Children of the World, Unite! (For Cell Phone Rights)

I think kids should sometimes have their own cell phones.  Young kids don't need one, but they should get one before they're totally old.

My parents think I'm not going to get a cell phone until I'm 16!  And, then, they say it's going to belong to the car and not me.  Can you believe that?!?

LAME!

They're totally going to change their minds.  Or I'll make them change their minds.

The Audition's the Thing . . . .

Don't be afraid to audition for plays.  If you are, then you won't be able to fulfill your dream, if your dream is to  be an actor.  Instead of being afraid, you should be brave, face your fears, and make it fun instead of scary.

I auditioned for a play today.  It's called "Scrooge Variations."  It's a parody of A Christmas Carol.  It's really funny.  I haven't found out yet what part or parts I'm going to play.  I'm excited, though.

You can come to my performances at the John Waldron Arts Center, Rose Fire Bay, the first two weeks of December!

Not a Clothes Horse

Churchy clothes are just dumb.  I hate to dress up.  The last few weeks I've had to wear them a lot, at both my great grandpa's and great grandma's visitations and funerals.

It was sad to be at the funerals, but it made it even worse to have to dress up in all the snazzy clothes.  I think you should be able to wear shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops everywhere.

Let's change the clothes rules.  Are you with me?

Watch This!

Wearing a watch is fun and it helps a lot to keep you on time and to let you know when it's time to get up.  Even at school it's very helpful to know when specials are coming up and when lunch is happening and when it's the end of the day.

Everyone should wear a watch.  The world would work better.

A Golden Piece of Advice

You should always be nice to people, even if you don't really know them.  It's important to respect people, especially if they're adults.  If you want people to be nice to you, then you have to be nice to them.

Referendum Recommendation

For my Bloomington peeps . . .

Go here for more info!

What I did today . . .

358 jumping pull ups!

Try it.

Friendly Travel

A long ride to a far  away place can be made better if you invite a friend to go along.

That's why I'm glad I invited Christopher to come with me to the Nappanee Apple Festival and to visit my grandparents' farm.

GREAT Grandma

This has been a tough month for my family.  Only a couple of weeks after my Great Grandpa passed away, my Great Grandma Velma passed away.  I didn't know her as well as my Great Grandpa Bob, because she was sick for most of the time I've been alive.  But, she was always around and it will be weird without her.

I'll miss you Grandma . . . I love you.

Remember:  Appreciate your parents (and grand and great grand) while you have them!

5 . . . Kay?

Run, run as fast as you can.  You can't catch me, I'm . . . Calvin.

Today I ran my fourth 5K race.  It was a tough one.  I kind of sprained my ankle at the beginning of the race.

Even though I had a hard time, I got third place in my age group.  My friend Christopher came with me and got second place in our age group.

My tip is that you should run, too.  It helps keep you healthy and active.

The Not-So-Golden Rule

If you want me to be nice to you, you should be nice to me.

I keep telling my parents that, but it doesn't make them any nicer to me.

It makes me mad.

Eat Like the Caveman

If you go to CrossFit and you want to try to lose weight and eat healthy, they might tell you to try the Paleo Diet.  It helps you lose weight.  You get lots of fruits and vegetables, but you don't get to eat ice cream and popcorn and jelly beans and candy and sweets and chocolate.  It's called the Paleo Diet, because it's based on people who lived in the Paleolithic Era lived.  So, some people call it the caveman diet.  Anybody can do it, even if you don't go to CrossFit.

I think it's okay, but it's not as fun as I wish it were.  I like popcorn and ice cream and stuff like that.  Plus, I'm not a caveman, so why should I eat like one.  Ook and Gluk were probably on that diet, though.

My dad is making all of us do the Paleo Diet with him, because he needs to lose weight.

If you have to go on a diet because your dad is fat, then it could be worse than the Paleo Diet, because you can eat lots of grapes and bananas and peaches.

Good Reads, Part III (I think)

A good book to read is "The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy."  You can probably find it in your library; that's where I found the copy I'm reading.  It's also available on the Kindle, if you have one.  I do.  It's a nice little piece of electronics.

