Today I feel like I am being pulled in 12 different directions. We are down to one car, we have Christmas programs, Christmas shopping, moms coming in to town within the week, I have had to drive the kids to their dads and back (which is an 80 mile round trip venture), nursing a toddler, chasing a toddler, trying to clean the house, AAAAHHHHH!!!!
Today is one of those days that the Art of Being Mom looks like a Pablo Picasso painting on crack. I am writing this while nursing the baby to sleep, talk about multi-tasking. I have to go pick up Christmas cards, pick up the kids, pick up the hubby, dinner, get the kids dressed and ready for the Christmas program tonight, make myself presentable, toddler, hubby can definitely dress himself thank God.
I just feel very stressed, and like I am unable to enjoy this time of year. With all the running and chasing, and doing and going, I feel like I cannot even enjoy what this season is supposed to be about. I need a break. Maybe I need to just start earlier, like March.
I hate to sound like a BAH HUMBUG, but sometimes, that is how I feel. Of course that all changes when I look at my kids and see how excited they are for Christmas to get here.
Okay, baby asleep, check! Now, to lay her down for a nap and grab a shower....I hope that smell isnt me, I am pretty sure it is the dog...another task for my ever growing TO DO LIST.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
My heart aches after reading this....
Please read THIS. I had tears in my eyes after reading this. My heart aches for anyone and everyone raising children with mental illness, and unable to find the help that they know they need.
Please, reach out to other parents, especially if they are in need of extra love and support. Do not let them go through this alone. Lend them your shoulder, something.
Please, reach out to other parents, especially if they are in need of extra love and support. Do not let them go through this alone. Lend them your shoulder, something.
I Sing Like Alicia Keys, And Look LIke Jennifer Aniston.
When my oldest child was a toddler she thought that Jennifer Aniston was me. We would be in the grocery store and she would see a magazine cover with Jennifer on it, and she would start pointing and saying, "Mommy! Look, it's Mommy!" People would oooh and ahhh over how cute it was. I was incredibly flattered. Well, today, her sister increased the ante.
On the way home from their dad's house we were listening to the radio and singing like we were on a stage in Madison Square Garden. The new Alicia Keys song came on, "That Girl Is On Fire." Well, we were giving it our best, and my 8 year old says to me, "Mommy, I cannot tell the difference between you and the singer!" So, I have made a note to myself to get her hearing tested because obviously she cannot hear anymore.
No really, it was incredibly sweet. Just as sweet as her blind sister that thought Jennifer Aniston was mommy oh so long ago. The point here is this, my kids think I look and sound like beautiful, incredibly talented famous people. Wait, no, that is not the point. The point is that my girls look at me like the superstar in their lives. Yes, that is my point. It is an honor and a privilege to be their mother. I love them so much.
Our kids hold us in the highest of regards. They put us on a pedastel, and it is our job to earn that position. We have to act like the people they perceive us to be. Be the example of the person you wish to raise your child to be like. Be there, listen, guide them, give them your time, your heart. Let them know they too are the superstars in your life. Teach them to sing out loud, heart and soul!
On the way home from their dad's house we were listening to the radio and singing like we were on a stage in Madison Square Garden. The new Alicia Keys song came on, "That Girl Is On Fire." Well, we were giving it our best, and my 8 year old says to me, "Mommy, I cannot tell the difference between you and the singer!" So, I have made a note to myself to get her hearing tested because obviously she cannot hear anymore.
No really, it was incredibly sweet. Just as sweet as her blind sister that thought Jennifer Aniston was mommy oh so long ago. The point here is this, my kids think I look and sound like beautiful, incredibly talented famous people. Wait, no, that is not the point. The point is that my girls look at me like the superstar in their lives. Yes, that is my point. It is an honor and a privilege to be their mother. I love them so much.
Our kids hold us in the highest of regards. They put us on a pedastel, and it is our job to earn that position. We have to act like the people they perceive us to be. Be the example of the person you wish to raise your child to be like. Be there, listen, guide them, give them your time, your heart. Let them know they too are the superstars in your life. Teach them to sing out loud, heart and soul!
Blessing, 6 Year Old Beat Up On A Special Ed Bus
I just read a story about a little girl named Blessing. You can read the story here. My mouth was dropping open the further I got into the article. I cannot believe that this child was assaulted on a school bus and she is the one that is being punished.
