My grandparents are Minnesota snowbirds who head down to Arizona every winter, staying just outside of Phoenix.  Every year my parents and I would visit them, and one of my best and clearest memories of those trips was seeing the trains.  A model railroading club rented out a small storefront a few blocks away and they had rooms full of model railroads.  Their brand achievement, a huge HO scale layout, filled a space the size of a high school classroom.  The toy trains thundered over trestles, up mountains, through cities and around switching yards.  Tiny people went to work, bought gas and washed their cars.  Model planes flew overhead and the lakes and rivers sparkled and shone.  The old men running the trains were happy to show me around and soon I was hooked.  That winter I went back home and started building my own model railroad.

Toy train setups run the gamut, from a simple oval of track around the kitchen table or a Christmas tree to grandiose, room filling endeavors.  The most common scale of toy trains is HO, sort of the middleweight scale with N scale trains being smaller and O scale trains being larger.  Most first timers buy HO scale train sets, since HO equipment is the cheapest and most plentiful.  It’s also a good size to work with, allowing model railroaders to get a good amount of track into a reasonable sized space but without making everything so small it’s difficult to work with.

If you want to set up a semi-permanent toy train setup, it’s a good idea to start with a 4′x8′ piece of plywood, either on the floor or elevated on a tabletop, to give yourself a base on which to mount everything else.  Then, before laying any track, plan out where you want your train tracks to go and what landscaping needs to be done.  With wire mesh and paper mache you can make all sorts of mountains, hills and valleys.  When people get serious about toy trains they often model their toy railroads after real railroads, replicating actual cities and landscapes.  To enjoy toy trains you don’t need to get too fussy, some people take great enjoyment in setting up the tracks and moving engines and cars about the tracks.  Toy trains offer a connection to the past and a way to recreate some wonderful aspects of the outside world in moving miniature.

Though my daughter loves The Wiggles, she is growing more and more fond of Sponge Bob Square Pants. I have to admit that I like this show as well, though it isn’t exactly educational. I don’t want to be one of those parents that shove educational activities down their children’s throats, and I think Sponge Bob is just perfect for her when she just wants to watch or do something fun. Kids should be able to be kids and just have fun sometimes.

I knew about Sponge Bob Square Pants long before I even had a daughter, and I have to admit that I would watch it by myself when I was flipping through the channels. My young sister-in-law loves the show and she made me watch it one day. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I fell in love the Sponge Bob Square Pants and all of the silliness that the show has to offer. We’ve all had a Mr. Crabs in our lives haven’t we? Quite honestly, you also have to admit that Squidward reminds you of someone you have known in your life, right?

Perhaps the best thing about Sponge Bob is his square pants. I guess every sponge needs pants and if you are square, then what other choice do you have? Though I suspect that no one else seems to need square pants, we are talking about a cartoon. I also wonder how someone who lives underwater manages to empty his tub without sucking down the entire ocean, but perhaps that debate is too mind boggling for even me. Let’s not forget the beach complete with waves that they have and the fact that a squirrel has decided to come live with them. Are there even squirrels in Texas?

Square pants or not, Sponge Bob is a lot of fun and I have no problem with him being in my child’s life, and if I have issues with anything that I see on there, then we simply have a discussion about it and that’s that. For the most part, Sponge Bob Square Pants is just silly and the show is something that keeps her giggling the whole time she watches it. She’s still young and I don’t mind her believing that his bubble buddy was real, or that perhaps you can be best friends with a starfish. We should all be so lucky.

Halloween! This is a night when the freaks and spooks can come out and go unnoticed. They blend in with the millions of tiny ghouls and goblins running a muck in their own neighborhoods, searching desperately for treats. Okay, maybe not that desperately. Nevertheless, everyone is out and about to have a jovial time. It’s all about the dressing up and frolicking in the night air. I’ve enjoyed this day immensely ever since I can remember. The masks, costumes, tricks and treats can go on for weeks to follow as far as I’m concerned. Sadly that never happens, but at least the one day is always there. Each year is a guise. And if you really want to get into the Halloween and costume spirit, you might want to check into latex masks. These are the cream of the crop.

Have you ever watched an old school horror flick? What am I talking about? Everyone has indulged themselves in “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Howling,” “Night of the Living Dead,” or possibly “An American Werewolf in London.” These are all classics now. And do you want to know one thing they all have in common? It’s the power of latex masks and make up. This stuff was the bomb back in the day. If you ask me, it still is. What’s really cool now is it’s available to the public. I can only imagine how many latex masks and make up products they sell prior to Halloween. If you truly want to go all out with a terrifying costume, latex is your answer.

