Humorous Father's Day Story : Books About Fathers

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After tucking their three-year-old child Sammy in for bed one night, his parents heard sobbing coming from his room.

Rushing back in, they found him crying hysterically. He managed to tell them that he had swallowed a penny and he was sure he was going to die. No amount of talking was helping.

His father, in an attempt to calm him down, palmed a penny from his pocket and pretended to pull it from Sammy's ear. Sammy was delighted.

In a flash, he snatched it from his father's hand, swallowed, and then cheerfully demanded, “Do it again, Dad!”

 

Books About Fathers

 

For Children:

 

  • A Perfect Father’s Day, by Even Bunting and Illustrated by Susan Meddaugh
  • Biscuit Loves Father’s Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Illustrated by Pat Schories
  • Father’s Day by Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell

Fathers Day Fun Facts – Tie Still Top Gift

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<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />Father's Day is June 17

 

  • More reverse-charge (collect) telephone calls are made on Father's Day than on any other day.
  • Neckties lead this list of Father’s Day gifts.
  • Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales. Husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons and sons-in-law are honored as well as father.
  • 66.3 million
    Estimated number of fathers across the nation today.
  • The word “Dad” dates back to the sixteenth century, or possibly even earlier? It may have originated with the Welsh word “Tad” (meaning father), which later mutated to Dad. The word “Father” is derived from the Old English “Foeder”.
  • The world's oldest living man, Methuselah, lived to be 969 years old. (Genesis 5:27)
  • Some famous fathers include Brad Pitt, Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, David Beckham, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King, Jr.

About Mothers Day

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Mother's Day: On the second Sunday in May, American children of all ages treat their mothers to something special. It is the one day out of the year when children, young and old, try to show in a tangible way how much they appreciate their mothers.

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />England was one of the first countries to set aside a day to recognize mothers. In the eighteenth century when many people worked as household servants for the rich, “Mothering Sunday” was reserved for them to return home to be with their mothers. Though this custom stopped when the Industrial Revolution altered the working and living patterns of the people, one Sunday for Mothers was established as a holiday in the twentieth century.

 

In the United States, Mother’s Day did not become an official holiday until 1915. Its establishment was due largely to the perseverance and love of one daughter, Anna Jarvis. Anna’s mother had provided strength and support as the family made their home in West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where her father served as minister. As a girl, Anna had helped her mother take care of her garden mostly filled with white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower. When Mrs. Jarvis died on May 5, 1905, Anna was determined to honor her. On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, their minister honored Mrs. Jarvis and all mothers with a special Mother’s Day service. Anna Jarvis began writing to congressman, asking them to set aside a day to honor mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day and a year later every state celebrated it.

 

 

Shopping For Mothers Day Gifsts

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 MOTHER’S DAY, Business Facts – Retail Shopping  

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Moms throughout the nation can expect the royal treatment this year on Mother’s Day. spending this year is anticipated to surpass $15.5  billion. The average person plans to spend nearly $140.00 up nearly $20 from 2006 , say Big Research and NRF.


 
 
The study found that the majority of consumers plan to celebrate this year. Shoppers plan to spend nearly $1.6 billion on clothes and accessories (37.0%), $2.1 billion on jewelry (32.8%), $2.3 billion on flowers (72.4%) and $2.8 billion on a special dinner or brunch at their favorite restaurant (61.0%).

Other popular items include flowers (67.6%), greeting cards (85.4%), gift certificates or gift cards (31.9%), electronics or computer related accessories (6.7%) and books and CDs (25.8%).

One explanation for an increase in spending could be that people are celebrating “all the moms they know” on this special day. Shoppers will also make sure to pick up something for their wife (20.7%), daughter (9.1%), grandmother (8.5%), sister (7.0%), friend (7.0%) and other relatives (12.3%).

Mother’s Day is the third most-popular Mother’s Day for sending greeting cards, behind Christmas and Valentine’s Day, according to the Greeting Card Association.

·         Not surprisingly, men will spend more than women with the average man expected to drop at least $148.51 on mom, compared to women who are expected to spend $97.72.


