Last year during the pandemic my daughter Abby decided that she wanted to write and illustrate a book. So I helped her get started with an idea she had. I helped her develop her idea into a short little story about a little girl that is lost and scared.
Helping a 10 year old write a story isn’t as easy as it seems. Sentence and story structure are not really at the top of their list of things to remember when writing. So we just took it one step at a time. I figured, no matter what, she is doing something creative and I am proud she is taking this step to get started.
It only took a few days to write the story. We made sure we went through a first and second draft and finally we had our final draft… that is until I lost it. I put the story somewhere… I just had no idea where, and as time marched on it was forgotten about and pushed aside to make way for the many other projects we always seem to get involved with.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago where my amazing wife FOUND the story! My daughter was not nearly as excited as I was. She must have already moved on from the story as she really struggled pushing herself to get the story illustrated. At first she just didn’t even want to start, but then I explained the process and that she would be coloring her drawings on the computer, she started to get a little more excited.
With a little help, Abby was able to knock out her illustrations and also get them colored over a relaxing weekend. With the review process finally finished up we are now happy to say that Abby’s very first book, The Lost Girl, is now available for purchase in digital as well as print!
To get your hands on a copy of The Lost Girl by Abby Williams just click the links below!
A road journey with kids is an exciting experience but it can also be quite dangerous. You need to ensure that you are taking the right steps to guarantee that your kids are safe when you’re out on the road. Here are some of the possibilities that we recommend you keep in mind here.
Use Window Protectors
One of the first options we recommend is that you do use window protectors. With the right window protectors, you will be able to guarantee that there isn’t an issue with the sun glaring through the windows. This can be an absolute nightmare and may even lead to skin damage. It’s important to protect your children’s skin and when they’re in the car this is always going to take more than just sunscreen. Window protectors can also ensure that your kids don’t get too hot on the journey.
Avoid Distractions
Parents will often have to find the right balance between keeping kids entertained on car journeys and ensuring that they don’t become a distraction while driving. Our first recommendation is that you don’t have music too loud on a car journey. If your child is listening to music or watching a movie in the back do consider giving them a pair of headphones. There are headphones available that are more comfortable for young children to wear and fit like a headband.
If your child is sitting in the front of the vehicle, then they shouldn’t be watching a movie that is in your line of sight. This can be a massive distraction for you.
Stopping By The Road
There are multiple reasons why you might need to stop at the side of the road. Your car could break down and if that’s the case then you need to make sure that you keep your kids under control while you wait for the towing service. You can’t let them run around as this can be incredibly dangerous. You might also want to think about keeping them inside the car while you wait if it is safe to do so.
Checking The Car
Finally, you do need to make sure that you are completing the right checks before you head out in your car. There is a range of checks that you need to keep in mind here. One example would be the tires. If your tires aren’t inflated to the right level this can be a major safety hazard. It can mean that you have lower levels of grip on the road. It’s easy to check if your tires are at the right pressure by giving them a firm kick.
We hope this helps you understand everything you need to know to guarantee that you are safe on the road with your kids. In doing so, you can avoid a potential disaster scenario where your kids or injured or experience issues while you are out on a car journey. Remember, it’s easy to forget how dangerous a car can be if you fail to handle it the right way.
This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.
Growing up as a white kid in a predominantly white area my upbringing wasn’t as tragic as many, but through-out my teenage years the reality of life started cracking away the shell that had been built around me. Plenty of loss that left a void needing to be filled, but rather with strife, I turned to Dark Man X and many other artists just like him.
To live is to suffer. To survive, well, is to find meaning in the suffering
-DMX
My parents divorced when I was just starting my teenage years. As one of the most important developmental times in a kid’s life I was going through some deep emotional trauma with them splitting up. My father filled his void with drinking and it destroyed our family. Without guidance I turned to what I knew, and at that time in my life, that was music. Around the same time DMX was coming out of the gates swinging. There wasn’t a person that didn’t know “Y’all gonna make me lose my mind!!!”. As a teen I blasted these albums on repeat. We didn’t have iTunes, Spotify, or anything like that. It was CDs and that is exactly how I listed to X. It’s Dark and Hell is Hot and DMX’s follow up, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood and …and Then There Was X, guided those teenage years of mine through the darkness that continued to plague my younger years.
