My husband and I have two iPad covers.  His is clear and mine is a flashy pink.  We know who is in command of our new baby based on which cover it donns.  Lately, however, my kids have taken to their new sibling.  I will find them intently engaged in some app that we have uploaded for them.  What I love about some of these kid friendly apps is that they are both educational and fun.  For instance, my 6-year-old is less than interested in practicing his spelling words using the traditional paper and pencil method.  However, my 8-year-old made him a mock spelling test using Spellboard, which he is completely motivated to use to practice his words several times over.   This chick thought it might be fun to share some of the iPad apps that are popular in my household.  (These have only been personally trialed by youngsters ages 6 to 8.) 

1. Spellboard
2. Color & Draw
3. Blokus
4. TicTacToe
5. WritePad
6. Mad Math
7. Roadtrip Bingo
8. Math Magic
9. Sight Words
10. Mad Libs

Zippy Recap

iPad Momma:

• iPad makes many kid friendly apps that your brood will love and learn from.
• We would love to hear which iPad apps your kids are into.
• Let us know of any chick apps that you use or have heard about.

Stay Light & Breezy Girls…

Love, 

The Zippy Chix

Pin trading?  What is this some of you may ask?    Big bling for children and adults who are kids at heart…There are pin trading posts located at all Disney locations.  Kids typically wear a lanyard as a backdrop for their pins, but I have also seen them on hats and holders that you can wear like a purse that you drape across your chest.  Typically you purchase several starter pins.  They have pins of many Disney characters, popular attractions and rides, special holiday additions and so on…there are tons to choose from.  Most cast members also have a collection of pins that they wear.  Kids can trade pins with cast members all over the parks.  My kids have collected pins over our two visits of their fav rides and characters who dazzle their dreams.  They then hang their lanyards in their rooms at home as a way to reminisce about their Disney adventure.  It’s becoming a fun filled tradition in our family that I hope will continue to impress my angels through the years!

Zippy Recap

Pin Trading:

•  Pin Trading is a wonderful way to capture your child’s Disney experience.
• We would love you to share your experience with pin trading.
• Do you have any vacation traditions that your kids look forward to?

Stay Light and Breezy Girls…

Love,

The Zippy Chix

So my question to you Chix is do I just ignore the issue and enjoy the few days that she is home, or do I casually bring up her lack of communication before she leaves to go and finish out her semester.  I do not want to seem needy, but an occasional note to say that she is still in the land of the living would be just lovely:)  I have sent her many lovely notes over the past few months…

Let me just make it clear that I am not looking for long drawn out conversations with my offspring while she is at college…because I know that she is ohh so busy with those 12 credits that she is taking.  Not having to work and only taking 12 credits…..seems like an absolute vacation to me; funnily enough I think that she may be treating it as such.  I realize that college freshman need to find their way and fly….but completely ignoring texts, hmmmmm…I know that she answers ALL of the other texts that she receives as I get the bill. Just the ones sent by her parents lay sadly unanswered….lol.

Last week I saw another mom of a college freshman at the grocery store and she asked how my offspring was faring.  I noted that she absolutely loved school and the reason that I knew this was that I had not heard from her.  This other mom eagerly agreed and added that her offspring also did not answer her texts and she felt incredibly hurt by the lack of communication. 

She went as far to tell me that she had bought a book on how to deal with sending your child off to college and the changes that will occur.  Well that made me feel a bit better as I was not actually hurt by my offspring (I realize that it is normal), but that I was more irritatingly amused by the entire situation.  Off to work I schlep every morning at the crack of dawn, as my DD sleeps until noon daily and attends 12 hours of class a week.  Hmmmmm….something seems wrong with this situation.  The least she can do is send me some motivating notes or messages that will encourage me to keep going to work so that I can pay for her fun!

Any of you chix out there with thoughts on this issue…..feel free to chime in and let me know how you would handle or NOT handle this situation. 

ZippyChix Recap:

1. The college freshman is coming home for Thanksgiving….hug her tightly or lecture her incessantly for lack of communication??
2. Should your child feel obligated to call their parent occasionally, answer texts, and emails…or is it OK for them to ignore parental attempts at communication?
3. Who remembers those college days…sleeping until noon, partying all night…hmmm maybe I am just envious and want to vicariously relive those years:)

Stay Light and Breezy Girls…

Love, 

The Zippy Chix