Children Learning to Ride Horses

I grew up with horses. My old neighborhood had stables and the most beautiful horses. I wasn’t as big of a horse fan as my sister was. Well, I had My Little Ponies but that wasn’t the same thing.  My sister had all kinds of horse posters, horse statues and even shirts with horses on them.  One of the things we both did when we were young was taking horseback riding lessons at our neighborhood stables.  It was a lot of fun. We also were able to learn more about horses. We would comb their manes. We also had to learn the parts of a saddle and even how to put the saddle on properly.  I would always bring an apple for my horse after I rode. I learned the proper way to clean its hooves too.  I used to love when I had a chance to ride a horse.  I felt so proud and in charge.  I had to be careful not to scare the horse or make it go too fast.  Taking riding lessons is a lot more than just getting on a horse and riding around. You also have to learn important safety tips.   After all horses are animals, and can be unpredictable. 

 You really learn how to be responsible. If I didn’t behave, I wasn’t allowed to go to my riding lesson.  I didn’t want to miss a minute of it so I was always on my best behavior.  I didn’t do any competing.  I wasn’t looking to become a famous equestrian. I just liked to ride horses. I am not sure I would have been comfy with all the jumps. I wasn’t very brave.  Some of my friends that took riding lessons did all the jumps and the courses. I had private lessons with my sister so we only did what we were comfortable with.  I remember going to neighborhood friends horse shows. It looked so cool, but at the same time it wasn’t for me. 

I would love for Noah to take horseback riding lessons; if that is something he would be interested in. I am sure I can find a pony club  for him to join when he is on summer break.  He loves animals so, maybe.  He likes to look at pictures of his mom on a horse.   I still remember how to clean a horse’s hooves and could properly install a saddle in a pinch.  If your child is interested in horses, you should give them the chance to learn to ride.  Going on a pony ride at the fair or zoo is totally different than letting them go out and really ride.  Kids get to know the horse on a more personal level, and they get to really learn how to take care of horses and the techniques to ride a horse.

Did you ever take horseback riding lessons when you were young? What did you think?

Learn to Speak Spanish with Gus on the Go App Review

Noah has always been interested in learning different languages. Even when he was three and four years old, he wanted to learn them. He is really interested in other countries and cultures. I think that is a great thing. When I was growing up, I learned basic Spanish, from afterschool classes in elementary school. It wasn’t the same when I was younger, of course people spoke different languages but it was more something you did when you were in high school.  I don’t really remember much of the Spanish I learned in elementary school, besides what my Spanish speaking cousins taught me. They lived in Texas so I didn’t really see them very often, until they moved to Indiana when I was older.  When I was in high school I took two years of French. We really didn’t learn much the first year because my French teacher was out a lot, and when she was there we watched Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  I think it is important that kids learn different languages at a young age, because it enriches their lives. It also helps them communicate with other people who may not speak English.  Noah has wanted to learn everything from Spanish to Japanese. One of his Kindergarten teachers is from Japan, which was just pure luck. He already wanted to learn before he met her.  One of my best friends, that I have been friends with since daycare, took Japanese in high school.  

 I think that since there are so many different shows where they speak different languages now, it has sparked a revolution. When I was little, all there was Muzzy and that was always insanely expensive.  Since Noah is an appoholic, I was so excited to learn about Gus on the Go.  It’s a foreign language learning app for kids. I know when I was a kid, listening to cassette tapes of someone speaking where you are supposed to say and repeat, wasn’t really fun.  I am so glad that Gus on the Go was developed by two loving parents from toojuice, LLC, Yono and Alice have dedicated themselves to helping children embrace their native language and other languages through fun and educational apps. There are 14 different languages including Spanish, French and Hebrew.

More information from the developer:

Little ones can take off on a language learning adventure, discovering new words through engaging vocabulary lessons and reviews, with Gus on the Go on Android. Featuring adorable animations and fun exercises, Gus on the Go teaches children the basic concepts of 14 languages with exciting visual and auditory lesson on numbers, colors, shapes and more.  Any child can now master a second language through a fun, multi-sensory journey on any tablet or smartphone.

Gus on the Go on Android is the latest edition of toojuice, LLC.’s popular Gus on the Go series of second language learning apps. Gus, an animated traveling owl, guides children on an interactive series of 10 vocabulary activities. After completing each lesson, Gus playfully encourages them to unlock the next adventure by reviewing what they have learned. Delightful animal noises, transportation sounds and vibrant animations motivate children to see, hear and touch objects in a simply creative way. Most importantly, Gus on the Go helps children improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and basic vocabulary proficiency.

Gus on the Go features

- New games, unlocked by completing lesson reviews

- Fun interactive animations and sounds

- Access to country and city maps

- Trophy room to track achievements

- Native language audio speaker

We had the opportunity to try out the Spanish app out. It is really cute. Noah finds it very entertaining and I think that is great for him. I can tell he is really learning from Gus on the Go. He has started to grow out of Dora and Diego, where he was learning some Spanish so I am so glad to have Gus on the Go.  Noah really likes that he isn’t just repeating what someone is saying, but he is learning Spanish through games and rewards.  I love that there is a native speaker, because it helps with exact pronunciation. I think it’s important to know exactly how you are to say it, because a change in a syllable can change the whole meaning of what you are saying.  I also think it could be considered disrespectful depending on whom you are speaking to. Noah and I use this app together as a family. I would love to learn more Spanish.  I will also use the app by myself, if I need extra practice. We will probably also try out the French app and some of the other ones. I hope they create a Japanese app soon that would really put a smile on Noah’s face.

Be sure to check out Gus on the Go Spanish and the 13 other languages too! 

Gus on the Go on Android is available for $2.99 on the Google Play Store  HERE

Exclusive Interview with Beth Blecherman

When you are a parent you need to have a game plan to run your home. I am a single mom so, being able to do some of the things I want my family to do, can take some serious planning. Noah wants to do all kinds of things this summer. Some of the things are as simple as going to the pool or the beach. Some of the things will cost a considerable amount of money. I am trying to be a planner, but my plan isn't quite cutting it. I am getting lost in a sea of sticky notes.  If I lose one of them, I am in big trouble.

I had the opportunity to interview Beth Blecherman. Beth is the author of the book My Parent Plan. Beth is also  a family technology expert, author and founder of the website www.techmamas.com. Beth's book is really interesting and she shares many great ideas on how to make a personalized parent plan. It is a great guide since every family is unique. Some of her tips are to plan for things in advance, sign up for things like summer camps for discounted rates. I know when I was looking for camps for Noah there was a discounted rate if you signed up in advance. Plane tickets are usually cheaper when bought in advance. She also uses Microsoft Office 365 to organize everything from her family's budget with Excel to using Word to write her book. Her publisher could write notes right on the document without having to email her. She told me about cool features that I didn't know about. You can color code your family calendar so you know at a glance who has which practice or what appointment. After talking to her, I am ready to use her guidance and write my own parenting plan using Microsoft Office 365.

Be sure to check out My Parent Plan by Beth Blecherman

For more information please visit Microsoft Office 365 

This post is collaboration with Beth Blecherman and Microsoft Office 365. All thoughts and opinions are my own.