So, Samie's first use of her potty chair was at about 18 months. We tried to run with it then but she backed WAY off. So like any "good" mom, I followed her lead, and then Evie arrived a few months later, and then life just settled in. I work for my dad's HVAC company, so when Summer hit I thought "I will focus more time on this in the Fall." Except that year we didn't have much of a Fall. Here in California we went from Summer to Winter without much in between. "Alright," I told myself "Spring it is." Nope. Didn't even start the following Fall.
So we were coming up on Samie's fourth birthday and she had been primarily in diapers the whole time!
Yes, we tried giving a treat when she would use the potty. We tried stickers, candies, gold stars to "earn" bigger prizes, disposable potty training underwear, "special" underwear that we bought at Disneyland and paid WAY more than what we would have paid anywhere else!!! NOTHING was getting that kid on the toilet. Well, we could get her on the toilet, she just wasn't doing much there...
For Thanksgiving last year we went away for a week. We spent about five days at Disneyland (cause when are we not there) and then drove to my Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. One of the last few days of the trip I had the kids in the bathtub and Samie says she needs to poop! I quickly get her onto the toilet (no potty trainer seat) and she does her business! Yes, I'm aware I am putting this on the internet and that someday my poor kid is going to be incredibly embarrassed by this, but I fully intend to embarrass her in public for the entire time she lives with me so she will be over it once she figures out the internet!
When we got home from our trip we started in again with little success, she's a busy girl and I'm a busy mom and we just were not on the same page when it came to potty training. I let it go through the rest of the holidays because we were just too busy.
Work has been slow this Winter, and since I am able to work from home quite a bit, I finally bit the bullet and made the decision that I was ready for potty training. You see, that is really what it boils down to. Yes, you do have to watch for signs that your child is ready, but as a parent, I had to be ready too. Who knows why I wasn't ready before, it's not as though changing a diaper is easy or cheap! But I did know that I can't be cleaning up accidents all day, and I just don't have the resources to devote all my time into watching for signs to go to the bathroom, it's hard enough for me to get to the bathroom sometimes! I had started making cloth diapers last year (still working on that project) and found a pattern for potty training underwear. These are similar to cloth diapers as they are made of the moisture-catching fabrics but they fit like true underwear and they have a cotton knit lining instead of a fabric that wicks away moisture, so the child knows when they are wet, and they don't like it! I whipped up about four pairs in a day and mine have snap sides so that if we have an accident (especially of the poop variety) I can still take them off like a diaper and clean them like a cloth diaper. Ahhh, the sweet smell of success... Finally!
Yes, we still had some "accidents". Mostly they happen later in the afternoon and when she is "busy" playing or visiting, but with the potty pants we don't have a big mess to clean up. So far the potty pants have caught two or three wet accidents and even one small load, but as there is not much room between her and the underwear, she wants out of them quick! After the first two or three days we had some great success! We even tried them overnight instead of switching back to a disposable option and we had a dry morning! I did notice at some point there was some wetness in the trainers, which I believe was probably from the night before and they just dried enough to not bother her, so we made sure to talk about that, and that we need to put on new undies each day.
So, that's my story! I have read the 3-day potty training method and I think if you have the time to devote to it, it seems like a terrific program. I can't exactly recommend it's usefulness in my situation but the person that referred me to it swears by it!
Have a tip or suggestion? Feel free to post a comment, we can all use a little helpful advise!
Want to know more about the potty training pants I made? Hop on over to Stuff N Junk by Heidi for more information, and how to purchase!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
WHY WOULD YOU HOME SCHOOL?
I have thought long and hard about this. I have had many discussion about it and I think I have finally come to a place in my mind and in my heart that I am ready to discuss it openly, because I think there are more people out there that are like me.
I have considered home schooling my kids for quite some time. I have always been a bit obsessed with the future education of my children, I started looking at private school tuition before my first child was even born! I'm pretty sure it has to do with my own crazy education. We moved a lot, so I don't think we were ever able to accurately assess my education. In lower grades I was above average, not in any "super smart" classes but smart enough to keep going. In Junior High I took advantage of a bad family situation and my grades plummeted. I was smart enough to know when to change that around and did not fail the 8th grade as anticipated. (evil laugh)
When I started High School my guidance counselor was on his way out, retirement... I don't think it was a complete lack of caring for my education, but the schools were so over populated, my Junior High transcripts showed a student that barely passed courses, so I was put in some pretty basic classes. I coasted and it showed. Within the first few weeks of class I had an English teacher observant enough to know that I didn't belong in his class, I needed to be challenged, and that is exactly what he did. He worked with me and my counselor and got me in an English class that challenged me. I tried to explain that I also needed to change my math class as everything I was doing was review from seventh grade, but that was not a battle I won that year. The following year we knew better, I was in an advance English class, I couldn't skip to geometry so I muddled through Algebra 2 by barely doing homework and still ace-ing tests, and I found a new love for science. I still wasn't truly trying though. I was still able to be the "dumb blond" in the "smart kid" classes. I kept that going all through my Junior year of High School. I think that up until my Senior year my only electives were still regular course credit classes, and I even convinced my counselor to let me take geometry and Algebra 2 simultaneously my Junior year, completing all of my math credits before I was a Senior. I barely tried all through school and still remained a B average. In retrospect it is easy to wonder what I would have done had I actually tried.
