D.I.Y. Film Canister Rockets

What you need

Film canisters
Glue
Alka-Seltzer (one per canister)
Soda
Metal Tray or strip
Magnets

What to do

Place one magnet on the lid of each film canister. Glue an Alka-Seltzer tablet to the inside of the lid and place the lids to the side to let the glue dry. Partially fill the body of the empty film canister with soda. After you ensure your glue has dried, snap your lids onto the film canisters. Be careful to not let the liquid and Alka-Seltzer touch yet. When all the lids are securely snapped on, put the tray on top of the canisters. The magnets on your lids will be drawn to the tray, which makes the next part of your experiment easy.

When you’re ready, flip the tray over so all the canisters are upside on the tray, and the tray is on the ground. Stand back and wait a few seconds. You will hear some fizzing and popping noises coming from the tray, but don’t worry, that just means your experiment is working. If you’re lucky you film canisters will take off like a rocket, delighting you and your children with the wonders of chemistry.

Why It Works

When the Alka-Seltzer tablet and soda touch they began to react and produce carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide gas builds to a certain point, the pressure is too much for the lid to handle. The body of the film canister can no longer control itself and is forcibly launched. The fizzing you heard when you flipped the canister over to begin the reaction is the same fizz you would see if you made a volcano using baking soda and vinegar. When the tablet and water meet, the acid and baking soda react to produce the carbon dioxide gas needed to launch the canister.

Chances are high your kids will want to repeat the experiment over and over again, so have plenty of tablets on hand. Suggest trying other types of liquid with your kids, or adding more or less liquid to see what kind of reaction is produced. This experiment can provide your family with hours of outdoor entertainment, while still encouraging your children to think like scholars and allowing them to stay outside while they play.

Many people believe that when they see the first robin of the year, that spring is on the way. Many people also believe that the bluebird is a symbol of happiness. Both are correct – but there is more to learn about our two local birds.

The Robin Red-Breast that is so admired with the deep orange chest and dark brown back is most likely the adult male bird, since the female is a lighter orange color with a dull brown back. The babies often confuse people who find them because when they are little, the robins do notget their orang color until they are fledglings, and their backs are speckled. That is often the way with most birds – the males are brightly colored to attract the females. The young and females are not brightly colored and are just a dull color and will look the same until the baby boy birds grow up to be adults and get their own bright colors. The mother birds are dull looking so that they don’t attract the attention of predators while they sit on their nest and eggs. Many times the female birds are smaller than the males and that also helps you to tell the difference between them.

The vivid blue of a male bluebird cannot be mistaken, and his lady bird is a softer gray-blue in color, with a very light orange chest. These birds are also speckled when they are young, and don’t get the brilliant blue color until the males are adults. In fact, bluebirds and robins are cousins in the bird world since they are related and are both in the thrush family.

These two birds bring joy to the people who see them. Even though in this part of NC the robins and bluebirds will stay all year long, they are not as easy to see in the winter. That’s why it looks like they are only just appearing when the warm weather begins. The warm weather is the signal to the birds to start declaring their territories by singing, to start building their nests, to start catching the bugs and insects that come out in warm weather, and of course to start laying eggs.

Both robins and bluebirds have blue eggs and so many people know this that there is even a paint color called Robin’s Egg Blue! But robins and bluebirds build their nests in different places. The bluebird needs a cavity or hole to build their nest, and the robins build their nest on a branch in a tree. Both nests are cup-shaped to hold the eggs, and they line them with whatever they can to make them softer for the babies. If you look at an old nest after the babies have left, you will notice that there may be pieces of ribbon and string, even feathers of other birds, soft grasses, or even moss and hair. You want to make sure you leave the nest alone where you found it because many birds will reuse their nest more than once during the summer. Sometimes other birds will come and use it for their own eggs and babies.

