With the first days of 2009 under our belts (only figuratively, of course!), it's a good time to take stock of those New Year's resolutions and make sure we are sticking to them. We resolved to do what every normal, average American family strives for: get organized, stay fit, do well in school and sports and travel. These five resolutions don't sound like much, but are at the core of family life today. Here's how we've tackled our five resolutions in the first five days of '09.

Travel - This New Year's eve my family, Bella, our new Malte-Poo, and I checked-in to a pet-friendly hotel for two nights to ring in 2009. Tradition says that if you start the New Year traveling, the rest of the year will be a trip! Since the financial outlook for us is rather bleak, taking any exotic jaunts around the world are out of the question, so we took up residence next door - literally - at the nearby resort. Hey, I didn't have to cook or clean, so in my book this counts as a Bon Voyage!

         Bella - the family Christmas present

Getting Organized - I made a deal with the kids; clean out your backpacks and desks, and we'll watch TV and movies until your eyes start to water. My husband was especially thrilled with this arrangement, and it worked! All of us filled up the recycling bin 'til it overflowed with paper. The TV-movie-watching  marathon wasn't that bad either. We caught up on several silver screen gems we'd missed like Eddy Murphy's Meet Dave, Role Models and Tropic Thunder. Fortunately, we didn't pay box office prices for these 'brain-teasers'.

School and Sports - This aspect of the resolution deal isn't just for the kids; parents drive them, sit there and wait, and pump them up to keep at it - all from the comfort of our SUVs. So far so good.

Staying Fit - This is the most challenging of all resolutions! Admittedly, these first five days have been difficult in this regard since it's been so cold (by San Diego standards 55 degrees is very cold!), to get out and move. But, we are trying hard to limit our intake and increase our physical output; we run to the car instead of walking, we run up the stairs and we run to the bathroom.

It's a start ...

Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year (PG), proved that a film can hold a 13 or 14 year old girl's attention without resorting to cheap skin scenes or potty-mouths. On the other hand, Max Payne (PG-13), staying true to it's rating was a pleasant surprise because apart from one revealing scene, the only body parts we saw in this movie were scattered around as a result of violent shoot-em-ups ...   more »

The school year is in full swing, and it's time to get back to the normal pace of a routine; back-to-school, back-to-sports or back-to-work. It’s also time to GIVE back! I am a great supporter of volunteerism, and eking out time to give back to my community is an important part of my family’s life. Involving children in service clubs and community activities at an early age can help instill in them these altruistic values too. 

Usually, the kids’ regular routines will dictate what your days look like, but if you take a moment now to think about how much you want to pack into a single day you can limit how your commitments take over you. I tended to get over-committed with my enthusiasm to help out. I learned, through trial an error, that committing to one charitable or non-profit organization at a time is best for everyone!

If you have the time, here are some tips and information to help you select a volunteer opportunity: 

- Choose the organization that involves your children's education first. At the elementary and middle school levels I found that participating in PTA or PTO (there are similar organizations in different areas) is the best way to stay on top of your child's school and classroom activities. Your opinions and labor have an immediate impact on their education. These organizations require monthly meetings through-out the school year, and many hours of parent-power for various fund-raising events and activities.

- Become a board member of your child's sport organization. Many community sport organizations rely entirely on volunteers; Little League, recreational sport organizations like soccer and softball, etc. are always in need of parents who can organize, coach or manage teams. A board member has monthly meetings and fund-raising events during the season; the coaching commitment can be as much as 4 times a week. And you can share the skills that got you through your school sports too!

- Once the kids are older look into libraries, hospitals, hospices, and other institutions or foundations who welcome help from volunteers. The gift shops and reception desks are regularly manned by volunteers. Hours are usually set so you'd have the benefit of a schedule.

- Your particular church most likely has a need for volunteers, and this you can do as a family. Youth groups or teen groups often need drivers, food preparation and donations for community outreach programs.

Don't underestimate the power of parent volunteers. In 2003, the Governor of California cutback funding for high school sports, and ceased funding public middle school sports all together. A group of concerned parents in Coronado, California established the Islander Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization, which has been helping provide sports for over 1,500 student-athletes at both academic levels since then. I am proud to be part of this organization!

Participating in organizations like these can often be a stepping stone to more serious community involvement; running for school board, becoming a high school coach or president of a community club can be the natural next step after volunteering in your community for a few years. You'd be surprised to know who is volunteering next to you. We've had our town's mayor umpire baseball games and not know it until he took his mask off!

(Note: Republican VP candidate Sara Palin's political career jump-started with PTA work at her children's school!)

Finally, the most rewarding result of all this time and effort you've put into volunteering is the lesson you've impressed upon your children. As my teen-age daughter remarked when she wanted my immediate attention, but couldn't get it because I was busy resolving an issue with one of my volunteer board positions, she said, "I'll wait until you’re done saving the world".

Resignation is settling in slowly that summer is over. My children are trickling back to school, and I find myself waiving goodbye to them hoping this new school year will be problem-free.   more »

This year of economic uncertainty and belt-tightening has made us all re-think how we spend our time, gas and money on family outings. Pre-planning every detail for a family getaway is challenging enough, and perhaps the greatest deterrent to doing anything spontaneous with the family. But, rewards await those brave enough to throw caution to the wind and venture out on a completely unplanned family adventure.    more »

Sharing family stories and anecdotes with your children is the best way to keep those memories alive and pass them on to the next generation. Every four years, I have the opportunity to bring my family closer and relate the incredible experiences I had at the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles, California. I, along with 29,000 people, volunteered for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, LAOOC, in exchange for the opportunity to be part of this historic XXIIIrd Olympiad.    more »

A Little Hollywood in San Diego Requires Much Patience

San Diego, CA. It's nice to have Hollywood visit our fine city for Comic Con 2008; Fox, Nickelodeon, CBS, NBC, Lionsgate, Disney, Warner Brothers, and other major studios were here to promote upcoming films and television shows. If you were after celebrity sightings, this was definitely the place to be this week-end.  Photos by Suzette Valle

The annual comic book convention had something for each of the 125,000 people who reportedly attended this year; Uglydolls and Yo Gabba Gabba for the younger set, plenty of blood and action figures for the older teens, and an endless collection of geeks, cooks and Storm Troopers to delight one and all.

