Archive for July 2014

My Encore Career as a Blogger: An Unlikely Pilgrimage

When I retired last year from my career as a preschool director, I was at loose ends. So I did what most retired women in my community do. I joined a book club, looked for a place to volunteer my wisdom and years of experience, and went out to breakfast with an old acquaintance. My... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 31, 2014 at 6:51 am • 

Let’s Move Even More: Why Kids Need More Chances to Move, Starting with Infancy

I’ll never forget what an elderly woman told me over 40 years ago when I had my first baby and lived in a high rise building on the campus of Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Back in those ancient times, there were no slings or Baby Bjorns or car seat carriers, but there was this:... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 28, 2014 at 9:40 am • 

Today is Cousins Day – A Perfect Time to Tackle Your Genealogy

I grew up with ten cousins and four grandparents close by. In fact, two of my cousins shared our duplex in Detroit, so they were more like extra siblings than cousins. Until we were all dispersed to suburbia, my cousins and grandparents were part of my everyday life. I naively thought everyone lived this way.... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 24, 2014 at 10:07 am • 
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What Summer Looks Like for a Child with Special Needs

Ethan is in full-blown refusal mode. He has realized that his “summer camp” is really a version of school, minus his familiar teachers and peers. Not much playtime or recess, even on beautiful 80-degree days. Sofia, on the other hand, is struggling at a summer camp with lots of play but no consistent schedule. Even... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 21, 2014 at 9:24 am • 

Genealogy & Family Reunions: Six Ideas for Making Connections

Bet you didn’t know that July is Family Reunion Month. Well, if you have one coming up, maybe you did. And if you are in your 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s, you are probably ready to stop reading this post (if you have even gotten this far). I understand. The sad truth about looking for your... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 17, 2014 at 7:18 am • 

Remembering the Holocaust in Eastern Europe Today

It’s the shoes that make me cry. In Budapest on July 27, we happened upon a protest called Eleven Emlekmo Living Memorial. 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the mass deportation of Hungary’s Jews to die in concentration camps. We asked our Hungarian guide what it meant and she replied it was controversial – some... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 14, 2014 at 6:33 am • 
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A School Principal with Principles – Warren Cherry

My mentor, Warren Cherry, died on July 11, 1990, twenty-four years ago, but his legacy lives on. A scholarship that bears his name is awarded every year to a graduating high school senior who needs encouragement to enter teaching or another profession that benefits children. A preschool that bears his name carries on his tradition... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 11, 2014 at 6:06 am • 

Vacation Renewal – It Takes a Brief Vacation to Learn There’s No Place Like Home

When the movie A Brief Vacation, Vittorio de Sica’s last film, came out in 1973, my friends and I all fantasized about being the heroine. Clara escapes her bleak and stressful life as the mother of three small children by going to a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Italian Alps. While there, she has a passionate... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
July 7, 2014 at 8:15 am •