So here I am, with two little girls of my own and the ability to teach them while I work. At first I didn't think I would want to do it. Then my oldest started reading words just before she turned three. Sure, she knew the names of restaurants we went to regularly, stores that we frequented, but she started asking me what certain words meant as she read things over my shoulder! I was floored. And I thought, "I could really do this."
I talked to people, read articles and blogs, researched curriculum. The first question anyone ever wants to ask is "WHY?" I would back off of the question. My first response always popped in my head "Because it sounds fun!" I could never actually say that though. Was I really going to risk my child's future on the idea that Mommy thinks it's going to be fun? So I kept thinking about that one. I'm not really worried about my kids getting bullied, they do that to each other. Bad language? HA! Between me and their father they have a pretty spicy vocabulary, we're working on that. I have great faith that our public school teachers are wonderful people that try very hard to do their jobs, and I feel they get little support from the parents, making the job even more difficult. I'm not super religious, so it really has nothing to do with a strong desire to teach them a faith-based curriculum. Plus I had so much angst about the socialization issue. So I simply put it out there that we are "only doing Pre-School" as I don't have the extra cash to throw out there, and things went really well. Samie LOVED doing school, she asks to do "school" every day, even weekends, even though we only work on things for thirty minutes to an hour. She is reading at about a first grade level, is practicing writing letters, loves to color, plays matching games and puzzles, counting, even a little addition and subtraction when we can. I still respond to the question with a "We're just testing it out" answer. Until recently.
I am looking at a Catholic program as it is my husband's religion, it is a pre-packaged curriculum and it is incredibly affordable, plus they have lots of support for the parents and students. I started reading a book written by the woman that runs the school and I thought "None of these reasons for home schooling are any that I am concerned about," and I realized, I am doing this because it is fun. Every day is not fun. We have some days that are down-right awful and even others that I don't "do school" at all because the day is just not working for me in that direction. With home schooling though, that's okay. I love the idea of teaching my kids the things I know and learning new things along with them. I am looking forward to re-learning all the things in science and history that I took for granted the first time around. I scope out new places to visit as possible future field trips. The idea excites me and terrifies me and it challenges me, and I love that. I don't want my two girls to grow up learning to fit into a stereotype, I certainly don't want them to do like I did and be the dumb girl in a smart kid class. I want them to learn to challenge themselves and to learn to do things that would never have been typically accepted in a traditional school system. I would never have thought I would want to do this and it makes me feel more alive than so many things in my life.
When I was eighteen or nineteen I was going to go into the Army. Some recruiters came to my house and gave me a "practice" test to see what types of jobs I could qualify for. I scored an average score. When I took the actual test I scored in the high ninetieth percentile and was told I should take an additional linguistics test. Only two of us took the test that day out of hundreds of people getting processed. I passed, the other guy didn't. I did not end up going into the Army but the door they opened for me was something no one else could have, I learned that I was smart enough to do anything. Well, actually they said I was not qualified to build bombs, to which I told them it was only because I never tried before. I don't want my kids, my girls, to grow up and not think they are smart enough, that they have to be tested and told how smart they are by someone else. I want to be the one to challenge them, to teach them to challenge themselves and to never underestimate their own potential.
So, I am approaching the education of my kids one day at a time. At some point we may decide, together, that they will want to mainstream into the traditional school system, that will be okay with me as long as it's what we decide together, and as long as my kids understand I will always push them. For now though, the reason that I am choosing to home school my kids, well that's because I think it's fun.
