Well, another week of training has gone by and I am really feeling good about things. I ran two full miles without stopping so I am well on my way to a 5k! My legs and feet were a little sore after the training so I stopped by the clubhouse and took a soak in the ice bath and then had Franky massage my feet. He really loved that! Ha ha. It takes good friends to get you through challenges and without Franky’s encouragement I don’t think I would have made it this far. The best part is that Franky is going to run the race too, so I know I am not in it alone. That’s what best friends are for. Speaking of best friends, Franky is calling now. He probably wants to eat and you know, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Gotta run, get it? Run? I am hilarious.

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The classic children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, comes to life on stage at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.  Maranda met up with the cast during rehearsals to learn more about the show.

For more information on Charlotte’s Web and a list of performance times visit www.grct.org.

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Josh Hobson started driving go-karts at a young age, which led to his love of race car driving.  Josh is on his way to a successful career on the track and you can watch him this summer at Berlin Raceway!

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Students are encouraged to walk and ride their bikes to school as part of a Walk & Roll event at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Jenison.

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31 students at East Grand Rapids High School are participating in We The People, a nationwide history competition.

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Meg Lawton is the founder of Soulseeds, a line of motivational products for families.  Maranda sat down with her to learn more about the unique items she offers.

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The Holland Aquatic Center recently hosted their first annual Underwater Egg Hunt.  Here’s a look at the fun that took place!

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Many of us will be having a delicious ham for our Easter celebration this year.  Most of us will also have a good supply of leftover ham!  Since you don’t want a morsel to go to waste I’ve paired the ham with some staple ingredients around your home to create some simple and healthy meals.

Creamy Pasta with Ham and Peas
Makes 6-8 servings

1 jar prepared Alfredo sauce (reduced fat if available)
1-1/2 cups Meijer frozen peas
1 -1/2 cups chopped, cooked ham
4 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 lb. multi-grain pasta, uncooked
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the pasta as directed on package; drain and return to pot.
2. Toss hot pasta with peas, ham Alfredo sauce and 2 tbsp. of the parmesan cheese. 
3. Serve immediately with remaining cheese and parsley. 

Serve with fresh strawberries for dessert.

Nutrition information per serving:  370 calories, 11g fat, 45mg cholesterol, 49g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, 19g protein, 600mg sodium

Colorful Layered Salad
Makes 8 servings

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 small red onions, sliced, separated into rings
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped, cooked ham
¾ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1. Layer lettuce, onions, peas and ham in large straight-sided clear glass bowl.
2. Mix mayonnaise, parmesan and sugar; spread over salad to seal.  Refrigerate several hours or up to 24 hours.
3. Top with cheese and tomatoes just before serving; toss gently.

Serve with whole grain dinner rolls.

Nutrition information per serving:  270 calories, 18g fat, 25mg cholesterol, 12g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 12g protein, 580mg sodium

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There are so many wonderful things happening around West Michigan and this weekend on “Where You Live!” we’re going to feature some of our favorites!   We’ll go behind the scenes of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of “Charlotte’s Web”.  This is a super cute show for kids and the puppets in the production are really cool!  We’ll also head out to Berlin Raceway to meet a 17-year-old race car driver who is featured in a recently released movie.  Plus, meet students from East Grand Rapids High School who will be representing the state of Michigan in the national “We The People” competition in Washington, D.C.  Plus, find out how your family can volunteer at this year’s Fifth Third River Bank Run.  Join us for “Where You Live” Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and noon on WOTV 4 and 6:30 p.m. on WOOD TV 8.

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Many parents that I see are frustrated that their children are so selfish. Always texting. Never wanting to eat supper with the family. Yelling “me first” so often it makes your head spin. Spending excessive amounts of time in the bathroom. Wanting more clothes or more drive time. The truth is, developmentally, children are very egocentric. They think about themselves a lot, if not most of the time. Really, their worlds revolve around them.

For parents who want to nurture the value of altruism in their children, this reality can be frustrating. We want our children to desire to give to others, we don’t want to have to make them do this, which can take the joy out of giving and seems to create one more thing for us to nag about, right?

There really isn’t any magical way to create or nurture this value, but what we do know is that children learn best through consistency, role modeling, and hands on experiences. In my last blog I talked about keeping our own social networking habits in check as we model to our children what a healthy relationship with technology looks like…and it is the same with service.

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