By: Joan Walsh

One free book from CAPE COD MEMORY MAKERS will be given to the first two adults who take a  child, who old enough to travel and record, in their own words, their travel  experience to at least 5 locations mentioned by Josh and Amy in either the  Sandwich or Falmouth memory book.

CAPE COD MEMORY  MAKERS Explore the Town of Sandwich by Joan Walsh (sold at Titcombs in Sandwich)  and CAPE COD MEMORY MAKERS Explore the Town of Falmouth by Joan Walsh (sold at  Eight Cousins in Falmouth) encourages children to travel, draw, and write within  the pages of each book.

This offer is intended for a parent who has more than one child in mind.

1.) First, you purchase one book and take one child to visit at least 5 of the locations mentioned in the book. 

2.) Second, you share a picture in one of the following venues:
        1.) on the Cape Cod Mommies Facebook Page, 
        2.) post on your Instagram and tag @CapeCodMommies 
        3.) Email us your photos at info@ccmommies.com

of 5 drawings and 5 diary entries recorded  by one child of places he or she was excited about traveling to (Spelling doesn't count).

After five sharing of drawings and diary entries, you will receive a free copy of the book  for a second child you choose to travel with.  One-to-one time  with each child builds a special bond.

HAPPY MEMORY MAKING!

Joan  Walsh

By Brooke Nalle

No matter how old your sleeper is you have probably encountered a situation 
like this:

My (insert age) was outside all day, playing, rolling, running, climbing, and more.  He had a great dinner, a calm bath, and now instead of acting sleepy is  super animated and showing no signs of being tired.  

For young children, missing the sleep window is a big deal.  In fact, the  probability of bedtime quickly fades and is replaced with a mini-version of the  London Olympics in your living room.  For older children, missing the sleepy  window is very much connected to missing the chance to truly wind down from the  day.  You might not get physical hysterics.  Instead, you might find yourself  dealing with bedtime anxiety.    

I have named these scenarios the sleepy jitters, and I find this combination  both paradoxical and very frustrating.  Your 4 month old should have been asleep  hours ago or your 7 year old has to get some sleep because he has to wake up by  7 to catch the bus and pay attention in school all day and more. In both cases,  you know what they need and in both cases you need to be proactive rather than  reactive to avoid this mixed bag of anxious/energy filled jitters at  bedtime. 

Here are a few tips for young sleepers ... 

• Pick a bedtime based on the nap schedule of your sleeper.  You should pick  an age appropriate 'awake' window between the last nap and bedtime.  For  example, a 10 month old, can probably go about 4 hours between the end of his  last nap and bedtime (if he had two good naps that day).  A 6
  month old baby  will have a 2 to 3 hour widow, and a 22 month old might have a stretch closer to  5 hours.  These are just guidelines and examples from families I have worked  with recently.  Observe your sleeper and design your own 'awake' window, you can  always adjust.
   
• Do not start your routine when your sleeper is tired because by the time you  are finished she will be over tired.
   
• Allow plenty of physical contact in the pre-bedtime hour or so.  It settles  a young body for sleep and reaffirms a secure attachment.
   
• If you were gone all day and want to spend time with your child before bed, do so keeping in mind the quality vs. quantity approach.  Attachment theorists  have said that even 20 solid minutes a day between parent and baby solidifies  the attachment.
   

Here are a few tips for older sleepers (who worry, get anxious, & struggle to fall asleep):

• No screens at least an hour before bed, ideally more.
   
• A good long bath even for an older child is very calming, restorative and a  great addition to a bedtime routine.
   
• Tight hugs, pressure orientated touch.
   
• No rich, caffeine filled, or sugary desserts after dinner.  Instead offer a  treat after school and something a little more sedate after dinner.
   
• End your routine with a happy story about your little sleeper.
   
• Introduce a family photo book featuring joyful memories (not pictures of  everyone at Grandma's funeral).