I always felt like DMX spoke the truth no matter how harsh. He never glorified the drugs he was addicted to, just spoke to the pain and truth involved with the addiction he was faced with. While I wasn’t addicted to drugs, I was going through a pain of my parents separating, followed by my dad passing away… and as a kid, you do not exactly know how to deal with these things. DMX allowed me to let out the anguish I was facing watching my parents relationship burn to the ground. Hearing him rap with so much emotional depth, that deep voice, and the growl. I don’t why but those barks, his energy, whatever it was, it gave me the release to understand my own emotions to get me through.
DMX kept me grounded. I can only imagine what impressionable shit I could have gotten into coming out of a broken home. X allowed me to escape without hurting myself, and I can never thank him enough for that. While he isn’t the only artist that helped carry me through pain, this past week, reading and watching DMX slowly decline in health brought back a lot of these memories and made me remember how thankful I am for him and every single other artist out there, whether they know it or not, but their art is helping someone somewhere.
When people think about adrenaline, they think about a rush or a surge of strength that they suddenly have. It can be the thought of the mother that has to lift the car that has landed on her children or the race that is almost over and the finish line is in sight, but so is exhaustion. Adrenaline allows the runner to reach the finish line. In both examples and many other similar cases, adrenaline works for success both mentally and physically.
Those Adrenaline Hormones
People want to enjoy the enhanced performances they get from their hormone-released norepinephrine and dopamine. They feel it enhances their ability by experiencing the thrill of feeling stronger and lasting longer. Hobbies and sports can also achieve this need, but a hobby doesn’t have to be expensive. There are less-expensive sports like zip lining, base jumping, street luging, caving, Ironman UK, highlining, and parkour/freerunning. These can satisfy the needs of an adrenaline junkie 100Percent while keeping the costs low to zero.
Sports for Those Hormones
Here are some brief descriptions of some of these less-expensive sports. Ziplining is a cord between two points at a high level to make it exciting. There isn’t any equipment to maintain, and the providers set it up so the cost stays low for the users. Caving is going underground and walking below the surface with the threat of entrapment or getting lost. Ironman UK is a multi-sport circuit of swimming, biking, and running to complete. It can be a competition if enhancement is necessary, but not many people finish. Highlining is like walking a tightrope, but the rope is intentionally slack to allow dropping and wiggling. The goal is to get from one end to end without falling. When the rope crossing is done over water, it’s called water lining.
These sports are free or need a one-time purchase. Base jumping is jumping from high fixed objects, and it can be free or with one-time purchased parachutes. Parkour/freerunning is the use of your feet to run an obstacle course configured based on the surroundings. This allows the difficulty and amount of adrenaline rush to be decided in the configuration. Street luging relies on gravity and body maneuvering. There is the cost of the pro board and safety gear, but that is only required once, and the costs vary in affordability.
Getting Your “High”
Some people get addicted to the “high” from different types of incredible achievements. These achievements can become so addictive that people will turn to careers such as firefighting and emergency services to use the hormone adrenaline to their advantage. Others that don’t have these careers look for hobbies and sports to accommodate their cravings. They do this by investing in as much activity as possible as often as possible for self-satisfaction.
When people think of adrenaline, sports should come to mind. Sports are a good way to release stress, and these activities can be used to complete hormone-released norepinephrine and dopamine. Adrenaline junkies can achieve self-satisfaction in sports and hobbies. Some enjoy them so much they increase the frequency and they do not have to be expensive. Save money but still fulfill the thrill of danger, challenges, and super rush while satisfying hormone adrenaline needs. Free is possible with the same adrenaline rush, it’s just looking around to find and use what’s available for taking some risks at low or no cost.
This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.