Forty Years Young

Forty isn't that old.  My parents' friend turned 40 and we went to her surprise birthday party and she's definitely not old.

Plus I got to jump on a trampoline at her party, so I thought that was really cool.

Creative Colors

I have penny eyes. My mom has chocolate chip eyes. My dad has summer sky eyes.

Just saying a color to describe someone's eyes is boring. Come up with a creative and descriptive metaphor instead.

Goalllllllllllll!!!!!!

If you're trying to accomplish something, you need to set goals and write them down on a goal sheet. I'm trying to get a perfect round-off and cartwheel. So I've made a goal sheet.

Replica-mania!

When you love something or someplace, you should show your love by making a replica of it with Legos. I am making a replica of CrossFit Bloomington in Legos. It has ski machines, boxes to jump, weights and racks, and my friends who work out there. I have Lego avatars of all of the trainers, like Geoff, Hannah, Drew, Chad, Ken, and Brian. I also have avatars of my mom and dad, Garric, Brandon, Shiri, and even Huck (Hannah's puppy).

My friend Jack is making a Lego replica of our school.

What would you make a replica of if you could?

Stunt Training

If you want to be an actor, you should take gymnastics lessons to learn good body control and how to do flips, rolls, and round-offs. Then you'll be able to do your own stunts. I love my gymnastics lessons at Rising Star!

Hey, Mr. Weiss Guy!

If you're name is Dan, you should make sure you read my blog EVERY DAY.

(Hint, Hint.)

Tricks of the Fourth Grade Trade

Diversion . . . it's a good word I learned the other day.  It's also what I do to my parents to trick them into letting me stay up later.  I create a diversion.

Try it.  It works.

GREAT Grandpa

Goodbye Grandpa Bob.  I will miss you.

Remember when I used to call you Bobby, because I liked Bob the Builder?

Enjoy all your grandparents . . . even your great grandparents.  They are great.

High on the Hog

Everything tastes better with bacon on it.

Pearly Whites

Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

I know that's not very original, but sometimes the simplest tips are the best.

Being Prepared for Your Muse

If you want to be a writer you need to take a journal and a pen with you everywhere. If you want to be an artist, you need to take a sketchpad with you everywhere. You never know when you will be inspired and you always need to practice.

Back to the Basics

A word I like to use when I'm talking is "basically."  It's a helpful word to make your point and it's fun to say.

My tip is, basically (HA!) that you should use the word when you want to spice up your conversations.  It's a good word to summarize what you're trying to say.

Basically, that's it.

Un-Rapping the Ninja

If I know one thing for sure, it's that ninjas don't rap.  So the song "Enter the Ninja" by Die Antwoord is just plain wrong.

P.S.  I'm not going to link to the song, because it turns out it has naughty words in it.

Go Ahead and Jump

If you have a goal, you should persevere.  I set a goal to do a 24 inch box jump at CrossFit Bloomington.  I worked hard for a few days and today I accomplished my goal.  Stick to it and work hard and you will reach your goals, too!!

Sad

A kid who I went to pre-K with lost his brother yesterday.  Jackson's brother Wyatt had special needs like my brother Grant.  Wyatt got sick and had to have surgery and passed away.  Wyatt went to my school, too.

I feel so bad for Jackson and his family.  I love my brother and I know Wyatt's family loved him.  I just can't imagine losing your brother.

My friend Kim did respite care for Wyatt like she does for Grant.  So we knew Wyatt a couple of ways.

I was really, really sad today.

My tip is to love and appreciate your family while you have them around.  You never know how long you have them with you.

Stunts and School

There's this really cool thing call "free running" and a similar thing called "parkour" that I just learned about. It's amazing. These people run really fast and jump over barriers, climb buildings and do flips off walls and stuff. I want to learn how to do it and you should too. I'm taking gymnastics lessons this fall at Rising Star to get the fundamentals. Since I want to be an actor, I think it's important that I learn how to do my own stunts. Learning gymnastics and free running will help.

As a bonus tip, I just wanted to say that I hope all you kids out there -- and parents of kids out there -- had a great first day of school. I sure did. Ms. Weatherbee's class rocks!! Ask me sometime about all of our class pets and about Boxington. Woot woot!!

