I had the pleasure of serving as a guest judge for the Junior King and Queen contest at the Topsfield Fair this past Saturday. Children ages 5 - 8 were eligible to compete for the crown. One by one, they walked onto the stage and answered a few questions from the host Mrs. Essex County LuAnn Bonanno. Tough decision! Congratulations to all the participants - absolutely adorable and well-spoken.
Check out the Topsfield Fair going on through Oct. 12. Daily events for the family!
Me with fellow judes: Miss Hampton Beach is Kristen Crossland from Seabrook NH and George Knight from WKLB & Radio 92.9
Last year's winners. They presented the Jr. King and Queen with crowns during the ceremony.
And the winners are: Standing with Mrs. Essex County (LuAnn Bonanno) The Jr. Queen is Meaghan Shea, 5, from Salisbury. The Jr. King is Lee Dalzell, 8, from Rowley. The Jr. Queen Runner-up is Lana Crosson, 5, from Topsfield. The Jr. King Runner-up is Brendon Spencer, 5, from Byfield.
I'm the only girl without a crown
Why is it that my son is a perfect student for his actual teacher and a less than enthusiastic one for his own mother? Why?
I severely doubt that he whined when his kindergarten teachers asked him a math question or asked him to recite a few lines in a book. Man, that drives me crazy!
Despite this initial resistance, my son has enjoyed his Super Why activity sheets for the past few days. I love it because it’s a no-brainer for me. My kids watch a 30-minute episode of Super Why and then we have some fun with the activity sheets I download directly from from the PBS web site. Suddenly I have a 45-minute lesson plan. This is especially important to me during the summer months when I don’t want to have my children’s brains turn to mush! (Read for background)
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I’ve been admiring Sara Sun of Sublime Photo Art work, from afar for a while now. I first came across her Web site several months ago when I was researching area photographers and was hoping to find someone who had a niche for whimsical, fun and trendy approaches to family portraits.
So when Sara emailed me a few weeks back and said that my headshot needed some serious updating, I scheduled a photo shoot and… a hair appointment.
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Be super smart and dazzle friends with your July 4 knowledge. If you want to see how to make cranberry pudding, be sure to tune into NECN on Friday, July 3 at 7:45 a.m. I’m going to attempt making one of President George Washington’s favorite recipes!
Uncle Sam’s long wait
Uncle Sam was created during the War of 1812 but wasn’t adopted as a national symbol until Sept. 15, 1961.
Bald eagle vs. turkey
Most of us know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, but who overrode his vote? It was John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who picked the bald eagle.
What do you call it?
Nicknames for the U.S. flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory and The Star-Spangled Banner
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Thought I’d share some upcoming events that could be fun for you and the kiddies. Enjoy!
Calling All June Bugs at ArtBeat in Franklin and Arlington on Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bug lovers unite! Paint ladybugs, beetles, or spiders in sand or make a ladybug door hanger with batik paper. As a bonus, color and shrink a ladybug charm. ($12)
More
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Time is running out to join our first annual ice cream contest. It’s easy
1. Visit one our participating stores
2. Eat ice cream
3. Visit our contest page, tell us your favorite flavor
Then you are entered to win a family four-pack to Coco Water Resort in Danvers plus $50 to your favorite ice cream shop! Deadline is July 1. Don’t worry, we’re running this contest again in July & August!
Sign up for our bi-monthly Wicked Local Parents e-newsletter and we’ll send the latest parenting news, listing of fun family friendly events and a few chances to win some cool prizes directly to your email account. You can get a jump start on Memorial Day fun if you sign up today - the next e-newsletter goes out this Thursday!
We’re also offering subscribers a chance to win a Dad Knows Best book basket. Just think, you won’t have to shop for the perfect Father’s Day gift - we did it for you.
Nestled in a residential area of Mendon, you’ll find another kind of home - one that can accommodate the habitats of nearly 500 animals - from elephants to elks. Like any home, families live within. There’s the baby chimpanzee frolicking with his mom and dad and the baby giraffe born in March that already towers above five feet. These are the newest addition to the family at Southwick Zoo in Mendon. A zoo with a rich history dating back to 1803 when the land operated as a dairy farm.
I took my daughter and nephew for a visit last week. At 11 a.m. on Wednesday the zoo parking lot was nearly full (Parking is free) It wasn’t on purpose but we did catch the Record & Burpee’s Familyof Performing Animals featuring clever canines and an Arabian horse. After that the kids were hooked.
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First stop: Visit the calendar section at WickedLocalParents for up-to-the minute ideas for family fun but my favorite picks are right here:
Gore Place in Waltham will host its annual Sheepshearing Festival on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Taking place over several acres of the governor Gore estate, the annual Sheepshearing Festival has long been a New England tradition. There will be all sorts of activities and demonstrations to enjoy, lively music, dancers, performers, historic recreators, farm animals, wagon rides, and a large crafts fair. There will be plenty of food vendors onsite as well.
More ideas below
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I got a little dose of summer this weekend when I visited Coco Key Resort indoor water park in Danvers. It was a comfy 80 degrees in there and I even pranced around in my bathing suit. Let the record show, I was traveling with three small children and didn’t know another soul there.
My kids thought that they had entered water heaven. The park is a glorious 65,000-sq. ft. and it is wet. I mean water comes at you whether you are in a pool or not. Every 10 minutes or so, a huge pucket holding hundreds of gallons of water dumps out over the Parrot’s Perch attraction. It’s enough to knock you over if you’re unfortunate enough to be standing right under it - although I never saw that happen. The three water slides at Parrot’s Perch moved quickly - my kids would come down and run right back up the stairs for more.
I did mention that I was with 3 kids (ages 4, 6 & 9) That made the day a bit interesting since some of the attractions have height requirements…
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