February's Hints From Home

For our February Hints From Home page, we made super-easy St. Patrick's Day cupcakes with Airheads Extreme "rainbows", a gold-wrapped candy "pot of gold" (we used a peanut butter cup) and some "gold coins" (yellow sugar crystals).



Blog Poll Results
There were only a few votes on the Hints From Home blog poll - “Should kids participate in after-school activities or just stay home?” - but the results were interesting.
No one felt that kids should just stay home, 25 percent voted that kids should participate in just one activity and 75 percent voted that kids should participate in as many activities as they can.
One reader commented that, “In today’s society many parents seem to be allowing their young children to quit something just because they want to. It is important that we, as parents, always remember that we are the parent. Children need to learn self discipline and everytime we give in they are learning that their whining and crying is better than truly gaining success.”
Another reader shared personal experience, “By the time I finished high school, I had a rounded list of activities to go along with my good grades. I was told by scholarship panels that everyone who applies has good grades, it was my activities that gave me an edge. I ended up with 75 percent of my college expenses for free ... just saying.”
When the Ward girls start an activity, they know they’re in it for the season or year and then they can decide whether to continue or not. They’ve had to work hard to learn dance choreography, memorize scripts, complete 4-H projects and play musical instruments; however, they’ve also had the opportunity to meet new friends, travel to new places and learn from new experiences.

Some activities they thought were going to be fun really weren’t and other activities they thought they weren’t going to enjoy are the ones they’ve stayed involved in the longest. They’ve found interests that will last a lifetime and that could possibly lead to a career they love. And, if it helps pay for college, well, college isn’t cheap ... just saying.

"You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"

If you're free this evening or Saturday evening or have Sunday afternoon free, go see Montpelier High School's musical "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown". If you're a subscriber to the Times, there's a short clip on the Web site of the cast performing "Happiness." And here's my favorite song (and favorite cast member) from the show ...