This child was attacked by two older kids. The two bus attendents did nothing, and apparently found humor in the incident that sent the little girl home in hysterics. Her mother called the police immediately, thank God for her common sense. Too many people would have first called the attorney or something. No, this mom kept her wits about her and called the police and an ambulance for someone to come check out her daughter to make sure she was physically okay other than the bruise on her body.
I am shocked and appauled by this. At what point to do we step up and protect our children? At what point do we stop other kids from hurting the younger, weaker ones? Actually, at what point does that become amusing to an adult, and WHY were they not removed from the bus route immediately?? Even if an investigation were to show that they somehow were not neglegent and contributors to child abuse, they should be removed until proven they were not involved.
I really hope that beautiful little Blessing gets justice for what has happened to her. No child should be attacked. A school bus is certainly no place that any physical altercation should be taking place. The slightest distraction can cause a horrible accident. Why the two monitors on this bus were allowing anything like this to happen is beyond me.
This child was attacked by two older kids. The two bus attendents did nothing, and apparently found humor in the incident that sent the little girl home in hysterics. Her mother called the police immediately, thank God for her common sense. Too many people would have first called the attorney or something. No, this mom kept her wits about her and called the police and an ambulance for someone to come check out her daughter to make sure she was physically okay other than the bruise on her body.
I am shocked and appauled by this. At what point to do we step up and protect our children? At what point do we stop other kids from hurting the younger, weaker ones? Actually, at what point does that become amusing to an adult, and WHY were they not removed from the bus route immediately?? Even if an investigation were to show that they somehow were not neglegent and contributors to child abuse, they should be removed until proven they were not involved.
I really hope that beautiful little Blessing gets justice for what has happened to her. No child should be attacked. A school bus is certainly no place that any physical altercation should be taking place. The slightest distraction can cause a horrible accident. Why the two monitors on this bus were allowing anything like this to happen is beyond me.
Adam Lanza
Yes, that is his name. Adam Lanza. This is the person that found the ability in his twisted, screwed up world to walk into an elementary school and murder innocent children and teachers. That is his name, Adam Lanza. Why he committed the crime that he did is still unknown, but I think the main point here is that he was deeply troubled. In the article I linked to his name it states that he was known for showing no emotion, an outsider, a loner, and strange. At least one person who went to school with him says that it was not a surprise that he did this.
THAT is the problem with our country. We have kids walking around through their lives, with something wrong inside. They are saying that they could see that something was wrong with this person. Why, why was he just walking around unstable, unemotional, waiting for the wrong thing to set him off? I am not saying that any person who is anti-social should be locked up, but this kid had a history of instability.
I feel like this kid's village failed him. I do. I know many people are just condemning his heinous actions, and I am not trying to minimize the aftermath. I just think that instead of solely focusing on gun control and whether or not to increase it, decrease it, or just plain enforce what we have, we need to look at our society's handling of mental illness.
We have to make something positive come out of this horror. Our society has fallen off a much worse cliff than anything fiscal, we have fallen off a moral cliff. We have lost control of what we allow our children to be expose to. We have pushed aside those that need help, brushing it under the rug as they are just different. Different is okay, but mentally unstable needs help!
We have to become accountable as a society. We have to stand up for our morals and values, and not just talk about, we have to act on it! We have to return to the days where neighborhoods were safe for kids to play in after school. We have to return to the time when it was okay to have a disagreement with someone and not worry about them killing you in the street. We have to return to a time where we respected human life, and cherished all of our kids.
I implore parents everywhere to stand up and start working together. We do not have to agree on every parenting aspect, it is okay if we do things differently than each other. But we have to work together to raise our children in a healthy, thriving environment. We have to take back our society, and say enough is enough. Only we can do this, we on the front lines of our home towns. We are the soldiers in this war. We fight it with love, compassion, understanding, and most of all COMMUNICATION!!!
I challenge you, you reading this right now, to use your voice right now and state your role. How are you going to change the world you live in today? What is your first step in action? How will you make your world a better place for your children, or your nieces/nephews, your cousins, your neighbors children, any and every child growing up in our society today?
THAT is the problem with our country. We have kids walking around through their lives, with something wrong inside. They are saying that they could see that something was wrong with this person. Why, why was he just walking around unstable, unemotional, waiting for the wrong thing to set him off? I am not saying that any person who is anti-social should be locked up, but this kid had a history of instability.
I feel like this kid's village failed him. I do. I know many people are just condemning his heinous actions, and I am not trying to minimize the aftermath. I just think that instead of solely focusing on gun control and whether or not to increase it, decrease it, or just plain enforce what we have, we need to look at our society's handling of mental illness.
