by Sally Matheny
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Climb-a-Tree (but not this one!) |
For the past two years, I’ve hosted a Climb-a-Tree contest. It all began after reading a report that 1 out of 3 children have never climbed a tree. Are our children becoming too comfy on the couch? Or is it the parents?
Maybe it's the fears of all the “what-ifs.” Don’t let worry keep you in a sanitized, cushioned bubble.
Fun and adventure await you at the base of a tree—not to mention a slew of learning and confidence building opportunities.
I almost decided to forgo the contest this year until a friend’s child approached me and asked about the next tree-climbing contest. We don’t want to disappoint, so here’s the announcement for the third annual Climb-a-Tree contest!
Who: Parent-Supervised Children (ages 5 and up) and Parents
How to Enter: Easy—send me a photo of your kids in a tree. List their first names only. They’ll be entered into the drawing for a prize. The winner will be awarded a cool, outdoor toy based on the child’s age.
However, this year, I’m increasing the rewards.
For every teenand adult who is in a photo (in a tree!): Your name will be entered into a drawing for a $5.00 gift card from Starbucks. (Because I figure some of you want to get in on the fun, too.)
Deadline: Send me photos via this blog, or post them on my facebook page. All photos are due by 6:00 p.m. (EST) on Monday, October 27, 2014.
If you don’t want to post a photo, but would like to enter the contest, just private message me and I’ll add your name to the drawing.
We’ll announce the winners on this blog on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014.
Here are things to remember:
Be safe!
Avoid this. |
Posion Ivy |
And this.
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Poison Oak |
Use good judgement and you won't need this.
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Angry Phone Calls |
I don’t want any of these.
Or these.
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Lawyers |
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Having fun outdoors! |
This is what we want to see!
Be adventurous! Get outside and have fun together!
Hi again folks. What have you been up to? I hope it’s getting warm and green wherever you are.
Here in Charlotte it’s very warm now, too warm, but it’s been exciting to see all the flowers make an appearance, and inevitably, there are lots of weeds popping up, too. Lately I’ve been thinking about the things my friends and I used to do with various weeds when we were kids.
- There was the weeds-into-pop-guns trick, pictured above (arrowhead weeds, I just learned they’re called).
- Trying to make a grass blade whistle (okay, not weeds, but still counts)
- Of course making a wish on dandelion heads
Know any others?
I’ve been so focused on my writing goals that I haven’t been doing a lot of crafts and (interesting) cooking, though I do have a few things l’d like to share in the coming weeks. Our last day of school is today, which means my schedule will be quite a bit different from here until the end of August.
I’ll try to be here as much as I can, but you may find me more frequently on Twitter and Instagram, since those are easy for quick snippets. My Twitter handle is @emilysmithpearc and I’m on Instagram as Emily Smith Pearce.
Good news! I reached the goals I set for myself with both my nonfiction and YA novel manuscripts. This is big. So much writing done this year, though it’s easy to wish I had gotten even more done.
Currently reading: The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger and The Great Green Heist by Varian Johnson (both purchased at Park Road Books). Currently watching: Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black.