"It's so hard to say goodbye."

Greetings everyone! I finished up my amazing internship on Saturday, but I wanted to put one more blog post up before I moved on to the next chapter of my life, which is student teaching and then graduation in December!

I just wanted to say what a blast I had working at CMOM this summer. I got a chance to met all the great staff members and a lot of great children and parents while I was there. Thanks to everyone who helped make my internship a terrific experience! This summer I learned a lot! Especially about making toys, about circuits, international currency, and how to do fun science experiments. I even learned about several different musical instruments each Saturday through the Memphis Youth Symphony's program, Music Makers. My favorite ones where the bassoon and the harp. You've got to go to CMOM on Saturdays at 12 and 12:30, so you can learn about instruments too.

So, before I say goodbye, I would like to wish all of you the best of luck for this school year. Children: think positive...school can be a lot of fun. Parents: keep supporting your children because it makes a difference! I would also like to leave you with a few tips for the school year:

• Interact with your children and ask what they are doing in school. Help them with their homework and do a fun activity when their finished.
• Let them help with the grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking. It gives you a chance to spend time together and it can be a lot of fun!
• Encourage children to find the place that they belong, whether it is dancing, sports, gymnastics, drama, art, chess, or band, it's important for them to get involved in something that they like to do and to find a place to make friends, especially if they are home schooled.
• I know things will get busy with football and dance practice, piano and swimming lessons, etc..., but I think it is extremely important to have at least one family night a week at home where things can slow down and you can eat together, talk together, and maybe even do a craft or play a game together.
• On holidays and weekends, take them to CMOM!!!!!!!! Then you can spend time with them, interact with them, and help them learn things (and the great part is...they don't even know they are learning, they just think they are having fun!).

Well, I guess that's it for me. I'm going to miss posting every week and running programs in the museum, but I know I am leaving you in the capable hands of the other members of the program department. I know they'll take good care of you. :) I hope you and your family have an excellent school year and maybe I'll see you back at CMOM one day. Take care!

There's always something new and exciting at CMOM!!!!!

Happy August! I know everyone is getting ready to go back to school soon, but I wanted to remind all of you not to forget to come visit the children's museum. It is open everyday from 9 to 5. The museum only closes on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, so there is plenty of time for you to come and visit again and again. Next Saturday we are going to have a special back to school day from 11 to 3 and we will have several different activities that day to help you prepare to go back to school.

I also wanted to let you guys know that since I've been at the museum this summer, I have noticed that there is always something new and exciting going on at the Children's Museum. Everyday is different and every couple of months there are brand new exhibits to check out! Here's what's new right now and what's coming soon:

• Several months ago, the growing healthy exhibit was converted into our new Kroger shopping area.
• The old Kroger area is going to be a new exhibit called CMOM TV where children can dress up and do the news, traffic, or weather report sitting at a news desk or in front of a green screen where it will look like they are live at the scene.
• The storm knocked out one of our sound systems earlier this summer, but we have a brand new one, so Okie Dokie Karaoke is back on every Friday at 3:30 PM.
• The rain room has been updated and it is back open now as the Thunderstorm room where it rains and storms and there is a weather report that tells a little about how storms work.
• There is a new Totally Tubular activity in the Your House My House exhibit where children can stick ramps and tubes unto a Velcro wall in different ways and then watch different size balls go down the tube maze. **Just remember to leave the balls in the box next to the wall, so they don't go missing!**
• Also inside Your House My House, is our new Bookatarium Library that I got to watch being painted. It's got a great mural of sea life reading books. It's a great place for parents and children to come and read or to come for one of our literacy programs.
• In the Van Vleet Gallery, there is a new exhibit every couple of months. Right now, there is an exhibit called, Top Secret: Mission Toy. Children can play with different toys and explore how they work and learn about toys from around the world. Don't miss it...it will only be in Memphis until September 13th. After that, you'll have to come back again between September 2009 and January 2010 because we will have another exhibit called Building Brainstorm where children can build and learn about architecture from around the world.
• Soon, our bank will have lots of new things to see and do too. There will be money from all over the world that children can try to match with the country on a map and there will be several other hands-on activities that will help teach children fun facts about money.
• Also, a new exhibit is being built right now called Brain Train Station that will show how to be safe at a railroad crossing. It should be opening in the next few weeks.

So, as you can see there is always something new going on at CMOM. Make sure to come back and visit often so you don't miss out on any of the fun!!!!!!!