We have to make something positive come out of this horror. Our society has fallen off a much worse cliff than anything fiscal, we have fallen off a moral cliff. We have lost control of what we allow our children to be expose to. We have pushed aside those that need help, brushing it under the rug as they are just different. Different is okay, but mentally unstable needs help!
We have to become accountable as a society. We have to stand up for our morals and values, and not just talk about, we have to act on it! We have to return to the days where neighborhoods were safe for kids to play in after school. We have to return to the time when it was okay to have a disagreement with someone and not worry about them killing you in the street. We have to return to a time where we respected human life, and cherished all of our kids.
I implore parents everywhere to stand up and start working together. We do not have to agree on every parenting aspect, it is okay if we do things differently than each other. But we have to work together to raise our children in a healthy, thriving environment. We have to take back our society, and say enough is enough. Only we can do this, we on the front lines of our home towns. We are the soldiers in this war. We fight it with love, compassion, understanding, and most of all COMMUNICATION!!!
I challenge you, you reading this right now, to use your voice right now and state your role. How are you going to change the world you live in today? What is your first step in action? How will you make your world a better place for your children, or your nieces/nephews, your cousins, your neighbors children, any and every child growing up in our society today?
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Christmas Presents...
I am curious to know what everyone is getting their kids for Christmas. My 10 year old has told me that most of her friends either have or are getting a iPad....which boggled my mind. She has a Kindle, and her 8 year old sister will be getting a Nook this year. My oldest is getting a room makeover. Her sister got one for her birthday in August and it made her older sister green with envy. Beyond that they are getting books, nail polish, clothes, a couple arts and crafts type things, a board game or two, and that is it from us.
I was curious what the most popular toys are this year, so I did a little research and found out what many kids can expect under the tree. It is a general list so there are some boy toys, some girl toys and a wide age range. But these are some of the most popular items. If your child is getting any of these, feel free to give a review once they have played with it.
1. Leap Frog LeapPad 2. This is a tablet for kids. The joke is that it may help keep your kids away from your iPad. Ummm, that is what high shelves are for, right?? Really though, it looks fun! It is for ages 3 to 9 years old, which is AMAZING!
2. HEXBUG Warriors. This is a really cool looking item. I do not have boys, or girls that play with HEXBUGS but I would give it a whirl if I did!! This goes for ages 6 and up.
3. Melissa and Doug Suspend. This one looks really fun! It is for ages 3 and up due to small pieces. I might have to find this one for my girls. They are constantly looking for new games to try. I do not worry so much about the 15 month old getting, and eating, pieces but I do worry about the dog.
4. Razor Flash Rider 360. Okay, so I wish this was big enough for me to ride. HA! I know what you are thinking, and yes, we should all thank God it is not. This one looks really awesome. It is for ages 6 and up, and will support up to 160 pounds. So I guess technically it will support me, but ummm, let's not go testing weight limits.
5. Tegu Mobility Magnetic Car. This will round out our top 5 of the most popular toys. I have never heard of this one, so if someone has a review I would love for you to post it!! This toy is for ages 3 to 15 years old.
Honestly, my kids are not picky at all. They are fairly girly so makeup, jewelry, nail polish, lotions, hair stuff...all the usual stuff makes them happy. Put that with a couple of odds and ends and one really awesome present and they are set to go. The little one, yes, that is the one that is proving to be tough. She is 15 months old, needs nothing, and her favorite thing to play with is her family. She loves interacting with all of us, including the dog. So I am having a heck of a time figuring out what to buy her.
Enjoy the company of your family this year, every year. Enjoy each other, try not to stress, and remember to stop and love those kidlets.
I was curious what the most popular toys are this year, so I did a little research and found out what many kids can expect under the tree. It is a general list so there are some boy toys, some girl toys and a wide age range. But these are some of the most popular items. If your child is getting any of these, feel free to give a review once they have played with it.
1. Leap Frog LeapPad 2. This is a tablet for kids. The joke is that it may help keep your kids away from your iPad. Ummm, that is what high shelves are for, right?? Really though, it looks fun! It is for ages 3 to 9 years old, which is AMAZING!
2. HEXBUG Warriors. This is a really cool looking item. I do not have boys, or girls that play with HEXBUGS but I would give it a whirl if I did!! This goes for ages 6 and up.
