The girls and I got to watch a parade on Saturday, which was great fun.  Last night, our small town had fireworks and since they shoot them off behind the school football field, we got to watch from our front lawn.  Victoria and Annalee loved the show.  Daddy showed them how to throw grass in the air and shout boom to make their own fireworks show, too.  :)

It's been nice and cool the past few days in our part of the country.  I hope those of you in hot spots get some relief soon.  We have readers in Denmark, Ireland and South Africa too, and I'm not sure what the weather has been like for you lately.  I hope it's whatever you wish for!

And now on with the newsletter.......

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"What you do may seem terribly insignificant, but it is terribly important that you do it anyway."

--Mahatma Gandhi

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Every girl should have a chance to be Cinderella....

If you have prom dresses or like-new formal wear or accessories, think about donating to the Glass Slipper Project.  It's based in Chicago but has links to similar organizations starting up all over the US (and could expand from there!).  What a great group of people!

http://www.glassslipperproject.org/

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Crafts from Aunt Leslie:  Glue painting

Add some white glue to poster paint.  Cut out pictures or shapes.  Paint a background with the colored glue and stick the pictures onto it.  For example, use blue paint and cut out fish.  Paint the paper blue and stick the fish onto the "sea."

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Here's a great educational activity to do with groups of kids, especially at night.  Have each child bring a flashlight.  Explain to them that fireflies use their lights to communicate with each other, and that they look for the other fireflies who are flashing the same patterns.  Give each child a pattern to flash with his or her flashlight, and have them try to find the person with the matching code.

For more fun facts about fireflies, check out this site:
http://www.earthsky.com/Kids/fireflies.html

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I stumbled across this site and was really moved by some of the essays and artwork that kids of all ages submitted for the contest "What I really want that money can't buy."  It's powerful stuff, and it might make you think.

http://www.newdream.org/kids/contest.html

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Five easy ways to be happier.....

1.  Stop reading any magazines that make you feel fat, ugly or poor!  (Check out Mode magazine if you want a magazine that celebrates women of all shapes and looks).  And good grief, don't read any parenting magazine that recommends $80 shirts for your child.

2.  Avoid psychic vampires and just plain mean folks.  Are there people in your life who drain you and make you feel bad about yourself?  Put them on a diet from you.  You probably limit how much awful stuff you let yourself eat-- why not limit how much toxic stuff you let in emotionally?  If people make you feel lousy, they haven't earned a right to spend that much time with you.  Make excuses if you have to.  Give yourself permission to take care of yourself before you take care of ungrateful icky people (even if they ARE in-laws).  ;)

3.  Count your blessings.  It's a cliche, but it works.  You are so lucky.  You are blessed for the kids in your life, good friends, the parts of your body that work and the parts of your life that have blossomed.  Of course there are struggles.  But if you never notice the little blessings you have every day, maybe life will stop giving them to you.

4.  Volunteer.  Nothing gets you out of your own miseries faster than making a difference for someone who has it worse.  Use your gifts to help those who need you.  Teach an adult to read, volunteer at a crisis nursery or help build a house through Habitat for Humanity.  It doesn't just help others, it really fills your soul.

5.  Make every day memorable.  Every day we have is a gift, hokey as that sounds.  When you find out you're at the end of your days, are you going to look back and remember the thousands of days wasted in a lifeless routine?  Slow dance on your back lawn.  Make cookies.  Slip outside when the kids are asleep and watch the stars.  If you love ice cream then good grief, eat ice cream.  Find something fabulously comfy to sleep in.  Keep learning things.  Take chances.  Tell people how much you love them.  No regrets, darlings!  :)  Live!

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I wrote a few issues ago about buying some stencils to put here and there around the house.  Well, Victoria and I scattered dragonflies on the cupboards and walls.  They're pretty cute.  But the project that turned out really great was the other one I wrote about-- my magical words.

I stenciled one word on each riser going up the stairs-- dream, love, believe, hope, and so on.  They're in different colors and fonts and they really stand out on our dark teal painted stairs.

Everybody who has been to the house so far has loved them, but we love them most of all.  Even Daryl told me that he likes it.  Last week, a visitor went upstairs to use the bathroom and as I heard her round the corner I heard "Oh wow!  I love your stairs!".  Every night as we head upstairs, Victoria has me read each word to her.  It's a wonderful way to end the day.

In my younger days I might have felt silly painting words up my stairs.  I might have thought putting dragonflies on the cupboards was dorky.  Even if I loved the idea, I probably would not have gotten up the nerve to wrap grapevine around our chandelier because of what people might think.  I'm so glad I have given up worrying what people think!

I highly recommend putting a bit of whimsy or magic somewhere in your house, car, office or secret hideaway.  You won't believe the little smiles you'll get every time you turn the corner and see that little bit of the unexpected.  It's your home!  Fill it with things that reflect you and make you and your family giggle and feel good.

Those normal folks will be so jealous.  ;)

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I was going to close with a poem, but I couldn't find any fitting ones.  I guess I'll  have to do some writing!  :)

Have a marvelous week.  Do something nice for everybody in your life who deserves it, and something especially nice for you.

Alicia

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A Magical Childhood
Copyright 2001, Alicia Bayer

A Magical Childhood Newsletter is just something I throw together because I love children and love good moms.  To subscribe, send a message to abayer@magicalchildhood.com.  We do not use ads.  It's not about money.  :)

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