I have considered home schooling my kids for quite some time. I have always been a bit obsessed with the future education of my children, I started looking at private school tuition before my first child was even born! I'm pretty sure it has to do with my own crazy education. We moved a lot, so I don't think we were ever able to accurately assess my education. In lower grades I was above average, not in any "super smart" classes but smart enough to keep going. In Junior High I took advantage of a bad family situation and my grades plummeted. I was smart enough to know when to change that around and did not fail the 8th grade as anticipated. (evil laugh)
When I started High School my guidance counselor was on his way out, retirement... I don't think it was a complete lack of caring for my education, but the schools were so over populated, my Junior High transcripts showed a student that barely passed courses, so I was put in some pretty basic classes. I coasted and it showed. Within the first few weeks of class I had an English teacher observant enough to know that I didn't belong in his class, I needed to be challenged, and that is exactly what he did. He worked with me and my counselor and got me in an English class that challenged me. I tried to explain that I also needed to change my math class as everything I was doing was review from seventh grade, but that was not a battle I won that year. The following year we knew better, I was in an advance English class, I couldn't skip to geometry so I muddled through Algebra 2 by barely doing homework and still ace-ing tests, and I found a new love for science. I still wasn't truly trying though. I was still able to be the "dumb blond" in the "smart kid" classes. I kept that going all through my Junior year of High School. I think that up until my Senior year my only electives were still regular course credit classes, and I even convinced my counselor to let me take geometry and Algebra 2 simultaneously my Junior year, completing all of my math credits before I was a Senior. I barely tried all through school and still remained a B average. In retrospect it is easy to wonder what I would have done had I actually tried.
So here I am, with two little girls of my own and the ability to teach them while I work. At first I didn't think I would want to do it. Then my oldest started reading words just before she turned three. Sure, she knew the names of restaurants we went to regularly, stores that we frequented, but she started asking me what certain words meant as she read things over my shoulder! I was floored. And I thought, "I could really do this."
I talked to people, read articles and blogs, researched curriculum. The first question anyone ever wants to ask is "WHY?" I would back off of the question. My first response always popped in my head "Because it sounds fun!" I could never actually say that though. Was I really going to risk my child's future on the idea that Mommy thinks it's going to be fun? So I kept thinking about that one. I'm not really worried about my kids getting bullied, they do that to each other. Bad language? HA! Between me and their father they have a pretty spicy vocabulary, we're working on that. I have great faith that our public school teachers are wonderful people that try very hard to do their jobs, and I feel they get little support from the parents, making the job even more difficult. I'm not super religious, so it really has nothing to do with a strong desire to teach them a faith-based curriculum. Plus I had so much angst about the socialization issue. So I simply put it out there that we are "only doing Pre-School" as I don't have the extra cash to throw out there, and things went really well. Samie LOVED doing school, she asks to do "school" every day, even weekends, even though we only work on things for thirty minutes to an hour. She is reading at about a first grade level, is practicing writing letters, loves to color, plays matching games and puzzles, counting, even a little addition and subtraction when we can. I still respond to the question with a "We're just testing it out" answer. Until recently.
I am looking at a Catholic program as it is my husband's religion, it is a pre-packaged curriculum and it is incredibly affordable, plus they have lots of support for the parents and students. I started reading a book written by the woman that runs the school and I thought "None of these reasons for home schooling are any that I am concerned about," and I realized, I am doing this because it is fun. Every day is not fun. We have some days that are down-right awful and even others that I don't "do school" at all because the day is just not working for me in that direction. With home schooling though, that's okay. I love the idea of teaching my kids the things I know and learning new things along with them. I am looking forward to re-learning all the things in science and history that I took for granted the first time around. I scope out new places to visit as possible future field trips. The idea excites me and terrifies me and it challenges me, and I love that. I don't want my two girls to grow up learning to fit into a stereotype, I certainly don't want them to do like I did and be the dumb girl in a smart kid class. I want them to learn to challenge themselves and to learn to do things that would never have been typically accepted in a traditional school system. I would never have thought I would want to do this and it makes me feel more alive than so many things in my life.
When I was eighteen or nineteen I was going to go into the Army. Some recruiters came to my house and gave me a "practice" test to see what types of jobs I could qualify for. I scored an average score. When I took the actual test I scored in the high ninetieth percentile and was told I should take an additional linguistics test. Only two of us took the test that day out of hundreds of people getting processed. I passed, the other guy didn't. I did not end up going into the Army but the door they opened for me was something no one else could have, I learned that I was smart enough to do anything. Well, actually they said I was not qualified to build bombs, to which I told them it was only because I never tried before. I don't want my kids, my girls, to grow up and not think they are smart enough, that they have to be tested and told how smart they are by someone else. I want to be the one to challenge them, to teach them to challenge themselves and to never underestimate their own potential.
So, I am approaching the education of my kids one day at a time. At some point we may decide, together, that they will want to mainstream into the traditional school system, that will be okay with me as long as it's what we decide together, and as long as my kids understand I will always push them. For now though, the reason that I am choosing to home school my kids, well that's because I think it's fun.
Friday, May 2, 2014
New Adventures!
