Celebrate the 100th day of school with family projects

It's hard to believe that we are already in the first week of February, let alone more than halfway through the school year. Lots of classrooms will be celebrating this special day with activities centered on the 100 theme. Here are a few fun ideas to keep that spirit going, and can be enjoyed whether you have school-aged kids at home or not:

Give your child mail-order catalogs or grocery store advertisements from the newspaper and tell them they have $100 to spend. They cut out each item they want and write the price next to it, adding as they go to ensure they don't exceed their limit.

Start a "100 Things I'm Grateful For" basket. Brainstorm and write out things you and your family are thankful for. Cut out strips and place in the basket. Each day at breakfast or dinnertime, someone can choose a strip from the basket and read it out loud. Add new thoughts and ideas as they occur.

With a partner, head outside and estimate how far you can walk (or run) in 100 steps. Choose a starting point then have your partner mark your guess with chalk. The one who is closest wins.

Adventures with eating

My 5-year-old is apparently going through a growth spurt. He's asking for a snack before going to bed almost every night. At first I assumed this was a not-so-clever ploy to stay up past his bedtime. His tears and insistence of hunger, coupled with the banana or sandwich or cheese sticks he gobbles have now convinced me otherwise.

My in-laws were in town this past week. They took the boys to breakfast at a local restaurant. My 5-year-old ate French toast. Then another order of French toast. Then half of his brother's pancakes. That same night he downed three slices of pizza at dinner. And requested a snack an hour later at story time.

My father tells me that he once ate a dozen eggs for breakfast. My grandmother reports that she used to have to cook two roast chickens for Sunday dinner, one for my father and another for the other four members of their family. I'm trying not to be scared.

It might be time to think about investing in a chicken coop, however.

Amy Roby can be reached atranchosroundup@hotmail.com