Mango Minds

The Year of the Dragon: In With a Mighty Roar! I’m partial to signs. I make an effort to follow them and to encourage children to do the same. After all, they are there for a reason.   From traffic signs to store signs to product labels or billboards, we are surrounded by signs.   In language development, we call these signs environmental print , and they are often the first words that children learn to read. Stop.   El Rey. Animal Crossing. Signs also come in other forms, somewhat more symbolic, mystical or suggested. Body language is an essential sign, and if you have ever not paid attention to its importance, you know what a mistake that was.   Cloudy- grey skies: sure looks like it’s going to rain.    Finding lost coins can be a sign, though somewhat difficult to act upon:   Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck; find a penny, let it lie, all your troubles pass you by.   I’ve always struggled with weighing better...

In one particular area, my dad is an exceptionally organized person. Dad has managed the “family filing cabinet” from the beginning of time. No one else removes  or files any documents; we have always given them to Dad who places them exactly where they belong, and we benefit from his efficient and reliable system, because we use the time saved in filing or locating important documents, statements or receipts, to help him find his keys, which somehow escape his organizational prowess.   Among the family filing cabinet treasures, you could find out how much the Ford Capri cost in 1984, the itinerary for our family trip to L.A. in 1988 (when Dad lost the keys to the rental car!), and the telephone numbers of any house we ever lived in, either as a family or independent adults (your children will just have one, global cell number). Among those treasures, and quite unbelievable to me, are originals of every report card I ever received, along with those of my sister an...