To really take advantage of everything available for families at Comic Con you needed the same strategy used for a theme park; a lot of patience, and to choose your lines and attractions carefully.

One of the biggest draws to the convention center was "Twilight", a highly anticipated movie based on the teen-angst novel by Stephenie Meyer (Summit Studios, November 18th, 2008) with Robert Pattinson and Kristin Stewart. Cast members for TV shows like "Heroes", "Pushing Daisies" and "The Big Bang Theory" were also on hand to sign autographs and pose for pictures, but actually getting these was quite a different story; long lines to get tickets entitling you to an autograph or photo, another line to get it, and pushing and cutting in line were all necessary tactics to get the coveted moment with a celeb. 

Amidst all the celebrities and movie hoopla, Paul Pope, an alternative comic book artist voted Best Writer/Artist at the 2007 Eisner Awards (the comic industry's equivalent of the Oscars), and who's latest graphic novel, Batman Year 100 (DC Comics) won Best Limited Series, sat quietly at the Kidrobot booth signing the Comic Con 2008 exclusive Masked Karimbah vinyl figure he designed and sold for $125.

I asked him what he thought about Hollywood's invasion of Comic Con, and he told me he liked the influx of money to the overall event, and added, "For me, it's a value-neutral situation since I already work with a few Hollywood directors." (Referring to The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier And Clay, from Paramount Pictures).

The detraction from comic books to movies and TV shows at this year's convention was overwhelming; the spectacular logo-ridden studio and network displays overshadowed other artist's curtain-lined cubicles. Welsh actor Gareth David Lloyd of "Torchwood", a Sci-Fi British TV program, calmly sat signing pictures as the crowds mobbed studio booths to get free posters or buttons to carry in the Con's popular, larger than large bags!

When I asked Pope if the large crowds attracted by the movie studios was a good thing for his industry he replied, "Comic Con's gotten too big. It's like a really good [Wall Street] stock. It's ready to split".

We really enjoyed Comic-Wood this year. Let's hope the San Diego Convention Center is able to keep this bit of Hollywood glamour from splitting elsewhere!

The first day of summer is finally here, and your family is enjoying the languid, warm days with little to do. Just a few weeks into this long-awaited break and you hear it. No, I'm not referring to the usual "I'm bored" summer anthem, instead your kids whine, "no, not again!" as the seasonal family reunion looms in the horizon.

Kids, especially teens, might think it's boring to be with people they only see once a year. Perhaps even if visiting with family once a week is a challenge, there's a great way to stop them from dreading these gatherings ... just let the games begin! If it's your turn to host the family picnic, make sure you organize some games the whole family can play, and you'll see what a difference a little Bingo can make.

I have never been one to segregate the children from the adults at family events, and have always looked for ways to be inclusive. Our multi-generation celebrations had to change once the children were no longer toddlers. Having a wide age range in one place for 4 to 5 hours at a time made for some uncomfortable moments between the adults who were trying to have conversations, and the kids who had nothing to do. Sound familiar? The key to harmonious reunions in our family has been to play games. Now, our family has found a way to be together while having fun and creating lasting memories!

In her blog post "20 Tween and Teen Conversation Starters", Vanessa Van Petten, author of "You're Grounded!", wrote that games can help with family communication: "The biggest problem is how to get us young people talking and engaged. I find that some of the best ways to do this is to play games like Scrabble, Clue or Sorry that you can all engage over the common game." Playing board games certainly contributes to family bonding, but playing physically or skill challenging games are also a great ice breaker and quickly unite a large group in uproarious laughter.

Keep in mind, that to successfully enjoy playing games during a gathering greatly depends on preparation and quantity. When planning, try to have more games than you'll need, and most importantly, take the time to prepare them; if you need to print up trivia sheets or set up a skill challenge, make sure you have what you need on hand so you don't break the momentum once the fun has started.

Here are some other helpful tips to successfully lead games:

*Form teams with equal numbers of both adults and kids.

*Write up trivia questions including things from both children and adult movies, TV shows or current events. This way they need each other to succeed.

*Have prizes. Anything from candy bars to $5 gift cards from Starbucks, Game Stop or Barnes and Noble work well. You can also ask everyone to bring a couple of gift cards or presents to use as prizes.

*If at home, use your yard as well as the living room. Try to plan several games to be played in succession once the group has settled in one area.

One more piece of advise, don't let anyone talk you out of playing. Teenagers will probably protest at first, but when they see how much fun everyone is having they will want to join in - at the very least, they'll want to get their hands on one of those gift cards!

Websites for games: http://www.partygamecentral.com/; http://www.party411.com/gameguide.html; http://party-games-etc.com/

Trivia websites: http://www.triviaplaying.com/; http://www.funtrivia.com/

Would you like to share a game or suggestion that worked for you and your family? Post it in the comments (requires registration) or send me an email. Thanks for reading!