The reason I say this is because it looks so genuine. It’s definitely not like purchasing one of those cheap Dracula masks at the drugstore, You know the kind with a rubber band on the back to hold it in place. Contemporary latex masks are the real deal. You can mold the latex to your face and make it look like part of you. Think one of the vampires on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” They look much more life like that the costumes you generally see sold in novelty shops and random Halloween superstores. Add some funky contact lenses to the mix and you’ll end up with one spooky get up.

It’s time you got in the loop concerning latex masks and fantastic monster costumes. Be sure to check out what’s on the market before next October 31st rolls around. Halloween is only once a year. Make it a fright night to remember.

This planet is swarming with movie fans. I don’t care where you live or where you visit, you’re bound to find tons of people who love cinema. It’s become intrinsic for the most part. Now in this realm of cinematic features, there’s only one that stirs more attention and receives more dedication than anything I’ve ever laid eyes upon. It’s the one and only George Lucas classic known as “Star Wars.” Even all it’s sequels have been smash hits. How else can you explain the deluge of storm troopers each Halloween? This passion for a Sci-Fi film is kind of ridiculous, but amusing at the same time. Last October 31st, I spotted a Darth Maul costume while trudging around the neighborhood with my daughter. How many “Star Wars” costumes did you encounter on last Halloween?

The tradition is like no other. We all get excited when fall hits and the cool air moves in to clean out the funk left over from summer. In no time it’s Halloween and we’re picking out that werewolf, vampire, princess or Darth Maul costume. This is quite the process I might add. Just choosing any old get up will never do. It’s imperative to select a costume that suits our current personality and taste. Maybe for you that’s a Darth Maul costume and maybe it’s a Freddy Kruger get up. It really doesn’t matter as long as you get to make the choice on your own. I learned this from my kids. There is no way I can ever pick out a Halloween costume for them. It’s far too personal. This is why I give them the price cut off and let them choose on their own. They never cease to surprise me.

Can you hear the theme song playing? I know I can. That “Star Wars” epidemic was sure a powerful mark in cinema. I doubt that it will ever fade into the past. There will always be a new generation of “Star Wars” fanatics to carry on the legacy. You’ll spot them on Halloween night. Look for the child with the Princess Leia or Darth Maul costume. It’s that simple. Personally I’m going to have to go with the Michael Myers legacy. It’s much scarier if you ask me.

Many children are visual learners and they enjoy seeing decorative pictures, art and even charts. Children are more likely to get their daily household duties done if they have a chore chart to reference each day. The work is not necessarily the problem with kids. In most cases, the kids are just not motivated enough to complete tasks on their own. A chore chart can help a child get motivated enough to do her work every day.

The chore chart needs to be age appropriate. Your teenage son is not going to be motivated with a “good job” sticker chart and stars just won’t do the trick. A visual schedule that eventually leads to a significant reward will. The reward does have to be significant. A treat will not do the trick. Teenagers usually prefer cash.

Many may argue that this teaches the adolescent to expect rewards every time he does what he is supposed to do, but it really does not. The chore chart functions like a work schedule. If all of the work is completed, the adolescent receives a kind of paycheck. This system teaches a work ethic that mimics the actual working world. It also teaches delayed gratification. The adolescent is not rewarded immediately.

Younger children are much easier to please. Some young children find the chart itself to be rewarding. They like getting undivided attention and praise from their parents. Add stickers to the activity and you have a child who will jump through hoops for the little rewards. The process also will be a reward in itself because most children want nothing more than to spend time with their parents.

This does not happen all at once. For some children, it is necessary to have tangible rewards associated with the chore chart. When you introduce they system, make sure to praise and provide a treat immediately after the child completes the task. The treats can be gradually faded as the child better understands the chore chart and how it functions.

Let’s not forget the adults. I created a chore chart for myself to help me manage my time. It is easy to get behind on household chores when you create your own schedule. Absent minded people like me benefit from a chore chart to help us organize our time. I even include the tangible rewards, like a glass of wine or a new piece of jewelry. I’m still a kid at heart after all.

It is one of those days that most school aged children hate, picture day. Parents see this day as a day of monumental importance, it is after all the way many parents record their children’s school career. School photos are a way to preserve your child just the way he is at that stage of their life.  How does a parent ensure that the pictures taken of their child turn out looking like something they want to put on the wall and send to family members? There are some simple steps to take to ensure that your child’s school photos turn out ok.

