It is hard to believe that summer is almost over and in just a few weeks, we will be sending the kids back to school. Here are a few tips I found that may help make the transition a little easier for them (and us).

Remember Routines. Family routines tend to slide in the summer—after all, what’s summer without crazy bedtimes, a popsicle habit, and wearing swimsuits for days on end?—and it can be hard to readjust come fall.  Before school starts, focus on choosing sleep, exercise, healthy foods, and time together. Practice school bedtimes a week before school starts so that the new routine is established.

Get Ready! Don’t underestimate the fun and importance of new stuff for the big day. With younger kids, a bag full of school supplies, a new backpack and a few new items of clothing tend to gear them up without any further encouragement. For an older child, this may be the time to give the thumbs-up to that must-have trend item, especially if he’s earned some money over the summer to pay for it. Another way to get everyone prepared is to plan a fun family weekend outing to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the new school season.

Show Them the Way. If she’s new to the school, show your child her classroom, what entrance and exit to use and where the bathroom is located. If she’s taking the bus, visit the bus stop location and explain how to get on and off, especially if it’s the first time. Show her the drop off and pick up spot at school, too—if you’re not sure where it will be, call the school ahead of time to find out. Most schools will allow you to take a tour and to meet the teacher.

Prepare the Teacher. Let your child’s teacher know about any specifics about behavior or health, such as a bladder infection.  You don’t want a child to have a bad experience because he’s asking to go to the bathroom every half hour and the teacher says, ‘No,’ thinking he doesn’t need to go so frequently but really he does.

Talk, Talk, Talk.  Try to think of all the positive things that they like about school and talk about them as much as possible. Ask about friends they haven’t seen over the summer. Also look at your kids and note anything different that their friends will notice, such as a new hairstyle or if they’ve grown over the summer. Never mention homework or teachers they weren’t crazy about.
Remember that learning doesn’t stop when school does, so you need to convey, in a low-key way, how important learning is to you. Be a role model throughout the year, not just during school time. For example, show how much you like reading, or talk about math and measuring when you’re making a recipe together.
Reading school stories to your kids will help get them ready for what to expect. And for the younger kids, it’s a good idea to explain the role of the teacher to your child. Encourage the child to speak up and let the teacher know if they’re having problems. This is especially important if a child is getting bullied, which can happen even on the first day. They need to know they can, and should, talk to the teacher.

Be Organized. Ease back-to-school anxiety by being prepared. Help your child to lay out her clothes and pack her backpack the night before. Be sure to include a healthy lunch and a snack that your child can open and eat on his own.

Take It Easy. Preparation is great—but don’t go overboard.  You can make back-to-school too big a deal! If August was a hard month for you as a kid, it might not necessarily be the same for your child, and vice versa. You’re the best judge of when your child needs reassurance, and how to go about giving it. In the end, remember that it’s normal to feel a little nervous or fluttery about that first week back. Everyone, including the teachers, feels like that.

What can be more patriotic than some 4th of July Cupcake Kabobs or more American that some Double Crusted Apple Pie?

4th of July Cupcake Kabobs
Cupcake kabobs are easy, fun and inexpensive to make. Using your favorite cake recipes or buying box cake mix, these kabobs come together with minimal effort. They are a fun project to keep your kids busy at your 4th of July BBQ. And they look great and are delicious! There are instructions on how to win a dozen just in time for the Fourth at the bottom of my post, but if you feel up to making them yourself, here are the directions.
What You’ll Need
• White cake batter (your recipe or box mix — make sure it’s white, not yellow)
• Red Velvet cake batter (your recipe or box mix)
• Blue food coloring
• 12 or 24 cup Mini cupcake pan
• Cooking spray
• Large marshmallows
• ¼ cup of water
• White frosting (your recipe or container of 4th of July frosting)
• Bamboo skewers
• Assorted sprinkles and colored sugars in patriotic colors
• Fruit –- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas whichever you prefer