Hi there! Did you give up on me? Let me tell you, I think I was about ready to give up on me! My last post was over a year ago for crying out loud! But I came to a point that I just had to step back from the computer (at least during my "off" hours) and focus on things around the home, on things with my kids. Did it do me any good you ask? Well, the dishes are never caught up, the laundry overwhelms me on a daily basis, the kids toys are constantly under foot... And while Samie is still an amazing sleeper, Evie is still not sleeping through the night. I have not found any more clarity or sanity being away from blogging that before. I'm not stressing out about blogging, that used to be a big stress for me but I did find that my stress did not get any better when I'm not blogging. In fact, this blog has been a nice place to remind myself of all the things that are fun and good during my day or week or month.
Funny enough, I have over a dozen posts started or written up, I just never got around to getting them posted. I'm going to ease myself back into this, baby steps you know!
So, here's what to look forward to!
Random posts. Although I love telling you all the ins-and-outs of every week and posting photos of my adventures with my little ones, I'm going to be honest, sometimes I am barely keeping my head above water! I plan to keep you all (as much as possible) in the loop of our happenings, although I am just not going to commit to a schedule for my posts at this time.
What do we have going on? Well, Samie has been officially potty trained (I've got a post started about THAT somewhere) and we are still working on getting Evie's eczema under control and hoping it will help with her sleeping through the night! We are working on landscaping our front yard and making it into a wonderful garden! I am still working for Dad but I have also formed a loose plan about starting my own business in the next few years! We'll just say I have a five-year-plan that I'm working on... We'll be starting potty training with Evie soon, though probably not until after our summertime rush, and the big news over here is our official start of homeschooling! I have quite a few posts in the works about that adventure!
So, feel free to check in, bring your favorite cup o'whatever, and sit down and hang out a bit!
Be sure to also check out my new website for Stuff N Junk and look forward to some new posts over there too!
Funny enough, I have over a dozen posts started or written up, I just never got around to getting them posted. I'm going to ease myself back into this, baby steps you know!
So, here's what to look forward to!
Random posts. Although I love telling you all the ins-and-outs of every week and posting photos of my adventures with my little ones, I'm going to be honest, sometimes I am barely keeping my head above water! I plan to keep you all (as much as possible) in the loop of our happenings, although I am just not going to commit to a schedule for my posts at this time.
What do we have going on? Well, Samie has been officially potty trained (I've got a post started about THAT somewhere) and we are still working on getting Evie's eczema under control and hoping it will help with her sleeping through the night! We are working on landscaping our front yard and making it into a wonderful garden! I am still working for Dad but I have also formed a loose plan about starting my own business in the next few years! We'll just say I have a five-year-plan that I'm working on... We'll be starting potty training with Evie soon, though probably not until after our summertime rush, and the big news over here is our official start of homeschooling! I have quite a few posts in the works about that adventure!
So, feel free to check in, bring your favorite cup o'whatever, and sit down and hang out a bit!
Be sure to also check out my new website for Stuff N Junk and look forward to some new posts over there too!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Stepping back...
I can't imagine anyone that hasn't been affected by the elementary school shooting on 12/14/12. To be honest, all I can keep imagining are Christmas trees standing over piles of presents that will never be opened. Perhaps this is too simple or frivolous a picture to paint, but it has continued to bring tears to my eyes over the last few days.
We want to blame someone. We all want there to be an answer, a truth, a way to make it "understandable." It never will be though. As we all start to go back to our own lives, go back to our own holidays, or own troubles, we will continue to hear about who's to blame. And have you picked a side?
Are you on the side of those that believe it is all about gun control? It's violence in the media or entertainment world? It's bullies? It's mental health? It's God? It's the devil? At the end of the day does it matter? Will it bring any of them back? No. Nothing we do or say will change what has been broken.
So where do we go from here?
I'll tell you, the minute I heard about it I have to admit I wished that heartless piece of crap hadn't shot himself so that he could be pushed through the justice system. No matter what I read, I can't have sympathy for him. I refuse to use his name, I refuse to ever acknowledge his name. I will not give him infamy for something so offensive.
I read this article and I stopped and really thought about the whole thing...
I will ask, that we all show a little respect and compassion for those that have lost their lives, those that gave their lives, those that were left to clean up, and those that may never heal.
In life we all need to show a bit more compassion, and much more tolerance. More important, we just need to pay better attention and to look for ways to help those that cannot help themselves.
Was he and so many other murders victims to mental illness? Maybe. Does it matter now? Not for them, but perhaps for someone else.
I am a child of divorce. I am a child of drug abusive and alcohol abusive family members. There have been times in my life that I simply no longer wanted to exist, much younger than you may even imagine. There have been times that I have wanted to hurt other people both verbally and physically. There have been times that I have hurt other people both verbally and physically. So what makes me different? Why haven't I shot up a school, a movie theater, a mall? Why haven't I downed a bottle of pills or slit my wrist? I wish I could tell you. I wish there was something I could say that would be this magical light switch and we could solve all the worlds problems. I don't have an answer.
