Top Ten Recipients of August 2015 Happiness Happens Awards

 “Top Ten Recipients of August 2015  Happiness Happens Awards” by Linda Martin Andersen

 

Poster created at http://www.quozio.com  Happiness Happens Awards (selected by me for this site only)

August is…

• Happiness Happens Month–How does happiness happen?  What are some things that make you happy?  Which of the awards posted here is your favorite?  Why?
• What Will Be Your Legacy Month–What is a legacy?  Check out definition 2a here:  http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/legacy

Special Days in August:

• Respect For Parents: 1–How do you show respect for your parents?  Name ways they show respect for you. 
• Sandcastle Day: 1–What memories come to mind when you hear “sandcastle?”  Write or draw about that memory.  Where have you built sandcastles?  Have you ever built one in your backyard?  What materials would you need?
• Take A Penny/Leave A Penny Day: 2–Have you ever left a penny in a dish at a store or restaurant?  Have you ever taken one?    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_a_penny,_leave_a_penny
• Watermelon Day 3:–Do you eat watermelon with a fork, spoon, knife, or by biting into the slice?  Where do you like to eat watermelon?  Inside, outside, at a picnic, or anywhere?  Does your family buy watermelon by the slice, half, or whole melon?
• National Chocolate Chip Day: 4  What would you do with melted chocolate chips?  Sometimes people say, “It’s hot enough to fry an egg on a sidewalk.”  What image comes to mind if chocolate chips melted on the sidewalk instead?  Would you want to turn it into a cookie, sidewalk art, etc.  Would you taste it?  (not recommended, but then neither are mud pies)
• Hiroshima Day: 6–When I read of this special day, I thought of an author friend–Kathleen Burkinshaw.   Check out her website and you’ll know why.   https://kathleenburkinshaw.wordpress.com/
• Lighthouse Day: 7–Name three or more lighthouses.  Where are they located?  What lighthouses have you visited?  Which is your favorite and why?  Where have you seen lighthouse art?  On a mug?  On a keychain, on earrings, etc.  List three or more examples.
• Tomboy Tools Day: 7 I don’t hear girls called “tomboys” much anymore.  Do you know what the word means?  Why do you think the word might not be used so often today?  Write about a time you or someone you know was teased for “acting like a boy.”
• Twins Day: 7-9  How many twins do you know?  Do their names rhyme?  Are they identical or fraternal?  Name a favorite story, book, poem, or memory about twins.  
• Middle Child Day: 8  What’s it like to be in the middle of a huddle?  The middle of the car?  Other middles?  What do you think it would feel like to be a middle child in a family?  Are you a middle child?  Name some advantages and some disadvantages of being a middle child.
• Skyscraper Appreciation Day: 10  What cities do you think of with skyscrapers?  Have you ever ridden an elevator to the top of one?  What skyscraper stories can you tell?
• Smithsonian Day: 10  Where is the Smithsonian?  Name some of the buildings or displays found there.  What would you like to visit there?  How far is the Smithsonian from where you live?
• S’mores Day: 10 Have you ever eaten S’mores?  Have you ever prepared them to serve?  What makes this food special?  Is it one of your favorites?  Why or why not?
• Sewing Machine Day: 12 What is a treadle machine?  What is a portable sewing machine?  Name three items that can be made on a sewing machine.  Name five supplies used when sewing.  Have you ever sewed anything by hand?  On a sewing machine?  Tell about it.  Do you know what a Cricut machine is?  Name items it can create.
• Vinyl Record Day: 12 What is a vinyl record?  What is an album?  What piece of equipment is needed for these?  Have you ever seen any of these things?  Write about it.
• International Lefthander’s Day: 13  What is a” leftie?”  Who do you know who is one?  What might be more difficult to do if you’re a “leftie?”  Do you anyone who was forced to do things right handed?  Name a famous “leftie” if you can.  What does it mean to be ambidextrous?
• Cupcake Day: 17  Cupcakes have become popular recently.  Why do you think that might be so?  Have you ever seen cupcakes served instead of a wedding cake?  Tell a favorite cupcake memory.
• Senior Citizen’s Day: 21 What joy can you bring a senior citizen today?   How can you show a senior respect?  How can you give a senior recognition today?  What way can you share love and caring for a senior today?
• Be An Angel Day: 22 If someone says, “Be an angel and get me a glass of water,” what does that mean to you?  If someone says, “Be an angel and sit down,” what does that mean?  Give other examples.  See the definition for this idiom here:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angel
• International Tongue Twister Day: 22 What is your favorite tongue twister?  Name others.  If I begin one, can you continue it?  Peter Piper picked a…   For more check here:  http://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/tongue-twisters-for-kids
• Tug-of-War Day: 26 When was the last time you played tug-of-war?  Have you ever played at school?  Maybe for Field Day?  Can you name a TV show, movie, book, or story with a game of tug-of-war?  Tell about a time when you played this game.
• National Toasted Marshmallow Day: 30  Name your favorite toasted food.  What way do you like to eat marshmallows?  Do you like them in hot chocolate, on top of sweet potatoes, melted in rice krispie treats, tossed in fruit salad?  Other ways?  Name a favorite memory that includes a marshmallow treat.
• Pony Express Day: 30  Imagine you received a letter delivered by Pony Express.  Who do you think might have sent it?  How long do you think it would have taken to receive it? For more information check here:   http://www.nps.gov/poex/learn/historyculture/index.htm    Would you have wanted to be a Pony Express driver?  What caused the end of Pony Express delivery?

Special Weeks in August:

• Simplify Your Life Week: 1-7 Name a way to simplify your life.  Is it something you can do?  Why or why not?
• Exercise With Your Child Week: 2-8  Name a time you and your parents exercised together.  What were you doing? Did you enjoy it?  Would you do it again?
• National Farmers’ Market Week: 2-8  Does your town have a local Farmer’s Market?  Do you buy fresh fruits and vegetables there?  Have you learned to eat something new from the market?
• Weird Contest Week: 10-14 Name a weird contest.  I was in a $1.98 Beauty Pageant once as an adult at a school fundraiser.  Contestants were not supposed to spend over $1.98 on their costumes.  The object wasn’t to be beautiful.  It was to have fun.
• National Aviation Week: 15-21  Orville Wright’s birthday was August 19.  This celebration falls on the week of his birthday.  Do you remember what this famous person did?  Two hints:  he had a brother.  Check the name of the special week for your second clue.

For more August celebrations, check here:  http://www.brownielocks.com/august.html

I hope you’ll leave a comment.  Thanks for stopping in.  Come again soon and bring a friend.  Please remember that children 13 and under need an adult to comment for them. Thank you! 

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