The Yellow Duck

Where Readers are Leaders...
making the life-long love of learning a reality for Canada's Children

Welcome to the Seventh "online" edition of the

theYellow Duck

Hello from the beautiful, sunny Shuswap... Although the sky is blue and the air is clear, we are reminded of those scary weeks not long ago when we were evacuated from our home during the "Salmon Arm Forest Fire of '98". Our beautiful Mount Ida is so scarred... but worse to think of the scarred hearts of our friends and neighbours who lost their homes. Thank God no-one lost their lives... and there were no (human) injuries!!!!!

The fire still burns... but slowly and in control. They feel that it will be months before it is out. The smoke still lingers low in the valley, but from where we sit there is nothing like blue sky. It is almost like this nightmare never happened! Times like this are vivid reminders to us all of what is truly important in our lives.

Now, the days are shorter and already we begin planning for the return of our children to school this fall. Benjamin will enter grade three, Jenna starts (gasp, can it be so?!??!) grade one, and Hannah will continue at preschool.

It is my sincere wish that every child embarking on another year of learning... either at school or in the home will be blessed with the gift of reading. The love of learning is a love instilled early in life... I implore you to do whatever it takes to give that love to your children. You and they will be rewarded many times over.

I want to be six again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think it's the best place in the world to eat.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make waves with rocks.
I want to think M&Ms are better than money 'cause you can eat them.
I want to play kickball during recess and stay up on Christmas Eve waiting to hear Santa and Rudolph on the roof.

I long for the days when life was simple. When all you knew were your colors, the addition tables, and simple nursery rhymes, but it didn't bother you because you didn't know what you didn't know, and you didn't care.

I want to go to school and have snack time, recess, gym, and field trips.

I want to be happy because I don't know what should make me upset.
I want to think the world is fair, and everyone in it is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible.

Sometime, while I was maturing, I learned too much.
I learned of nuclear weapons, starving and abused kids, and unhappy marriages.

I want to be six again.

I want to think that everyone, including myself, will live forever because I don't know the concept of death.
I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life, and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want television to be something I watch for fun, not something I use for escape from the things I should be doing.
I want to live knowing the little things I find exciting will always make me as happy as when I first learned them.

I want to be six again.

Do you remember being six...? and so innocent..? so full of laughter and sunshine? I get fleeting memories as I watch my six-year-old skip through life full of joy. So devoid of worry. Let's all work towards keeping our children... children!!! Read to them. Play with them. Remember the TV has an "off" button too.

I remember not seeing the world as a whole, but rather being aware of only the things that directly concerned me.
I want to be naive enough to think that if I'm happy, so is everyone else.
I want to walk down the beach and think only of the sand beneath my feet, and the possibility of finding that blue piece of sea glass I'm looking for.
I want to spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike, letting the grownups worry about time, the dentist, and how to find the money to fix the car.

I want to wonder what I'll do when I grow up, not worry what I'll do if this doesn't work out.
I want that time back. I want to use it now as an escape, so that when my computer crashes, or I have a mountain of paperwork, or two depressed friends, or second thoughts about so many things, I can travel back and build a snowman without thinking about anything except whether the snow sticks together and what I can possibly use for the snowman's mouth.

I want to be six again.

~author unknown~

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Now... please continue reading. There's more!

If I’m Dreaming...
Don’t Wake Me!

Once upon a time, an ambitious woman entered a successful store with a reputation for beautiful, fine quality merchandise.

She walked right up to the owner and said, "Sir, I am very impressed with your establishment. I’d like to come on board and build a career here. I can promise you that I’ll work hard and I’ll do a great job. In return, all I ask for is the following:

• "First, I’d like a 20% profit on everything I sell.
• "And, if I sell a reasonable minimum in any given month, I’d like a 5% bonus.
• "Then, if I bring in only one new sales person, I want a bonus... how about a bonus every month we sell a certain amount?
• "Of course, if I bring in and train 5 new sales people who qualify, I think I deserve 7% of everything they sell... every month naturally.
• "If one of them promotes to my level, I’d expect a permanent 5% override on her group’s sales.
• "When I do well, I expect lots of praise and recognition, not to mention winning free products, special awards and gifts, and extra bonuses.
• "And, of course, my family ALWAYS comes first! So... WHEN CAN I START?"

After the store owner recovered from shock, he roared with laughter. "Lady, you can’t be serious! You’re living in a dream world. You’ll never find an opportunity like that ANYWHERE!"

This story may be fictional, but the opportunity is not! That dream job does exist with...

USBORNE BOOKS AT HOME

The little story above is terrific at outlining the financial benefits of owning your own UBAH business... but what about the hidden, less tangible benefits? Take a look at what I have gained from my Usborne business.

• a glorious family library of Usborne Books (at 50% or less)
• the knowledge and resources to buy other quality children's books (yes, there are others... but it sure helps to have the tools to discern the best from the mediocre)
• many new friends
• a enormous feeling of satisfaction and self-worth because I promote the love of reading
• untold personal knowledge on child development and learning styles
• personal growth
• new business skills, interpersonal skills, organizational skills

Finally -- and by all means the most importantly -- my children love books... they love learning and they love having Mom at home. 

And remember... READERS are LEADERS!

(re)Read popular articles from past issues of the Yellow Duck:

[ Word Search Puzzle ]
[ Make a Writing Box ]
[ Kids say the darndest things ]
[ What is UBAH anyway? ]
[ Summer Reading Suggestions ]
[ Find out which were the top selling Usborne books in 1997 ]
[ Are Usborne Books just for kids? ]
[ Ten Reasons for Reading to your Children ]
[ Fund-raisers for your non-profit group ]
[ How to raise a Book Worm ]

Mary Scheidegger www.wordart.ca/ubah (250) 832-7126 ubah@wordart.ca

This newsletter was put together by Mary Scheidegger, Independent Consultant and is not an official Usborne Books at Home publication.
It should be understood that the statements made and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the Independent Consultant who published this document.

View past editions of the Yellow Duck:

Sixth Edition
Fifth Edition
Fourth Edition
Third Edition
Second Edition
First Edition
Summer Supplement
or, visit Mary's Usborne Web Site