Some say it could be my family. Even in the worst of times, I have always had family to support me in some way. Some might say my faith. Were those others just not give a moral compass on their way into this world?
I am learning to see myself in my daughter, perhaps that is where I will start. At two-and-a-half she's got my temper, my need to be right, my need to be heard. I see an uncontrollable girl, wild in some ways. Do I think she's capable of hurting others? Yes, I do. Do I think I can teach her how not to hurt others? Yes, I do. I think she is at a time in her life that she is trying to be heard and learning how to communicate. I don't think she is a heartless creature, I think she understands the concept of love. So I will continue to teach her. I will teach her that she will not always get her way, that in love we will always get hurt and that strength comes from waking up each morning, looking in the mirror and saying "I'm going to be the best me I can be today." I will teach her that we don't hurt others to make ourselves feel better because it really doesn't work. I will teach her to look for the wonder and magic in every little thing in life, and as I also teach her sister, I will ask for both of their help, that they continue to teach each other throughout their lives.
It is not just about being a good or bad parent. I will admit, if my kids grow up to be "bad" people, I will take full responsibility. I understand there are true mental disabilities out there, ones that may not even be diagnosed, ones that maybe there is no help for yet, but that will never make me feel less responsible for the actions of the people I have created.
For those parents that have children with these uncontrollable, un-diagnosed, no-treatment-available conditions, I will continue to hope and pray that someday help will be available, that those children will grow up and be able to be functional, even happy, adults. Until that time, be conscious of your neighbors, of strangers, of whatever.
And hug your loved ones just a little bit closer.
We want to blame someone. We all want there to be an answer, a truth, a way to make it "understandable." It never will be though. As we all start to go back to our own lives, go back to our own holidays, or own troubles, we will continue to hear about who's to blame. And have you picked a side?
Are you on the side of those that believe it is all about gun control? It's violence in the media or entertainment world? It's bullies? It's mental health? It's God? It's the devil? At the end of the day does it matter? Will it bring any of them back? No. Nothing we do or say will change what has been broken.
So where do we go from here?
I'll tell you, the minute I heard about it I have to admit I wished that heartless piece of crap hadn't shot himself so that he could be pushed through the justice system. No matter what I read, I can't have sympathy for him. I refuse to use his name, I refuse to ever acknowledge his name. I will not give him infamy for something so offensive.
I read this article and I stopped and really thought about the whole thing...
I will ask, that we all show a little respect and compassion for those that have lost their lives, those that gave their lives, those that were left to clean up, and those that may never heal.
In life we all need to show a bit more compassion, and much more tolerance. More important, we just need to pay better attention and to look for ways to help those that cannot help themselves.
Was he and so many other murders victims to mental illness? Maybe. Does it matter now? Not for them, but perhaps for someone else.
I am a child of divorce. I am a child of drug abusive and alcohol abusive family members. There have been times in my life that I simply no longer wanted to exist, much younger than you may even imagine. There have been times that I have wanted to hurt other people both verbally and physically. There have been times that I have hurt other people both verbally and physically. So what makes me different? Why haven't I shot up a school, a movie theater, a mall? Why haven't I downed a bottle of pills or slit my wrist? I wish I could tell you. I wish there was something I could say that would be this magical light switch and we could solve all the worlds problems. I don't have an answer.
Some say it could be my family. Even in the worst of times, I have always had family to support me in some way. Some might say my faith. Were those others just not give a moral compass on their way into this world?
I am learning to see myself in my daughter, perhaps that is where I will start. At two-and-a-half she's got my temper, my need to be right, my need to be heard. I see an uncontrollable girl, wild in some ways. Do I think she's capable of hurting others? Yes, I do. Do I think I can teach her how not to hurt others? Yes, I do. I think she is at a time in her life that she is trying to be heard and learning how to communicate. I don't think she is a heartless creature, I think she understands the concept of love. So I will continue to teach her. I will teach her that she will not always get her way, that in love we will always get hurt and that strength comes from waking up each morning, looking in the mirror and saying "I'm going to be the best me I can be today." I will teach her that we don't hurt others to make ourselves feel better because it really doesn't work. I will teach her to look for the wonder and magic in every little thing in life, and as I also teach her sister, I will ask for both of their help, that they continue to teach each other throughout their lives.
It is not just about being a good or bad parent. I will admit, if my kids grow up to be "bad" people, I will take full responsibility. I understand there are true mental disabilities out there, ones that may not even be diagnosed, ones that maybe there is no help for yet, but that will never make me feel less responsible for the actions of the people I have created.
For those parents that have children with these uncontrollable, un-diagnosed, no-treatment-available conditions, I will continue to hope and pray that someday help will be available, that those children will grow up and be able to be functional, even happy, adults. Until that time, be conscious of your neighbors, of strangers, of whatever.
