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April 30 is National Arbor Day Looking up at a clear, blue sky through a lacy canopy of tree branches is one of life's greatest pleasures. The beauty of trees has been captured in poetry and song. Trees seem to develop a personality over the years. Most of us have a favorite tree, or remember a tree that was very special to us when we were growing up. Celebrate the beauty of trees today!	Click on the picture to get 10 free trees from the Arbor Day foundation. Today's YouTube video: Time Lapse of the Four Seasons

Click on the picture to read the history of this official holiday. Today's YouTube video is perfect for International Dance Day! *Good morning* from Singing in the Rain	April 29 is International Dance Day It seems that the arts are a major focus of several of the April holidays (well, except for Frog Month). Poetry, storytelling, Shakespeare, Barbershop Quartets... today's holiday is no exception. Dance is such a beautiful art form. Whether we think about ballet, tap dancing, liturgical dancing, ballroom dancing, or some other kind, dancing is a natural response by the body to music. As Constanze says, "Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!" So whether you're dancing with the stars, or dancing with your kitchen broom, DANCE!

April 28 is Poetry Reading Day So yesterday we were telling stories, today we're reading poetry. Actually, all of April is Poetry Month. Some people are rather afraid of poetry, others don't understand it, and for some, it's what keeps them going. Poetry can open the windows of our souls and express ideas and thoughts that just can't be expressed in prose. I hope you'll find time to read some great poetry today! Today's YouTube video: A lovely reading of If by Rudyard Kipling	Click on the picture to read about how a junior high teacher gets her students' poems published.

Click on the picture to read Mark Twain's storytelling advice. Today's YouTube video Native American Storyteller Why Rabbit Has Such a Short Tail	April 27 is Tell A Story Day. Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was an exquisitely beautiful woman. The news of this beautiful woman had reached men and women from miles around, told by their neighbors and kinfolk. They would travel day and night just to reach her home. She lived in the middle of an enchanted forest, in a small white house with a bright blue roof. Curiously, the house had no door, and only one window. But it was because of this very window that everyone traveled so far.
The beautiful woman had piercing blue eyes, and golden curls hanging luxuriously down her back, which framed her face with a soft, golden glow. She would sit by the window and tell the most wonderful stories, magical stories, filled with fairies, leprechauns, gremlins, giant toads, princesses, and other curious creatures. These tales of wonderment would send her listeners on delightful, imaginary adventures as they listened to the music of her voice, which rose and fell with the gentle rocking of her large, oak rocking chair. The most curious fact about this storyteller, however, was that only a few people ever returned from their journey to her home. Those that had returned never said anything more than, "Her stories are the most thrilling that I have ever heard!" Then why did some of her listeners never return? Remember that she lived in an enchanted forest...

Click on the picture to read about how the Richter scale actually works.	April 26 is Richter Scale Day. I know you probably think this is going to be a boring holiday, but we can't only talk about peanut butter and jelly day, and other frivolous topics. Every now and then, we need to get a little science into our lives. Mr. Richter's system for comparing the magnitude of earthquakes is a standard that most people know. Today is the day to understand it a little better. Today's YouTube video How Things Work A short lecture about the Richter scale.

April is National Kite Month Flying kites has been the subject of movies, books, paintings, newspaper articles, and history. There are kite festivals in many places of the world, and kites are a part of the ancient history of certain countries and towns. If you haven't flown a kite yet, or if you have a child that hasn't yet experienced the joy of seeing a beautiful gem flying high in the sky, yet responding to the slightest tug on the string, this is a great time to try it! Today's YouTube video Mary Poppins Let's Go Fly A Kite	Click on the picture to read about Five People Who Flew Kites and Changed History

Clicketh on this glorious image, that thou mayst read Richard Daley's fine proclamation of this day.	April 23 is Talk Like Shakespeare Day Didst thou know that this fine day is reputed to be the birthday of William Shakespeare? Art though willing to give this day thine full allegiance, uttering only the finest of phrases and sentences in honor of this prolific author and contributor of 1,700 words and innumerable fine phrases to our majestic language? Prithee, "let boldness be thy friend and celebrate Shakespeare by vocal acclamation of his words." Richard Daley Today's YouTube video The Improvised Shakespeare Co. helping Chicagoans to talk like Shakespeare.

