Variety Club Camp & Development Center

Variety Club Camp & Development Center Rec Hall

Since April has been Autism Awareness Month, this is the perfect opportunity to highlight a local camp. Variety Club Camp & Developmental Center aids children up to age 21 with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities, and features a state of the art Autism Resource Center for children and parents who are living with Autism.

Set to open on June 24^th and run through the summer, this specialty camp provides an unprecedented opportunity for children with special needs to socialize with their peers and enjoy summer activities such as swimming, hiking, sports, dancing, and more. As one of the only camps in the country to offer this experience, the Variety Club Camp & Developmental Center located in Worcester, PA is funded by Variety – The Children’s Charity of Greater Philadelphia (formerly the Variety Club).

The Variety Club Camp & Development Center summer programs

• Day Camp: Open to children ages 5-21, this program provides a typical camp experience with activities such as arts & crafts, nature, drama, sports, music and swimming.
• Overnight Camp: For children and youth 7-21, the Overnight Program gives participants an opportunity to be away from home in a safe and nurturing environment while participating in typical camping experiences.
• Vocational Programs: Specific to students ages 16-21, this program focuses on teaching work-related skills to prepare participants for adulthood.
• Extended School Year Services (ESY): Available for students ages 5-21, Variety Club’s ESY program provides academic activities to help children maintain skills during the summer break as outlined in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Variety Club’s summer programs are structured to deliver educational enrichment opportunities within the framework of social and recreational activities. All programs maintain a low student-to-staff ratio. With a focus on creating a safe and enriching environment that provides socialization and educational opportunities for the children, the Variety camp has been an anchor for many families for years. Virtual tours and enrollment forms can be found on the website (http://www.varietyphila.org/club-camp,) as well as more information on camp facilities and services.

Darlin's National Honor Society Induction

As my preschooler has reached the phase of constant questioning, I rest in the hope that someday she too might be honored for "her uncommon blend of imaginative inquiry!"  So proud of Darlin' today as she was inducted into National Honor Society!

What a blessing to read her teacher's comments and thank the Lord for such a wonderful teenage daughter!

Click above to enlarge

I am looking forward to seeing how God unfolds the next chapters in her life!

Woolzies

For the past few weeks I have shelved my dryer sheets and have been taking Woolzies Dryer Balls for a spin.  If you're looking for an environmentally friendly fabric softener, then check them out!

Woolzies are easy to use and keep your clothing soft and fluffy for many tumbles.  They advertise 1,000 dryer cycles, but I didn't feel compelled to keep count!  I've been using them for more than a month.  So lets do a little laundry math: 4 weeks = 28 days.  My family of five averages about 10 loads of laundry per week: 28 days X 10 loads = 280 loads over the last month!

Whew, no wonder I'm tired!

So after an estimated 280 loads of laundry my Woolzies Dryer Balls are going strong and keeping our clothes feeling soft.

Woolzies are available for $34.95 for a set of 6 balls on the official website at http://www.woolzies.com/  They can also be found slightly cheaper at various online sites like Amazon.  Considering I pay roughly $4 for a 100 count box of dryer sheets at the grocery store ($40 per 1,000 loads) it works out to be about even for me once I add on the shipping costs to order Woolzies.

If you have allergies, then Woolzies would be great for your family as they are made from 100% pure wool and do not contain any perfumes or dyes.  They are also apparently safe for those who suffer from wool allergies.  As we live in a society that is always looking for "greener" pastures, Woolzies provides a great alternative to the chemical laden dryer sheets or fabric softeners!

The only downside I have found was that the dryer balls did not reduce static as claimed.  In fact, they greatly increased the static electricity, so much so, that I was seeing sparks when I unloaded the dryer!  I did find that once our weather settled more into spring like temperatures the static then lessened.  So if you too live in the chilly North East, consider using these during the warmer seasons.

I would recommend Woolzies if you are looking to replace dryer sheets or fabric softeners with an eco-friendly alternative.  It is also very nice to not have to worry about running out of my usual dryer sheets since Woolzies last a very long time!

Anything to make the laundry pile a little less daunting!

Disclaimer: I received a box of Woolzies Dryer Balls to review in exchange for this post.  All opinions are my own.

Driving Miss Darlin'!

Today is a monumental day here at My Mid-Life Motherhood, as my eldest child passed her driving test on the first try!  Congratulations Darlin'!

Darlin' at 4!

I suppose this means that I have officially graduated from the "Drivin' Miss Darlin'" phase of life.  Driving her to school, to piano, to church, to friend's houses, to parties, to practices, to games, etc.  Now that she is an officially licensed driver, I will more often be relegated to the passenger seat or able to stay at home while she enjoys the new found freedom of her Cinderella license.