First it is important to understand that background can make or break any photograph. These days parents get a choice of backgrounds. In the 70s and 80s it was a blue background for everyone and that was it, but these days there is usually a choice between several different colors. The key to making sure that your school photos have a good foundation is to decide which color best suits your child and what your child will allow you to dress them in!  Everyone has a set of colors that they prefer, as well as a sense of fashion.

Your child’s school photos will reflect their personal preferences. They are colors that you would look well in if you were wearing them. To decide which color is right for the background for your child’s school photos that about what color he looks best in, as well as the background color, if you can get a heads up on that.  Once you have decided on the background color then consider what your child will be wearing. You don’t want him or her to fade into the background because the color they are wearing blends into the background. It is important that your child’s clothes accent the background so that the child is the most noticeable thing in the school photos.

Hair is usually the reason most images do not turn out. It happens time and time again, a parent sends their child off to school dressed nicely and looking presentable, but then somewhere between their leaving the house and the picture taking moment a huge wind storm comes along and they look like Albert Einstein in their final photo.  The way a parent can combat this is to send a comb to school with their child. Depending on the age of your child you may have to call ahead to the school and ask that they help, but if you give older school children a comb and instructions there is at least a chance their hair may get combed before the school photos.

Finally, talk to your child and tell them what your expectations are. Usually, if you share with them your desire to get school photos that they can be proud to share with the family, they will try and do their best to make you smile when you see them.

My brother is an avid hockey fan. He has always loved the game and I think that he still has daydreams about playing the sport professionally. He played street hockey for years and years. My brother still plays when he gets the chance. Some of my fondest memories of my brother revolve around the sport, specifically our air hockey table.

I loved to spend time with my older brother, but since we were four years apart and I was a girl, we had little in common. However, we would spend hours playing with an old air hockey table my parents found at a second hand store. The table was a dinosaur. It was huge and awkward but we absolutely loved the thing.  The air hockey table did not work properly, but this only made the game more interesting. Some of the air holes were plugged up with debris and the forced air did not flow through some of the holes in sections of the table. We called these areas “dead zones” and played around the extra obstacle.

We also got many nicks and bruises from the hard puck and the hard hand pieces. When my fingers got caught between the puck and the hand piece, it was time for a break. After a few minutes, I forgot all about my little injury and got right back on the air hockey table. My brother usually preferred to play with his male friends so he didn’t have to push the puck gently, but he loved the game so much, he would play with just about anyone who would oblige.

My brother’s son now plays ice hockey and sometimes I think my brother is living vicariously through his son. I think that he still daydreams about playing the sport professionally. Right now, he is excited about my nephew’s skill as a skater and as a player. Of course, my brother owns a newer air hockey table that he shares with his son.  Occasionally, I will turn the air hockey table on when I stop by for a visit. My brother is still cautious with me when we play and sometimes this gives me a great advantage. I am very impressed by how much air hockey tables have improved over the years. The puck glides effortlessly over the air and the hand piece is very comfortable to use.

I am thinking about buying an air hockey table of my very own. I can’t skate very well and I don’t see myself engaged in a game of street hockey any time soon. I do see myself sharing an indoor table game with my husband and children. Those kinds of games leave us with memories that last a lifetime.

It used to be that moms and dads used to need a vacation to get over their vacation. If you have children under five and have been on a vacation lately, you probably know exactly what I am talking about. You may be away from home, but you still have to spend 24 hours a day taking care of the kids.  You may find that you aren’t getting the break from life that you thought you would be getting. There are now more and more companies that are gearing their packages towards kids travel to take some of the stress off of mom and dad.

Even Disney used to have a problem with kids travel. They were good for the older kids, but they really didn’t have anything for the younger children who are under five or six years old. They really can’t go on a lot of rides and their needs are greater than that of older children. Disney seems to have gotten a clue and they have things designed for kids travel to take some of the worries off of the parents. They have concerts for the younger set, and they have babysitters and nannies so the parents can have some time to relax.

Hotels are jumping in on the kids travel idea as well. Many of them have babysitters you can hire by the hour and the price is usually not that bad. They will play with the kids and run them through a variety of activities made just for them. Not only do they give the parents a chance to relax, you may find that the kids are pleasantly tired when the day is through. This is a bonus to kids travel. It means you can get some uninterrupted sleep! You might even want to consider a visit to the Nickelodeon hotel, which was made just for kids.

