Emergencies and natural disasters – they’re not things that most of us like to think about. But when it comes to situations such as these, proper preparation and training can play a crucial role in protecting ourselves and our community.

Do you know how to put out a small fire, treat the top three medical killers, or search for and rescue victims without putting yourself in harm’s way?
 
If you answered no, you’re not alone. Many other adults don’t either.
 
The local St. Louis teens who participate in the Mid America Teen Community Emergency Response Team, however, do know how to do all of these things – and much more.

In a couple of weeks my little brother is going to become a first-time dad. I was so excited to hear about a new nephew coming into the world — not least because it was a great opportunity to wrest some of those last baby toys from my 6-year-old’s clutches and send them halfway across the country to his new cousin.

As I packed up boxes of crib sheets that my own mother-in-law had lovingly sewn for my boys, I came across a cute moon-and-stars bumper pad that matched my old nursery theme.

Without hesitation, I threw it away.

Last week I shared the first five of my 10 favorite free things to do with your kids in St. Louis. I know this week has been a nail biter waiting for the final five, so without further ado... the finale.

A pet raccoon with a hand-washing obsession. A giant metal chicken with a filthy mouth. A homicidal monkey with mange. If you have a crush on any of these characters, you might just be a fan of writer and mom Jenny Lawson, known to the world as The Bloggess.

Like a lot of parents, I struggle through the final weeks of winter. I’m done with the freezing temperatures, the inevitable flus and fevers, and the seemingly never-ending days spent entirely indoors with children in such desperate need of physical activity that they’ve taken to skydiving off my couch.

When it comes to taking your kids out for some family fun, what's better than free?

Our go-to free destination is the Saint Louis Zoo, but it's not on this list.  Don't get me wrong – we love the Zoo with a passion. We are members and go so much we're actually on a first name basis with the anteaters. But the Zoo's reputation proceeds it; everyone knows it's awesome.

So here are the first five of my top ten list of my favorite kid-friendly, free gems of the city. Minus the Zoo, but it's implied.

Growing up, I was a child who got lost in books. From Little House on the Prairie and Betsy and Tacy to Little Women and Strawberry Girl, I read and re-read my favorites over and over again.

Once I found an author I loved, I would scour library shelves for every book she had ever written. This may be why I’m one of the few thirty-somethings on the planet who can actually remember the plots of such lesser-known Louisa May Alcott classics as Rose in Bloom and An Old-Fashioned Girl.

In retrospect, I probably wasn’t your typical 8 year-old.

Through it all, there was one book that stood head and shoulders above the rest: L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. It was, and still remains, my all-time favorite, so much so that I once drug my husband and infant daughter halfway around the world to visit Prince Edward Island – only to discover that places which sound amazing in books are often beyond boring in real life. And also that Tim Horton’s coffee is not as good as Canadians believe it to be.

Some things really are better left to the imagination. Anne Shirley could have told me that.

I’m not alone in my love of all things Anne. The feisty, red-headed orphan has been a beloved literary character and “kindred spirit” to girls (and, yes, grown women too) since Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908. Anne’s feisty nature and imaginative adventures – and her near legendary hatred of her red hair – have endeared her to generations of readers for over a century.

These days, though, die-hard Anne fans are more than a little upset – and with good reason. The homely redhead who once accidentally dyed her hair green in the hopes of turning it “a beautiful raven black,” has suddenly morphed into a buxom blonde.