April 22 is National Jelly Belly Day They're not just for Easter anymore! Do you love jelly beans? Do you eat them one at a time to enjoy each individual flavor, or do you eat them by the handful to enjoy a "mixed bag"? Last year, 16 billion pounds of jelly beans were made. Enough jelly beans were eaten in the last year to circle the earth more than 5 times! Very Cherry and Buttered Popcorn have been in contention for the #1 flavor spot for several years. Jelly Bellies were the first company to sell jelly beans in single flavors. Jelly Belly even invented blueberry flavor Jelly Bellies for President Reagan's inauguration in 1981.	Click on the picture for a display and links to the 50 official Jelly Belly flavors. Today's YouTube video Leadbelly singing Midnight Special The name Jelly Belly was chosen because of the rhyme with Leadbelly. I thought you might like to hear Leadbelly sing instead of watching people eating jelly beans.

Click on the picture for a lovely article about the inventor of the kindergarten concept.	April 21 is Kindergarten Day Kindergarten age children are at such a delightful stage in their lives. They begin to transition from only playing to beginning to interpret the world around them through letters, numbers, and teamwork. I was especially fortunate to homeschool some of my children at this age, so not only was I able to see their first step and hear their first word, but also to teach them to read, write and calculate. Even if you and your young child decide that school outside the home is the best option, you can still do things with him or her after school to further enrich this time of learning, wondering and engaging! Today's YouTube video Whole Brain Teaching This video shows a particular approach to kindergarten. It is very structured, but the children seem to be enjoying it. I would be interested in your opinions about it. Do you think it's too structured, or do you think it's a good way to start a child's educational experience?

April 20 is Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day I can remember my mother making this cake in a cast-iron skillet. It was delicious! Today's YouTube video Pineapple Upside-Down Cake This is from Betty's Kitchen. It's an alternate recipe using a cake mix. The best part is that she shows each step, including how to turn the cake upside down, so you could use her instructions, but still make the "from scratch" cake in the other recipe. Enjoy!	Click on the picture for the recipe for this cake.

Click on the picture for many recipes which use garlic.	April 19 is National Garlic Day Garlic could almost be called a wonder herb. Like, "I wonder if he'll still kiss me if I eat that garlic bread?" Seriously, though, besides being one of my favorite vegetables, (yes, it's classified as a vegetable and an herb), it is believed to provide protection against heart disease and cancer, to fight off colds and flu, lower blood cholesterol levels, and reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries. Of course, you wouldn't want to substitute garlic for any prescribed medications, but adding it couldn't hurt, in most cases. However, if you suffer from alliumphobia, it's probably not the best treatment for you. (Alliumphobia is the fear of garlic.) Today's YouTube video Garlic Bread Justin Wilson explains how he makes garlic bread as part of his outdoor cooking series.

Click on the picture to read 30 steps for achieving financial literacy.	April is Financial Literacy Month Especially these days, it's helpful to find out some tips for making the most of what we're earning, and how to cope with what we're not earning! Wishing you all extreme financial literacy and success. Today's YouTube video Financial Peace University Dave Ramsey gives an overview of his course in becoming debt-free.

April 16 is National Eggs Benedict Day When I read about Eggs Benedict, I realized that I've been having a fast food version of this for quite a while. An English muffin, toasted, and topped with a poached egg, a slice of Canadian bacon, and topped with Hollandaise sauce. Remember to add vinegar and lemon juice to the water when poaching the eggs to keep them together. I think I'll go with this recipe instead of the fast food version! Today's YouTube video Culinary Institute of America How to make Eggs Benedict A link to the recipe is just under the video.	Click on the picture to read about the history and the many variations of Eggs Benedict.

Click on the picture to read the history of erasers and their inventors. Today's YouTube video Eraser Art It's kind of long, but the end result is worth it!	April 15 is Rubber Eraser Day I wonder who decided that April 15, Tax Day, should also be Rubber Eraser Day? Is it because you might want to erase the amount of tax you have to pay? Or is it because we want to forget those deductions which were rejected? Seriously, though, I can't imagine life without erasers. It has helped many of us to "clean up our act". Let's also take a minute today to use an imaginary eraser to erase and forgive ourselves for any past mistakes, and to erase any grudges we're holding against others. Let it be a brand new day!

April 14 is National Pecan Day Did you know that pecan trees are the only nut trees that are native to North America? They're also nutritious, and contain antioxidants to help reduce the threat of cancer. Pecan trees are wonderful shade trees, too. So whether you're making a salad with chopped pecan garnish, or adding pecans to your favorite cake, brownie or cookie recipe, enjoy pecans today! Today's YouTube video How to make Sugared Pecans (they're delicious!) Includes the recipe!	Click on the picture for the I Love Pecans website, which includes history, nutrition, recipes and information for educators.

