knowonder!™ magazine by Cavalcade Creative

september 2008

children stories page 09

For Kids by Kids page 13

For Moms by Moms page 17

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One enchanting story after anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;in fact there are enough stories to share one with your children every night of the month. Enjoy.

Stories, artwork and other wonderful things all submitted by your children. Visit our website to find out how your kids can submit their amazing ideas.

30 Stories by You

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For Kids by Kids

{ contents }

Of course we saved some pages for the great Moms out there. Enjoy articles and projects for crafting, cooking and great literature.

Here you can see our latest book projects and help fund knowonder! so we can continue offering this every month for free. Thank you.

For Moms by Moms

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{ from the editor }

From the Editor Wow! That’s pretty much all I have to say about this issue. I am honored to have been asked to be the Editor for Knowonder! magazine. I love children stories and artwork. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this issue. I am honored to have been asked to be the Editor for Knowonder! magazine. I love children stories and artwork. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this issue. I am honored to have been asked to be the Editor for Knowonder! magazine. I love children stories and artwork so very much. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. The rest is just filler text that I will repeat over and over and over again. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this issue. I am honored to have been asked to be the Editor for Knowonder! magazine. I love children stories and artwork. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this issue. I am honored to have been asked to be the Editor for Knowonder! magazine. I love children stories and artwork. Thank you and please enjoy our first ever issue of the best magazine ever!

Terri Johnson // Editor in Chief

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30 Stories by You

The Blue Frog Written by Phillip Chipping

Bobby the Blue Frog was very different from all the other frogs because he was a blue frog, and the other frogs in the Pond were all green. Oh, Bobby had seen frogs that weren’t green before, but never a blue one. Some frogs were brown, or even black, but never blue! So naturally, all the other frogs in Tadschool teased him. They made fun of him almost every day at recess time. Pretty soon, Bobby decided that something had to change! He had to prove to the other frogs that he was just as good as they were! So he challenged the green frogs to a jumping contest. All frogs are good jumpers, but some can jump even farther than normal frogs, and Bobby was hoping that this was his day. If only he could jump farther than the other frogs, then they would see that he was just like them, and they would be his friends. When recess time came, all the frogs lined up on a line. Then Sally, a very pretty lime-green frog from the north end of the lake, said “On your mark, get set, JUMP!” Bobby closed his eyes, crouched down, tensed his muscles, and then sprang forward with all his might. When he opened his eyes his heart fell. He was not the best jumper. In fact, he was at the very back. He was the worst jumper of all. The other frogs thought it was so funny, that they sent one of the meaner frogs up on the land to give Bobby another

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Illustrated by Nick George

challenge. His name was Hank the Bullyfrog, and he wasn’t nice to Bobby at all. Bobby gulped in fear. If he said no, Hank would just laugh and call him a coward. But if he said yes, and lost again, he didn’t think he could stand it! Still, he thought, he had to try. Maybe, just maybe, he could win the fly-eating contest, and then everyone would like him! So he agreed. They went to the south of the lake, where the flies liked to live. Sally said “go” and off they went, chasing and eating as many flies as the could. The flies went wild, flying every which way, over and under and around. Bobby was having a hard time seeing them because they flew so fast. Still, he was able to catch three flies before Sally said stop. When he looked over at Hank, though, he knew he had lost. Everyone was surrounding Hank and congratulating him on his spectacular win. Bobby slipped into the water and began swimming away before anyone could see him leaving. Suddenly, Norman, a large brown and green frog who lived on the east side of the lake called out, “Hey, Bobby’s getting away! Everyone after him!” The other frogs were getting close, though. He could see them, just out of the corner of his eye. So he swam even harder. Then, he spotted the reeds. The reeds were very tall plants that grew out of the pond and made

a forest. So he swam into the reeds and ducked and dived in and around the stalks as fast as he could. Even though some of the other frogs were faster swimmers, no one could keep up with Bobby through the reeds. He was just too fast! He cornered so fast around the reeds, and the other frogs just weren’t as nimble. All behind him, Bobby could hear the cries of anger and frustration as the other frogs crashed into the stalks or just couldn’t keep up. Finally, he was free of the stalks, on the far side of the pond, where his parents told him he should never go. But if he went back into the reeds, he was afraid the other frogs might get him. So he tried to relax in the clear blue water. Maybe if he waited long enough, they would all leave the reeds, go back to their homes, and he could swim home safely, without being bothered. A loud noise behind Bobby startled him and he looked around to see what had made it. What he saw frightened him more than anything he had ever seen before. Two humans stood above him, looking down into the pond. He froze in terror. Then he heard other noises, coming from the reeds. The other frogs had made it through, and had just spotted Bobby. “Joe, looks like one of them frogs got loose! Let’s get him!”

around in circles, bumping into trees and each other, until finally they found the trail and ran away from the pond as quickly as they could. The big bear came over to a large black pot of water near the firepit and looked inside where all the green frogs were crying to be freed. He put his big nose on the side of the pot and pushed it over. All the green frogs jumped away as quickly as they could and found their parents, who were very happy to have them back, safe and sound. Hank the Bullyfrog looked at his dad and said, “How did you know we were here? How did you save us?” His dad said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Bobby the Blue Frog told us what happened. It was Bobby’s idea to save you from the humans. Bobby is a hero!” Everyone cheered. Hank the Bullyfrog came over and gave Bobby a high-five and said, “I’m sorry for treating you so badly, Bobby. You’re a great frog.” Even Sally came over and gave Bobby a kiss on the cheek. Bobby blushed, and learned for the first time, that even blue frogs can turn red. From then on, everyone was happy, and Bobby had more than enough friends. The End.