• Address what is making them nervous, let them talk about it and process it out loud.  Validate your sleeper's feelings and then put a sleep friendly plan  of action into place.
   
• Introduce a worry doll or pillow to tuck anxiety away for the night.  I just found  out about hushlings and
  think they are a great idea!
   
  

So as summer wraps up and back to school begins, hope these tips help de-stress bedtime and make going to sleep a little more sleepy - 
   
Brooke Nalle
Pediatric Sleep Consultant
Sleepy On Hudson
www.sleepyonhudson.com
917.885.2594
brooke@sleepyonhudson.com 

*Cape Cod Mommies received complimentary admission to Storyland and hotel stay at Red Jacket Inn in exchange for an honest review.

By: Meghan

Mamas, what happens when you have a vacation planned? Someone always gets sick or injured before you leave or during your trip, right?! Okay, maybe that’s just my family! We were about to head off on another family adventure (part of our continued quest to fill the 6 week gap between leaving our old house and moving into our new place) - but this adventure was almost derailed! The day before we were set to leave, my 5 year old slammed her head onto a stone counter top and needed to get stitches. Aaaahhh! She is a dare devil, risk taking, high-flying, tree climbing adventurer. However, she almost always lands on her feet and has never had stitches before. Instead, her downfall was a simple slip in the bathroom with no high risk maneuvers! The ER doc did an amazing job and Fiona was very brave (though the medical assistant
whose wrist she sprained while he was trying to hold her down, may not agree).

Fortunately we were cleared to move forward on our adventure and the next morning we piled into the car and drove over the bridge and up to North Conway, NH. Armed with fairy and pirate movies the nearly 4 hour ride was much easier than I expected, and my cave in to technology in the car was clearly for the best! 

Let me start this blog by first staying that Story Land and Red Jacket Mountain View Resort offered our website a free visit in exchange for an honest review. Now, I know what you’re thinking, every time I see that on a blog I’m like “Oh yeah, I’m sure this will be honest, bwahahaha!” But truly, I really, really am giving you my honest opinion on how this trip went and if there was anything bad to share I would share it, but there wasn’t - fortunately, because that might have been awkward, right?! 
 
So, we were thrilled to be staying at the Red Jacket Resorts Mountain View Resort. Davenport Companies who owns Red Jacket Resorts is one of the Cape’s largest employers and I have been to many of their local properties,  so I was excited to try out their North Conway hotel. 

As we pulled into town, we spotted the hotel perched high on a hill. The grounds were lovely and the hotel picturesque. We were greeted with  bottles of water and cookies and a warm welcome. The front desk staff also  provided us with a very long list of activities being held at the hotel during our stay (lawn Olympics, Wii competitions, Ice cream at the pool, marshmallow  roasting, and story time to name a few!). There is clearly no shortage of fun  to be had at the Mountain View!

Our room was nicely furnished and very comfortable, but best of all was a balcony with the most
tremendous view of the White Mountains. 

After quickly settling in, we hurried to Story Land which was right down the road, so convenient especially since the kiddos were not up for MORE time in the car. We arrived right at 3:00pm, this is important because
  Story Land allows guests who enter after 3:00pm to return for a full day anytime in the same season. We planned to use our return trip the very next  day! 

As we entered the park, the kids squealed in delight at the surroundings! My kids are 5 and 3 and they are at the absolutely PERFECT ages to enjoy Story Land. The rides are exciting to them, they loved meeting the
  characters, and the shows truly delighted them.

 Apparently Sundays are the slowest day for Story Land attendance, and this proved true during our visit. Seriously, there were NO lines, we walked right onto almost every ride.  Since we only had three hours on our first day (Story Land closes at 6:00pm) we  focused on riding the most popular rides that first day when there were so many  less people. Further down in this post, you will see my ideal Story Land itinerary brought to you through diligent research and personalized testing – you’re welcome. 

That first day was amazing; the girls met Mother Goose, rode most of the fast, hair-raising rides, and generally had the times of their lives. 

