwear, and school supplies. Happy Shopping everybody. 🙂

    Quad Cities Events – August, 2010

    For Quad city residents, August is packed with full of local events which are not to be  missed. The Mississippi Valley Fair, River Roots Live Music Festival, Tug Fest are the major annual events apart from the movie in the park. These events make summer a little more exciting and worth celebrating!

    Mississippi Valley Fair, 2010

    The 91st annual Mississippi Valley Fair is being held at Davenport, Iowa from August 3rd to August 8th. If you have visited the Rock Island County Fair in July, you can expect this fair to be much bigger and with  more events.

    The Mississippi Valley Fair has a  line up of celebrity artists from across the country performing live daily. Apart from the grand stand events, the fair is packed with shows from across the country. The animal show, carnival rides, fire guy show, diamonds show, Stiltwalker Todd Lageisse show, sculptors are some of the amazing shows in the fair.

    The fair is held at 2815 West Locust street Davenport, Iowa 52804.  They can be reached on (563) 326-5338. The entry fee is $10 per head and $40 for all days with admission to the grand stand.

    Tug Fest, 2010

    The 24th annual Tug Fest is held across the Mississippi river between Le Claire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois. The tug-of-war across the river is held annually along with the Bike show and fire works. The show and events can be seen both the cities and are a ton of fun. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.

    The festival is held on August 12th to 14th and the entry is free. 🙂 Do not miss the annual show with lots of events for children as well as adults. The tug fest for children and the Prince/Princess contests are held for children. For adults, the parade contests, bike contests, Running, Golf tournament are the planned events. The fireworks on  Friday, August 13th are a feast and a must see!

    River Roots Live Music Festival, 2010

    The sixth annual River Roots Live Music Festival has artists from across the country performing for entertaining the visitors. The festival is a feast for all music lovers with a line-up of popular artists and fun.

    The festival will be held in Davenport Downtown on August 20th and August 21st. The timings are from 11am till midnight. Entry is free 🙂 and the shows are held in multiple stages. The music festival is packed with rib fest for you to enjoy mouth-watering ribs. Bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.

    Movie in the Park, Moline

    Every Friday night in August, Moline Parks department shows a free  movie in the park at Riverside Park. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and water bottles to enjoy the cool summer and a free movie. Concessions are available at the park at an extra charge.

    So, finally there are many events in August before school starts and fall begins. Enjoy to your maximum potential and let me know how it went. 🙂

    Back to School!

    While back to school season means a lot of fun for children, it is a lot of work and stress for most parents. Taking care of the registrations, school supplies, back pack night, day care, transportation among others is easier for some but stressful for other parents.

    Registration

    American public schools require a child to register every year to enable them to plan the classes. Further, submitting address proof is mandatory so you fall in the same school district. Most schools have posted the registration information on their websites but some have sent the registration packets to all children as well. Some schools have online registration for middle school and high school children.

    Physical presence of the parent at the time of registration is necessary in order to fill out the forms, pay the fees, and submit the proofs.

    • The forms include registration form, Language forms, Food forms, Transportation forms, Parent-Teacher-Association forms among others
    • The school fee may be from $40 to $60 for public schools and for private school may be $35.
    • The address proofs may be your most recent rental agreement, gas bill, cable bill, electricity bill, telephone bill , and so on.

    Some schools require school physical form filled out from the child’s doctor which can be submitted later.

    If you cannot register your child on the specified dates, you may register st a later date but the seat at the desired school may not be guaranteed. Then, it would depend up on the class strength. You may have to send your school to another school in the same school district.

    School Supplies

    School supplies list have been posted on the school websites and can be collected at the time of registration. Many departmental stores such as Walmart have school supplies list of  all local schools in the store itself. Some schools have the facility of arranging the supplies if you pay the amount to the school directly.

    Most of the supplies for all schools are similar but may vary slightly depending on the school. Some of the supplies may be reused from the previous year’s stock. School uniforms and shoes may change and require further shopping.

    Back Pack Night

    Most schools have a preset date on which children and parents can visit the school before the school reopens. You may need to submit the school supplies and check out your child’s class room and teacher. It will be exciting for some children to meet their friends and class mates but some may feel nervous facing the new teacher.

    First Day School

    You do not want to miss the first day of school as it will be a lot of fun for the children. There will be introductions and children will get familiar with the class rules and regulations. For the first week, there may not be any serious classes but most adjustments and ice breaking sessions may be in progress.

    Some parents may not like sending their children to school, but note that, the American government mandates that every child must receive education, be it public, private or, home schooling. 🙂

    Why praying God is important?

    Every religion has its own rules and methods to pray God. But, in the busy life, who has time to pray God. Is worshiping God only old people’s task. Most of us believe that God is watching us and will help us anyways and that praying is unimportant. But, daily prayers make us nearer to God and help in self satisfaction while increasing confidence.

    God

    God is omnipresent and has multi-powers to solve all our problems. It is believed that God can do greatest wonders and help mankind. Though nobody sees God, most of us believe the existence of a super natural power that creates life and rules our day-to-day lives.

    The Power of Praying

    Praying God may not solve our problem. But, remembering His favors help us maintain an optimistic view toward life. Instead of losing hope and getting depressed, praying daily will help acquire mental peace and clarity. We are naturally preoccupied with multiple thoughts and are confused many times. Praying will offer support and mental consolation to any soul.

    Further, we may set an example to our next generations by offering prayers to God. Showing our respect toward our culture and traditions will foster good environment in the family and community. Children learn from us, so we set an example to them as how we get solace in the situations of danger and confusion.

    God bless all. 🙂

    Buying a new or used car? Beware of the scams.