YouLaugh

My new friends Leo, Zachary, and Max introduced my friend Christopher and me to a bunch of funny YouTube videos by this guy who calls himself NigaHiga. They are hilarious. Here are a few of my favorites. You should watch them!

iPod Human



Sham Woo-Hoo!



Children's Bop



Dude vs. Wild

Turkish Delights

I got to eat at a great Turkish restaurant yesterday. It wasn't Turkuaz and they didn't have pides, so I was really not sure about it. But I got the lamb kebob and the hummus and it was awesome. It's called Bosphorus and it's on the near south side of Indianapolis by Lilly. My friend Maggie's mom took us there. Yum, yum.

The End of a Season

Summer is almost over. I'm happy and sad about that. If you're a kid it means that it is almost time to get to see your friends everyday. But, that means it's almost time that lazy summer days are over, too. The end of summer means the end of nights without homework. The start of school means the start of homework. So, if you are a kid who's getting ready to go to school, then enjoy your last few days of freedom.

Calvin, out!

Guest Tip: Buzz Kill

Today's tip is brought to you by my cousin Sydney.  She's really nice and smart and cute for a four year old.  Here's what she has to say:

When you go outside in the summer, even to the pool or the beach, be sure to put on mosquito spray so that you don't get bitten by bugs.  Yuck!  I don't like itchy mosquito bites.

Camping Follow Up

If you like camping and think you want to get a camper, you should get either a Cougar or a Cyclone.  They are both AWESOME!

Grand Camp

Go camping with your grandparents. It's fun.

Truth and Consequences Redux

Here's a similar tip to yesterday's (my dad says it could be called a "corollary"):  If your dad has been trying to get in shape, it's not okay to tell him, "You're still fat, though."

Geez! All these rules for how to talk to your parents.

Truth and Consequences

When your mom comes out all dressed up for a party and asks, "How do I look?," I guess you're not supposed to be honest.  My mom was dressed up for her 20-year high school reunion and, when she asked, I said, "I give you 5 out of 10." 

She said that hurt her feelings.

When I told her I thought she maybe was a 6 out of 10 from the back, she said that didn't make her feel better.

I guess you're supposed to lie when you get asked that kind of question.

Hot Town

This summer has been hot.

That's good for using your pool, but bad for playing outside otherwise.

My tip is:  Beat the heat!

Take 'Em Along

Always go everywhere with a ziplock bag full of Legos.  You never know when you're going to be really bored and the Legos will save you from dying of boredom.

Superfly

Here's a tip for when you're being stalked by horse flies while you swim. Try to avoid them by going underwater. If that doesn't work, you should probably go inside. Sometimes the horseflies win.

You Got a Friend in Me

Everything is more fun with a friend. Always share your experiences with friends.

Thanks to all my camp counselors, after school care teachers, not very close friends, really close friends, and best friends. I will always remember and be grateful to you for sharing things with me!

Fanfare

If your bedroom is in your upstairs of your house and it gets pretty hot in the summer, make sure you have a fan. They can really cool you off. Ceiling fans are best.

Still Summer . . . .

When you only have a few weeks left of summer, here is a list of things you should be sure to do before school starts:

• Go see the few summer kid movies that haven't come out yet;
• Have fun with your parents;
• Go bowling;
• Swim as much as you can;
• Build lots of Lego sets;
• Play with your pets;
• Sleep in until 10 a.m. (which I did this morning); 
• Scooter around your neighborood;
• Have lots of playdates with your friend;
• Cuddle up with your mom;
• Read some comic books.

An Assault on the "To Do" List

If you want to feel like you've accomplished something, open up a big box of Star Wars Legos and build an Armored Assault Tank all in one afternoon. That's an accomplishment!

Comment Fail!

When you have a test, you have to answer the question asked or you get a failing grade. Same goes for leaving comments in answer to questions on a blog. So, Brent,you get an F for your comment to yesterday's post!

Don't fail at commenting. It's just embarrassing.

A Supernatural Dilemma

If you have to choose between being a werewolf, a vampire, a mummy, or a zombie, you should choose to be a werewolf, because Professor Snape could make a potion for you to avoid turning into the wolf. And then you're basically human. Even though my mom loves the Twilight vampires, she would rather be alive and be a werewolf, too.

