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Celebrate August with sticky fingers?
The stars - and melted marshmallows - have aligned. August 7 is National Campfire Day and August 10 is National S'mores Day, which means that we're declaring the entirety of the month "Get outside, light a campfire & eat treats."

Host your own version of the Summer Olympics? Whether the activity is silly or truly competitive, celebrating the return of the Olympics with a scaled-down version in your own home or yard seems pretty wholesome. Personally, we're already playing every night when the toddler launches her dinner plate like a shot putter.

Prepare for the Santa Clarita Marathon?
Saturday, February 12, 2022
We never thought we'd miss an event about running, and yet...! We were thrilled to see that the Santa Clarita Marathon has been scheduled for February 2022. The event, which is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon, attracts local, regional and international running enthusiasts who are drawn to the fairly-flat course and paved trail system. Will we sign up to run? That's still a hard "nope," but we're excited to cheer you on! Go, Santa Clarita!
scmarathon.org

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Have a meme war with your older kids?
Tweens and teens are going to stare at their devices anyway, so you might as well make them interact with you while they do it! Announce that your fam will be hosting a meme war via your text or chat app - and that everybody better get their best screenshots at the ready. Choose two members to go head to head, with the rest of the crew playing as the jury. Funniest meme each round gets a point! The winner plays a jury member until everyone has had a turn and the meme war winner has been declared.

Give bad advice - on purpose?
Taking a hint from popular Insta Stories and Facebook groups, we're giving bad advice - on purpose - during dinner these days. Often hysterical and regularly the impetus for important conversations, we take turns coming up with scenarios - and the poor suggestions to go with 'em. Obviously, only engage if your kids are old enough to get the point - we don't really want anyone thinking, "Pour salt in Sally's drink if she steals your pencil again" is good advice. But we're finding that our kids are more willing to share what's going on in their world through this lens of humor and silliness - which actually makes this "Why don't you..." entry good advice!

Thursday | August 19
Children's Bureau Offers Virtual Orientation
Children's Bureau is now offering two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption. For those who want to learn at their own pace about becoming a foster and/or foster-to-adopt parent, a PowerPoint orientation is available. rfrecruitment@all4kids.org