And hug your loved ones just a little bit closer.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
September Daybook
Outside my window...
Well, the weather man says mid-eighties but it has been feeling a bit warmer to me. Not that I go outside much but, I'm just sayin'. We have had some pretty late-summer days though!
I am thankful...
To be able to be thankful for the little things in life. Life can be rough, it throws us some curve-balls at times. I am thankful that I am a glass-half-full kinda gal! And for all the babies!!! The ones that have been long waited for, the ones that are tiny little miracles and bring joyful smiles!
I am thinking about...
Too many things to list...
Learning all the time...
Why exactly did I teach my two-year-old to read? Today she asked for the Bit-O-Honey that Daddy left on the table. She's never even had a Bit-O-Honey!!! I'm thankful she still doesn't know what we are talking about when we spell words out loud but she comes at me every day with a new word she points out, words I never would have thought to tell her! We are also learning how to communicate with said two-year-old. And learning everyday how quickly these girls are growing up.
Why exactly did I teach my two-year-old to read? Today she asked for the Bit-O-Honey that Daddy left on the table. She's never even had a Bit-O-Honey!!! I'm thankful she still doesn't know what we are talking about when we spell words out loud but she comes at me every day with a new word she points out, words I never would have thought to tell her! We are also learning how to communicate with said two-year-old. And learning everyday how quickly these girls are growing up.
From the kitchen...
Ugh, I have a kitchen? Thinking about making tacos tonight! The other day I put together mac-and-cheese from scratch! Big Sister, who now goes by the nickname BeeBug, loves watching cooking shows with me! Every day after nap she asks to watch "a cooking show" but mostly asks for "Giana" (Meaning Giada). I only watch Giada and Barefoot Contessa with her, they are soft-speaking, easy to watch shows that stay low-key.
Ugh, I have a kitchen? Thinking about making tacos tonight! The other day I put together mac-and-cheese from scratch! Big Sister, who now goes by the nickname BeeBug, loves watching cooking shows with me! Every day after nap she asks to watch "a cooking show" but mostly asks for "Giana" (Meaning Giada). I only watch Giada and Barefoot Contessa with her, they are soft-speaking, easy to watch shows that stay low-key.
I am creating...
Does thinking about creating count? I am creating a game plan! A very special nephew asked me to make him a Captain America Costume, I've been making lots of notes and gathering supplies! Since none of the pattern companies have jumped on the superhero market, I'll be making this costume from scratch! It will me my first costume/apparel pattern for a child and with so much detail! I'm very excited and nervous too! Also going to be making a Rapunzel costume for BeeBug including a lovely yarn headband with braid! And for Baby Sister, also known in our house as Bullfrog, she will be Rapunzel's trusty sidekick Pascal! If I have time, maybe a costume for me, then on to my Christmas sewing!
Does thinking about creating count? I am creating a game plan! A very special nephew asked me to make him a Captain America Costume, I've been making lots of notes and gathering supplies! Since none of the pattern companies have jumped on the superhero market, I'll be making this costume from scratch! It will me my first costume/apparel pattern for a child and with so much detail! I'm very excited and nervous too! Also going to be making a Rapunzel costume for BeeBug including a lovely yarn headband with braid! And for Baby Sister, also known in our house as Bullfrog, she will be Rapunzel's trusty sidekick Pascal! If I have time, maybe a costume for me, then on to my Christmas sewing!
I am working on...
So many things, organization, patience, completing tasks... Too many things...
So many things, organization, patience, completing tasks... Too many things...
I am going...
To, um, I don't even know... I going to feed kids, change diapers, do laundry, work on dishes... You know, live the glamorous life, right?
To, um, I don't even know... I going to feed kids, change diapers, do laundry, work on dishes... You know, live the glamorous life, right?
I am hoping...
That at some point I will have the kitchen counter cleared for 24 hours!
That at some point I will have the kitchen counter cleared for 24 hours!
I am reading...
Well, I'm not reading as much as I'd like, but I am working on reading more! At least to my kids... My cousin inspired me! You can read about it here... I'm not really putting a number to paper on this one. We're just running with it. For now, it's one book before bed. Nothing too long, not ready for chapter books quite yet... I think it's helping with at least a bedtime wind-down.
Well, I'm not reading as much as I'd like, but I am working on reading more! At least to my kids... My cousin inspired me! You can read about it here... I'm not really putting a number to paper on this one. We're just running with it. For now, it's one book before bed. Nothing too long, not ready for chapter books quite yet... I think it's helping with at least a bedtime wind-down.
I am praying...