In that case, I have officially entered the panic driven state of motherhood, "DRIVING?!  Miss Darlin'?!"  I am quite sure that I will not be the first mother to feel the overwhelming sense of pride and panic in one emotionally flooded moment, when she asks for the keys for that first solo drive.  And yet, I suspect that the allure of having a built in gofer will probably keep me from pushing the panic button at every turn.  Now she can be the one to drive herself and her brother to piano or go to the movies or run an errand or taxi to youth group or carpool to school.  I'm lovin' this already!  (Insert evil laugh here.)

First Drive-Thru while learning with Dad!

Even though she still seems so young to me sitting behind that steering wheel, in hindsight, at 17, I had been driving a year already.  Back then in PA I got my permit at 15 and  my license at 16.  I remember passing the test as soon as possible to make my Sweet 16 all the sweeter!  Growing up in the suburbs of Philly, however, most of my treks were 5-10 minutes away.  Rarely do I recall driving on my own anywhere for more than 20 minutes, until I worked down the shore after graduation and learned to drive that particular back road two hour trek.

Darlin's driving experience is a whole new rat race.  Though we technically still live in the greater suburban Philly area, our particular region is much more rural.  There are no sidewalks, hardly any streetlights (which does make the stargazing phenomenal!), rolling country lanes, turkey buzzards and plenty of deer (both of which like to roam those country roads!)

Most of the driving that Darlin' will need to do will be over hill and dale for the 20 minute ride to school, 20 minutes on the highway for church, 40 minutes on the back roads to visit friends or hoppin' on the turnpike for an hour drive to our nearest family.

A vastly different driving experience than I had growing up.  Even my mom commented that she never had to worry much with the small town driving I had to do compared to the dangerous, country driving my kids will have to do.  Gee thanks, Mom, now I get to worry even more!

Well, as with all parenting milestones, I'm sure this one will have its moments.  Moments of pride, moments of joy, moments of fear, moments of panic, moments of thanks and moments of praise.  In this new phase of motherhood, I will need to trust her to God more and more everyday.  A lesson I'm sure that I will never outgrow.

Drive safely, my Darlin'!

Proudly showing off her new ID!

Oh, good grief...I'm crying...just like my Mom!

Horrid Henry Give Away!

If you're looking for a fun, silly, family movie this week, check out the new Horrid Henry: The Movie based on Francesca Simon's popular children's book series of the same name.  It's a cute flick geared toward tween and younger elementary children. Newcomer, Theo Stevenson does great job portraying this precocious young boy opposite familiar actresses Anjelica Huston and Parminder Nagra!

Plot synopsis: When Henry fails yet again to hand in his homework for the umpteenth time, he inadvertently sets off an unexpected and curious chain of events. He forms an unlikely alliance with Moody Margaret, the infuriating girl next door, wins a talent contest, and stands up to his ultimate nemesis. With each antic crazier than the last, Henry finds himself inexplicably trying to save the very school which he has always professed to hate!

The Limited Edition DVD, complete with a slime pack, will be exclusively available at Walmart starting March 12, 2013! I received a Horrid Henry goodie box, courtesy of Child's Play and Kaboom Entertainment, full of various items including: Horrid Henry: The Movie Limited Edition DVD, a copy of the original Horrid Henry book and an assortment of Horrid Henry inspired jokes (wind up chattering teeth, a hand buzzer and a water balloon kit.)

As I am lacking the particular age demographic in my family, I will be giving away the goodie box!  Enter below for your chance to win.  (Please note, the DVD has been previously viewed by me.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received the Horrid Henry gift set in exchange for this post.  The opinions are my own! 

Lessons from Layoffs: Coping With My Out-Of-Work Spouse

During twenty years of marriage, Hubby and I have had to deal with several significant layoffs and months of unemployment.  In my latest article for South Jersey Mom Magazine, I've laid out some of the ways in which we coped.  If you, or someone you know is out-of-work, I hope that these tips might help through the tough times.  Check out page 16 for Lessons from Layoffs!

March 2013 Bloggy Moms Blog Hop!

C'mon over to the March 2013 Blog Hop with Bloggy Moms!  I thought I'd join in on the fun, so welcome to any newcomers from Bloggy Moms!

Here's how to play!

1. Grab your favorite beverage and snack.  Mine would be coffee and chocolate, but if high tea or a green smoothie is more your style, we'll still get along just fine!

2. Take a break while the kiddos enjoy a nap or finish their homework.  Mine are at school and napping right about now (well, hopefully the ones who are at school are not napping!)  In either case, it has provided me the window of opportunity I needed to pound out this little post!

3. Have fun perusing My Mid-Life Motherhood!  Check out the labels on the sidebar or search for topics of interest.  If you'd like to laugh along with me through parenting two teens and a tot, then I highly recommend beginning with my Repetitive Parenting series:

4. Relax, have a few laughs at my expense (and sometimes my kids) and enjoy the read!

5. Come back and visit again sometime!