If you are interested in kids travel and kid friendly resorts, destinations and hotels, you don’t have to look that hard to find them. They are popping up everywhere now and your travel agent might be able to find you the best alternatives right away. You can also look up kids travel online to see what pops up in your price range. You should probably be able to find something no matter where you want to go and you may find that taking a family vacation is more fun than you thought it would be.

The sport of floor hockey has grown in popularity over the years, and intramural and other teams can now be found in communities, schools, and even colleges and universities.  It is a unique game in that it evens the playing field for those who may enjoy the game of hockey, but are not be able to play on ice for physical or other reasons. It gives both children and adults who are not skilled in ice or roller skating the opportunity to participate in the game. Floor hockey also provides an opportunity for those who do not live in cool climates or have access to an indoor skating rate the chance to participate in the enjoyable and fast paced team sport of hockey.

As the name suggests, ice hockey is the foundation for the game. Like ice hockey, floor hockey is generally played in a rink. But instead of ice, the rink is usually made of either concrete or wood.  Because it does not require the ability to skate or move about easily on an icy surface, it is an ideal team sport for many athletes with disabilities. Floor hockey has been adopted as a wheelchair sport and it is also the single team sport in the Winter Special Olympics.

Play involves the use of a puck, stick and goals. In most organized games, teams will consist of five or six players. Floor hockey players must be skilled in stick handling and shooting, as well as in passing the puck to their team members. Points are scored the same way as in ice hockey, and floor hockey goalies must be alert and quick to act to avoid allowing the opposing team to score. Generally, floor hockey players use pucks and sticks specifically designed for indoor play. One of the major differences between floor hockey and ice hockey is that players of floor hockey generally do not wear protective gear, so some safety modifications have been made to the game.

It is a sport that is adaptable to almost any location and an activity that can be enjoyed by players of varying skill levels.  Floor hockey has become an increasingly popular activity. Children and adults can enjoy it in a variety of educational and community settings.

A similar game is floorball, which uses sticks made from lighter plastic materials and a ball instead of a puck. Floorball is believed to have originated from floor hockey, which goes to show how the game of hockey in general has been adapted to allow enthusiasts with various skill levels, resources and geographical limitations to enjoy the sport.

One of the most challenging issues that parents of autistic children face is the child’s inability to control his behavior. This challenge is not easily overcome because many autistic individuals have major communication deficits that prevent them from communicating why they are having a tantrum or why they are engaging in aggressive actions. A behavior chart is useful in helping caretakers determine the reason for the child’s tantrums and aggressions.

When I worked as an autism therapist, I used a behavior chart known as an ABC outline. This is an extremely valuable tool for determining the causes of behavior and it may be used to determine possible interventions that can be used to redirect the negative actions like tantrums and aggression.

ABC stands for antecedent, behavior and consequence. This behavior chart simply collects data on these three aspects of the child’s target behavior. Once the child demonstrated unwanted actions like tantrums and aggression, the therapist or caregiver collects objective information about the event. After a number of instances, the data on the behavior chart is evaluated and a course of action is determined by the autistic child’s treatment team.

The ABC behavior chart first section involves the antecedent to the child’s behavior. The antecedent is simply what happens immediately before the behavior occurs. This does not involve any subjective interpretation of the behavior. For example, instead of writing, “The child was hungry,” the data collector would write, “The child was waiting for dinner.” This is all that the antecedent involves. The child was waiting for his meal.

The next data that is collected on the behavior chart is the behavior. It is important to remember that this needs to be an action. What did the child do? For example, instead of writing, “The child became angry,” the data collector would write, “The child threw his silverware and cried and screamed.” The action is the behavior and it describes exactly what happened, not the data collector’s interpretation of the child’s emotions.

The final part of the behavior chart includes the consequence of the child’s behavior. The consequence is what happens immediately after the behavior. It is essential to keep this section objective as well. Sometimes a child will engage in a negative behavior in order to get a certain response. For example, a child is in a classroom and his teacher is talking with his parents. He throws books all over the floor and his mother and teacher run over and say, “What’s wrong?”

In the last example, the behavior chart would clue the treatment team in on the child’s negative behavior because it provides clues to the cause. The child wanted attention and the consequence was that he got the teacher’s and the mother’s undivided attention. But, the behavior chart has to be consistent. The attention seeking behavior has to be demonstrated a number of times before any conclusions are made.

A behavior chart is a valuable tool for helping a treatment team to determine which interventions to use when dealing with difficult behavior. The behavior chart may also be used for normal children who have trouble controlling their behavior as well. The chart usually takes weeks or even months to clue caretakers in on the causes of negative behavior, but it is often worth the wait.