You've read my tip, but do you agree? Which would you choose?

Pool Party

Here's a game you can play. It's called "Colors." You stand on one side of the pool and every one else is on the other side. They all think of a color. You keep your eyes closed and yell out a color. If the color was one of the people's color on the other side, then they have to get in the pool and swim to your side without you hearing them. If you hear them, then you can jump in and try to tag them.

It's a lot of fun.

DIY

If you want something done you have to do it yourself. For instance, if you want to go on a sleepover, you need to take care of cleaning your own room, packing your own clothes, getting your own toothbrush, and making your own arrangements with your friend. You can't rely on your parents to do this stuff.

Step up!!

Massage Message

If you have a mom that demands a massage, make sure you ask what's in it for you.  Tonight my mom said, while I gave her a massage, "I'm using you for your massaging, otherwise you'd have to go to bed."  That was a good enough deal for me.

I also went to the Sorcerer's Apprentice tonight.  Good flick.

Remember, don't give away your massage skills for free.  Find out what's in it for you.

Self Reflection

Even people that write tips can have personal tips for themselves.  I have tips for myself, not just for you.  For instance, the tip I had to remember was that you shouldn't fall asleep on the way to soccer practice on one of the hottest days of the year.  Having to wake up and then run out to practice isn't a good plan.  I need to remember that tip next time.

Preparation vs. Perspiration

If you ever run a race, make sure you're fully prepared.  Kind of like my mom and dad.  They're running the Red Eye Relay.  It's a serious race.  They are getting organized.  They even had a meeting tonight with all of their team members . . . except one person didn't show up.

I've run a race when I wasn't prepared.  It was the East fest 5K.  I didn't train enough.  It was my slowest time ever.

So, you should run a race sometime, because it's fun and good for your health.  But, you definitely want to be sure you're prepared.

A-Cord-ing to Me

If you have pets, then you should make sure that they don't chew on cords, because it could hurt them and the cords.  So, make sure you always watch your pets so they don't chew on cords.

Electrically fried pet is not a good dinner.

If at First . . .

My tip is that, if something goes wrong, try to think of something else fun you can do instead of letting the bad thing ruin your day. My dad says that's being "resilient."

Party Time

One of my favorite things about my Uncle Robby is when he asks my cousin Sydney, "What are you bringing to the party?" Sydney, who's four, says, "Two guns and a six pack." She makes muscles with her arms and shows her stomach. It's hilarious.

If you have young kids in your family, you should teach them to say it.

A Crack in the Foundation

I have a tip for people who wear pants that don't fit them, especially if you're bootylicious. Buy some pants that fit you. For goodness sake don't sit down at a bar and let your pants slip down.

Today at a restaurant I sat facing a guy who obviously should have heard this tip before he got dressed today.

He was the mayor of Crackville.

It was a six inch crack sandwich in denim bread.

It was plumber's crack and he was charging holiday rates.

You could have hidden a small puppy in that thing.

Believe me, it was gross.

Do me a favor: don't put some other kid through the torture I endured today. Buy some pants that fit and wear a belt.

Freak-a-Deak

I'm a super freak, super freak. I'm super freaky.

Are you?

Wave, Hello!

Wave riding is really fun. You would really enjoy it. If it's windy and there are waves, you just swim in front of the wave and make your hands like shark fins. The wave will take you for a ride.

I started the day as a beginner and finished as a novice level 4.

On the (Techie) Road Again

When you're traveling, you need to have lots of stuff with you to help you pass the time. Be sure to take a sketchbook for drawing, books to read, an iPod Touch, movies for your DVD player, and some headphones to jam with (especially if your parents are listening to NPR or Sirius Coffe House . . . lame!!).

All Bent Out of Shape

If I could be a bender , like Aang and Kitara, I would want to be a water bender. What would you be?

I give "The Last Airbender" a big thumbs up! You should go see it.

State of Confusion

My shirt says "Don't Mess with Texas."  I don't even know what that means.  It doesn't make sense, because how would you mess with a whole state?  I guess you could say something bad about a state, but then who's going to do anything about it.  I'm sure the state has more important things to do than to worry about if I "mess" with it.