It was just enough time to leave them excited and exhilarated for the next day’s adventure. We returned to
the Mountain View and since we were all exhausted from our travel and adventure at Story Land, we grabbed dinner at the hotel’s Palmer’s Red Ridge Grille. It was very fast, yummy, and attached to a lounge with kids toys and children’s books, which was perfect for the kids to run around in and allow us to eat without feeling terrible that our kids weren’t sitting politely at the table. I have allergies to gluten and dairy, so dining out for me is always stressful and I don’t do it that often. Our waitress and the chef at the Red Ridge Grille were very informed and aware of allergies and cooked me up a big meal that I didn’t have to worry about.

We timed dinner perfectly because just as it ended, one of the hotel’s staff came into the lounge for Story Time with the kids. Sitting by the fireplace on couches, the staff brought cookies and the kids snuggled up to hear Curious George stories. After that we went back to our room for bedtime, where we all actually SLEPT, a true miracle for my kids! 
   
The next morning the kids popped up early, I had my coffee on the balcony while I admired the view, then
we dressed quickly and headed out for our second day at Story Land. Knowing that we had already done the most in-demand rides gave us a little breathing room in terms of planning our day at the park. We breezed through a very short line for return ticket holders, laughing at the suckers standing in line to buy their
tickets to get in! We turned left to go towards the bigger rides, instead of turning right to go towards the younger play area. Most people turn right when they enter the park, so turning left helps you go against the crowd and spend more time having fun, less time waiting in lines. 

Mondays, are also not as busy as other weekdays, but this Monday seemed to be more crowded than usual according to staff. The wait time for rides was still totally manageable and we spent the morning re-riding some of our favorites including the Antique Cars, the Bamboo Shoot (which you’ll see below my youngest just LOVED), and the Polar Coaster.

At 11:15 we had reservations to have tea with Cinderella. This costs a little extra money, I think it ended up being around $10 for each of them, but in addition to meeting Cinderella, it got the girls out of the sun for
about 20 minutes, let them have a snack, hear Cinderella read a story, and have some down time to refocus in the midst of the excitement that is Story Land.  Best of all, the girls felt so special having tea with a princess, I was really  glad we decided to spend the extra money. 

After tea time, we visited the Oceans of Fun section of Story Land, with rides on the Flying Fish, the Splash Battle, and other ocean/water themed rides. Nearing lunch time, we grabbed some food at the Food Fair and
World Pavilion, which is basically a cafeteria style dining area with kid friendly food, hot dogs and hamburgers and salads for the grown-ups. I was  pleasantly surprised to see gluten free food was available by special request, and I was able to enjoy a hamburger with my family, which was nice since I forgot to pack anything more significant than a Luna bar. 

With full bellies we decided to go catch the Circus show. I was not expecting much from Story Land’s resident circus but it really was a great, fun show! It was about 30 minutes which is about as long as my kids can sit still for a live show and they had a fantastic Argentine family of jugglers who really were first class. They had us all cheering and screaming! There was a cute dog act, a woman with tremendous hula hooping skills, and finished with the return of the Argentinian family for some amazing high risk balancing and acrobatics. The kids were thrilled, my youngest loved the sparkly dresses, and  my oldest found some new high risk maneuvers with which to freak me out. Again it was a nice break from the sun and the go, go, go of the park. 

After we left the circus, my eldest caught sight of two characters, Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland, walking through the park. She wanted to catch up to them, so we did. They were heading to another show – Fairy Tale Follies. I thought we should go try some more rides, but Fiona was really excited to see it and I have to say I’m glad we stayed.  Because seriously, the show was one of the highlights of the trip! It starred  Alice, Little Red, and Peter Pan (who you may be surprised to learn is actually my daughter’s brother. One of those mysteries of childhood that she has  believed since she was about 4) So imagine her thrill when Peter Pan picked her  to come on stage with him to help decorate for Cinderella’s ball. At that
 moment the entire audience disappeared for her and it was only Peter and Fiona  in that room. Look at this:

She is floating, she is so happy! Anyways, the show was short and sweet and my daughters loved it. Go see it! We then spent the rest of the afternoon riding our favorite rides, visiting the Let’s Pretend Costume Shop
where the girls each picked out a special souvenir, and making our way through the fairy tale section of Story Land. We rode the Pirate Boat, the Carousel, and the Tea Cups. We stayed until the very last minute Story Land was open. Upon leaving the girls were still asking to go one more day. They just loved it SO much and I’m so glad we were able to bring them at these ages when the park was the right size with age appropriate rides and attractions.

After we left we grabbed pizza in town at the Flatbread Company which was awesome! The waiting room has kids toys, a chalkboard, and cozy couches. We didn’t wait long because we had called ahead to let them know we were on our way and put our name on the waiting list - this is a great tip I found on the internet and was super helpful – seriously do it – (603) 356-4470.  The restaurant is open and airy, with huge, stone pizza ovens that everyone can  see and pizza makers throwing dough in front of it. The kids loved watching the
chefs work and the food is cooked quickly. The food is organic and most of it  is local including the lemonade sweetened with local maple syrup – yum! To my delight, I ordered a gluten free, vegan pizza which probably sounds horrific to most of you, but to me was like manna from heaven. It tasted great and had delicious veggies. The rest of my fam had traditional pizza which they also enjoyed. 

Upon our return to the Mountain View we were excited to see that we were just in time for one of the hotel’s great activities – marshmallow  roasting! The campfire was near the hotel’s playground (yes that’s right, they
 have an awesome playground) which meant the kids could have their marshmallow desert and then run off the sugar and crazies in the playground before we headed in to get ready for bed.

The next morning we had planned to check out Mountain View’s amazing indoor water park – Kahuna Laguna, unfortunately because of the stitches the doctor said Fiona couldn’t go underwater for a week. So, the water park was out. I did sneak in to take a peek at it though and it looked amazing. We were sad not to be able to play in it but it gives us a great reason to come back next year!

Instead the girls decided to spend the morning rolling down the hill with Daddy, while I packed us up and got ready for check out. The hotel has an amazing rolling hill, check it out!

We had breakfast at the hotel’s Champney’s restaurant where they had a delicious breakfast buffet. There was a TON of food and the kids were so excited – I don’t think they’d ever seen so much food at once and they were like “We can just TAKE that?!”. The waiter and chef were awesome again about my food allergies and made sure I had plenty to eat and soy milk for my coffee. So appreciated! We then checked out and said goodbye to our awesome hotel. 
 
So often family vacations are not all I hoped they would be, kids end up fighting, activities that should be exciting just aren’t, and everyone ends up disappointed and grumpy. This trip was NOT like that, the entire trip was so much fun. The hotel was a perfect place for us to stay, so kid friendly and with so many activities for all ages. Story Land was even better than we expected. I felt like this was one of the first trips we took where it was all we had hoped for and even more. It was a great escape and we definitely plan to do it again next year! 

So, without further ado, here is my North Conway/Story Land Itinerary for your future trip pleasure. First a few notes, I suggest arriving on Sunday, but you go ahead and do what works best for your family, I’m not a schedule taskmaster or anything. Also, I suggest spending at least one night there, I felt like two nights was perfect, there are loads of affordable hotels  campgrounds, and condos to stay at in the area. I LOVED the Mountain View Resort because of the cleanliness, convenient location, friendly staff, and so many on site activities –I can’t recommend it enough. Another note – and this is an IMPORTANT one – most of the rides at Story Land (at least the fast, zippy ones) require you to be at least 36 inches tall. My 3 year old is 36 inches on the dot, she’s a very small 3 year old! If she had been a half an inch shorter, this trip would have been much less fun. Fair warning so you’ll know what you can and can’t ride on before you go, check out the list of attractions at Story Land.