If you want to attract more bluebirds to your yard, then you can put up bluebird nest boxes for them to live in. You can also put up bird baths because they love fresh water every day to splash in. If you put out a little dish of mealworms, the bluebirds will be able to feed their babies with these goodies, too.

It’s nice to be able to be a bird watcher and see these beautiful birds all around your house and lawn all year round, not just in Spring!

With each year that passes there’s a new group of seniors that make their way across the stage and step off into their future.

This year, a round of applause goes to the senior class of 2013. They started back in the fall of 2009 as little freshman taking the huge step up from middle school to high school.

This year, they’re role models to the freshman and sophomores and are envied by the juniors. They’ve dedicated seven hours of their day, for five days of the week, for ten months out of the year, for four years total, to hard work, studying, and preparing for the rest of their lives.

Any senior will tell you that it’s been one heck of a ride. But now that it’s our last year we can finally look back at the last four years and ponder on all of the memories.

Remembering back to that first Homecoming week as a freshman when the football games were full of excitement and every freshman realized just how much spirit their school had. Moving to sophomore year when some people start dating and experience their first heart break. And then to being so close, yet so far away as a junior when everything got tough with ACTs, AP classes, and maybe even getting your first job. And finally, the highest level of an upper classmen; a senior. Meaning early release and senior priority—homecoming court, parking, or class choices.

Now we take everything we’ve learned and apply it to the real world. Most of us will go off to college—community or university—jump straight into the job field, or join the Military. We are all looking forward to something different for the simple fact that each one of us are our own person and will make a statement in our own way.

“It’s great to look back and realize that I’ve made it this far and that I’m so close to finishing what I started four years ago,” senior at Havelock High School, Brittney Patton said. “What I’m looking forward to most though, is going to college and finally being an adult in this world.”

I think Patton speaks for plenty of us seniors when she says we are so happy to be “finishing.” High School has been a mix of many things. From a place of socialization, fighting, falling in love, failing or passing a class, to trying new things.

But one thing High School did—well for me anyway—was help us find ourselves and figure out who we are. We spent four years changing social groups, best friends, actions, attitude, hair, clothes, and so much more. And four years later when it comes time to graduate we all have a sense of who we are, or at least who wish to become.

So in a sense, we’ve “finished” our journey as a teenager. And now we step up and take matters into our own hands as the next generation to work, start a family, and make adult decisions.

And who knows, we could make a difference one graduate at a time. So, congrats to the class of 2013. We’ve made tons of people proud and proved just what we’re made of! For the graduates to come, good luck and don’t give up!

We want our children to be stars and do well in everything they do. We want to empower them to make good choices and good decisions. In our martial arts school we have a character education program called the S.T.A.R. in the Martial Arts. It is a decision making model. STAR is an acronym for Stop, Think, Act, Review. This thought process is a tool to develop confidence and good decision making skills. When a child is presented with peer pressure to do something that might not be a good idea we encourage them to STOP. Before they join in and potentially do something that would be bad for themselves or for someone else. THINK about what the outcomes of the different actions they could take and what the consequences could be. ACT on the decision that yields the best possible outcome. When all is done they should REVIEW their actions and decisions to see if they achieved the desired results or if they could have done something better. This thought process and decision making model encourages children to become leaders to their peers. This model is for negative and positive situations. After the event is over and all the consequences have played out it is time to take responsibility. Part two of our STAR model, Success Through Accepting Responsibility. When the stop, think, act, and review model is completed, then they need to take responsibility for those actions and decisions. It is always easy to take credit for their actions when great things happen and people are happy with them. They don’t always like to take credit when their actions are not so great. Take ownership in choices, and decisions whether they were good or bad. Trust and faith follow those with a reputation of integrity. Always review choices made to make better decisions in the future and encourage others to be more, do more, and have more but most importantly be a STAR!

There are many craft projects families and children can tackle, but ideas that involve projects that can be put to use outdoors may be the most fitting. Fortunately, there are a number of ideas for crafty projects to involve everyone in the household.