Online shopping for Mothers Day at about 17 %
Greeting card/gift stores, jewelers, florists and electronics stores will be the favorite place to shop this year for gifts of all kinds.

  • Mother’s Day ranks second only to Christmas in the purchase of flowers, according to the Society of American Florists. Of flowers purchased for Mother’s Day, 45.0 percent are expected to be cut flowers, 32.0 percent will be outdoor bedding and gardening plants, and 22.0 percent will be flowering and green houseplants.

 

References: nrf, us census bureau, national association of florists

Quotes Famous People About Mother and Parenting

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The call to be a mother and do it well, is what changes the world.  We’ve captured what statesmen (Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams) and key cultural influencers said about their mothers. “Remember to call your mother.” 

 

 

 “I remember my Mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” – Abraham Lincoln

 

 “ God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.” – Jewish Proverb

 

”A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” – Tenneva Jordan

 

”All that I am, my Mother made me.” John Quincy <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Adams

 

 “And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see — or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read.” – Alice Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day Fun Facts, Food & Recipe Breakfast In Bed For Mom

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Fun Facts About Mothers Day

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  • On Mother’s Day morning some American children follow the tradition of serving their mothers breakfast in bed.
  • This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On her special day, family members do not want Mom to cook dinner!
  • More than 150 million cards will be given this year in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />United States, making Mother’s Day the third-largest card sending occasion.
  • 80.5 million estimated mothers of all ages in the United States
  • 2.0 is the average number of children women in the US can expect to have in their lifetime.
  • July is the most popular month to have a baby.
  • Tuesday is the most popular day of the week to have a baby.
  • Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States.

 

 Favorite Start To The Mothers Day Is Breakfast In Bed

 

 

 Breakfast in Bed Recipes

 

Cinnamon French Toast

This French toast recipe cuts back on fat by using only 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • dash nutmeg
  • 8 slices French bread, sliced on diagonal

PREPARATION:

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and egg white until foamy. Whisk in milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Have warming drawer heated or heat oven to 200°.
Heat butter in heavy skillet over medium-low heat.

Dip 4 slices of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat thoroughly. Let excess drip back into bowl.

Place coated bread slices in hot skillet. Cook, turning, until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes each side.

Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture. To serve, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. Serve with maple syrup.

 

Confetti Scrambled Eggs (Serves 4)

This recipe for scrambled eggs serves six.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion tops

PREPARATION:

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together until well blended. Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat ; pour in egg mixture. Reduce heat. As mixture begins to set on bottom and sides of skillet, lift and fold over with spatula.

 

Cook until eggs are almost set; fold in tomato and green onion. Heat scrambled eggs through; serve immediately.



Scrambled eggs recipe serves 4. 
Cantaloupe Smoothie Recipe For Mom's Breakfast in Bed
 
Tasty, refreshing, and fat-free!
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 cup skim milk
1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
 
 
·         Not a cook? Enter your mom in the ABC Emeril’s Mother Day’s Breakfast in Bed Contest at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Breakfast/story?id=2935775&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312.

Easter Traditions, Legends & Stories

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Easters Traditions, Legends, Stories

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  • On one Good Friday, a 19th century missionary to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Bermuda had difficulty explaining the ascension of Jesus so he launched a kite with an image of Jesus on it and cut the string. Kite flying is now a Bermuda Good Friday tradition.

 

  • Another Bermuda fact: it's where Easter lilies came from. They were brought to America from the island in the 1880s (and, for once, not a Christianized pagan symbol). They're now associated with Easter because it grows from a bulb that is “buried” and “reborn.”

 

  • As one legend goes, at the time of Christ's crucifixion, the dogwood tree was as tall as the oak and other forest trees. Its wood was so strong and firm that it was chosen for the cross. The tree was very distressed to be used for such a purpose and Jesus understood. He told the tree, “Because of your regret and pity for my suffering, I promise this: never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used  for a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints. And in the center of the flower, brown with rust and stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns – so that all who see it will remember it was upon a dogwood tree that I was crucified, and this tree shall not be mutilated nor destroyed, but cherished and protected as a reminder of my agony and death upon the cross.”