Best North Conway Itinerary Ever!

Day 1:

3:00 – 6:00pm - Arrive at Story Land at 3 to enjoy the park right when you arrive and receive a free return pass for the next day. Hit all the rides that usually have the longest rides during early afternoons because the crowds have usually thinned out by 3pm  mainly the Antique Cars, the Polar Coaster, the Bamboo Shoots, and Dr. Geyser’s  Raft Ride. 

6:30pm – Grab dinner at your hotel/campsite/condo, or if you’re not too tired at Flatbread Company (remember to call them as you’re leaving Story Land so you can get your name right on the list to be seated – less waiting is always good).

 If your kids stay up later than feel free to grab ice cream at Trail’s End Ice Cream (conveniently across
the street from the Mountain View Resort on Rte 302). They have great ice cream and a playground too!

 Day 2: (Pack bathing suits in case your kids want to wear them for some of the water rides and splash areas )

7:30am – We went to the Glen Junction Restaurant for breakfast and I recommend it, it’s cute with trains running  around the ceiling and yummy food. It starts to get busy by 8, so if you can get there before hand (like we did because my kids wake up at the first, tiny hint of sunlight) you’ll have better luck getting a seat quickly. 
 
9:00am – Arrive at Story Land and go through the special passes line with your free return ticket. Go LEFT at the entrance and enjoy the popular rides first. There are lots of food options available in the park, but you are also allowed to bring food in and there are many spots to picnic. Take some breaks during the day by attending the Circus and other shows at the park. Spend the end of the day in the right-hand side of the park where the crowds are now gone, since most people start their day at that side of the park. Ride the Swan Boat, the Carousel, and the tea cups at your leisure. 

6:00pm – Story Land closes, head to dinner. Another suggestion that I didn’t have the chance to try is the
Red Fox Bar & Grille which is supposed to be very kid friendly. 

Day 3 (if you’re staying 2 nights):

8:00am – Breakfast, head into town to explore some of the cute restaurants and stores. Peaches comes
  highly recommended and the food looked delicious!

 9:30am – Head to Diana’s Bath, which are a series of small, shallow pools with waterfalls fed from Lucy
Brook which runs down from Big Attitash Mountain. It’s an easy 6/10th of a mile hike leading to this great spot to explore rocks, ledges, falls, and pools. The pools are a bit slippery, so if your kids have water shoes, this would be an  idea spot for them to wear them. Though we didn’t have them and we managed to have a good time without needing anymore stitches. Diana’s Baths are part of the US National Forest System and there is a $3.00 fee payable in the parking lot. We had a picnic lunch at the Baths, then hiked back down and changed out of our bathing suit into our traveling clothes.

12:00pm – Head home! Bring on the pirate and fairy movies!

So, I truly hope you go, it was so much fun and if you have questions or need advice please leave a comment and I’ll help if I can!

By: Suzanne Golden, M.S., CCC-SLP

Summer is coming to an end and the start of school is right around the corner!  Whether your child is entering preschool for the first time or heading off to high school, it is important to promote a healthy attitude of school and learning at home.  If you have a motivated learner, this might not be a difficult task!  However, if your child struggles in school or has a language disability, it may prove difficult to keep them motivated.  Here are some tips for making the back-to-school transition a little easier for your struggling learner.  
 
Before school starts, talk to your child about the upcoming school year.  Highlight some of your child’s favorite things from the previous year to remind them what they like about school.  You can also take your child to the school for a tour.  Even if your child attended this school
last year, taking him/her there to walk around and become reacquainted before everyone else returns will be less overwhelming.  You may want to call ahead to let the front office know you are coming, but most schools will welcome your visit. Also, teachers are often at the school setting up their classrooms and most won’t mind if you pop in to say hello!  
 
At home, read some books about the first day of school.  This can help open up discussions about your child’s fears about school and how he/she can cope with those feelings.  Here are some great books to consider.  