Instead of worrying about whether you're messing with a whole state, I suggest you that you "Don't Mess with Calvin."

From Storms to Blizzards

You should go to Dairy Queen and get a Blizzard, because those Blizzards are sweet-mama good.  So are the ice cream cookies and chocolate covered cones.  Those are good, too.  They also have Diet Coke with vanilla flavoring in them.  My mom is addicted to them.  My dad likes them, too, but not as much as my mom.

My favorite Blizzard is the new Strawberry Golden Oreo.  Mmmmmm, mmmmmm.

Weathering the Storm

Here's my tip:  When it's a thundering night of a storm, you should relax and read books or watch TV and not worry so much about the storm.  I'm kind of scared of the storm we're having right now, but we're having family reading time and so I'm concentrating on my book and not the storm.

One reason I'm kind of scared is because of that bad storm my Grandma Jeanette and I drove in the other week.  Whew!  That was a bad one.  I heard my Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Robby and Cousin Sydney had a tornado near their house today.  Yikes!

Everybody's okay, thank goodness!

Not Just Fit, CrossFit

I worked my butt off today at CrossFit Bloomington.  I went with my dad to the gym today and did the workout.  Holy cow it was hot and we did some hard work.

I wish they would start a CrossFit Kids program.  I would do it.  My mom and dad belong to CFB and go there five or six times a week.

If you need a good workout, you should try CrossFit.

P.S.  We came home and jumped in the pool.  That was a relief!

Good Night and Big Balls

Want a good laugh?  Like to see people bite the dust in hilarious ways?

Watch Wipeout!

Feats of Strength

Here's a skills test for you the next time you are in a swimming pool:

1. Jump in to the deep end and swim to the bottom of the pool.  Stay there for as long as you can.
2. Swim the long way of the pool and then back, as fast as you can.
3. Get on your tubes or air mattress and have a turbo boat race with your friends or family.
4. Do a handstand for as long as you can.
5. See how long you can hold your breath under water.

Swimming in the summer is really fun and having a pool has been awesome.

Fruity-Pants

I have many favorite fruits.  Right now I'm eating sweet cherries.  I love them.  If you can't decide which fruit to eat between grapes, blueberries, cherries, apples, bananas, or pineapple, I recommend cherries.

Plus, they're healthy.

Yummy.

Days of Thunder

When it's storming really badly, you shouldn't go out in your car.  My grandma Jeanette and I learned that the other day.

If you have to dodge fallen trees, it's time to turn around and go home.

We did.

Spoiler Time!

Your grandmas will spoil you, if you give them the chance.

Give them the chance!

Double-Decker Slumber Party

Bunk beds are cool.

Cool Cousins

I'm at camp with my cousin Joel.  I'm really glad he's at camp with me, because it's good to know someone when you're at camp.  Joel and I sometimes fight, but we get along pretty well.

Cousins are great.  I have a bunch of fun cousins.  In my mom's family, all but one of my cousins are boys.  They are Joel (he's 8), Charlie (he's 5), Henry (he's almost 4), and Jenna (she's also almost 4 and Henry's twin).  In my dad's family, all of my cousins are girls.  They are Sydney (she's 4) and Katylynn (she's 2 1/2).

Enjoy your cousins!

M-A-C-K Mack is Our Camp . . .

I am at sleepover camp tonight and tomorrow night.  So, I did today's and tomorrow's tips early.

I am at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford, IN.  My mom and uncle went to camp there when they were kids.  So, I'm carrying on a family tradition.  My cousin is there with me.

Sleepover camp is a little scary, but I think it's going to be a ton of fun.

Single Parent Pros and Cons

My mom is out of town.  Lately she has had to go away a lot.  I miss her.  It's sad not to have her here.

But, the good thing is that when one of my parents is gone, I usually get to stay up late and watch movies with the other parent who is at home.  Tonight I got to stay up and watch The Wizard of Oz with my dad.  I'd never seen that movie before.  It was awesome.

Sometimes also when one of your parents is gone, the other one will do something special with you.  Like last night, my dad took me to Asuka for sushi!  Yum.

Try to convince your parents to let you do these things if one of them goes out of town for work.