Birdhouse

Head to the hardware store and pick up a few supplies. Otherwise, chances are items that can be made into a birdhouse probably can be found from scraps of materials already around the house or in the garage. Scraps of wood, metal, tiles, plastic, and the like can be used to craft a bird house or feeder. Even an empty plastic bottle can be used. Some nesting material, such as pieces of yarn or cotton, can be placed inside the house to entice birds to take up residence once the weather warms.

Stepping stones

Stepping stones can be a whimsical way to dress up the outdoor garden or yard. A trip to the craft store for some plaster or even a quick-set cement can be the medium to use for the stones. Experiment with shapes that can be used as molds, and gather different materials that can be embedded into the stepping stone, such as pebbles, marbles, beads, etc. Use a pencil or another pointed tool to engrave a message or name on the stepping stones before allowing them to dry and harden.

Kite

The beginning of the spring season often arrives behind a burst of wind. Make the most of blustery conditions by crafting a kite from a kitchen trash bag, some sticks and string.

Garden gnomes

Craft stores often sell unfinished pottery that can be painted and sealed. See if garden gnomes or other whimsical creatures can be found. Use acrylic paint to decorate the figurines in your favorite colors.

Outdoor games

A large piece of plywood or fiberboard can serve as the game board for a number of different activities. Use spray paint to stencil on alternating squares of red and black for a larger than life checkerboard or chess board. For those with more time and creative stamina, use large stones to pain on letters and make an outdoor Scrabble(R) board for fun times with family and friends.

Painted flower pots

If the colors and designs at the local garden center don’t fit with a particular design scheme, buy unfinished terra-cotta or plastic pots and paint them with the designs and colors that coordinate better.

Getting crafty doesn’t have to mean knitting sweaters or decoupage hat boxes. By making items that can be put to use outdoors, families can usher in the spring season a little early and reap the rewards for months to come.

It’s time to start baby-proofing the house! Cora hasn’t mastered the crawl, but instead rolls wherever she wants to go. She’s getting so fast that I won’t use the changing table anymore for fear that she will flip right off. We spend most of the day playing on the floor and watching Baby First TV. The minute I walk into the kitchen to get her bottle or grab her yogurt snacks, she’s rolled over to the entertainment center and is trying to open the little doors. As I write this, she has just moved to the hallway and is yelling at the floor trim.

I know they say that red heads have a fiery personality, but there is so much attitude for just an eight month old baby! She yells at the dogs if they get loud, cries if I don’t get the spoon to her mouth fast enough, and pitches the mother of all fits when I take the bottle away to burp her. She’s going to be trouble when she gets older.

There has been another change in the Hanke house that I have avoided mentioning, probably because I’m still in denial and I don’t want to think about it. Forest received orders for Okinawa. Someone in the Marine Corps must have heard me say “anywhere but Japan”. That was literally my last choice in orders- below California, drill instructor, and even recruiting duty. I had hope that maybe with the government sequester that the orders would get cancelled, but no such luck. Call me crazy, but I thoroughly enjoy living here in Eastern North Carolina.

So come July, if we are able to sell the house, we will be packing up and leaving behind our family & friends. I can’t begin to imagine how much fun it’s going to be to pack up everything we own and fly to the other side of the planet with a one year old. Just in case you’re wondering, that last sentence was heavily laced with sarcasm. It’s hard to convey in writing… But yeah, I’m not a happy camper. Neither is my mom. Her only child and only grandchild will be gone for three years. Oh, the military life.

Besides the PCS drama, everything has been great. Being able to watch Cora learn and grow every day has been a blessing. She has been saying “mama” and “daddy” regularly. I can’t wait to see what she says by the next issue!

MAPLE SMOKE RIBS

2 lbs. pork side ribs

1 cup pure maple syrup

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 clove garlic, minced

2 green onions, minced

Directions

Soak maple planks in sink or clean bucket filled with water for at least 1 hour. This can be done during the first stage of cooking the ribs.

