Knowing Your Heritage Is a Kids' Key To Success

What is the Best Way to Preserve your memories? For a long time it has been through photos, and although photos are great there is something better!

Meet Ruth!

Kids' Keys had the awesome opportunity to interview Ruth Solberg of Songs For Your Kids,
Books Of A Lifetime, and Stories Of A Lifetime.

Ruth is an expert in recording people's heritage. Even though many people minimize their "story", Ruth is passionate about helping us embrace the value of our lives.

Ruth Solberg has many life lessons that has sculpted her enthusiasm for life and documenting it so the generations to come know where they came from and who you were.

At first, thinking about documenting and recording your life's can seem overwhelming and even arrogant; Like, "Who am I to write a biography?

But that isn't the case at all and couldn't be furthest from the truth.

Have you ever wanted to know more about your Great Aunt Mildred? Hear your mother's contagious laugh again? Document the spacial look, smile, and enthusiasm of your terminally ill child? Would you want your children to have the chance to see, hear, and come to know your dad, in his own voice even though he died 2 months before his first grandchild was born?

I know I would love to have a recording for my children about their Grandma Elaine who passed too early in her life for them to have had the blessing of knowing her quirky and fun personality.

But that opportunity is lost. I know I can tell stories about Grammy Elaine to my children but it wouldn't be the same as them seeing her, hearing her stories and her voice.

Ruth has found a way to solve this problem and she had made it fun and easy!

I have already asked my mom to do this for our Christmas gift to all of us. Initially, she balked at the idea, but admits and recognizes the value of it.

How could you not, especially if you have ever lost a loved one? The special people in our lives mean so much to us, more than we can ever write in words. When you want to share even a piece of a loved one who died with the others in your life you love, wouldn't it be great to have an actual recording of him/her in their own voice?

What an amazing gift that would be!

If you are interested in learning more about Ruth and her businesses listen to our interview.

You will be so glad you did!

Ruth Solberg
Independent consultant for
Heritage Makers
call: 715.579.5596
email: solpro2000@yahoo.com

Birthdays Are A Kids' Key To Success

I don't know about you all, but we have been to A LOT of birthday parties lately (10 in the last two months)! Some have been big and grand and others have been intimate and traditional.

I am not a parent who goes all out and hires a favorite charachter, rents a bouncy house/jungle gym, puts on a show, or rents out an identified "birthday party place".

I am a mom who, if truth be told is a little cheap and a whole lot traditional.. I prefer simple parties surrounded by family and maybe a close friend or two. Am I a bithday Ginch?

I am not saying big parties aren't wonderful and can be super special. But, I've always been this way... grand celebrations, big parties, gala events... just aren't me.

I hope I never dissappoint my kids, but small intimate parties are where it's at for me. ...probably with six kids in our family it will never really be small or quiet!

What I want my kids to learn about birthdays:

1) Make the birthday person feel really special by making/giving a meaningful gift;

2) Remind the birthday person how blessed the world is because he/she is in it; and

3) Celebrate his/her life with a silly, unique, simple tradition so they have something to depend on, anticipate, and is meaningful.

To me, that is what a birthday parties are all about.

What are birthdays for you? Do you have a special tradition? What is the birthday message you want to give your kids?

Extended Family Is A Kids' Key TO Success

Every year, the first weekend in August our family and close friends drop what we are doing and we gather together from AZ, TX, and all over the United States to Upstate NY to participate in our Annual Wagner Cup.

Our Wagner Cup started in 1995 and has taken place every year after. Our mission is to have fun together as a family but most importantly to send a message to our next generation the importance of family and "playing" together.

We are not all pictured together because our event has become so big that we can't fit everyone in at one time. So, our event coordinator, Uncle Rick (a.k.a. Luigi) has broken us up into our representative teams: Europeans Vs. The Americans. Our "Cup" is based on many events (Golf, mini golf, euchure, beer pong, relay races, dancing, kireoke, and many more) and includes everyone from our oldest members (85+) to out youngest (1 old year +). The scores are calculated at the end, the fourth day, to to win the "Cup". We had trophies made especially for this event and they are passed from one team to the other depending on who wins.

A LOT of work goes into this...much, time, effort, and heart. We start preparing for the next year as soon as the Cup is done; As we drive our family and friends to the airport. We are continually coming up with new ways to improve and make it better. We have been told from friends who have been invited that this is "one awesome event... one like no other with a family like no other!"



What I Hope My Kids Learned:
1. How to work together, even when we are tired, and we don't get along 100% of the time.
2. A family that plays together; Stays together.
3. We are here; We offer support, love and guidance.
4. Respect for one another; take turns.
5. Being a Team Member.

What I Learned
1. Every Year I learn more about commitment to family.
2. How to be a more effective role model
3. How to really have fun.