Sum-Sum-Summer Time

You know it's summer when:

• There are kids playing outside and there are no teachers to tell you what to do.
• You don't have to bring home huge piles of homework.
• You never have to do schoolwork.
• You see people going to day camps.
• You go swimming outside in the pool and it's always open.
• You have tan lines.
• It's still light out and it's your bedtime.
• You sweat sitting still.

I love summer.

And I don't like it.

It's cool.

And it's not.

Playing with friends and not having schoolwork are great.  But, you don't get to see all of your friends everyday.

I Would Totally Kick Your Butt!

Not to brag, but I am awesome at dodgeball.

My tip is:  You better not play against me.  You'll get pwn'd!

Anti-Dentite

You probably don't want to get a filling, so remember to brush your teeth.  I got three fillings today and it hurt!  But, it's better to get fillings than to let your cavities grow and have to get your teeth pulled.

I don't want to scare you from the dentist, but I pretty much hate it.

Brush your teeth.  Floss regularly.


[Ed. note:  Calvin actually does a really good job of brushing his teeth, but he had three molars that had congenital defects in them that led to his needing fillings.  His mom and I didn't make a big deal of that, because we didn't want him to blame us for his bad genetics!  --Calvin's dad]

Cache Money!

I have a new sport for you and it’s really, really, really fun. It’s called geocaching. You need a GPS device.

You search for these hidden geocaches. Some of them have prizes in them. If there is a prize, you should take one and replace it with something for someone else to find.

Geocaching happens all over the world. There are urban geocaches and wilderness geocaches.

I found my first urban geocache called Seminary Square Park and Find on the last day of school.

There’s a great app called “Geocaching” on the iPhone, if you happen to have one. I highly recommend it. It costs $9.99, but it’s totally worth it. Now if my dad’s dumb iPhone had a battery that worked, we’d be all set. Stupid iPhone!

Kitty Kuddling

When you get the chance, cuddle with your kitties.  It's fun and they're warm and furry.  When you're cold in your downstairs basement, they'll sit on your lap and cuddle with you and get you nice and toasty.  A stupid dog won't warm you up at all.

Snuggle up with a cat and you'll have a smile on your face.

By the way, my cat Frodo is almost as fat as Puss in Boots.

Camptastic Summer

You may have  noticed that I haven't had a tip for a couple of days.  You would think that now that I'm a fourth grader and it's summer, I'd have more time.  But, I have to go to camps during the day.  They are actually sometimes fun.  They're not awesome, but they're fun.

It's just camps that camps keep you so busy and you're so tired that you can forget to do your tip.

So, my tip for today is that you should really enjoy your camp if you go to one, but be sure to get enough rest to enjoy it.

I mean, look at me.  It's 10:30!  I should already be asleep.

G'night.

P.S.  Happy birthday Aunt Janelle!!

Not Fair!!

If you are a parent or plan to be one some day, you should let your kids go to PG-13 movies even if they're not 13.  I mean, just because they hear bad words or see violence in a movie doesn't mean they're going to say the bad words or hurt other people.

It's totally unfair that some kids in my class can go to PG-13 movies and I can't!

Observe and Try Again

Today I couldn't blow up a new inner tube somebody got us for the pool.  So I asked my mom to blow it up.  Then, she got a phone call.  Luckily, though, I had been observing her, so I figured out what I was doing wrong.  I hadn't been putting my whole mouth on the valve and biting down on it.

My tip is that if you can't do it the first time, ask for some help and then observe.  You will probably learn a lot and then can become an expert.

In Appreciation of School Days

If you think you can't wait for school to be over, then think again.  School is actually really fun.  You have a good teacher who cares about you, you learn a lot, you have great friends you get to see every day, and recess rules.

Summer is fun and all, but going to camps is pretty stinky.  It's hot a lot of the time.

You should really consider trying to have the best days at school, because they don't last forever.  Have fun and enjoy it!

Applause! Applause!

To be a good actor, you have to have a good singing voice, a good sense of movement and drama, and a good speaking voice.  Another characteristic is that you have to be brave and be ready for anything.  You can't have stage fright.  Be cool and have fun.  Don't pass out.  If you mess up, just start over from where you were and keep on going.

