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Summer Time/Swimming Time: What Drowning Really Looks Like

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Summer is synonymous with water–oceans, pools, sprinklers–whatever it takes to keep cool. And Boulder Families are heading to the water in an effort to cool off from these ridiculously high temps. My kids and I just got back from Mexico where I was shocked by the near drowning that happened to the 3 year old child of my friend’s family friends at their rented beach house. All 3 couples had just arrived at the house. They were talking and letting the kids play together. After a bit they realized one of the 3 year olds was missing. They found him floating in the pool a distinct shade of blue. One of them was an E.R. nurse. She did CPR. He is okay. Miracle. They reported that none of the 6 adults heard anything. What really struck me was how quietly a child can drown. How is that possible? 

What Does growing look like? 

*Drowning doesn’t look like the dramatic splashing, gulping for air scene Hollywood has painted. Rather, the Instinctive Drowning Response, named by Francesco Pia, Ph.D., is a relatively quiet sequence of events that humans do in order to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. You may not know:

  • drowning people are physiologically unable to call for help
  • drowning people’s mouths are not above the surface long enough to call for help
  • drowning people cannot wave for help
  • drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements
  • from beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response, the body remains vertical in the water

If you see these signs, you have a matter of seconds to provide assistance. Additional overt signs of drowning include:

  • head low in the water, mouth at water level
  • head titled back with mouth open
  • eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
  • eyes closed
  • hair over forehead or eyes
  • not using legs, or vertical in the water
  • hyperventilating or gasping for air
  • trying to swim in a particular direction but not making any progress
  • trying to roll over on the back
  • appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

And just like any other time, kids make noise when they play. If they are quiet in the water, you need to investigate!

*Special thanks to Shoppingmama.com for their post on Safe Swimming. I got a lot of the content for this post from her original post linked above.

It’s Too Hot!: What To Do With Your Family In The Heat

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Here are some ideas to get you and your family out of the heat of Boulder. Sometimes in this heat our brains shut down and we cannot think of anything creative to do with the family to beat this heat–well here are some suggestions. Let us know what your favorite ways of having fun, but staying cool. We want to know!

Visit Pearl Street: Visit the pop fountain, take a ride on the TEBO train, get a coffee and/or kid friendly drink at Spruce Confection on West Pearl, where you can avoid the heat in their shady courtyard. You can also stop in to Piece, Love & Chocolate for a yummy treat.

Take a Tour: Check out the FREE Celestial Seasonings tour. They are open almost every day and you get free samples. Kids love this one! For more info click here.

Get in the Creek: We are really lucky to have Boulder Creek running through town. Don’t forget there are family friendly sites just East of the library to play in the creek. Walk up the bike path from there to watch the kayakers navigate the kayak course. Bring a picnic. Head to the library to pick up a book, look at the art exhibits, or just play in the kids’ area.

Head to Nederland: It is always cooler in the Mountains. Take a trip to Nederland where you can ride on the Carousel of Happiness, get a yummy treat such as the “famous” donuts at the Train next door. It is a beautifully restored old train with stained glass windows and wonderful details including a very extensive candy shop–the kids will really love it and you can sit down in the cafe to enjoy the treats.

Go for a Hike: Try the Anne U. White trail for a shady hike that is approximately 3 miles round trip. This is a fun and easy hike for your family and much of it is shady and wanders along a creek. For more details and directions click here.

Other ideas: Make popsicles, make slushies, make juice ice cubes, turn on the sprinkler, make a fort in the living room or outside, buy a block of ice and head to your nearest large hill and ride the block of ice down the hill, sit under a tree and sketch the coldest place on earth, etc…

This should get you started. I am personally thinking chilly thoughts for all of us at this point.

#boulder #free #bouldercreek

Boulder Family Deals

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Here are the best Family Deals I can find around. I am sorry to say none of them are local this time. Let me know if these deal listings are helpful. I love feedback! -Amanda

  • Disney World Area Hotel Deal from Eversave. Ramada Gateway for $49/night. Could be a great deal if you are planning to head to the Disney World. 
  • 2 Movie Tickets for $15 from Eversave. That’s a great deal any time of the day or day of the week. Even for kids’ tickets! You have to purchase ahead of time.

