In honor of Memorial Day, the school I teach at had a very important assembly to honor members of our military and teach the students about the true meaning of Memorial Day. Many of my own students come from homes that might not be knowledgeable about this topic and teach them the most important parts about this day and the reasons behind it.
For my 1st graders. it was easier for me to break it down and teach them 3 main things about Memorial Day that I felt were most important for them to know.
First of all, teach children that we OBSERVE Memorial Day and NOT celebrate it. Too often, the focus becomes on the “celebration” part of a holiday (and day off of school). It’s important to explain to children that it’s OK to enjoy an extra day off of school, such as Memorial Day, but it is not the kind of”holiday” to wish someone a “Happy Memorial Day” or to throw a “Memorial Day Party”.
Second, teach children that it’s OK to acknowledge soldiers and veterans and to thank them for what they’ve done. I taught my students to say, “Thank you for your service” to anyone in their family, their neighborhood, or even out in their community. I also explained that it’s acceptable to acknowledge Memorial day to families who have lost someone in the line of duty because they want to honor the memory of their loved one.
Finally, I discussed what it means to “take a moment of silence” on Memorial Day. Traditionally it’s observed at 3:00 p.m. your local time, but after discussing with my students, I told them that they could observe their “moment of silence” any time during the day if they weren’t able to do so right at 3:00 p.m.
Memorial Day is such an important topic to talk to children about, both at school and at home. Above all, because of the sacrifice our soldiers and their families make, America is the “Home of the Free, because of the Brave!”
If you aren’t familiar with Knott’s Soak City, it’s Orange County’s largest family water park, located adjacent to Knott’s Berry Farm Park, in the heart of Buena Park. The park just finished going through an extensive 2-acre expansion and renovation, which included the addition of 7 new slides and 2 slide towers, Shore Break and The Wedge. Along with the renovation came an upgrade to the landscaping of the park, which now looks like somewhat of a tropical oasis. More cabanas, available for rental) have also been added to the park, as well as additional shady areas and expanded seating. 
Grand Re-Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Immediately following the ribbon cutting, we headed directly over to try out the first of the new rides: The Wedge. This thrilling ride takes families with up to 6 riders, on an open-raft ride as they descend down navigating hair-raising twists, turns, and unexpected dips.
My girls rode in the inaugural raft of The Wedge that morning and absolutely loved it! They loved it so much that they immediately went back on, dragging me on with them. I loved it too!
Next, we hit up Shore Break, which is the other new group of slides that were part of the expansion. Shore Break includes 6 new slides. First, there are 4 slides that will take single riders on an adrenaline-filled water adventure as thrill-seekers board one of four Aqua Launch chambers to await the chamber’s floor dropping from beneath their feet sending them on a high speed free fall down a 60-foot tall slide and through a series of exhilarating drops and daring loops. Also part of Shore Break are two dueling tube slides which will have riders zipping through adventurous drops and turns as they soak up the warm summer sun.
In addition to the newest areas at Soak City, we also had tons of fun relaxing on the Lazy River, playing in Tidal Wave Bay wave pool, and hanging out at Beach House, waiting for the big red bucket to dump on us!
If you have small children, you’ll want to be sure to visit the Gremmie Lagoon area too.
With all of the new things to check out at Knott’s Soak City, in addition to this summer’s Ghost Town Alive! At Knott’s Park, there’s never been a better time to grab a Knott’s Gold Pass! A Gold Pass includes unlimited 2017 admission to both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City Waterpark. Gold Season Passes can be purchased online starting at $117.00 or 6 easy payments of $19.50. Applicable taxes and fees apply. Please note: the Season Pass payment plan is only available online at knotts.com
The sun is always shining in Southern California, so what are you waiting for? Grab your swimsuit, sunscreen, and sunglasses, and plan your day at Knott’s Soak City Water park soon! For more information about Knott’s Soak City and to begin planning your visit there, go 
The Show: 
As you can see, children of all ages will marvel at the wacky and wonderful cast of characters that come alive in this exciting steampunk, science- fiction fantasy inspired circus odyssey!
Circus Vargas will be returning to Orange County to perform at 2 different locations. First at MainPlace in Santa Ana and then moving onto Great Park in Irvine. The schedule for the shows will be as follows:
Our family is beyond excited for the release of this film, which will be in theaters June 30! Despicable Me 3 shows us that “it’s good to be bad”! 
Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3.
The film is directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud.
Immersive video projection and cutting-edge special effects will captivate and transport audiences across the universe from the fantastical Savage Land to New York City and beyond. Spider-Man and Wasp’s dynamic aerial stunts along with Captain America’s daring motorcycle skills will be on display in the ultimate race against time to save mankind.
The following is the schedule of performances for Southern California:
This year my daughter just wanted a “Girls Day Out” at the mall with her friends. I think they’re at the age where they want to be out and be seen. She requested lunch and shopping and “just hanging out”. I thought of something super fun to add to her day….I booked a BFF birthday photo session for the girls at Blink, Inc,! (She absolutely loved it when we visited last year.) She was ecstatic when I told her about the addition to our plans for the day!
Blink, Inc. is a photo studio staffed with professional photographers that are ready to photograph you the moment you walk in. It was so easy to make this fit in with our party schedule, you just go online to their site and choose a time and date at the location that works best for you, and book an appointment to go into their studio.
Blink, Inc.studio is already set up with an all-white, blank backdrop, giving you images that look and feel like a professional, editorial fashion shoot. The lighting is set up to make everyone look their best! (They even flashed out MY wrinkles!)
The photographers at the studio are experienced and will work with you ,not only to make it a fun experience but also to assure you get the images you envisioned in your head. Our photographer talked with us a little bit before we started and we showed her some of the props we brought for the shoot and gave her ideas of what I was looking for.
You’ll want to come into the studio with an idea of what you’re going to do because shoots go by very quickly. We brought tiny party hats with us, a “Birthday Girl” button, and some confetti, to use as props in some of the pictures. Our photographer, got a lot of cute shots though, most without props. I love that the girls were just dressed as their regular, everyday tween selves because their littler personalities really showed in the photos.
Sessions at Blink, Inc can be scheduled for 10, 20, 30 minutes, or even longer, and start at just $25 for a 10 minute session. You’re able to see your photos as they’re shot, because Blink, Inc. offers a real-time delivery system. Pricing for images begins at $10/image with the option to purchase the entire shoot at a great “Buy All” price. Your images are delivered almost immediately to your computer or mobile device so you can view, download to share online and even print at home.
Walk-ins are welcome but reservations are always encouraged at Blink, Inc.. To learn more about the different types of sessions you can shoot at Blink, Inc. or to reserve your own in-studio appointment, please visit 
We had the opportunity to visit TRADE on a media preview night before it was open to the public and it was such a treat to sample food and drinks from each of the places.
Our most recent dining experience at Islands involved a lot of pineapple. We were invited by Islands to do a media tasting of their Pineapple Pairing Menu and everything I tried was delicious!
The items on the Pineapple Pairing Menu features signature drinks from Islands bar paired up with delicious menu items and include:
Next, I got to try both the Hawaiian Burger and the Hoisin Bowl, both of which I had never tried before. The Hawaiian Burger is made with fresh pineapple, teriyaki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, swiss & mayo and served on your choice of a white or wheat bun. It’s served with their must-have fries, too!
They also brought out a 
Although it isn’t “pineapple”, I always love to finish off a meal at Islands Restaurant with a slice of Kona Pie! It’s such a generous portion that we all shared just one piece! It’s the perfect way to finish your meal off! 