You'll know it's all worth it because you'll have fun and you'll get applause.  You feel a lot better when you get applause.

I got huge applause today when I played the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland in my third grade musical. It was awesome!

Plus, my grandmas and Franilyn came.  That was really cool.

Cool Pool

You know what's great on a hot May day after you played outside and got really sweaty?  A swim in your pool!!

I love my pool.  It's a dream come true.  If you're thinking of getting one, you should.

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Biking!

If you want to get some exercise, you should ride your bike.  It's fun and it helps to work out your body.

And, you could do what my dad, brother, and I did today.  We rode our bikes to Bruster's to get ice cream. So, we exercised and then didn't feel bad about eating ice cream once we got there!

Read, Baby, Read

Your family should have a family reading time once a week.  Everyone in the family can take an hour or so and read a book of their choice.  You should also keep a family reading journal, so you can keep track of what you've read, how many pages, and stuff like that.

When you're done with the reading time, everybody should share what they've read.  That way everyone can enjoy the books.

It also helps you not to spend so much time watching TV.  Reading is better for your brain.

We did it tonight at my house and it was fun.  I read Pendragon.  My mom read the latest Sookie Stackhouse book. My dad read The Unlikely Disciple.

Un Juego de Tarjetas

Here's a good way to practice Spanish:  when you play Uno, you say the number and color of the card that you play in Spanish.

That's a fun way to practice your Spanish.

The only problem is that I can't remember how to say "skip" in Spanish.  So, when I play a red skip card, I say, "Rojo skippo."  That's not right, but it kind of sounds like Spanish.

Keep It Up

You should always follow your dreams and never give up.  Even if no one really likes you or no one appreciates your talents, just try, try again.  And one day everything will work out.

That's what Casey James did.

It's Raining Rain

They say April showers bring May flowers.  But May showers bring gloom and boredom and wet shoes.

This tip goes out to the sun:  shine already!

Best Birthday Ever: Best Birthday Weekend EVER!!

What a great weekend!  Sorry I missed a couple of days of tips.  I was too caught up in the best birthday weekend ever.  Here's a quick rundown:

• Friday:  Had sleepover party with friends.  Played game of Survivor.  (Tom was the sole survivor.  I was runner up.  I saved Tom early in the game by giving him my individual immunity and then he won the whole thing!!) Got presents.  (I have a whole set of Lantern Rings now.) Watched a movie. (Bandslam . . . thumbs up.)  Stayed up late.
• Saturday:  Woke up and went swimming with friends. Had playdate with Emil, because he couldn't stay at the sleepover because of his baseball game. Grandma came down and started making my caterpillar costume for Alice in Wonderland.  Ate at Casa Brava . . . thy gave me a sombrero and sang Feliz Cumpleano to me.  Watched Doctor Who . . . big thumbs up.
• Sunday:  Family came to our house for birthday celebration.  Went swimming with my cousins.  Ate lunch.  Got presents (comics, a scooter, and some Legos).  My favorite comic I got was the Absolute Edition of Crisis on Infinite Earths in hardback.  Performed "Ode to Joy" at piano recital . . . thumbs up.  Ate subway . . . a footlong for a nine year old tummy!  Then, watched Survivor finale . . . thumbs up, except I think Sandra shouldn't have won, I wanted Colby or Jerri to win.  I liked Russell, but I didn't want him to win.

What a BIG weekend.

So my last tip for the Best Birthday Ever is make the most of everything you do for your birthday and you'll have a blast like I did!

Best Birthday Ever: Dream Theme

To have the best birthday party ever, you need a good theme.  Last year, I had a soccer and olympic challenge theme.  This year my theme is Survivor Kids.  My friends and I are going to make up two tribes: Cumpleanos Tribe and Geburtstag Tribe.  We are going to have luxury and immunity challenges.  After the immunity challenges, someone will get voted off until we merge into a single tribe and then have a sole survivor.

Themes have to be fun and not too complicated.  You need to make sure they're not too babyish or anything.  That's the worst when a party is Dora the Explorer or Clifford the Big Red Dog or Bob the Builder or something like that and the kids are just too old to think that's cool.

