It can be difficult to find games for your kids that are both fun and educational… or figure out how to help them enjoy school more… or find crafts that you can make with a young child.

And what about fundraising ideas that don’t involve standing out on a street corner trying to convince people to stop for a car wash — or making a bunch of baked goods that will be gone in a few days — but actually stand the test of time?

But I’ve written a few articles recently for eHow that show you how to do all those things:

Arts & Crafts Ideas for a Young Child

Fun Stuff for School

Fun Educational Games for Kids

Kids’ Fundraising Ideas

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

If you want to teach your child how to use a computer, there are a few simple steps you can take.

Konan’s not old enough yet — all he wants to do is bang on the keyboard — but if your child is, my articles for eHow outline it for you. Start with the first link before moving on to the second, which builds on the lessons:

Computer Tutorial for Kids

Computer Lessons for Children

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

When your child is young, it’s the best time to teach him a new language. Their minds are like sponges, ready to learn as much as they can.

I’d actually like to teach Konan two languages, besides English… Spanish and French.

Here’s how you can teach your child Spanish or Korean, from my articles for eHow:

Teach Yourself Spanish for Children

Learning Korean for Kids

And, if he’s having trouble with English but seems creative, maybe he’d learn better with right brain phonics:

How to Teach Right Brain Phonics to Children

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Today Konan went for his first official swimming lesson. He’s had a few off-the-cuff sessions, and lots of flutterboard time, at the health club pool, but this was the first with a teacher directing all the action.

While he usually loves the water, he cried nearly all the way through this.

Why? Probably reasons that are similar to the ones we all have when we balk at getting out of our comfort zones.

He was afraid.

There was a lot of commotion, other kids crying, and a strange teacher holding him that he’d never met before.

A brand new situation, and for a little guy that’s not even 10 months old, that’s pretty scary!

And as his mother, part of me certainly wanted to protect him, take him away, and comfort him. But instead we kept on, and I encouraged and applauded him.

That’s because I’m sure he’ll stop the tears once he gets used to the lessons, which happen nearly every day for the next two weeks.

And then he, like all of us who face our fears, will have a new, rewarding experience and personal growth under his belt.

And that’s just priceless!

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

It’s no secret that I’ve had a lot of pets in my time.

I used to have a lot of rodents — hamsters, gerbils, mice, guinea pigs, and a chinchilla — and rabbits (which are not rodents)… and then it was cats. Yup, I’ve still got a cat and a hamster.

And sometimes it’s fun to make your own stuff for the animals, just like making gifts for the family… especially since buying them ready-made can be pretty pricey.

I just wrote several articles for eHow that tell you how to make some necessities, and fun things, for your pets:

How to Build a Catwalk and a Cat Door

How to Make an Enclosed Cat Litter Box

DIY: Rabbit Cages

How to Build a Chincilla Cage

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

I love making my own things, but I don’t always have time. I know, I know, you probably don’t either… but homemade arts and crafts, or even furniture, can make some really special  and unique gifts, especially for kids.

They also give you a sense of accomplishment, and remind the recipient how much you care.

My articles on eHow tell you how to make a few cool things:

How to Make a Stuffed Monkey

How to Make Rock & Quartz Crystal Jewelry

How to Make a Child’s Storage Bench

How to Build a Kid’s Desk

How to Build a Children’s Table

Keep Unwrapping Your Success!

Today was the big 4-0 for Barry… and since I think the milestone birthdays that end in a “0″ are a big deal, I took him on a special surprise journey.

Our neighbors sat with Konan (the longest time he’s ever been away from us, and he was a perfect little angel the whole time!) and our adventure began.

Barry had no clue until we got there what was going to happen… I let him guess, but he kept thinking it was something else.

The truth? We went to Ashland to the Waterstone Spa, and had a nice lunch (the best salad and sandwich EVER!) followed by a two-person Japanese bath, side-by-side deep tissue massages, and a sauna together.

If you’ve never had the experience of side-by-side massages, or a private sauna, I highly recommend it!

And if you happen to be in Southern Oregon, you can’t go wrong with the Waterstone. Very friendly staff, good massage therapists, privacy, and no extra fee for the “Duet Room”.

What better way to turn 40?

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Konan’s first birthday is in just a few months, and apparently it’s tradition for a one-year-old to eat a piece of birthday cake. I asked his pediatrician today at his 9-month check-up, and he confirmed that his kids ate cake on that first birthday too.

I think I’ll make Konan a healthy cake, since I’ve been feeding him homemade baby food instead of store-bought stuff. Maybe a nice carrot or banana cake.

And I’ve got a lot more ideas now about birthday themes, since I just wrote a bunch of articles for eHow on different kids’ birthday cake ideas:

Monkey Birthday Cake Ideas

Tigger & Pooh Birthday Cake Ideas

Webkinz Birthday Cake Ideas

Pirate Ship Birthday Cake Ideas

Luau Birthday Cake Ideas

Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake Ideas

I might save these ideas for future birthdays, rather than Konan’s first one, but I’ll figure it out closer to the day…

Keep Unwrapping The Mysteries of Life!

For months, Barry has been trying to get Konan to sleep in as little as possible to keep his body cool.

First, when he was a newborn, Barry didn’t want him swaddled, even when swaddling calmed Konan down and made him stop crying. Babies feel secure when their arms can’t flail around, but it looks like their freedom is being compromised, which always bothered Barry.

Then Konan graduated to sleep bags, which are like PJs without separate leg openings, or lightweight sleeping bags with arm holes.

Or… kinda like baby Snuggies that zip up!

There have been a few times when he slept just in a onesie or jumpsuit, but for the most part he sleeps better in a bag. Hey, I don’t like sleeping without covers either, even in the summer (especially when the AC is on)… and sleep bags are like covers that babies can’t suffocate themselves under!

But Barry keeps asking for Konan to nap without his bag, and today — another sweltering 100 degree afternoon — Konan decided Daddy was right.

He wiggled his way out of his bag, and threw it on the floor (along with his pacifier, toys, rattle and anything else that happened to be in his crib — throwing stuff overboard is his favorite new game!)

The picture shows Konan holding up the bag, shortly after he took it off.

So, at least for today, the message from Konan is: I’m a 9-month-old big boy now… and big boys don’t need bags!

Keep Unwrapping The Mysteries of Life!

Barry had his first Father’s Day today… an amazing milestone in the journey of parenthood.

And I got a milestone too.

I got to appreciate how my favorite man has given the best of what he’s got (time, energy, love, and of course, genes!) to my favorite boy.

Konan is the most amazing thing to have happened to us, and more incredible than we ever could have imagined.

The fact that two people can come together and create a third that’s so special, so perfect, and so ready to learn, grow, develop, and experience everything they can from life is just mind-boggling.

Of course, millions of people have experienced this very thing before… but it doesn’t make it any less awe-inspiring for those of us who are going through it for the first time.

Konan turned 8 months old yesterday (this favorite picture of mine was taken a couple of months ago) so he’s already 2/3 of his way to becoming a year old.

A year full of firsts… and today was one of the most special.

Happy Father’s Day, Big Bear!

And to Konan (and the rest of us, too)…

Keep Unwrapping The Mysteries of Life!