My Smarty Pants

Playing around and doodling last Friday, November 4, Lauren and I were drawing and writing.  She's learned to write my first name in capital letters and can write her first and last name in capital and lower case letters!

Then I started to write random letters to see if she knew their names.  She can identify 19/26 capital letters, 14/26 lower case letters, and identify some of the names of her classmates (Harris, Callie, Jack, and Wyatt).  I had her count and she can count from 1-19, skips 20, then counts 21-29!  She can identify numbers 0-10 in random order!

The funny thing is that I have NO idea when she's learned all of this!  She keeps asking to go to kindergarten! 

Some of Lauren's Favorite Things 

 

Things to do: "read" or be read to, write her name, draw, cut and glue, paint, play with her doll house, follow mommy around, talk, ask questions, play her Leapster, talk on the phone, type on the computer, watch her shows (Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Phineas and Ferb, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

 
Places to go: Target, the mall, school, Jump Bunch, mommy's school, library

 
Toys: Leapster, Mommy's Nook, dress up, art supplies, doll house

 
Food: pizza, popcorn, go-gurt,  bananas, apple slices, OJ, ice

 
TV shows: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Phineas and Ferb, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

 
Movies: ALL Disney, especially Cars 1 and 2, Tarzan, Toy Story 2, How to Train Your Dragon

*Thanks, Jayme, for the inspiration to document Lauren's favorites at this age! 

