Brain Chase Summer Learning Challenge

Brain Chase logo

A few weeks ago, I told you about the Brain Chase Summer Learning Challenge, which helps alleviate the dreaded brain drain that can happen over the summer. Brain Chase has several new announcements, and I wanted to bring you up to speed on the latest!

First of all, here’s a sneak peek of the 2015 challenge – The Sunstone of Cortes.

I’m excited for Kate and Sam to take part in this! They’ll be able to monitor their progress using the Brain Chase dashboard and see how close they’re getting to finding the Sunstone – which is were the $10,000 prize is hidden!

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Brain Chase has partnered with Rosetta Stone this year, and participants will have the option to replace a writing module with a language module. They can choose from any of the 30+ languages offered!

The Brain Chase Challenge has two pricing packages. The regular package is $199 for the first registration, and then $100 for each sibling, and the premium pricing package which includes Brain Chase registration plus a Brain Chase-branded adventure backpack, a Brain Chase t-shirt and Sunstone of Cortés patch is $249 for the first registration, and then $149 for each sibling.

Additionally, Brain Chase will be hosting a 4-city Library Challenge this month. In each of the following cities, they will hide a voucher worth $1,000 in a local public library:

o Salt Lake City (May 4)
o Seattle (May 11)
o Boston (May 18)
o Orange County (June 1)

For more information, visit their website or check out the Brain Chase Blog!

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This post was written in partnership with Brain Chase and TheMotherhood.com.

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And now she’s 11.

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My Kate turns 11 today.

I’m having trouble with that, to be honest.

It feels like we’re on the precipice of an entirely new stage of parenting and our relationship with her, and I’m not sure I’m equipped to deal with it.

I really don’t want to screw her up.

Also, eleven. That’s like 61 percent to adulthood, yet she’s still very much a kid.

Even her birthday presents reflect this weird in-between stage. A board game and a movie… a comforter and a pair of shoes. All at her request.

I really don’t know how to do this. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound.

But, I’ll do my best to figure it out. And, as she navigates the bumpy road of adolescence, I’ll do my best to show her the grace she’s always shown us as we’ve fumbled our way through this parenting thing.

I love you, Kate. Thanks for being you.

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Time Hopping

Do you have the app TimeHop? It is pretty clever – it links to your social media accounts and every day it shows you what you were doing on this date in history. Or at least as far back as when you joined Facebook.

It’s probably one of my favorite apps, as it often sparks a memory I’ve forgotten.

For example, three years ago today, we went to a Reds/Cardinals game with my dad.

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Anyway, it got me wondering what we were up to on the blog on this day in history, so I took a little stroll through the archives.

Would you believe it was nearly exactly a year ago that I first told you all about my gigantic tongue in a lovely post called “My Tongue is Trying to Kill Me”?

You're welcome.
You’re welcome.

That was, I must say, one of the most memorable events in my life.

In April 2013, Jenny brought us one of her famous editions of Jenny’s Life Klass.

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I think it’s about time for another one of those, don’t you? I mean, it’s been a while and we know Jenny hasn’t become less judgy, she’s just keeping it from us. Not cool.

In April 2012, Kate and I went to Portland to visit the Nike Headquarters.

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Jenny and I have done a lot of amazing things because of this blog, but the Nike trip will always have a special place in my heart because they invited our kids. It was the only trip Kate and I have taken together – just the two of us – so far, and it will likely be the only time either one of us flies first class for a long, long time!

In April 2011, Jonah had a side mullet.

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Jenny found herself knocked up in April 2011.

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In April 2009 I blogged about how we always forget to pay our taxes.

In April 2008, Sophie became famous.

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And in April 2007, this blog didn’t exist.

All this has left me with one question. Where does the time go?

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