The countdown is on — the last school bell rings in the not-so-distant future, and kids, parents and teachers are planning their festivities with gusto. Use each day in May to celebrate another completed school year; remember to praise your kids for a job well done, and thank teachers for their compassion and care of your children. Make it a memorable May with some of the wild, but authentic celebrations below, or make up a few of your own to welcome summertime merriment.                  
   Lucky Penny Day — Even though I’m not a superstitious person, I just love finding pennies on the ground. Collect enough lucky pennies for each person in your family to have ten, then, play this fun, racing game. Have each person form a triangle with ten pennies — four on the bottom row, three above, two on the next row, then one on top. Turn all the pennies to the “tails,” side except for the single penny on top. Remove the middle penny on the row with three, and place it, tail-side-up, near the triangle to be used at the end of the game. On “go,” each person quickly slides one penny at a time to fill an empty space. The object of the game is to move the top penny, the only one on the “heads” side to the bottom row as fast as possible. When the “heads” penny is on the bottom row, the player picks up the removed, extra penny, turns it over to “heads” and shouts, “lucky penny.” That person is the winner  
    Limerick Day — Try your hand at one of these silly poems. Though some sources differ, most agree that a limerick has this pattern: Five lines of poetry with the first, second, and fifth lines ending with a rhyme, and the third and fourth lines ending with a rhyme. Additionally, the first, second, and fifth lines have the same number of syllables with a similar stress pattern, and the third and fourth lines contain the same, smaller number of the stressed syllables. Here’s an example: There once was a cat named Marie. She slept at the top of a tree. She had a nightmare, And fell through the air. On all fours, she landed safely. Silly, huh? But not as easy as it sounds to write. Have a limerick writing contest with your family to find the cleverest poet in the house.
    National Herb Week — Go online to find instructions for making a miniature herb garden for the kitchen. Grow herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, and basil in small pots over the summer and find new recipes to try with your own, fresh-cut herbs.
    National Postcard Week — With Facebook, Twitter, emails, and texting available, one doesn’t receive postcards these days unless they are virtual ones. When is the last time you sent someone a postcard? Take the family out to find Statesboro or Georgia Southern postcards, and then pen a note to someone who lives far away that you’ve not seen in a bit. Or, plan to purchase postcards during your summer vacation to send to loved ones back home.   
    Marshmallow Fluff Day — Now isn’t this a sweet holiday to celebrate? Take the family on a strawberry-picking trip, or purchase fresh fruit from a produce stand. Wash fruit and drain. Then make this yummy dip for the fruits. Combine one 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese with a 16-ounce jar of marshmallow fluff. Stir in one tablespoon of a favorite fruit juice for flavor or add a couple of drops of food coloring, if desired. Dip, snack, and share cool stories with family members about your day or brainstorm new ideas for summer celebrations.    
    Marvel over every minute in May with a-MAY-zing activities and memories! Enjoy sharing time with those you love. You’ll be so glad you did.  
   
    Statesboro native Julie Bland Lavender is married to David Lavender and enjoys celebrating with children Jeremy, Jenifer, Jeb Daniel, and Jessica.