Train your kids to let you sleep in on the Weekends!

If you have kids under the age of 8, they probably don't let you sleep past 7 or 8 am on the weekends.  Bummer!  I implemented this stragtegy at age 3, and i have been sleeping in till 9 or 10 ever since. It's a 5 step process.  You start buy turning on a TV to the cartoon channel when you go to sleep at night.  You set the volume just loud enough so your child won't wake up.  You put the TV in the hall, or in the room next door to their room.  It has to be close to the kids bedroom door.  Next you put snacks right in front of the TV. Their favorite snacks, something like a bag of pretzels, a fruit roll, some popcorn in a bag, some hawaiian bread, bagel, a capris sun drink, and a bottled water.  Then you put some activites in front of the TV, pens, paper, and a coloring book with a pack of 64 crayons.  A few pillows a blanket and a stuffed animal or two make it official.  I often include a fun educational craft from Michaels as well.  When she turned 5 and started reading, I would include a special note about all the fun stuff they can do, and what time she should wake me up.  When she turned 7 I placed her favorite Box Car Kids books by the TV.  The area around the TV becomes fun, interesting, yummy, entertaining, educational, and the cartoon draws them in.  They never even make it to your room.  Eventually, around 9 or 10 am, they come find you and crawl in bed or tell you it's time for you to wake up and cook breakfast.  I have had about 200 sleep in weekend mornings, and I can tell you it's priceless.  It sounds time consuming, but I get this set up at 1 am and it only takes me 10 min. to buy myself 3 hours of sound sleep.  Sometimes I open up my bedroom door at 10 and she is all snuggled up in a blanket, smiling, watching her favorite cartoon eating a fruitroll and she says, "Daddy, Look at the picure I drew!"  Enjoy your rest parents, ... you deserve it!

Crosswalk problem on the Bend Parkway - 2 Options

The City of Bend needs to solve the crosswalk problem on the Bend Parkway.  Bend has 2 options to solve the problem.  We shouldn't wait for another death to do something about it.  The City needs to build an over the freeway walk-way, or add a stop light.  It's obvious, you can't have a crosswalk on a freeway where cars are traveling 60 and 70 miles per hour.  I know people that have done 80 and even 90 on the Parkway before.  It happens.  The bushes next to the side of the cross walk are taller than a bicycle, that was part of the problem last week.  It is ridiculous to have a crosswalk on a freeway.  I feel that whoever approved it should be fired.  So, add a stop light, or build an over the freeway walk-way!  … or more people will be injured for sure.  See you on the Parkway. 

Bend's Best Lunch Specials

There are about 200 places to have lunch in Bend, but on the high end, like where you would take a client, or a date, there are only about 30.  My take on Bend's Best Lunch Specials is simple, ... Typhoon & 10 Below.  Typhoon has a $8.95 lunch special that is Level 10 for sure, you get a salad, Pad Thai, and your choice of a lunch special.  For example you can have Cashew Chicken, which is awesome!, or Basil Chicken which is just as good.  10 Below has some of the best $10 lunch specials in town.  It's called 10 at 10.  On Tuesday they had Shrimp Linguini with a side salad.  Bonus:  They have Valet Parking.  Where else can you get Valet Parking in Bend, and an amazing lunch for $10?  Skip the parking hassle, and all the parking tickets (I got 5 last month) and drive up VIP.  See you at lunch!

How to get your kid into music

If you wand to get your kid into music, you need to make it fun.  Pick out instruments for you and your child, get cool ones, like matching guitars.  Decide on a song you both like, burn it on CD and play it in the car.  Take music lessons on that one song.  Learn the song.  Search for the lyrics on Google, print them, learn them.  Form a Band together, name the band, and have band practice at home.  Dress up in costume for band practice.  Laugh, play, rock out, and record it on HD.  Post the Video on YouTube!  Order stickers and Swag for your band!  Your kid can hand out stickers, and promote the band hin his or her own way.  There is no more "Go practice for 20 min", ... it's all about racing to the music room to have band practice, to rock out, and begin to love music.  Launch a web site for your band, include photos, videos, and expand on that.  Make music fun, dress up, rock out, learn riffs, and your child will have the foundation to do great things!

Bend Film

The Bend Film Festival started tonight!  The best way to experience the festival is to get an All Access Pass.  With this pass you get into movies before anyone else, get the best seats, and you don't have to wait in line to pay.  The pass also gets you into the Opening Night party, and the Awards Ceremony.  You also look cool with your badge around your neck, and they make you feel like you are VIP.  Besides all that, you are supporting one of the coolest organizations in Bend!  You can see as many movies as you want, feature films, shorts, documentaries, and local shorts.  It's awesome!  Check it out!