Light one side of your grill, and preheat until temperature gauge shows 350*F. Place ribs meat side up in a roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with foil and place on the unlit side of your grill. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

In a saucepan over medium heat on the stove or on the side burner of the grill, combine maple syrup, orange juice concentrate, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in curry powder, garlic and green onions. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove ribs from roasting pan, and baste completely meat side and bone side with still warm sauce. Retain half of the sauce for additional basting. Place ribs on soaked maple planks, bone side down. Put the planks with the ribs on them on one side of the grill with low heat setting directly underneath them. Turn the other side of the barbecue to high and close lid. Keep temperature around 350*F. Planks should begin to smoke within a few minutes and produce a sweet fragrant smoke in your grill. Adjust the amount of smoke you would like to add by increasing or decreasing direct heat underneath the planks, and opening or closing the lid. Do not allow planks to catch fire. Allow ribs to cook on the planks for 25 minutes. Use remaining sauce to baste ribs several times throughout cooking. Remove planks with ribs on them from the grill and place the planks directly on a plate or tray for serving.

Most parents along the Crystal Coast can think of a million things they’d rather do than deal with a tantrum-throwing toddler in the middle of the grocery store. When children are unruly, unreasonable and unrelenting in their outbursts, it’s difficult to know how to react.

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” said Leslie Carroll, a military spouse and mother to a two-year old. “So far, it’s the toughest part of parenting. Sometimes I ignore it. If it escalates, I put her in time out to reset her. Other times we can talk it through, and I can offer a solution.”

Having your own personal meltdown is not an option, but here are some tips on how to tame the tantrums.

Remain calm

Young children are still learning to communicate effectively, and when they can’t, they throw a fit out of frustration. Losing your cool won’t help the situation. Make a conscious decision not to yell, and instead speak in a calm, soothing manner. Most kids defer to tantrums to get one hundred percent of their parents’ attention, good or bad. Peaceful tones show them their bad behavior is not affecting you, and it also helps you to stay relaxed. Kids are aware when you are tense and may act out even more if they sense it.

Ignore them

In the middle of emergencies, most logic flies out the window and instinct kicks in. Children who are losing their temper cannot be reasoned with until they calm down. Many times trying to explain a situation to a kid mid-tantrum actually makes it worse. Parents should give their children a few minutes to get their anger under control before attempting to communicate. The wait is worth saving your sanity.

Follow through

Before going out in public or trying a new activity, explain to your child what is about to happen. Making them aware of the situation beforehand allows them to feel a sense of control. Also tell them the positive and negative consequences of their behavior. If they’re good, they’ll receive a reward and if not, they’ll receive a punishment, like time out or no ice cream later. The most important thing is to follow through on what you tell them. Not delivering on your promise for a reward will break their trust. Forgetting to penalize them for bad behavior gives them no incentive to act good in future outings.

Temper-tantrums are a fact of life for most children, but they don’t last forever. Remain calm, cool and collected. You can win this battle of wills.

We all know how moody teenagers can be. With peer pressure to act and dress a certain way hiding around every corner, life as a teenager is rarely a walk in the park for teens or their parents. And while many teens declare their parents uncool, a string of recent research projects all came to the same conclusion: teens who spend time with their parents on a regular basis fare better in health and education than those who do not have a close relationship with their mother or father.

Of course, it can be difficult to get teenagers to want to spend time with their family. With their schedules crammed full with after-school activities and spending time with friends who seem so much cooler than mom and dad, getting alone-time with teenagers may seem almost impossible. Parents have to get creative to get their teen on board with family activities. Finding ways to incorporate the whole family into activities your teenager will enjoy is no easy task, but has extremely rewarding affects.