That these elections are over soon! No, really, I'm tired of them and I am skimming so many Facebook posts now because I do not want to be caught up in the drama of it all! Otherwise it's all the norm.
That these elections are over soon! No, really, I'm tired of them and I am skimming so many Facebook posts now because I do not want to be caught up in the drama of it all! Otherwise it's all the norm.
I am hearing...
Kids radio and BeeBug playing with toys.
Kids radio and BeeBug playing with toys.
Around the house...
Things... Hubby got a job so it has been a lot more of me and the girls! Chores have slowed way down. What can you do with two working parents, one of which also takes care of the kids? We have come to the understanding that there will be dishes and laundry that will always need to be done, but at least if things are picked up a bit by the end of the day it makes for smoother sailing into the next day.
One of my favorite things...
Things... Hubby got a job so it has been a lot more of me and the girls! Chores have slowed way down. What can you do with two working parents, one of which also takes care of the kids? We have come to the understanding that there will be dishes and laundry that will always need to be done, but at least if things are picked up a bit by the end of the day it makes for smoother sailing into the next day.
One of my favorite things...
Being able to work from home. Sure, there are days that I just want to be one of those mom's that drops the kids off and goes to work, but on days like today, where Bullfrog isn't feeling well, I'd have to be home with her anyway! So I will take the good with the bad on that one.
A few plans for the rest of the week...
Birthday party on Saturday! Can't wait to see my oldest (known-him-my/his-whole-life) friend and his family to celebrate his oldest child!
Birthday party on Saturday! Can't wait to see my oldest (known-him-my/his-whole-life) friend and his family to celebrate his oldest child!
Random thought...
SongPop... My newest Facebook/App obsession! I can't get enough!
SongPop... My newest Facebook/App obsession! I can't get enough!
Here are picture thoughts I am sharing with you....
Friday, August 17, 2012
Best Advise I Ever Heard...
It wasn't advise I was being given, it was advise someone gave to another person, I just happened to hear it...
I used to go to "meetings". You know, the Anonymous type? Don't get it twisted, I was a teenager that didn't drink or smoke or do drugs, but I was the black sheep. Honestly I still am. You may not remember but back in the 80's there was a commercial with a kid in his room and the dad walks in with the kids "stash" and the kid says "I learned it from YOU dad." Well, even as a kid I thought that commercial was crap. I decided early on I wasn't going to be a statistic. If we were being taught to resist peer-pressure I always knew that started at home. I remember being about eight and thinking "I never want to grow up to be like my parents." And in many ways, I didn't...
But I did go to meetings. I at first I liked the meetings. I was 12 or 13 and I was so inspired by these people turning their lives around. I didn't understand a lot back then. I didn't fit in with the kids that went to Alateen... Those poor kids! My parents weren't bad, they never hit us or "abused" us! They just did what they did. Best line I ever heard in a movie?
"we're alcoholics. We're generally satisfied just to hurt ourselves." Where the Heart Is. No line in any movie ever said more. But I digress...
So, after the meetings a lot of people would go out for coffee or something and I remember one night after a meeting a lady had been talking about her problems with her daughter. You see, not every daughter is as enlightened as myself at such a young age! (evil grin) She was telling us that one night she was at the end of her rope, she had no idea what to do, so she called her sponsor. The sponsor told her to "Pick up your socks." I'm not sure what that lady thought about that response but even at 12 or 13 I thought it was GENIUS!
At some point I started getting mad at that whole system though. I got really mad really fast. You see, "they" would tell me to blame the drugs, blame the alcohol for the things my parents or grandparents did... As if the drugs or alcohol got into them all on its own! As an individual we make decisions about what we want to do, who we want to be. I didn't want to be that person, I wasn't going to be a sheep. I own my crap. I have always pulled up my own socks. Things get hard, I pull up my socks. I hit a mental wall, I pull up my socks.
The best advise I can ever give you (even if you're not asking) is to PULL UP YOUR SOCKS.
And that's my thing. It's why I'm a "black sheep". You see, I didn't turn to drugs or alcohol to get away from my "problems". Sure, I've never turned down a donut either!
(giggle)
But I do keep pulling up my socks...
But I did go to meetings. I at first I liked the meetings. I was 12 or 13 and I was so inspired by these people turning their lives around. I didn't understand a lot back then. I didn't fit in with the kids that went to Alateen... Those poor kids! My parents weren't bad, they never hit us or "abused" us! They just did what they did. Best line I ever heard in a movie?
"we're alcoholics. We're generally satisfied just to hurt ourselves." Where the Heart Is. No line in any movie ever said more. But I digress...
