By Kakie Fitzsimmons

I met Kevin O'Toole over a year ago on Twitter. He is a New York State Trooper, father and activist for a deadly neurological disorder called Adrenoleukodystrophy, (also referred to as ALD). He has been working to use social media as a tool to spread the word about the disease. Back in 2009, Kevin's 8 year old son, Patrick, was diagnosed with this disorder.  Read the rest of this entry »

Mobile phones and social media sites will have an increased influence in this year's back-to-school shopping season. A recent Deloitte online poll was conducted surveying parents who plan to use sites such as Twitter and Facebook to: Read the rest of this entry »

The Minnesota Twins hosted the first annual Kids Day Event for Champion’s Club ticket holders.  Each ticket holder was invited with their family to have the opportunity to play catch on the grass at Target Field, exclusive tours of the Twins Clubhouse, kid friendly breakfast buffet, photos with TC Bear among other fun activities for children.  A gift bag was also provided to each child.  The gift bag included our very own “Bur Bur Throws Out the First Pitch” book to every child 6 years old and under in attendance.  Read the rest of this entry »

Recently educator Mandy Swan of the Kinderberry Hill Child Development Centers in Plymouth, Minnesota, used our very popular Bur Bur's Boating ABC's children's book as part of curriculum for her pre-schoolers. Below is an interview about how she built upon the theme.

How did you choose Bur Bur's Boating ABC's book as part of your lesson plan?

We decided to incorporate "Bur Bur's Boating ABC's" into our lesson plan based on the fact that we were doing a unit on summer and summer activities. In Minnesota (the land of 10,000 lakes) boating is a common summer activity and we felt it might make the children more familiar with boating safety and be more apt to enjoy it.

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Lynx Team Up with Minneapolis Public Schools, General Mills and The Wedge to Continue 'Lynx Fit' Program Initiative designed to encourage healthy lifestyles for children and families 

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – For the second consecutive summer, the Minnesota Lynx are partnering with General Mills, The Wedge and the Minneapolis Public School's summer program through ‘Lynx Fit,’ a five-week program aimed at educating today's youth about the importance of living a healthy and active lifestyle. With the help of Lynx players, staff and General Mills employees, students at the Bryn Mawr Elementary School and Seward Elementary summer school programs will learn about healthy eating, physical fitness and the importance of reading and education. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes we like to remind people that our characters are based off of real kids and real moments. Here, "Bur Bur" and "Mateo" enjoy a Minnesota Twins game at the new stadium in Minneapolis. We believe in Growing Kids Through Diverse Learning Experiences because at the end of the day, what is really important is that we create memories for the young kids in our lives that will last a lifetime.

Update 08/18/10! Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins for winning a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant to help fund their idea!The Minnesota Twins are competing against 14 other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. #mntwins

Their idea: Create a specialty softball field for Courage Center’s Jr. Rolling Twins youth wheelchair softball team. The team now plays in a parking lot, and desperately needs a “home field”.Wheelchair Softball for Adults and Youth: Help the Minnesota Twins build a field for Courage Center's wheelchair softball teams.

TO VOTE: Simply click the image below and then SELECT the big red button at the top right of the page that says "VOTE FOR THIS IDEA" 

Vote every day or text TWINS to 76462. (Standard text rates apply.)

By Kakie Fitzsimmons

The other day my son went out onto the deck and clipped a rose. He brought it into the house and smiled, put the rose right next to his face and said. "Hi mom, I am just going to use this rose." I said okay and wondered what he would do with it, and then went back to my work. About 5 minutes later he comes downstairs with his home made birthday card which he taped a rose to. Gifts like these are the most priceless because they are given so purely.  What a treasure. 

Please share below similar experiences you have had with the kids in your life!  We want to hear from you!!

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Bur Bur and Friends are based off of real kids and real moments. Using a diverse cast of characters (two of which are pictured above), our Bur Bur and Friends stories take children along on a series of first-time experiences. Simple text and colorful illustrations nurture young imaginations and inspire kids to get active. We invite you to learn more about our characters and introduce them to the special children in your life at http://burburandfriends.com/meetfriends/ 

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• Date: Sunday, July 4, 2010
• Reading time: 6:15PM Game starts at 7:05
• Location: On the field of Midway Stadium Field before the baseball game
• Teams: Saint Paul Saints Vs> Wichita Wingnuts

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July that at a baseball game! We think it is terrific and are proud to share that we have been invited to read our baseball book for children, Bur Bur Throws Out the First Pitch before the game out on the field. The Saint Paul Saints organization culture is to ensure a family fun environment at every game. As part of an effort to promote literacy and create a family fun environment, this effort to promote local Minnesota Authors was created in partnership with The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul. This is the biggest game of the year and be sure to stay for the Fireworks right after the game! 

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By Kakie Fitzsimmons

Recently some juvenile CLOWNS from another neighborhood thought it would be great to steal my 9 year-old son's bike because theirs had broken, just across the street. Yeah, not cool. I actually saw all 5 boys involved out of my window and thought; "That bike looks like my son's" as they disappeared around the corner. Sure enough, not 5 minutes later my son is running down the street panicking crying loudly and all I could hear was, "MOMMY! MY BIIIIIKE! SOMEONE TOOK MY BIKE!"  Talk about adrenaline rush. The only way I can describe it is I was whirling inside. 

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By JoAnne Pastel

A year and half ago, we received the call from our daughter’s pediatrician telling us that a blood test confirmed her diagnosis for neurofibromatosis type 1, also known as NF1.  At the time Jacqueline was 4 months old. When she was first diagnosed, we were uncertain of her future and this genetic disorder.  No one in our family has it. We are thankful our pediatrician knew what NF1 was and the resources available because we had never heard of it. 

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Sometimes it can be easy to get lost in the "busy-ness" of life. Today we consider all we have to be grateful for and honor those who have gone before us. The videos below reflect the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Photo Courtesy of Emily Pilsbury

If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of neurofibromatosis (NF). Neither had JoAnne Pastel and Bill Dunlap, of Wayzata, until their 5-month-old daughter, Jacqueline, was diagnosed with the tumor-causing disorder, for which there is no known cure. Read the rest of this entry »

I'm in a tizzy over something that didn't even happen directly to me. We were enjoying a nice outing at the park last night—listening to a Cajun band. Dave's sister and I were on a blanket with BabyS, Dave was following TinyE (our daughter),around the park and TinyE was entertaining a group of elderly observers by prancing and running in circles. Just a nice, relaxing, end of summer night. With a few pesky bugs

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