Thank you, Westport Middle School!

The Ask, Listen, Learn team would like to send out a special thank you to Westport Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky for having us at their school yesterday morning!

We were honored to work with Congressman John Yarmuth as he came in to speak to the 300 8^th graders in attendance.  The Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix program encourages kids to “say 'YES' to a healthy lifestyle and 'NO' to underage drinking.”  The initiative is based on research by Harvard Medical School, showing that for a person's brain to function at its peak; the body needs to move.  We hope you all had fun playing our interactive game and learning more about healthy lifestyles!

Happy first week of school!

How can you help your child have a great first week of school?

Clear your schedule. Dedicate yourself as much as possible to helping your child have a great first week. Be there to listen to their stories, help them get ready before school, sign papers, and show interest in what they're doing.

Make lunches together. If you make lunch with your younger children, try to find out their likes and dislikes as much as possible to create a healthy, well-rounded lunch for their day at school. Include protein, fruits and veggies, and try to avoid too much sugar slowing them down!

Set alarm clocks. Practice responsibility and accountability with your older children by having them set alarm clocks and making their own morning routine. Though mom may be the “sweetest alarm clock,” it will help them in high school and college for sure!

Still, it's important to leave plenty of extra time. Make sure young ones have plently of time to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast and catch the bus or carpool on time. You don't want them rushing out the door half-asleep to class!

Review after school. If you're at home after school, set aside time to hear about your child's first week, help them get a healthy snack and get their homework done. If you're not there, make sure your child, and their babysitter, knows your phone number, and the numbers of neighbors and close family members that can help in case of an emergency.

Mia Hamm's Celebrity Soccer Challenge Comes to DC

We had some celebrities in town this weekend here in the DC area! After Manchester United beat out Barcelona FC at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, on Saturday night, Mia Hamm's Fourth Annual Celebrity Soccer Challenge was held at Kastles Stadium Sunday morning.

The match served to raise awareness for bone marrow donations as Hamm lost her adopted brother to a rare blood disease in the late '90s. She started the Mia Hamm Foundation as a way to give back and hosts this game with her husband Nomar Garciaparra each year.