Begin by making your white cake batter as directed by your recipe or the directions on the box. Split the batter into two bowls and tint one of the bowls with 3 drops (or 1/8 tsp) of blue food coloring. Keep the other bowl white.Note: If you can’t find or don’t want to make red velvet, you could split the white batter into thirds and tint one of the other bowls with red food coloring.
Fill your cupcake wells up ¾ of the way. Spray your pan with cooking spray (liners are not needed since you’ll be taking them off anyway so save yourself a step). Bake a few batches of mini white and blue cupcakes. Let them cool in the pans for 10 mins then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Repeat the same process for your red velvet cake.
These mini cupcakes can be made at least 2 days in advance. Once they’ve cooled completely, put them in a plastic storage container with a sealed lid and leave at room temperature or in the fridge.
Prepare for assembly
Put the white frosting in a bowl and microwave until soft and smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour the sprinkles in separate bowls. For these kabobs, I used 3 bowls –1 for red sugar, 1 for blue sugar, and 1 for a mix of red, white and blue sprinkles and nonpareils. Get ¼ cup of water. You can leave this in the measuring cup. Put the large marshmallows in a bowl. Cut up your fruit into bite size pieces. Put your cooled cupcakes on a plate.
Assembly
Take a mini cupcake and dip the top into the warmed frosting. Then dip into the sprinkles. Do this with all the mini cupcakes. You may need to reheat the frosting if the cupcakes start to get stuck in the bowl. Just reheat in 10-second increments until it’s smooth again. Keep dipping until all the cupcakes are done.
Grab a large marshmallow and dip one end into the water. Let any excess water drip off then dip one end into the red colored sugar. Turn it over and dip the other end into the water. Let excess water drop off then dip into the blue colored sugar. Set aside to dry.
Take one bamboo skewer in your hand and slide a red cupcake down leaving at least 1” of skewer in your hand. Next, slide a marshmallow down, then a piece of fruit (for this skewer I used strawberries). Take a white cupcake and slide that down on top of the piece of fruit, followed with a marshmallow and another piece of fruit. Top the skewer off with the blue cupcake. Continue this until you’ve made as many skewers as you’d like.
Kids will love assembling these! Just be careful of the points on the bamboo sticks. And keep plenty of paper towels handy as the frosting tends to get onto little fingers. Or if need be, these can be made a day in advance as long as you use non-browning fruit. Store in a plastic container with a tight lid until ready to display.

 Double Crusted Apple Pie
Ingredients
• PASTRY:
• 2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  vegetable shortening
• 1/2  cup  ice water
• Cooking spray
• FILLING:
• 10  cup  thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 3 pounds)
• 3/4  cup  granulated sugar
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• TOPPING:
• 1  tablespoon  fat-free milk
• 1  teaspoon  turbinado sugar
Preparation
To prepare pastry, lightly spoon 2 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add ice water; toss with a fork until flour mixture is moist. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Gently press each portion into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap and place 1 portion of chilled dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove remaining plastic wrap.
To prepare filling, combine apple and next 5 ingredients (through nutmeg); toss gently to coat. Spoon apple mixture into prepared pie plate; top with butter.
Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap and place remaining portion of chilled dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, over apple mixture. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together. Fold edges under, and flute. Cut several slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape.
To prepare topping, brush top of dough with milk; sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over dough. Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet; bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 40 minutes or until browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.
As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride! 
Properly Display Our Flag
There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag.  The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying  the American flag:
     • The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.
     • In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.
     • The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.
     • The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.
     • After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's  called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.
     • When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).
     • The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.
     • The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
     • Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.
     • Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.
     •  When your flag is old and has seen  better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.
Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony. 

With Father’s Day coming up on June 20th, Elizabeth asked me to come up with a Father’s Day gift guide. Here are few ideas I found that the average dad might enjoy. I have included some in various price ranges for easier reference.

Gifts Under $100

Moshi Voice Control (VC) Alarm Clock
Description: The first 'listening clock' that allows you set the time and alarm by your voice alone • Activated by user saying "Hello Moshi", no buttons needed for functionality • Responds to 12 voice activated commands: time, set alarm, today's date, temperature, and more • Features include snooze, 3 sounds for alarm and sleep, volume control, and night light • Recognized by the World Blind Union, Moshi can be operated without ever seeing the clock • Voice control works right out of the box with no programming necessary.  Visit the Website
Price: $49.99

