Chip

Gracie started studying karate the past quarter.  She knew it was something I want all the kids to do, so I’m glad she has taken the initiative and has been enthusiastic.   I took karate back in the 80’s and felt very fortunate to be able to study under Hidy Ochiai.  But with school, work & family, I have never been back.  It was like blast from the past stepping into that dojo again. I was…

Can you turn a bully into an ally or friend? Most people might be satisfied just to stop bullying when they, or someone they love, is a victim of bullying.  When we recently encountered bullying with one of our children, we aimed a little higher and strove to help our son turn a bully into a friend once again. Bullying is a widespread problem that affects people of all ages and backgrounds.…

The Williamsons:  Dominick is making the same transition that Gracie made last year – in that he has jumped to middle school.  So, now I have 2 kids that I bring to school on my way to work in the morning.  Dominick was anticipating playing modified soccer in the fall – but there were not enough students to form a team.  He ended up playing with the JV team, which was good for him.  However, he…

Merry Christmas from the Williamsons! We hope you have a GREAT 2023!

FREE printable word search puzzles for you & your family to enjoy for Christmas! We created these word search games from scratch – using Google sheets. They offer some words that are easy enough to find for little kids, and others that are much more challenging to find – even for adults. We enjoy seeing who in the family can create the hardest, most creative and overall most fun word search…

In a former life (before being married with kids) I was quite the traveler.  However, it has been many years since I have been able to really plan a BIG trip where we/I set out to see a lot of places and do a lot of different things.  That is what we did this summer!  Upstate New York is a wonderful place to explore & adventure! We went to Niagara Falls & rode the new electric Maid of the Mist,…

Tax-Loss Harvesting: Making the Best of Investment Losses

Nobody likes investment losses – however, they are a reality that investors must occasionally face when investing.  The objective of tax-loss harvesting is simply to use any unrealized losses that have been incurred to improve the overall tax position of the investor.  This might seem a little counter-intuitive – in that I am suggesting that a LOSS can help improve an investor’s overall tax…

Poconos Waterparks: How to Get the Best Deals at Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari & Aquatopia!

Daily Price Comparison of The Poconos WaterParks: Great Wolf Lodge vs Kalahari vs Aquatopia. Which is the Cheapest & When? Which Poconos Water Park is the Best Value? The Poconos are a great place to go for some water park fun – with Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge & Aquatopia all being within about 10 miles of each other. Between the 3 resorts there are a total of almost 2,000 rooms. So that gives…

Adventure Update # 63: The Busy Life!

Funny Story about our “Best Poconos WaterPark” Post The other day we met up at the park with some out-of-town friends. Let’s just call them Kate & Justin. Kate was telling me that they were doing some research to decide what waterpark to go to in the Poconos area. They wanted to determine which waterpark was the best for their family. They found this really helpful post – that only after reading…

Making Lemonade From Lemons: Strategies For A Bear Market

A bear market is typically defined by a market that is down 20% or more from recent highs. As Iwrite this, we are in a bear market, with the S&P 500 index down over 21% and the NASDAQdown over 28%.* No one likes losing money – but you need to remember that, in all likelihood, this is just a temporary market decline, and that the broader market has always recovered. That is not a guarantee that…

So I remember, distinctly, when we had our third child (Annie, now 10) – that people told me that we were going to be busy in the years to come. Well, I can tell you – they weren’t lying! And to boot – we had a 4th child (Sophie – now 5) – just to make sure that we wouldn’t have any idle time! Kevin, Nick & I went on a road trip together at the very end of last quarter – too late to include it in…

How Things Work: 111 Everyday Things That Kids (& Every Adult) Should Understand & Know How They Work

All kids SHOULD have a basic understanding about how the world around them works! (As should adults) If they understand how these things work they will feel empowered, more inclined to think scientifically, more in control, & more comfortable in their surroundings. People who understand how things work are also more likely to troubleshoot problems with such items much more effectively – maybe…

The Williamsons: Ah – So little space to cover so much!  Gracie turned 13 in February & the transition to the teen years has NOT been nearly as smooth as her transition to middle school!  Gracie & her friend won first place for the physical science division of the science fair!  Way to go Gracie!  She also won a couple of S.A.I.N.T awards (Latin & Social Studies) which are for academic strength…

Adventure Update # 62: Cheap Paper Towels Galore!

Happy New Year!  Dominick & I spent some time this past fall camping with his scout troop.  In November we camped in tents.  It had been a really looOooong time since I had camped out in the cold & was Dominick’s first time doing so.  In early December we had a campout in which we stayed in the cabins, cooked two turkeys in trashcans and invited the families to join us for a Thanksgiving meal.…

Adventure Update # 061: CamelBack’s Aquatopia – Finally!

Annie’s Birthday Annie turned 11! We’re so proud of our little girl! See her year-in-pictures recap HERE. Brooks’ Chicken – Oneonta On the way back from one of Gracie’s X-Country meets we stopped at Brooks. Melani graduated from SUNY Oneonta so it was a little bit nostalgic for her. We also took a little tour of the campus. Parkour / Ninja Training The kids love watching the American Ninja…

Adventure Update # 060: Back to School!

Gracie @ a New School Gracie – First day of school 2021 Well, we have made the transition to our new schedule!  I am bringing Gracie down to Binghamton every morning for school – since she is now @ Seton.  I thought that with this new schedule – I would be into the office earlier, and out earlier – but that has NOT proven to be the case yet! Gracie has been involved in various after-school…