Lauren Loves Mondays

Check out "Lauren Loves Mondays".  Lauren was featured in the Fall 2011 Newsletter for her love of JumpBunch, a program that is put on at her school.
The Experience Hello JumpBunch Nation, Tom Bunchman and JumpBunch Kids I love Starbucks®, and will go out of my way to visit the nearest one.  Our VP of Operations, Joey St.John, visits Disney® theme parks several times per year. I sometimes think he will grow mouse ears. Scott Karlin, our Director of Development, is crazy about Apple® products. And then there is Kathy, my lovely wife, and her fanaticism for TJ Maxx®. I can't tell you how many times she has bragged about this or that amazing bargain while shopping there! What do each of these little facts have in common? The Experience. And what does the experience have to do with JumpBunch, and your child? Plenty. We strive to create this experience and passion for the JumpBunch brand, each and every day. Our goal is to make JumpBunch a household name, especially among families with young children. We do this by tirelessly pursuing excellence for our very special little customers. And at the end of each day, we take great satisfaction helping children achieve physical skills, as well as introducing them to our signature variety of sports and activities. Thanks. I wish all of you a fantastic autumn and Halloween! Tom How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Fruits and Veggies The USDA Representation of a Healthy Plate    The American Dietetic Association, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have done volumes of research regarding the nutrition of children. With this research, they have found specific techniques that will work in getting children to eat healthier. Try implementing these changes to the eating environment and avoiding forceful old school techniques, and your kids will be eating healthier in no time. Serve fruits and vegetables at every meal. The USDA recommends that ½ of the child's plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. Eat together as a family. Set a good example by eating fruits and vegetables yourself. Buy fruits and vegetables for snacking, and don't keep unhealthy snack options on hand. Have children help select fruits and vegetables at the grocery store and again when you are preparing their meals. Keep putting it on their plate. A child may need to see a new food 4-5 times before they will try it. Put out vegetables or fruit as an appetizer before the main meal is ready. Keep small containers of cut up fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator for easy snacking. Incorporate fruits and veggies into meals your child already likes. For example, put a cup of frozen vegetables in with the noodles when making macaroni and cheese. Top off breakfast cereal with strawberries. In the summer, help the kids create a vegetable garden, and harvest and prepare what they grow. What Does Not Work? Experts have found that the following methods are ineffective in getting your child to eat healthy Yelling at your child for not eating their fruits and vegetables Begging your child to eat fruits and vegetables Making your child feel guilty when they don't eat fruits and vegetables Rewarding your child with sweets if they eat their fruits and vegetables Requiring your child to eat fruits and vegetables before they leave the table For more information: USDA My Plate Fruits and Veggies Matter (CDC) Eat Right Nutrition Tips (American Dietetic Association) Franchisee Profile: Staci Lifshen - Denver, CO Staci Lifshen and Dan Lifshen of JumpBunchDenver When Staci Lifshen joined JumpBunch of Suburban Denver as a part-time coach 5 years ago, she could not have foreseen where the opportunity would take her. Lifshen graduated from theUniversity of Arizona with a degree in Elementary Education, but soon realized that classroom teaching was not her true passion.    After graduation, Lifshen moved toColorado and worked various part-time jobs. When she came across an opening for a JumpBunch Coach in 2006, she applied and was hired by then-owner, Alicia Hall. Soon after her hiring, she moved up the ladder and became a full-time director of the Denver franchise, helping run many day-to-day operations. When Hall decided to sell the business to move back to an IT career, Lifshen was the obvious buyer and jumped at the opportunity. She purchased the franchise in the summer of 2010. "I knew there would be challenges, but I also knew that the benefits would far outweigh the challenges," said Lifshen. With a year of ownership under her belt, Lifshen still says her favorite thing about JumpBunch is working with the children. She enjoys teaching kids skills they can use for the rest of their lives such as teamwork and cooperation. Now that she has a deeper understanding of the business side of the franchise, she wants to put her creativity to work in expanding the program to additional schools in the Denver area so more children can benefit from JumpBunch classes. To this end, she brought her brother Dan in to help manage the business in spring 2011. Lishen brings her own passion for sports and fitness to her business. Her extensive personal sports and fitness background includes gymnastics, dancing, basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. She continues to play softball and volleyball regularly and also enjoys hiking, camping and snowboarding in the Colorado mountains. "I want kids to know that being active is fun. It shouldn't be something you HAVE to do, but something you WANT to do."    JumpBunch Suburban Denver 720-979-9828  St. Margaret's Day School  St. Margaret's Day School, Annapolis, MD Tricia Hallberg took the position of Director at St. Margaret's Day School four years ago and one of her first items of business was to bring in JumpBunch. Hallberg has a long history with JumpBunch, going back to the days when JumpBunch founder Tom Bunchman and his wife Kathy were teaching JumpBunch classes at a school where she was a teacher. St. Margaret's includes JumpBunch for all of the children at the school ages 3 through Kindergarten. Miss Joanne comes every Wednesday and teaches a JumpBunch lesson to all six of their classrooms. "I love the JumpBunch program. I have a great personal relationship with the owners in the area and I know they do a quality program," said Hallberg. St. Margaret's Day School is educationally accredited by the State of Maryland, and boasts 12 staff members and 105 students. The JumpBunch program fits their "learn through play" philosophy. "We believe children learn through doing. When they experience and practice skills while playing, and this helps them incorporate these skills into longer term memory and muscle memory," said Hallberg. She feels that JumpBunch does a very nice job of teaching different skills for different sports while addressing many learning domains such as hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and doing tasks both cooperatively and individually. The kids at St. Margaret's report that they love JumpBunch. The parents appreciate that the program is included in the curriculum. The teachers love having an organized motor skills program that they are not responsible for. St. Margaret's Day School (410) 757-2333 JumpBunch of Anne Arundel County (410) 410-279-8745 Mondays are Little Easier Now that Lauren has JumpBunch! Lauren Loves JumpBunch! Like most of us, even four-year-old Lauren hates getting out of bed, especially on Monday mornings. She moansand groans and claims she is not ready. But then her mom reminds her that it is JumpBunch day, and she pops out of bed eager to start her week. The coaching staff of JumpBunch of Catawba Valley, North Carolina has been doing JumpBunch classes at Lauren's school every Monday for several years. Her mother, Lisa, was originally skeptical of enrolling her 2-year-old daughter in the program. As a teacher, she was concerned if it would be developmentally appropriate. Once Lauren tried a free class at her school, she loved it. Her teacher told Lisa how engaged and enthusiastic she was about the program. "I figured if this was something that she would enjoy, then I would go ahead and sign her up. Since enrolling in JumpBunch, Lauren has really shown a strong interest in health and fitness, and even incorporates her learning into her life. She says things to her mother like "I need to exercise today," or "I need to eat a healthy snack." As for Lisa, she really likes that Lauren is exposed to a gamut of sports and fitness activities that she would not experience otherwise. She also sees her daughter learning skills that will prepare her to participate in organized sports such as teamwork, cooperation, sharing, and taking turns. "I love the fact that JumpBunch comes right to the school,' said Lisa. "I am a teacher so I never know when I am going to get out of work. This way Lauren is getting a great extra-curricular activity right at her school.' JumpBunch of Catawba Valley, North Carolina (828) 320-3832	Fall 2011 In This Issue The Experience Getting Kids to Eat Healthy Franchise Profile:Staci Lifshen Location Profile: St. Margaret's Day School Lauren Loves Mondays Quick Links View 2-Minute Video Find a Location Toddler Classes Preschool Classes Club JumpBunch Camps Birthday Parties Kids Click Here! Contact Us Tom Bunchman, Founder JumpBunch, Inc. 1997 Annapolis Exchange Parkway, Suite 300 Annapolis, MD 21401 Phone: 410-703-2300 Toll Free: 866-826-5645 Fax: 443-927-7510 info@jumpbunch.com JumpBunch Website For more health and fitness related tips for children, like our Facebook page! Franchises Available! Click for More Details 410-703-2300 franchise@jumpbunch.com Birthday Parties by JumpBunch At a participating location near you! Winter Preview Winter is a great time for JumpBunch! Look for these great lessons coming this winter! HOCKEY! PARACHUTE: BLIZZARD! STEP AEROBICS! HAVE-A-HEART REBOUNDER! ...AND MUCH MORE!
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