#deals #families #boulderfamilies #cheap

Family Travel: What I [Re]Learned On My Trip to Sayulita, Mexico

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Sorry for the silence from my end this past week. I just got back from a last minute trip to Sayulita, Mexico with my kids [8 & 10] to visit a friend and her kids. My friend and I were solo for the week with both husbands traveling, so why not go? The friend I was visiting lives life fully! She is always packing in more in a morning than I get done many days. We have traveled with the kids lots, but this trip was incredibly humbling as a parent. Since many of you will be traveling this summer I want to pass along my lessons learned. Here is what I [re]learned:

1. Make sure your kids wear a rash guard/swim top if they are going to be spending the first few days submerged in the ocean and out in the sun. My 10 year old go so burnt [even though I applied sun screen–Badger–multiple, multiple times!] that he blistered, was so uncomfortable, and I believe got sunstroke and landed us in the hospital for fluids. I felt SO bad. Actually I still do. So maybe the waterproof sunscreens do have a place in our family or maybe we will just stick to the rash guard.

2. Hydrate! Ensure your kids are drinking LOTS! Honestly this is so important when you are outside all day in the sun. Somehow you have to double your water intake on a vacation! So buy the kids the cold water. Let them drink the icy limonadas.

3. Make sure you have sufficient entertainment for the kids in case of travel delays! We were delayed over 12 hours and finally ended up spending the night in Houston where I didn’t get my kids to sleep until 12:45am. Our family loves mazes, books, crossword puzzles, art supplies, and the good old iPad. Make sure they are with you, not under the plane!

4. Bring snacks–even if it’s a short flight. Our scheduled 2+ hour flight to Houston where we caught a flight to Denver turned into an over 6 hour flight as we had to circle forever, then were diverted to San Antonio where they had us on the ground for hours without food. United Airlines did not have food on the plane.

5. Throw caution to the wind and just go! We made this trip happen really last minute. It was great to just get up and go. You can do it! It makes for such great memories for the whole family. You don’t have to go to Mexico. Check out the National Parks right here in Colorado, spend the night at a cabin in the mountains, go camping, etc.

6. Get the kids involved and into the culture. I made sure the kids learned a little bit of Spanish before we left. I would practice phrases and words. They had to order their own food and ask in Spanish. They loved it! It made them feel so proud!

So along with sun burnt skin, dehydration, being stuck on a plane all day and having to spend the night in Houston, Mexico was just as I remembered. The people are so warm and friendly. They love it when you speak Spanish. The ocean is magnificent and so welcomed from a Boulder, Colorado family. The kids felt heart broken by the street dogs and wanted to take every dog without a collar home. They tried new things–and loved them [food, jumping from 30 ft. cliffs, surfing, etc.]. We felt really safe. We walked the streets at night. We met all sorts of people. We would do it again in a heart beat! I hope we make it happen sooner than last time [It’s been 10 years since I have been to Sayulita].

Boulder Family Deals

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Some great deals that will appeal to families.

Lakeside Amusement Park: Great fun for kids of many ages! Here is a deal from Groupon for 50% off admission [which is not cheap, so this makes it plausible for a family to go].

Twirl Frozen Yogurt in Boulder is offering a BOCO Deal: $20 of yogurt for $10.

Boulder Baked (Cookies): 16 cookies plus a quart of milk for $8. Yum! Groupon deal.

Diapers.com discounts: $10 off a case of diapers (code: ohbaby10d) or 10% off almost everything else (code: ohbaby10p)

Storytelling: Connect With Your Kids Through Telling Your Stories!

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Don’t be scared. Don’t be nervous. I just want to encourage you to tell your kids stories. Often we think of storytelling as an art form we need to perfect. We think we cannot tell stories because we are not “storytellers”. But we are each storytellers!

Tell your stories! Think of a time you went on an adventure. When you tried something new. When ran into trouble. You get the idea. Last night I told my kids the story of my husband’s car he had in college. We drove in that car from Indiana to Mass and he had to tie the seats together with webbing so they would not fall out the edges of the car that was so rusted from living on the East Coast that you could see daylight on the edges of the car. They laughed and laughed. Storytelling helps them to see us as more human. It helps us connect to each other. They used to beg me to tell them all the stories I have about bears. I would tell them the stories over and over each night. They loved hearing the stories. They asked such great questions and we discussions spun into living in nature, hiking, camping, etc… Tell them your story!!!

My favorite kids storyteller is Odds Bodkins. He weaves the most amazing tales that enrapture kids. You can find his work on on Amazon.

Do you have any suggestions of storytellers [other than yourself] that you like?

Boulder Family Projects: DIY Recycled Garden Markers

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The garden is finally all in the ground. It looks great, but we really needed some markers. I hate to let this opportunity slide to get the kids involved in creating something for the garden. They love to pick the plants and harvest the produce and fruit, but I wanted them to have some artistic buy in, so I wanted them to create garden markers. Here are some ideas of ways you can create markers:

1. Wood Markers: You can pick out sticks or 1×2 cedar in short 1ft lengths [more or less as you like]. The kids can carefully carve points on the ends for pushing into the ground. Then then can draw [paint or sharpies] on the wood. On sticks you could create flags with tape to draw on.