·        A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
·        First Grade Stinks! by Mary Ann Rodman
·        Ready for Kindergarten, Stinky Face? by Lisa McCourt
·        The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing

Take your child on a special “back-to-school” shopping trip!  Let him/her pick out a new backpack and some school supplies he/she likes. Talk about all of the great things your child will learn this year and the fun tasks that can be done with the new
school supplies!  
 
Once the first day of school comes, it is important to set up a routine and stick to it.  If your child has trouble remembering all of the things he/she needs to do to get ready in the morning, consider making a schedule or checklist to follow.  Include things like getting dressed, eating breakfast, and remembering all of the things he/she needs to bring to school.  This will keep your child on track and foster independence.

Having an after-school routine is also important.  Set up a specific time for homework and keep it the same every day.  Some children do best when homework is done right when they get home and others need a break and like to do homework before or after dinner. Whatever the time, make sure it is consistent.  It is also important to have a spot that is designated to work.  It should be somewhere well-lit, quiet, and comfortable like a desk in the child’s room or a dining room table.   It may be a desk in the child’s room or a table in the house. Just make sure the spot is well-lit, quiet and comfortable.
 
When it is time for homework, sit down with your children and talk about what they have for homework. Give them some time to try it on their own and then check back in with them.  If you see them struggling, offer assistance, but allow them to be as independent as possible.  If the material is just too hard and you find your child completely struggling, modify the assignment so they can feel successful and then talk to the teacher about how to better help your child with this material in the classroom and at home.

During dinner talk to your children about their school day.  Ask them to tell you one thing they learned, one thing they enjoyed, and one thing they didn’t enjoy.  Model this for them by telling them the same information about your day!     
 
Finally, make sure your child is having fun.  School is made for learning, but children should also be learning through play and fun. Take some extra special time at night or on the weekends to do things that your child enjoys. 
  
And, as a reminder from the speech-language pathologist, if you are ever concerned about your child’s speech and language development, do not hesitate to contact the SLP at your child’s school or a local SLP in
  private practice to ask questions and perhaps have your child screened.
 
Good luck with the beginning of the school year, and I wish you all a happy and healthy September! 

By Tracy Martin-Turgeon

Summer is a time for fun, going to the beach, camp, and other fun activities. Routines generally stay the same; however children are usually allowed to stay up later than they do during the school year and activities are usually different than in the winter and fall.  As summer winds down it is time to get back on a school schedule. By easing your child slowly into a regular schedule can be less stressful for everyone. Here are some tips that can help parents to prepare their children to get ready to go back to school.

Get Back to Basics
·        Bedtime is usually the hardest. When children have been in bathing suits for days on
end.  If your child was allowed to stay up to 9:00 pm but bed time is usually 8:00pm, send them to bed at 8:45 for a couple of nights, then 8:30 and so on until you reach their regular bed time
during the school year. 

·        The last few weeks of summer have your child get back into the school day rhythm. Set your alarm clock for the same time each morning. Have your child get up and get ready just as if they were going to school. 

·        Plan some activities during the week to go out. Once everyone is ready go to the park, the beach or even just for a walk. Leaving the house is as just important as getting up and ready.

 Get Organized
 ·        Shop early for supplies, clothes, lunch boxes, etc.  Have a game plan; if your child is old enough have them sort out clothes that they want to wear the first week. Being prepared ahead of time takes the stress for your child and you. Plan ahead for sick days how will you handle these situations as well as a pick people that can step in when you can’t. 

·        This can be hard; but you want to nurture independence by letting your child be involved in the process for school even if they are young will help prepare them for an easier transition for a new school, first time going to school, or a new classroom.

Prepare Teachers, School and You
·        Let teachers and the school know about any specific behaviors, allergies, medications, IEPs, or anything new either that happened over the summer or if this is your child’s first time at this school. 

