There truly are no words. Today, I plan on skipping my usual Tuesday Tales post to take a moment to pause and send my thoughts to those in Boston.
I had already planned a trip there with the boys since they have never been. Boston is an amazing city filled with people that are survivors. Their spirit will stay strong and help those in need during this horrible time.
Kids can often be afraid of hospitals and medical professionals. I know that my boys do not have fond memories of visiting them. Of course, being rushed on an ambulance and having people be unable to get an IV in a child can be traumatic. Thanks to this, we wanted to help ease the boys’ perception of hospitals, doctors, and others that work in the emergency fields.
Albany Medical Center held their tenth annual “Teddy Bear Hospital Day” over the weekend. Children in the community can bring their teddy bears (or aliens) to the event to have check-ups by a medical student. The kids actually rotate around different stations, where they learn about medical procedures while getting hands-on experiences.
When we arrived and parked our car, we went over to see the First Responders that were parked outside. The members from Western Turnpike Rescue Squad had their ambulance to give kids a tour. NHL was in an ambulance years ago when he had a febrile seizure. Poor JSL has been on one many more times after a hand full of febrile seizures. Neither of the boys recall those rides, but I do. They really enjoyed looking around inside the truck to see all of the equipment.
Members of the Engine 9 from the Albany Fire Department were also there with their truck. The kids were able to walk around the truck, ask questions, and explore. Oh and they also were allowed to jump into the truck for a great photo opportunity. I know these first responders are often the ones that show up at home, so allowing the kids to see how kind and patient they were was priceless.
From here we wandered through Albany Medical Center to the cafeteria where the event was being held. The boys had their stuffed friends ready. First, we signed them in and got our bags. Next, we waited on line for Stitch and Duffy to get their medical gowns and ID bracelets.
After this, Stitch and Duffy had check-ups from one of the medical students. The boys were allowed to use stethoscopes and other medical instruments to assist in the exam. From here, we wandered around the different stations that included: Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, Hospital Adventure, Psych-Neuro, Clinical Nutrition, Orthopedic Surgery, Dermatology, Tar Wars, Lyme Out, and more. In addition to this, the kids were able to get ID badges made with photos of them with their friends. This was by far the cutest part.
Stitch and Duffy did really well, although they both required a cast. Stitch ended up having a broken ear as he went around with NHL. He got that fixed up and did really well in the end.
Poor Duffy ended up breaking his little tail when he went to get some shots. At least that is what JSL told them when they asked what happened to him. Thank goodness they had the supplies to help and stabilize that break.
A huge thank you to Albany Medical Center, the staff, professors, and medical students that ran this. It was so well done it was a pleasure to take the boys to. If you ever have the chance to go, I highly recommend it.
Have you ever been to an event like this one? I would love to know what your family thought and how it helped your children.
Raise your hand if you often forget to take time to put yourself first. No really, I’m being serious. I think the majority of us could probably say that with the hustle and bustle of our every day lives we tend to neglect our own need for a sort of time out.
While the boys were on Spring break, the stress of some items in the weeks leading up to it left me sick. I had a fever, chills, aches, and was miserable. Thank goodness NHL and JSL were amazing during that time and played together and make sure I was able to rest. 
After being sick, I was unable to travel with TechyDad and the boys to a family birthday party that was out of town. I was home alone the entire day. The house was quiet and I had time to do what I wanted to do. I had no work to get done and could rest, relax, and unwind.
Imagine this…time to read with no interruptions.
Yes, it happened and I was not attempting this at night when my eyes were heavy. Many times, I fall asleep reading a book. It isn’t because the book is bad, no it is because I was so exhausted. TechyDad has had to close a book, move my Kindle, or pry my phone and Kindle App out of my hands while I was sleeping too many times to count.
Then, I had control of the remote, Roku, and Netflix. There was no giving in to watching something the boys wanted. I was able to play some more catch up on Arrested Development since new episodes are coming in May. Oh and while I was watching, I could work on some of my crochet project.
While I never wish I was sick, I enjoyed the quiet day to just relax, recoup, and do things that I enjoy. Had I been feeling better, I would have added a long walk while listening to an audio book.
So, what would your perfect YOU day look like? Think about it and remember that from time to time we all need to put ourselves first to make sure we do not crash and burn.
Disclosure: I wrote this post as an Ambassador for Dummies books through a Global Influence campaign. I received a copy of this book for review purposes, but as a fan of Dummies books, the opinions expressed are 100% my own and no other compensation was received.