So, after the meetings a lot of people would go out for coffee or something and I remember one night after a meeting a lady had been talking about her problems with her daughter. You see, not every daughter is as enlightened as myself at such a young age! (evil grin) She was telling us that one night she was at the end of her rope, she had no idea what to do, so she called her sponsor. The sponsor told her to "Pick up your socks." I'm not sure what that lady thought about that response but even at 12 or 13 I thought it was GENIUS!
At some point I started getting mad at that whole system though. I got really mad really fast. You see, "they" would tell me to blame the drugs, blame the alcohol for the things my parents or grandparents did... As if the drugs or alcohol got into them all on its own! As an individual we make decisions about what we want to do, who we want to be. I didn't want to be that person, I wasn't going to be a sheep. I own my crap. I have always pulled up my own socks. Things get hard, I pull up my socks. I hit a mental wall, I pull up my socks.
The best advise I can ever give you (even if you're not asking) is to PULL UP YOUR SOCKS.
And that's my thing. It's why I'm a "black sheep". You see, I didn't turn to drugs or alcohol to get away from my "problems". Sure, I've never turned down a donut either!
(giggle)
But I do keep pulling up my socks...
Monday, August 13, 2012
Please Take A Minute...
On April 20, 2007 I began this email that I never finished or sent (back then I had no idea about blogging!):
What happened at Virginia Tech was a terrible tragedy. I don't agree with the publication of the video and photos that this murder created either. We are giving these psychos more ammunition by giving them their 15 minutes of fame!
So, who do we blame? Who is going to be punished for this horrible crime that has affected so many lives? Me? I blame myself, a little. I blame myself for every time I treated a stranger poorly just because I was in a bad mood. I blame myself for cutting off the old people that are not driving fast enough, and for cursing at the younger people for cutting me off. I blame myself for not saying "Hello. How are you?" enough. I blame myself for ignoring people that may have need my help, or even just my attention.
It's not ok to shoot people. It's not ok to make fun of people, nor is it ok to talk down to people, but at least that can be taken back. Do we punish the children that make fun of other kids in school? Do we punish the ignorant people that are racist or sexist because that is how they were raised? How do we stop these people from thinking that killing mean people is ok? I was made fun of when I was little. I was too fat, I was too blond, I was too dumb, I was too smart. Do I kill people? No. Do I want to? Maybe sometimes I would like to think about causing someone else physical pain, but I never really would. Do I mean to be mean? Not usually, but sometimes I am anyway.
So, what do we do? Don't tell me that we need to ban guns, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, "GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE!!! PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!!!!!!" So, what do we do?
How many shootings have we had since then? How many crazy events. It's strange to think that 9/11 hadn't even happened yet.
And 7/20/12, another shooting. Another random act of senseless violence. I even saw one report assuring the readers that it was confirmed the shooter was not affiliated with any terrorist group. Seriously? He was a terrorist. He shot up a theater full of unarmed people!
So, what do we do?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to hug my kids just a little bit more. I am going to tell people I love them a bit more often. I'm going to work hard not to cause extra nonsense. I'm going to work on my patience. I'm going to stay vigilant about keeping my guard up. I am going to continue to be ridiculously aware of my surroundings. I'm going to continue to keep those that were affected by this tragedy in my thoughts. I'm going to change the channel when they put that terrorist on t.v. I am not going to Google him. I'm not going to wish him ill. I am going to simply not give him his 15 seconds.
When you read this, please remember to not give people 15 seconds of fame for doing something so deplorable. Instead, focus on the kid down the street that is staying in school and out of trouble. Focus on the husband and wife that are still together light years past any Hollywood couple. Focus on the parents that discipline their children with a strong voice and (maybe even sometimes) a firm hand.
I was not raised to take out my anger on others. Does it happen? Absolutely. Do I regret it later. Yes, I do. But if I am mean to someone, say things I may not mean, at least I know I can go back later and say I'm sorry. And that they are still around to forgive me.
Take a minute today. A minute of silence for those that have lost their lives. Whether a life was lost from natural causes or an untimely and tragic incident, there is always someone that mourns. Take a minute to appreciate the little things. Take a minute to acknowledge what someone else did to make the day better.
When you read this, please remember to not give people 15 seconds of fame for doing something so deplorable. Instead, focus on the kid down the street that is staying in school and out of trouble. Focus on the husband and wife that are still together light years past any Hollywood couple. Focus on the parents that discipline their children with a strong voice and (maybe even sometimes) a firm hand.
I was not raised to take out my anger on others. Does it happen? Absolutely. Do I regret it later. Yes, I do. But if I am mean to someone, say things I may not mean, at least I know I can go back later and say I'm sorry. And that they are still around to forgive me.
Take a minute today. A minute of silence for those that have lost their lives. Whether a life was lost from natural causes or an untimely and tragic incident, there is always someone that mourns. Take a minute to appreciate the little things. Take a minute to acknowledge what someone else did to make the day better.
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