3. Melissa and Doug Suspend. This one looks really fun! It is for ages 3 and up due to small pieces. I might have to find this one for my girls. They are constantly looking for new games to try. I do not worry so much about the 15 month old getting, and eating, pieces but I do worry about the dog.
4. Razor Flash Rider 360. Okay, so I wish this was big enough for me to ride. HA! I know what you are thinking, and yes, we should all thank God it is not. This one looks really awesome. It is for ages 6 and up, and will support up to 160 pounds. So I guess technically it will support me, but ummm, let's not go testing weight limits.
5. Tegu Mobility Magnetic Car. This will round out our top 5 of the most popular toys. I have never heard of this one, so if someone has a review I would love for you to post it!! This toy is for ages 3 to 15 years old.
Honestly, my kids are not picky at all. They are fairly girly so makeup, jewelry, nail polish, lotions, hair stuff...all the usual stuff makes them happy. Put that with a couple of odds and ends and one really awesome present and they are set to go. The little one, yes, that is the one that is proving to be tough. She is 15 months old, needs nothing, and her favorite thing to play with is her family. She loves interacting with all of us, including the dog. So I am having a heck of a time figuring out what to buy her.
Enjoy the company of your family this year, every year. Enjoy each other, try not to stress, and remember to stop and love those kidlets.
Pre-Teens
My oldest daughter is 10 years. I know some may not think of that as being pre-teen, but trust me she is very mature for her age....sometimes I think she is a 10 year old in a 25 year old body. That being said, I have had to come to grips with entering a new phase of parenthood. Discussing hormones, body changes, and puberty. Let me just say now, I would rather be hit with a sock full of nickles than to discuss sex with my child. But I have to, it is the responsible thing to do.
First, it was the period talk. I sat her down and discussed what happens in a girls body as she grows and changes. I talked boobs, hair growth, menstration....it was painful, but I made it through. Then I swore her to secrecy until she has to discuss this with her children. Well, maybe not that kind of secrecy, but I told her not to tell her sister. I also told her that this was something that parents discuss with their kids and not to say anything at school because it is up to her friends' parents to talk about this with them. So far, no one has called to curse me because my child told their kid about the facts of puberty.
The next topic of discussion, sex. Oh. My. Gosh. Just smack me now. She came home the other day saying that a boy in her class was making a joke about something tickling his pickle. She said he had to explain to her what that meant. Now I know I have to have the sex talk with her. I cannot have fellow fifth graders sharing with her the misinformation about sex that only fifth graders could share.
I am trying to work up the courage for this one. I would love some advice, book recommendations, a life line....something to make this easier. I know all parents should be having this conversation with their kids, but I know many do not. Mostly out of embarrassment, I think. We need to realize that we are not doing our kids any favors by not discussing things with them. They will find out one way or another, and they should learn from a reliable source, their parents.
So, after I psych myself up I will take the plunge into the abyss that is the sex talk with my child. I better get used to it, there are two more after her. Maybe I will practice on the dog. He does not understand anyway so I cannot traumatize him too badly.
Someday I will look back on this and laugh....someday.
First, it was the period talk. I sat her down and discussed what happens in a girls body as she grows and changes. I talked boobs, hair growth, menstration....it was painful, but I made it through. Then I swore her to secrecy until she has to discuss this with her children. Well, maybe not that kind of secrecy, but I told her not to tell her sister. I also told her that this was something that parents discuss with their kids and not to say anything at school because it is up to her friends' parents to talk about this with them. So far, no one has called to curse me because my child told their kid about the facts of puberty.
The next topic of discussion, sex. Oh. My. Gosh. Just smack me now. She came home the other day saying that a boy in her class was making a joke about something tickling his pickle. She said he had to explain to her what that meant. Now I know I have to have the sex talk with her. I cannot have fellow fifth graders sharing with her the misinformation about sex that only fifth graders could share.
I am trying to work up the courage for this one. I would love some advice, book recommendations, a life line....something to make this easier. I know all parents should be having this conversation with their kids, but I know many do not. Mostly out of embarrassment, I think. We need to realize that we are not doing our kids any favors by not discussing things with them. They will find out one way or another, and they should learn from a reliable source, their parents.
So, after I psych myself up I will take the plunge into the abyss that is the sex talk with my child. I better get used to it, there are two more after her. Maybe I will practice on the dog. He does not understand anyway so I cannot traumatize him too badly.
Someday I will look back on this and laugh....someday.
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