The Crystal Coast is full of opportunities waiting to be utilized, and with its vast expanse of beaches and summer rapidly approaching, parents should be able to find a family activity to please almost every moody teenager.

Kayaking Trip

The town of Pollocksville, N.C., is home to Trent River, a famous rendezvous site for recreational boaters in eastern North Carolina. If you have a family of outdoorsmen, grab a few kayaks or canoes and hit the water. Full of wildlife, Trent River has a variety of boat access points, riverside trails and grassy knolls perfect for picnics. Take your cameras, and encourage your teen to lead the way and point out things they see or find interesting.

Surf’s Up

Have you ever tried surfing? If you are the parent of a beach bum teenager, chances are you spent a fair amount of time trying to dry out saltwater-laden swimsuits during the summer. If you have a surfer or skimboard enthusiast in your family, take a family trip to one of the Crystal Coast’s area beaches and ask for a lesson from your teen. Don’t be afraid to fall or look ridiculous. While most teenagers will roll their eyes or snicker, they will remember the day they spent in the driver’s seat, trying to teach you a new concept. Be open to learning from them.

Two Wheel Trek

Chances are you held your own on a bike at one point in your life. If it’s been a while since your last two wheel trek, pump up the tires and head out on a bike trip with your teen through downtown

Jacksonville or New Bern. If possible, leave the ear buds and mp3 players at home, and focus on talking to your teenager. Ask them if they know how to fix a bike chain when it breaks, and let them show you what they can do. Engage in bike races with your teen and enjoy the laughter that follows when you try to remember how to stand up on your pedals. Stop by a small café and order lunch together, or take a break for snacks on the river front and use the time to catch up on school and social activities.

Whatever you do, enjoy being with your teenager. Sooner than you think, they will leave for college or start a new job somewhere, and both of you will be left wishing you had more time together.

Parenting is a role that has the goal of putting yourself out of a job. Do it well and your children are independent and prepared for life as an adult. This doesn’t necessarily mean we as parents are prepared for our chicks to fly the nest.

We have heard of empty nest syndrome, experiencing feelings of loss and sadness as children leave home. Even when we feel joy and pride at our child’s accomplishments with college, military or career, we also go through a shift in roles in our family. No longer do we have the constant companionship of our child and much of their daily life is unknown to us. We may worry about their safety, their life choices, or if they are wearing clean underwear. They no longer have you to report to of where they’re going, who they are with, and what time they will be home.

If we strongly identify ourselves with our role as parent, the absence of children in the home can leave us unsure of who we are and what our new function is. We may secretly envy our child’s newfound freedom. We also may see their excitement over their new position in life as rejection of their family.

While it is quite easy to see the struggles that come with this life transition, it can also be a wonderful opportunity for parents as well. The benefit of extra time can be used to pursue activities put on hold while children were your priority. Couples can reconnect with each other and rekindle romance. It is important to keep positive about this season of life. Instead of waiting for life to “get back to normal,” you can embrace your “new normal.”

Keeping in touch with your children will help ease the transition. Technology provides real time communication even if a child is on the other side of the world. Remember to set guidelines, for example, a child attending college far from home should e-mail or text regularly to reassure Mom and Dad all is well. Children also should respect their parents, avoiding phone calls in the middle of the night for non-emergencies, only calling to ask for money, etc. Make a plan before your child leaves home so everyone is on the same page.

Even though your child is no longer living with you, you are still Mom and Dad. They may not be in daily contact, but they still need to know they have your support—and not just financial! Remember that a listening ear when they need to let off steam about a co-worker or roommate is much more help than criticizing or blaming.

If you are concerned this transition will be challenging for you or your child, be proactive! Be honest with your child concerning expectations: What expenses are their responsibility? Is moving back home an option if career or college do not work out? If adjustment becomes too challenging for you, seek support through counseling.

So take a deep breath…you helped them through eighteen years of life and can be proud of who they have become. You have prepared them well and now is the time to enjoy the results.