 

 

 

resources : National Confectioner's Association, National Retail Federation,  World Book Encyclopedia, US Census Bureau,  History.com,

Humor, Riddles, Illustration, Books : Easter Kids, Teachers

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Easter Humor

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  • Eighteenth-century German settlers brought “Oschter Haws” (the Easter Bunny) to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />America, where Pennsylvania Dutch settlers prepared nests for him in the garden or barn. On Easter Eve, the rabbit laid his colored eggs in the nests in payment. In Germany, old Oschter lays red eggs on Maundy Thursday. The funny thing is, rabbits are mammals and do not lay eggs.

 

Easter Riddles

  • Q – Why does the Easter bunny have a shiny nose?
    A – His powder puff is on the wrong end.

 

  • Q – What do Easter bunnies do to stay in shape?
    A – Eggsersize.

 

Humorous Easter Story

  • A minister has been reassigned to a new church and wants to see how seriously the attendees take Easter. He approaches a one person and asks the meaning of Easter. She replies that Easter is when a giant bunny brings candy for children. Ok, how about another, so the priest asks someone else. He says Easter is when all the children color eggs, and the adults hide the Easter eggs and let the children participate in an egg hunt. Ok, how about another, so the minister finds a conservative looking person praying quietly, and he hopes she appreciates the meaning of Easter. She describes how Jesus carried the cross and then was crucified, and then his body was put in a cave with a rock at the entrance. Good so far thought the minister but then, Easter Sunday, the boulder magically rolled away from the cave, Jesus was resurrected … and stepped out of the cave and saw his shadow, and he knew there would be 6 more weeks of winter.

 

 Easter Books

 

For Children:

  • “The Night Before Easter” by Natasha Wing
  • “Easter Bugs: A Springtime Pop-up” by David A. Carter

Parent Tips Healthy Easter For Kids and Family

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Beware Easter over eating.  Easter is expected to generate $1.82 billion in candy sales and is second only to Halloween in candy consumption. Dietitians warn that eating five candy Easter eggs (the average given to most children), plus the other candies usually included in the basket, could see youngsters doubling their recommended calorie intake for a week. You could see your child’s weight increasing by several pounds within days. The recommended daily calorie amounts are around 2,000 calories a day for an average 11-year-old boy and 1,500 for a girl, but many could be eating up to 10,000 calories over the Easter period. Plan your calorie burning kid play now.

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For parents worried that their children might eat too much Easter candy, some experts suggest adding non-edible items to Easter baskets: book, crayons, movie passes,  sports cards, kids' videos, colorful stickers, markers, chalk, stuffed animals or balls.

 

 

Children aren’t the only ones at risk. Easter candy can knock your healthy eating plans right off the bunny trail, too. Chocolate might be the biggest culprit, because it is so high in fat. For someone seeking fat loss this Easter season, perhaps the worst thing to find in their basket would be a chocolate treat like the Palmer Chocolate Bunny (2.5 oz.). The recommended serving size is 1 package (71 grams), which will cost an astounding 360 calories, 20 grams fat (31% Daily Value), 12 grams saturated fat (60% Daily Value), and 46 grams carbohydrate (15% Daily Value). And you face the additional challenge of eating only one.

 

 A healthy alternative to consuming chocolate eggs can be to join in the hunt for colored eggs. One solution this Easter is to join in the Easter egg hunt with the kids. According to calories per hour, a 170 pound woman will burn approximately 116 calories in 30 minutes of hiding Easter eggs, and another 154 calories in just 30 minutes of egg-hunting. So, hop to it. Have some active fun

Orgin Easter Traditions & Food Favorites

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  • Hot cross buns were among the earliest Easter treats, made by European monks and given to the poor during Lent.

 

  • Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.

 

  • Passover is celebrated with karpas (a green vegetable, usually parsley) and bitter herbs

 

  • The German word “to mourn” (grun) is very similar to the word for green (grÜn). So in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Austria, Hungary and much of Germany, Easter is GrÜndonnerstag: a day to eat spinach and salad.