2. Rock Markers: Find rocks and have the kids paint names of the plants/veggies in the garden. These turn out super cute. Any rocks work. I like to take the kids on a walk to find the “right” ones for them.

3. Recycled CD Markers: Remember all those old CDs sitting around that you never listen to? The ones that clutter your house. Grab some of those [If you don’t have them ask a friend or neighbor!] and have your kids use sharpies to write the names of each of your plants/veggies. They can add artwork or whatever they like. They could easily embellish with gems or stickers [great for little kids!]. We then used a glue gun and some popsicle sticks to make the stake. They love them and they were so easy!

What every you decide to do consider having your kids go into the garden with you and write down a list of the different veggies/fruit you have. They can do some fun math with this one [e.g., if we have 5 tomato plants, 6 pepper plants, & 3 basil plants, how many do we have all together]. They can also get some writing practice by writing down the different types of plants for which you need markers. The ideas are endless. Whatever you do have fun with it! It always helps if you stay involved and make some markers or something else that has to do with the garden at the same time.

How do you get your kids involved in the garden?

Boulder Families Deals: Great deals for families

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Here are some of great deals that Boulder Families might want to check out. These are the top ones for the week. I sift through all the deals out there an find ones that seem authentic, valuable for families, and are preferably local or with local interest. If you know of anything else out there feel free to comment!

  • Jumpstreet Deal from Groupon. Here is a great way to blow off steam for your kids during those hot summer months. For 2 hours: 1 person/$10; 2 people/$19; 3 people/$35
  • 1 Year Subscription to National Geographic Little Kids for $10. This is a great deal brought to you by Mamapedia. The usual rate is $20/year even out of the magazine.
  • Check out the Da Vinci Machines Exhibit at the Denver Pavilions. For elementary aged kids and parents alike this is a great opportunity to explore this Renaissance icon’s creations. On loan from the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy. $14/2 tickets.
  • Date night deal! Agave Mexico Bistro and Tequila House [Valmont and 28th in Boulder] is offering a deal for $29 you get 2 entrees, an appetizer, and 2 margaritas. I live Agave and at $29 for 2, I love it for date night or a girls night out.

#boulder #kids #deals

Kids’ Summer Reading: Boulder Style!

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School is out. Kids are getting settled into a new routine. How do we keep out kids reading? Check out these great programs and resources to keep our kids reading all summer long! These programs really motivate kids to read with great books, give aways and incentives. Join 1 or all 3. Which ones do you like the most?

Boulder Area Reading Programs

Boulder Public Library: Their reading program, Dream Big: Read!, started today. You can sign up at any library  and your kids can earn prizes, books, and a pool party. Join any time, but the sooner the better!

Grandrabbits: This Summer join Grandrabbit’s “Jump Into Reading”. Staring June 11th, children 3 to 13 can join their Summer Reading Program at the store. Read books, fill out a tracking sheet, then bring it in for a special prize.

Boulder Bookstore: Their summer reading program starts June 1. The program is aimed at kids K to 8. Kids go to the store, grab a tracking form, & pick up a few books to kick off the program. Kids read 6 books total and they can earn a $5 gift card to the Boulder Bookstore.

Summer Reading Resources/Lists

Life Has Brought Us…Baby Birds!

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We have a robin who has built a nest on our back deck. It’s out of the weather, but I can only surmise that she is a first time mama because she has lost eggs to squirrels, and seems bummed that we are a part of her experience as we come out of the house to play, eat, garden, hang out, etc… And just today my son found a brilliant blue egg cracked on our deck. We all hope at least one egg will make it. We steal peeks. But mainly we try to give her space and observe from a distance. My older son exclaimed the other day, “Mamma, she looks so proud!” And she does. She sits in the nest with her chest puffed out. She is doing her work. I love that my kids get to witness a miracle at such close range with all its complexities. This is life.

Our robin is not the only one nurturing some new baby birds into the world. Boulder County Open Space has a video camera on a current Osprey nest. The baby osprey chicks just hatched on May 25 and 26, so they are tiny. This is worth watching. Take a minute to show the kids this morning feeding. This is an exciting time of year. There is a lot of life in the air. Flowers are blooming, the pop fountain on Pearl Street has opened, school is out, and baby birds are being born. This is life.