·        As the parent you want to find out about your child’s school. Some schools will have tours before school starts in the summer. Plan a visit to find out where your child’s classroom is, who the teacher will be, where exits are, if they are taking a bus where do they get off and what information is needed. If your child will be attending a child care facility or an afterschool program, plan to attend and take your children with you so they can meet the teachers. If the child care will be transporting to school and picking up ask what time the van leaves, what information does the school need, and any other information that is
important.

Keep Routines Smooth
·        Once your children start school, make sure the routines continue. Set up snack time after school, and a time and place for homework. To avoid daily battles, make homework part of their everyday routine. Make sure the same time and place in your home is consistent. If you have younger children that do not have homework yet, you can still do this with a simple game, coloring, or sensory project. By establishing this at an early age this will help your children ease into homework time a lot easier. This will give you time to prepare dinner and any other chores, as well as some quality time with your child to find out how their day went.

The main key is consistency. Keeping routines the same such as homework, dinner, bath and bed, children need structure and consistency. If they know what to expect than you have less battles and more constructive time to spend with your child. Don’t forget to be involved in parent teacher conference, keeping up to date what is going on in school. Before you know it summer will be back. 
 
Resources: WebMD, Parenting, and Kabose

by: Linda Bartosik

This post first appeared in my blog Another Day Goes By on January 5, 2011. It's a post I keep close at hand for when it's time to send my children out into the world, without me. September is near and whether its kindergarten or college your sending them off to, take comfort in  knowing you're not alone. You're just being a mom. Enjoy.   

Today I miss teaching more than ever. I walked into yoga and my instructor was really  anxious about her first child starting school. I told her (as a kindergarten 
teacher of 35 years) that both she and her son would be okay. I said I’ve known you and your child for over thirty years and there wasn’t a one of you that  wasn’t okay.
 
The first day of school is a most painful experience for moms. You hand them their lunchbox, put them on the bus, go in the house and your heart is in pieces all  over the living room. As you pick up the pieces you cry and tell yourself this is  right and necessary. They’ve got to go out there and do it on their own. You’re  confident you’ve given them all you had and they can now deal with life beyond  your backyard. All you can do all day until that bus pulls back up at three  o’clock is pray and ask that an angel be on their shoulder.
 
The next “first day” that rips your heart out is leaving them at college. Now you’ve  had 18 years to give them all you’ve got to survive in the adult world, and you  have to believe you emptied the attic, the basement, and every closet. This time  they’re not coming home at 3 o’clock and you’ve got a lot of nights to sit up  and pray that that same angel lives in that dorm room with them. Once again,  when you get home, your heart is in pieces, not only all over the living room,  but down the hall and into their bedroom, and in the dining room
where their  pictures are hung, and in the bathroom where you find the wet towel on the floor  that they used that morning. No one but a mother understands an empty house with  pieces of her children all over it mixed with the pieces of her heart.
 
And just when we think they are sinking out there in the world, being tossed about on an angry sea and you want to rush to save them, you look up and there they  are, flying steady and strong on their own.
 
Only a mom’s heart knows the hardest part of love is letting go……
 
If you are a mom reading this, please go download The Hardest Part of Love by Jane Olivor, grab a box of tissues and sit down and cry with me. We will all be okay.
 
Linda
Another Day Goes By
iTeach
PS:

By: Amy E

Have you heard of the extremely talented Kate R. Conway? Most Cape Cod Moms have met her virtually, in person or have read her work.  I  met Kate in the virtual world after being directed to her fabulous resource website: "My Mamma's Milk"  when I was nursing.  Kate is also a professional, contributing features writer for multiple publications on Cape Cod and the New England region for almost fifteen years. 

Recently I was given the opportunity and privilege to review her new novel Undertow, a paranormal thriller set on Cape Cod in Barnstable, MA.  I actually read the book twice because the first time I was unable to put it down and pulled one of those book "all-nighters" that I've done in the past with Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and other fascinating fantasy thrillers.  I was beyond impressed with Kate's prose, attention to detail and her ability to capture parts of the Cape Cod community both in description of places and in attitude.  Undertow while intended for Young Adults and Teens also will be enjoyed by readers across the literary board.