As an educator and parent, I am a firm believer in using technology to assist children with their learning. These days, this can mean a lot of different things. In the past, it may have meant taking children to a computer lab to play educational games. Now, it can be using Skype to connect to a museum for a live lesson, watching videos of experiments on YouTube, and teaching children how to research items online. Of course, the invasion of iPads in schools and homes has changed a lot.
Admission time: We have an iPad and the boys adore using it. We have educational apps on it, but I know it could be a much more powerful tool. I signed up to read iPad in Education For Dummies
As with all For Dummies books, iPad in Education For Dummies is broken down into seven sections and 24 chapters that are filled with information for educators, homeschoolers, and parents looking for way to integrate iPads for additional learning. The best part of the book is you can read it in any order, or just focus on the items that pertain to your needs. Here is a breakdown of the book:
Part 1: Meeting the Educational iPad – Welcome to the 21st-century of education. We are given ways that the educational world is changing and how iPad use can assist this thanks to it being a multimedia tool. Chapter 2 includes a great way to get familiar with the iPad, making it ready to use, and what items are found within it. For schools looking for how to manage classrooms with iPads, Chapter 3 dives into this topic.
Part 2: Finding and Using Apps – First, Gliksman explains how to maximize the use of the apps that come on the iPad. This includes e-mail, surfing the web, using the camera and video capability, reading eBooks, and more. Chapter 5 talks about where to find educational apps and whether you should select free or fee-based versions.
Part 3: Finding and Organizing Educational Content – Rather than rely on clippings of items you find on the internet, this section helps to use the power of the iPad to tag, highlight, and sort information. I am now intrigued with using Instapaper and Diigo. In addition to this, sharing items on other platforms is also discussed.
Part 4: Exploring Applications for Digital Reading and Writing – Using e-books is a hot topic right now. While some people believe that children should use real paper books, the e-books are lighter, easier to store, and you can get so many of them via apps and lending libraries. Chapter 8 is all about reading with your iPad with younger children, documents, e-books, and where to find additional resources like e-textbooks.
Chapter 9 focuses on how to work on document writing on your iPad and Chapter 10 on becoming a digital author. I plan on spending a lot more time with these two chapters. I think this summer we may try to utilize some strategies here with my oldest son. He is a reluctant writer and as a child with Asperger’s he adores using technology. This seems like a win-win and we can get very creative. In addition to this, my kiddo adores math and science. Perhaps we can use Chapter 11 to incorporate this on our quest with tools for inquiry based learning. I have a feeling we may be trying SkyWalk, Monster Physics, and other items mentioned.
Part 5: Expressing Yourself with Media – Creative learning and teaching helps to engage children. This section guides teachers and parents through ways to attempt digital storytelling with different types of media on the iPad. The author also shares how to produce podcasts and screencasts. This section is heavy on technical information, but it is presented in a way that is easy to understand with your iPad in front of you. Some items in this section may also be helpful for my upcoming summer project.
Part 6: The iPad Classroom – This section helps teachers that plan on using iPads within the classroom. There is a focus on printing, scanning, presenting, and digitizing the whiteboard.
Part 7: The Part of Tens – Helpful lists in this section including
After reading sections of this book, I now have even more respect for the educational power of the iPad. Author Sam Gliksman really guides educators and others through using them and rationale on why it is a good idea. As I mentioned above, I am now even more excited to really get my hands on my iPad to figure out how to use it for a fun Storytelling adventure for my boys this summer.
If you are interested in seeing some of the cheat sheets from the book, you can view them on the iPad in Education For Dummies page.
Are you an educator that has used iPads in the classroom? I would love to hear from you. If your children have utilized them at home or school please share any information you have as well.
Additional Disclosure: An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the Dummies book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to purchase it through that link.
Each week, I look forward to the themes for Disney Wordless Wednesday hosted by Focused on the Magic. Some of the items are a bit more tricky, but each is magical in their own way. The best part of the process is that I get to take adventures back into our Disney photos and think outside of the box. Of course, when the theme is “Disney Letter J” it isn’t too difficult. I did enjoy including a Disney friend in this as well. JeniLynn or JL, is the original Neurotic Disney Mom (NDM1) from The Disney Driven Life. These days, she co-hosts The Orlando Attractions Magazine Show.
Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.