Best Birthday Ever: Goody Two Shoes

Next tip in the Best Birthday Party Ever series is about goody bags.  They are usually good, if you put the right stuff in them.  If you put bad stuff in them, like garbage or samples of your DNA, that would not make the party any fun.  Good goody bags have things that are not expensive, but still are fun.  It's not a good idea to put super nice stuff that is really expensive in goody bags.  Then, it's just a waste of money.  And it makes it seem like you're trying to buy off your friends with bling bling.  You want people to have fun, not praise you for your money spending.

Best Birthday Ever: Eats and Decor

Here's tip number three in my ongoing series of how to have the best birthday party ever.

Cake and balloons and pizza always make for a better party.  I don't even really like cake and I still know that you need it for a successful birthday party.  Plus, my mom makes a mean Wilton cake decorated however I want.

Balloons make for a more festive environment.  Pizza is just yummy.

Here's a preview for tomorrow's tip:  two words . . . goody bags!!

Best Birthday Ever: Installment #1

In honor of my ninth birthday on Sunday, over the next few days I'm going to give you nine tips on how to have the best birthday ever.  Today I'm featuring two tips.

First, sleepover birthday parties with friends are very effective for fun celebrations, because you get to have lots of friends and they can spend a long time with you.

Second, if you're having a pool party, make sure you tell everyone to bring their swimming gear, because you don't want to have someone forget their swimming gear and then have to sit out of the pool and watch everyone else swim or, worse yet, get in the pool in their underwear.  Gross!

Stay tuned for more "Best Birthday Ever Tips" this week.

I Can't Believe It's Only 99 cents

If you don't want an action figure, but you would like something that is cheap, you should go to Vintage Phoenix in Bloomington and get a Green Lantern Ring.  They only cost $0.99.  I got the red ring.  It is a red lantern ring.  My friend Jeremy got the white ring.   It hasn't even come out yet.  I bought my other friend the orange ring for his birthday.  I think you should get a ring too.

G-reat Mail

If you want to have a cool e-mail that has the ability to chat and use Buzz, you should get a gmail address.  I have two gmail accounts and I love to use them.  It also has video chat and just plain old e-mail.  If you don't want to spend all your money on tests or an expensive unlimited texting plan, then use gmail.  It may not be quite as fast as texting, but for someone like me, who doesn't have a mobile phone, gmail is great.

Blog Brother

I'm a follower of my friend Jeremy's blog.  You should go visit it.  I think it's really good and interesting and fun to read.

A Monumental Monthly Appearance

You should go read Indianapolis Monthly from May.  I'm in it.  My picture is right next to Barack Obama's and Peyton Manning's pictures.  Their pictures are in color, though.  Mine is only in black and white.  Still, you should go read it, because you'll get a lot of wisdom from it.  I list 5 really BIG tips.

Don't worry, though.  I won't forget all of my loyal readers just because I'm famous.

If you came to the blog because you read about it in Indianapolis Monthly please leave me a comment and let me know.  Then browse around for a while.  I hope you find something educational and helpful.

The Height of Fun

If you want to go to someplace for rock climbing, I recommend Hoosier Heights in Bloomington.  My friend Hugo is having a birthday party there and he invited me.  I can't wait to go there and climb to the top of the wall without falling off.  You should try it, too.

Don't be scared.  I'm not.

Sibling Salute

Little brothers are cool.  They can always entertain you.  But they can also annoy you, just like big brothers.  My little brother's special needs mean that he's not as entertaining or annoying as most brothers or sisters.  But, I still love him.

People who have brothers and sisters should appreciate them and not complain about them . . . especially my friends who sometimes complain about their brothers and sisters, but then can play with them sometimes, too!

Swingin' Good Times!

If you want to have a good time playing outside, then you should go swinging on a swingset.  Swings are so much fun!  I like to try to go as high as I can.  Sometimes I like to jump off, even though my parents tell me I'm not supposed to do that.  Whatever.

Sometimes I swing and I play this game when I try to kick this big rubber ball (my Hop 55 ball) as I'm swinging to see how far it will go.  Sometimes it would go like a hundred feet in the air and all the way up to my deck.  The force of the swinging makes the kick REALLY strong.  Awesome.