Pyramat Gamebag 2.1
Descrpition: For fathers who want to spend most of their time staying at home with their kids, the Pyramat Gamebag 2.1 beanbag can be a wonderful gift. This beanbag allows user to watch movies, play games, read books, or listen to music in ultimate comfort and style. More than just being a relaxing seat, this device also includes two surround speakers at its top and a Pyramat POWERSUB subwoofer on its side. With such features, this beanbag can truly transform just about any room of your house into a personal theater. All you need is to plug the Pyramat Gamebag 2.1 Game Booster (Blue/Black)  in your laptop, console, MP3 or DVD player, or other handheld device and let the fun begin.  Visit Website.
Price: $47.95

Gifts Under $500

VUZIX Wrap 310
Description: The VUZIX Wrap – is world’s first sunglass-style video eyewear with 2D & 3D wide screen video capabilities and compatibility with almost any video source. the VUZIX Wrap 310 is compatible with iPods, iPhones portable DVD players and virtually any other portable video source. The eyewear projects video from any source to a virtual 55-inch screen viewed from 9-feet in 16:9 or 4:3 screen format options for the most versatile video eyewear experience to date. For fathers who travel a lot the under 3 ounces video glasses with built-in earbuds and an adjustable nose bridge would sure make for a good gift.  Available at Vuzix.
Price: $249.95

Apple iPad
Description: iPad is the best way to experience the web. View whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-Touch screen. And let your fingers do the surfing.  There’s nothing like the Mail app on iPad. With a split-screen view and expansive onscreen keyboard, it lets you see and touch your email in ways you never could before.  A vivid LED-backlit IPS display makes viewing photos on iPad extraordinary. Open albums with a tap. Flip through your pictures one by one. Or play a slideshow and share your photos.  The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and more.  Reach out and touch your songs. View your album art full-size. iPad makes music look as good as it sounds.  You’ll find more than 200,000 apps on the App Store, and iPad can run almost all of them. Including everything from games to productivity apps.  Reading is a joy on iPad. Text looks crisp and bright. Pages turn with a flick. And you can buy new books from the iBookstore. Just download the free iBooks app to get started.  Visit Website.
Price: Starting at $499

Gifts $500 and Up

Sonos Bundle 250
Description: The Sonos Bundle 250 gives you everything you need to wirelessly play music in two rooms of your house. It includes two Sonos ZonePlayers (ZP90 and ZP120 models) and the Sonos Controller 200 for instant control from the palm of your hand. Simply connect the ZP90 to your home theater or stereo to bring music to the audio equipment you already have. And, place the amplified ZP120 in any room you desire and attach to your favorite pair of speakers. To start playing music, one ZonePlayer or ZoneBridge (sold separately) must be connected to the router, then all the rest work wirelessly. For the ultimate in convenience, choose the Sonos Bundle 250 with Loudspeakers and you’ll also have a pair of powerful bookshelf speakers to attach to your ZP120.  Visit Website.
Price: $999

Samsung - 50" Class / 1080p / 600Hz / 3D Plasma HDTV
This plasma HDTV features E³-panel technology that reduces off-angle blur. 600Hz subfield motion technology and 1080p full HD Motion technology offer crisp, clear images during fast-action scenes. This 3D-ready HDTV can deliver amazing 3D content into your home. Learn what else is required to get the full HD 3D experience. Get access to great Instant Content on this Plasma HDTV. Connect to the Internet and you will have instant access to stream movies, listen to music and a wide variety of content through your HDTV. Learn more about Internet Connectable products.  Visit Website.
Price: $1799

This past Charleston areas Power Breakfast hosted at the Marriott in down town Charleston was a great one. The topic was on a much talked about subject, Health Care.  With some very distinguished voices on the panel in a Q and A session, the mediator had to be fast on his feet so to say.
Neadom Tucker, the owner of our company Kotori Technologies, was a sponsor for the event and a guest speaker. The speech came at a great time with our company expanding into the Health care market, with our Disaster recovery and data backup solutions for the Medical field.  We had some inquires on our services and hope to put together solutions for these clients.
Medical offices have enough on their plate with these health care bills and agendas; I.T.     shouldn’t be one of their concerns with all they have to deal with. This is where our off site Managed Services IT solutions could also benefit them most.
It was great to be there and listen to the panel discuss these issues and look forward to at the next Power Breakfast.