    With summer around and weather suitable, the car sales are on a high. Most car owners want a new one or an additional car for their spouse or children. This is the best time of the year to buy the cars. But, should you buy a new car or a used one or approach a dealer or buy directly from the owner. These are some of the questions pondering in a car buyer’s mind. Irrespective of the approach, car buyers must be aware of the scams and related risks before buying any vehicle.

    Car Dealers

    Buying from a dealer is thought to be safe, but not always. There are risks of faulty product, higher APR rates, faulty warranty and service and so on. The agreements we sign must be checked out carefully rather than signing it off in a hurried manner.

    Dealer scams are normal if the buyer is not cautious about the terms and conditions. It is always better to consult a known person or reference in approaching a dealer.

    Tips

    Here are some tips to get a best car deal.

    • Check out the vehicle history
    • Let a mechanic inspect the car
    • Make the agreement full fledged and complete in all aspects
    • Arrange for money before start looking for a car
    • Cross-check all the banks for lower loan interest rates
    • Check the online prices at InvoiceDealers, Yahoo!Autos, Edmunds.com, and CarsDirect

    Check out the steps to buy a new car and a used car before attempting to buy a car. Happy Shopping. 🙂

    West Lake Park – Davenport, Iowa

    The recent get together with friends and family at the West Lake Park in Davenport, Iowa was tons of fun. The park facilities and the beach offer a unique fun experience for adults and children.

    West Lake Park

    West Lake Park is located by the lake. Its facilities include picnic areas, barbecues, children’s play area, rest rooms, and the beach of course! The park has all the facilities and is perfect for family get-together or birthday parties or casual picnics.

    The Beach

    The beach is a small area retained for children and adults to enter and play in the water. The lake water may look brown but kids will enjoy anyways. The sand by the lake allow the children to experience a beach environment right in the Quad cities. 🙂 The life guard will be watching the kids to ensure safety. Further, the younger kids get to play in a separate play area with all their personal swim toys and accessories.

    Note that they charge $3 for adults and $2 for kids to enter the beach.

    The Paddle Boating

    This was the first time I paddled a boat. so, it was funny. My son paddled the boat too. Though it all resulted in lot of leg pain the next day, it was a good view of the trees and the lake from the boat. 🙂 The charges include $7 for half an hour and $10 for one hour. They with hold your driving licence and return when you are back.

    Summer Vacation and Learning in Children

    Summer vacation is half way and school registrations are in progress. So, what happens to the child’s learning during summer vacation. According to the recent article published in TIME Magazine, studies show that summer vacation deprives children of healthy learning stimulation. And, summer learning programs may keep their minds active and sharp. 🙂

    Summer Vacation

    High temperatures and sun make three months long summer vacation inevitable. The year long learning (?) at schools evaporates during summer vacation. However, children learn sports, swimming, martial arts and other favorite activities during summer. Summer learning may be through travelling, observation, reading, spending time with family and so on.

    Some families may afford to send their children to special camps and programs, while some families prefer to keep the kids at home. Some states have extended summer classes, others do not. Children need summer vacation to learn about the world in a new and different perspective.

    Summer Programs

    Major summer programs at the local library or parks department are available to the general public at reasonable and reduced prices. Some programs and camps are entirely free though some may require prior registration. The summer schools at the public schools are for academically weaker children. Though you may send your child to any private institution to foster academic learning.

    In the USA, a child attends school for 180 days, the total class instruction ends up to 1080 hours. However, the typical math scores for fifteen year children is only 474. Whereas, in South Korea, a child attends school for 204 days, the total class instruction ends up to 545 hours and even then, the math scores for a fifteen year child is 547.

    Elementary school children may not feel the difference in academics but high school children may feel challenged to learn the advanced concepts after a summer vacation. A child’s learning depends on the individual’s abilities. Modern parents are looking forward to develop their child in all areas to face the global market. 🙂

    Movie Review – Inception

    My friend asked us to visit the Putnam IMAX as they have showcased new exhibits. As we were late, we could not visit the museum but ended up watching Leonardo DiCaprio starring ‘Inception’. Here is a glimpse.

    Dreams Dreams Dreams

    The movie is produced and directed by Christopher Nolan, who directed the ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Batman Begins’. The whole movie is about dreams. Inducing a new idea into a person’s minds by capturing and altering their dreams is the main theme. The theory behind it is that a person’s life, memories and dreams are interrelated. Often, what we dream is what happens and what happens in real life is what we dream. Confusing.. huh?


    Plot

    So, the handsome hero appearing a bit old and tired in this movie, has a gang with whom he works in inducing the wanted ideas into the target’s mind through dreams. Of course, he will be paid handsomely for the job. 🙂 His latest project would be originating an idea into a businessman’s mind to dissolve his late father’s empire and change the business plans. Now, the real challenge is how the ‘inception’ group is going to do that.

    The hero then recruits a beautiful architect, a chemist, a forger as part of the new project. The main concept itself is confusing for me, and I still did not understand why he needs these three new people for his project. So, the whole movie is about how the gang does this in a long plane journey. The payment for the job is freedom with which the hero can return back to his home country.

    Further, the hero’s own memories conflict with their job making the movie all more confusing. Ironically, time slows down in the dreams. That is, five minutes in real life is one hour in the dream. So, there is a lot happening in the dreams and the time delay increases with each level of the dream.

    Verdict

    The movie is shot in multiple locations and shown simultaneously. The cast and action are apt but the concept is advanced like ‘Matrix’ and ‘Surrogates’, which ordinary people like me can never understand. We all tend to enter in to a state of ‘limbo’ by the end of the movie. 🙂