Bobby hopped away as fast as he could, and the humans ran after him. Then, suddenly, all the forest animals ran into the campsite as loudly as they could. The raccoons found the human’s food and tore into the bags, the foxes stole the human’s nets, and a big black bear poured water onto the fire. The humans shrieked in terror, because humans can’t see very well in the dark. They ran around and

{ 30 stories for you }

For Kids by Kids

This is the wonderful and whimsical section in which we proudly display the amazing artwork submitted by our very own little readers. Every month we will include all new submissions that we recieve through our online page at www.knowonder.com Inspire your child’s imagination™ and submit their artwork today! Every issue we also spotlight our favorite submission of the month and here she is for our first issue...Kylee Gustafson. Her mother is an oil painter and she has watched her every move since she was a little baby. Kylee loves to paint, draw and make crafts when she has some free time. The title of this painting is “Primary Colors” and it was done by using tempera paints on white board. Kylee’s favorite food has always been a green salad with ranch dressing and her favorite color is pink, of course. Thank you Kylee for the creative submission. Keep up your great imagination!

“Primary Colors” by Kylee Gustafson

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Title: “Art from the Heart” Name: Ethan Collins Medium: Tempera paint on paper Favorite Food: Spaghetti & Meatballs Favorite Color: Red

Title: “Please Recycle” Name: Kendra Henderson Medium: Crayons on paper Favorite Food: Cheese Pizza Favorite Color: Green

{ for kids by kids }

For Moms by Moms

Article written and submitted by Susan Dryden

curious and meticulous nature lends itself well to my career. In a nutshell, I find information for people. Personally, I hate to be at sea on any particular topic. If I lack understanding of something, I will scour all the available literature on the subject to bring myself up to speed. I’m a professional.

Often, the particular subject is me. I’ve found a fair bit of comfort the past couple years reading the trials and solutions of others who have experienced a similar upheaval as I. Alas, my situation doesn’t lend itself well to wide-spread examination. When it became clear my marriage was ending, I became a regular self help bookworm. Books on why, books on what to do now, books on rehab-ing my inner self. Some resonated. Others were useless. And the exact nature of my situation—man cheats, leaves, moves in with girl he cheated with—was never explored in any depth. Sure, there were tomes about overcoming infidelity, but those assumed that we were working it out. Yes, I found chapters dealing with an ex’s new girlfriend, but those usually angled toward some space between divorce and resumption of dating. I found dozens of books about how to behave with, and around the children, but not a single one offered advice on how to deal with what I keenly felt to be an interloper in my daughter’s life, someone who was the catalyst for the destruction of my family, who now spent as much time with her as I, and more than she spent with her own kids. All these books preached detente, everybody coming together for the good of the girl, kumbaya, happy crappy b.s., ideas that I couldn’t entertain because of my, it must be said, intense hatred for this other woman and how she robbed me of my life, my husband and, I naturally figured, was gunning to take my daughter, too. That was emotion. The pain of the breakup; the absolute unfairness of it all. I was aware enough to shield my hurt, my anger, from Abby. I never brought her into that, never once bad-mouthed her Dad or the girlfriend. There were times when I literally bit my tongue bloody. But I knew it was right. What was not right, according to everything I read, according to our divorce mediator, was the two of them cohabitating in such quick order, as well as some other behavior that can only be described as disgraceful (a point on which my ex would now agree). Purposefully or not, their actions marginalized my role as Abby’s mother, and I felt that

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acutely. In my mind, it was not a short walk from infidelity to excising me from Abby’s life entirely. If he could commit the first, there was nothing stopping him from the latter. So I became hawkish, meticulously (there’s that word again) searching for missteps in his behavior and I found plenty, real and perceived. This blocked my ability to deal with everything, extended the time I needed to come to grips with this other adult female figure in my daughter’s life. I’m not sure I have yet. While I’ve continually taken the High Road (which is often riddled with horse droppings, I’ll tell ya), I’ve also not been shy about exerting my influence when I feel slighted. The good news is, Abby’s father and I have worked out a solid relationship as co-parents, full of communication, and working together to improve it even more. What is lacking, however, is a line of communication to the girl. We’ve met, shook hands and been cordial. But I have no respect for her. I’ve no idea what she thinks of me. Which is a poor arrangement. Now more than ever. On Saturday, Abby’s dad told me he’s getting married. I didn’t have an out-sized reaction to the news. A bit of incredulity, a mild shaking of the head, but no visceral feelings. Still, there was something there that couldn’t put my finger on.

“Life, Love & Laughter... what priceless gifts to give our children.”

In August, the girlfriend and her family were invited to Abby’s birthday party. It was a difficult day for me, much like the way I felt when I heard this recent news. Something just out of reach. Not anger, which I’ve long come to realize is superfluous to the raising of my daughter, but a nagging itch. Though I got through the party okay, there was one moment that crystallized all that I feared. Which is what I also felt on Saturday. Because now she’s going to be step-mom. I love my daughter, but sometimes it just gets so hard to know what to do. I always like to simplify things to better understand them. After a lot of thought...perhaps the most important, yet simple thing I have learned for a happy home is, “Life, love and laughter are the most important gifts to give our children.”

{ for moms by moms }

{ visit us online at www.doodlebug.ws for more creative ideas }

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