Birmingham Botanical Gardens Review

Nice for families to visit.

Midlands Guide Magazine

Situated in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the botanical gardens is host to extensive lawns and landscapes, aviaries and butterfly houses. Pride of place goes to four glasshouses showcasing plants and atmospheres from tropical rainforests, subtropics, Mediterranean plants and an arid desert-like house.

The tropical house is hot and humid and home to a variety of trees, climbers, ferns, shade plants and water features. The subtropical house is similar but slightly cooler, accommodating tree ferns, palms and pines. The Mediterranean house is a riot of colour in Spring and has lots of beautiful flowers in all shapes and sizes, complimented by the citrus centrepieces reminiscent of the type of the world they are found natively. The arid house is aptly named and dry, hosting all types of cacti and other desert-loving plants.

Outside the glasshouses, sloping lawns give way to the pretty gardens and aviaries. Make sure to check out the Japanese garden…

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We are home but we have more stories to share from our trip!

Interesting.

GiftsWithaCause.com

Hello everyone,

Thank you for sticking with us as we share our many adventures throughout SE Asia. Although we are home now (and miss traveling already!) we are happy to share more from our trip. Please stay in touch because we have plenty of great stories to share with you.

Day 23 – Ubud, Indonesia
Visited the home/workshop of a young man and his family where the four of them live in one of the rooms of a four room walled community. The children of the four families play together while the women and men work. They are happy and appreciate the work and income that we provide.

He works in a small but clean room where he meticulously creates fine detailed silver earrings for us.

There are so many talented people across the globe that continue to inspire us to try and help as many as we possibly can…

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Princess Super Kitty (Antoinette Portis)

Looks a good book.

Half-Blood Pince

Title: Princess Super Kitty

Author/Illustrator: Portis, Antoinette.

Bibliographic information: New York: Harper, 2011.  40p.  $16.99.

ISBN: 978-0061827259 (0061827258)

Format: Hardcover picturebook

Annotation: A young girl uses her imagination to make herself a cat, a princess, a mermaid and more.

Target age: 3-7

Personal reaction: This story is adorable.  Maggie’s exuberant personality shines through on every page, and readers will gleefully anticipate her next persona development.  The text reads much like a child’s thought processes (“Kitties only eat fish.  And peanut butter and banana sandwiches”), helping emerging readers relate to Maggie’s character.  It all leads to a satisfying conclusion with the culmination of Maggie’s characters resulting in a “Water Lily Hula Porpoise Princess Super Kitty of the Sea” and will leave children happily digging through their own dress-up boxes to reinvent themselves as something new. 

Tags: imagination, princesses, cats, superheroes, picturebooks, siblings…

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West Yorkshire Police Community Fun Day

Sounds like a good day out.We went to York a few weeks ago.There is so much to see,and you promote it well in York.I think other cities could do this better than they do sometimes.

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International Day of the Family 15th May 2013 – ‘Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity’

Great

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How to Calm Dental Fear in Children

Both adults and children can develop anxiety about going to the dentist. To prevent and alleviate these fears, it is important to teach correct dental hygiene to your child from a young age. Encouraging daily brushing and flossing will most likely mean only cleanings and checkups without major surgery at dental appointments. Set an example for your child and let her brush and floss with you. Allow her to go with you for your dental appointments. If you have a fear of the dentist, avoid letting these emotions show.

Instructions

1. 1

   Sit with your child and discuss why he is scared of the dentist. Ask him what he is most uncomfortable with and try to explain the process as best you can. Remain understanding and patient. Your child might be afraid of something that might seem trivial to you, but show sympathy when discussing his fears.

2. 2

   Practice a trip to the dentist. Designate an area in your home and set it up with your child’s role-playing toys. Use a play dentist kit and a favourite stuffed animal or doll. Explain the process as you re-enact the dentist’s role. Once your child feels comfortable, allow him to take a turn and practice on a pretend patient.

1. 3

   Purchase books or games about children visiting the dentist. Read stories about visiting the dentist and what dentist do for their patients. Select stories that address common fears.

2. 4

   Schedule a visit to the dentist without a cleaning. Allow your child to look around the office and meet the receptionists and the dentist. If your child seems bothered or upset by the people there, consider switching dentists.

3. 5

   Allow your child to accompany you to your appointment. If you have dentist fears, do not let your child pick up on them. Suppress any anxiety to avoid scaring your child. Let your child see the process firsthand so she can become more familiar and comfortable with the procedure. Schedule your appointment immediately before his so he can jump into the chair himself with the process still fresh in his mind.

4. 6

   Schedule an appointment in the morning. Your child is more likely to be cooperative after a good night’s sleep. Take your child to a paediatric dentist, since these dentists typically have more training when treating young children. Paediatric dentists’ offices also have child-friendly decorations, brightly coloured walls and fun decor for your child to look at.

5. 7

   Bring a favourite toy or stuffed animal. A security item will help your child to feel safe and comforted if she becomes scared. Allow your child to sit in your lap for the first time. This will also help your child to feel calm and safe during the appointment.

6. 8

   Schedule routine checkups. Get your child used to going to the dentist frequently so that he knows it is a routine.

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Have you brushed your teeth yet?

I rubbed my eyes

As I jumped out of bed.

”Brush your teeth,”

My mother said.

I opened my curtains wide,

I could not believe my eyes.

I saw a very large frog

Absolutely full of spots

Floating.

Or wait!

Could it be a dog?

Is it barking? Or is it croaking?

Then came that voice,

“Have you brushed your teeth yet?”

Then the frog stopped and pushed his nose,

Against the glass,

“What time is it?” he cried.

“I left my watch at my bed side.”

My mother then ran up the stairs

I waved goodbye to spotty frog,

He started barking like a dog.

It sounded very much like,

“Have you brushed your teeth yet?”

GILLIAN SIMS

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