So your child has decided she wants to learn an instrument. The first item on your to-do list is obviously to get the instrument. I have heard from many parents that simply don't know where to start. Should you buy new? Rent? Borrow from a neighbor? Check the online auctions? Here is everything ...

Many families have rituals, or things they do often, maybe every day. Family dinners might involve a blessing. Friday might be pizza night. Summer vacation might be spent at the same beach town year after year.Your parents probably started some of your family rituals, but why not add one of ...

Have you heard the buzz? There's a lot of buzz, or talk, about a certain insect that shows up once in a long while but in such big numbers that it's impossible to ignore. But there's also a sound, a buzzing or whirring that might remind you of a grass trimmer.Yes, we are talking about cicadas: ...

Maya Barlev doesn't remember when she decided to study the universe, but she said the idea crept up on her when she was an elementary school student in Silver Spring, Md."I liked the stars and moon, and I liked math," Barlev said. "I liked the way you could figure math things out with just a ...

Wanna play catch?With the longer days and warmer weather, lots of kids are asking that question. It used to be that they would grab their baseball gloves. Now, more kids are grabbing lacrosse sticks to play catch.Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in America. But don't take my word for it. I ...

<h3>Chapter 2: Mom goes to work!</h3> The girls sped to their house, one of the stilt houses that dotted the island. The Outer Banks are low islands that barely rise up higher than the ocean itself. To keep the water out when a big storm hits, the houses are built on ...