If you get a chance Undertow and the following series will make great fall and winter reading.  Check out my personal review below and make sure Undertow is on your list of books to check out!

To read more about Kate R. Conway check out her website below:

Cape Cod Scribe - Ramblings from a  Cape Cod Writer, Mother and General Lunatic: http://capecodscribe.wordpress.com/

Tweeting from the Cape! Follow her  at @sharkprose

Thanks for all your submissions in the Cape Cod Mommies
VeggieChallenge Giveaway!  You all are so creative and it is AWESOME that the Moms and parents in the Cape Cod community  are so proactive about raising healthy children!

We picked 3 of our favorite submissions below!  Check out our 3 favorites and then cast your vote on your favorite.  The winner will receive a $100 Stop & Shop Gift card plus will be featured in an upcoming Tasty Tuesday Blog! 

Voting opens today and closes at 11:59pm on Thursday August 22, 2013.  Any vote comments submitted after that point will not be counted towards the final count.  The winner will be announced on Friday August 23, 2013. 

Entertainment, exciting rides and skilled games abound on the enchanting 80-acre site of King Richard’s Faire. Hundreds of talented entertainers perform non-stop throughout the day. Visit any of our eight vibrant stages and be enthralled by acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, minstrels, dancers, fire eaters, puppeteers and exotic tigers. Witness the rare liger, beautiful white lion and cute tiger cubs.

“VOW RENEWAL”
Saturday, September 14th 4:00 PM
Rain date, Sunday, September 15th
 Open to all married Lords & Ladies wanting to renew their wedding vows to one another.  Lord Percival Dégagée, an ordained minister will perform the ceremony on the King’s Stage

King Richard’s Faire invites children ages 11 and younger to participate in  Prince and Princess Contest at New England’s largest Renaissance festival. The  contest will be held at 4pm on the King’s Stage on Saturday,  September 28th (rain date Sunday, September 29th).  Pre-registration is not required.
 
Contestants should line up at the King’s  Stage just prior to the contest.

King Richard will choose one Prince and  one Princess who best represent the Realm in manner and dress, with the  best costume representing 16th century royalty and the best manners suiting the  Realm to be
selected as Prince and Princess. Sorry, children over the age  of 11 are not eligible. Pomp and circumstance will not be spared as the pair  is ceremoniously crowned!

King Richard’s Faire will select one special Prince and one special Princess who will be knighted on the King’s Stage   following the contest. The Prince will be presented with sword and shield (wooden) to protect thy Kingdom, while the Princess will receive an exquisite   tiara. Both winners will receive their choice of medieval themed books from   Barefoot Books in Concord, Mass. Winners and their parents will accompany the   King and his royal court onto the dais for the 5 p.m. Joust.  The Royal Duo – Contestants with the best costume representing 16th century royalty and the best manners suiting the Realm will be selected as Prince and Princess.

“Children’s Fairies & Pirate’s Costume Contest
Saturday, October 12th @ 4:00 PM on the King’s Stage
Rain date Sunday October 13th
 

• No pre-registration required. Children can line-up at the stage prior to the
  contest.
   
• King Richard X and his royal court will be looking for the best costumes in the following categories:
  Best Fairy
  1. Most creative original
  2. Look alike/recognizable
  Best Pirate
  1. Most creative original
  2. Look alike
  Best Peter Pan/Lost Boy
   
• Winners in each category will win a family 4-pack of tickets to the 2014 season of King Richard’s Faire. All participating children will win a prize.

Rules: Winner must be a US residents 18+.  Winner will be contacted via the email provided.  If winner does not respond to the notification within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  Mommies LLC is responsible for delivery of prize.

Disclaimer: Mommies LLC received complimentary tickets in exchange for promotion of this event and will be helping to judge the Prince & Princess Contest for 2013.