Click on the picture to read about our favorite online Scrabble game, called Lexulous.	April 13 is National Scrabble Day If you love Scrabble, this is your day! There's a Scrabble Junior to help your kids learn to love words, then the original Scrabble Crossword Game to keep your vocabulary and spelling skills strong. There is even a Scrabble dictionary, The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary
Also, there are some online versions of the game. I play online Scrabble with people in Spain, France, Germany, and right here in Michigan. In fact, my daughter and I played on our laptops, sitting across the table from each other, in a coffee shop. If you begin to play this game and become addicted, just blame it on National Scrabble Day!

Click on the picture to find some suggestions for young people's poetry.	April 12 begins Young People's Poetry Week Did you write poetry when you were young? I wrote a lot of poems. It really helped me to sort out my feelings as a teenager. Encourage your young people to write poetry as they explore who they are. Today's YouTube video: Maya Angelou recites her poem for the Beijing Olympic Games Amazement Awaits

April 11 is Barbershop Quartet Day In Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 11, 1938, 26 men gathered to create the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. This unique art form is still alive and well! The Society has been renamed the Barbershop Harmony Society, and the video on their website offers to help you find a Barbershop Quartet near you. Today's YouTube video: The Management Quartet sings The Auctioneer	Click on the picture to read about the history of barbershop quartets.

Click on the picture to read letters written by siblings of special needs brothers and sisters.	April 10 is National Sibling Day Brothers and sisters have very special relationships. Sometimes they're a little rocky, sometimes they make you feel like climbing the walls, but usually those problems iron themselves out. People who don't have siblings usually have a friend who is like a sister or brother to them. If possible, celebrate your siblings today. Get in touch with them, let them know you appreciate them.

April is the Month of the Young Child Parenting and educating a young child is an awesome, exciting task. They are like little sponges, soaking up all the experiences you're willing to offer them. The Michigan Association for Education of Young Children offers many programs regarding health, education, and resources for parents. Many of our Positive Parenting articles address issues regarding this precious age group, as well as our Babies page. Enjoy your young children, grandchildren, and neighbors this month! Today's video: The Power of Play	Click on the picture for links to many early childhood services.

Click on the picture for the WHO website.	April 7 is World Health Day This year's World Health Day mission is to reach 1,000 cities with the message of healthy lifestyles. Eat better, exercise more! Today's video: About World Health Day

April is Frog Month I have to admit it, I've always liked frogs. When I was a kid, I collected frog eggs and put them in my aquarium. It was fascinating to watch them hatch into polliwogs, then to go through the process of becoming frogs. The best part, though, was when a few of them hopped out one night and got into my big brother's bed! (Kids, don't try this at home...) Today's video:How to make a really nice little origami frog. This might be fun for your kids while they're home from school.	Click on the picture for a website that is ALL about frogs.

Click on the picture for more about Helen Keller.	April 5 is Helen Keller's Miracle Day Anne Sullivan began to work with Helen in March of 1887. Sullivan persisted, even against Helen's protests, and after only one month, she succeeded in reaching her. Today's video: This is an actual video of Anne Sullivan explaining how she taught Helen to speak. Although the movies about Helen are really good, it's fascinating to actually see and hear Helen and Anne.

April is National Garden Month Has the winter been too long for you to remember the smell of sweet, dark garden soil? It's not too early to plan your garden and prepare the soil. Soon, you'll be able to plant some of the cool-weather crops, like lettuce and peas. Happy Garden Month! Today's video: If this is the first time you'll be planting a garden, here's a quick, but thorough, overview.	Click on the picture for ideas on celebrating Garden Month.

Click on the picture to read about some ways to celebrate this day!	April 2 is Peanut Butter and Jelly Day Have you ever had a slice of hot, homemade whole-grain bread with homemade peanut butter and homemade jelly? It's the most delicious, most gourmet sandwich you could ever dream of! Today's video: Inside Out A Cappella Cute song!

April 1 is April Fools' Day Have you ever played a really funny prank on someone? Or has someone fooled you in a big way? Today's Wikipedia article chronicles some really famous April Fools' Day jokes. Have fun! Today's video shows you some ways to prank your family's food today.	Click on the picture to read about some of the most noteable April Fools' Day pranks.