Reading Tips

I bought window cling words from the Dollar Tree - The "colors" words... There were 10 paint splashes with colors and the words... and 10 tubes of paint with colors and the words.

I took the window clings and put one set on the car window where Kira sits and the other set on the car window where Marisa sits.

Now when we're in the car, the girls can practice reading the "colors" and learn how each color is spelled. They think it's super cool and I get to work in a school lesson without much effort.

Both my girls sit on the driver side, so the cling stickers don't interfere with the driver's ability to see out the window. They like this so much that I think I may expand the project to include some other words, too. Right now we'll focus on the colors... then move on to something a bit more complicated.

One important part of educating your children is to think outside the box. Do something unexpected... to keep them interested in learning and having fun with the process.

To Tell or Not to Tell...

I was having a conversation with my son the other day about friends and such. He's sixteen now and getting information from him is worse than pulling teeth with no pain killers. This particular day, though, I must have asked the right questions.

I asked him if any of his friends drink alcohol. His response was to tell me that he was smart enough not to tell me if they were. Okay - fair enough. I guess I can see his point.

Then I asked him if any of his friends do illegal drugs. His response was to tell me that if they were, they were smart enough not to tell him.

I must be doing something right...

Got Toys?

I was visiting my sister the other day when her step-daughter dropped off the granddaughter for a weekend visit. The little girl is about 18 months old, and my sister mentioned that she had to spend most of her time following the child around to keep her out of trouble. I suggested that she give the girl some toys, but my sister pointed out to me that she didn't have any toys to give the child. Apparently all the toys that she buys for her granddaughter, the toys find their way home with the child instead of remaining to be played with another day.

After about ten minutes of watching my sister chase the toddler around the house - taking away every possibility of getting into just about anything - I took pity on them. Yes - BOTH of them. The child just wanted to play and explore. That is, after all, the job of any proper toddler. Get into EVERYTHING and explore the world.

Without a word, I attacked my sister's kitchen. She was slightly horrified until she realized that I did have a purpose and was not just randomly yanking everything out of her (slightly cluttered) cabinets and drawers. Out came the plastic bowls. Over there was a drawer filled with plastic spoons and measuring cups. Under that sink was muffin tins and a whole stack of plastic take-out cups from Wendy's. (I managed to avoid asking just why in the world my sister felt the need to keep all those take out cups... and just quietly thanked the heavens that she had.) I pulled out a treasure trove of goodies and placed them all on the kitchen floor - within easy reach of the very interested little girl. Within minutes, her granddaughter was joined by Kira and Marisa in the melee of cutlery and containers.

I also suggested the possibility of pouring some Cheerios into one of the bowls and letting the baby  experiment with transferring cereal from one bowl to the other. (Mind you - I didn't intend for her to pour the ENTIRE BOX of Honey Nut Cheerios into the bowl... Really - I didn't.) It didn't take long for all three girls to be happily munching on Cheerios, moving them from bowl to bowl, and shaking the sticky bits of cereal off their hands and pants. In fact, it didn't take very long at all for the entire house to be covered in trails of Cheerios. It was very easy to find any one of those girls.... JUST FOLLOW THE TRAIL.

My sister sat on the couch and laughed herself into tears as her little granddaughter shook her hands in the air trying to remove crunchy little circles from her hands. When I left that day, I couldn't help but gloat just a little bit. I had taught my sister (my older sister - at that) a very valuable lesson in toddler play. But there was a much greater reason to gloat as I was leaving that day.


... the mess was in HER house and not mine, so I didn't have to worry about cleaning up all those random bits of cereal. Ha ha ha....

Animal Shelter

Yay - oh yay - oh yay!!!

I contacted our local animal shelter today to find out about their volunteer program. As part of our school studies, Kira and Marisa will begin volunteering at the shelter next week. They will get to play with dogs and cats to their little hearts' content. The volunteer program allows for children of any age as long as they are accompanied by an adult. We can walk dogs in the dog run, play with kittens and cats to help socialize them, and maybe even do some grooming of the animals.

I'm very excited about this because I think volunteer work is very useful to a child's education. Also, I don't have to pay for access to this type of educational adventure. As home schoolers, we use the resources within our own community to enhance their learning, and I believe that it is very important for children to understand that they can impact the community by doing things to make life better for others.

So starting next Tuesday - Kira and Marisa go to work at their new job! Yippee...

Training Dragons

Marisa received a new movie for Christmas that has simply taken over our lives.

How to Train Your Dragon

Since this new movie about the most feared dragon - the Night Fury - has come into our lives, Marisa has become obsessed with a certain special dragon named Toothless. Now, if you're lucky enough to be familiar with this movie, you already know that the movie is pretty good. The plot, the animation, the concepts - it's all there and all very entertaining. If you are not already familiar with this movie, then you should probably find a way to watch this movie.

I should be kind enough to warn you of the possible consequences of bringing this movie into your home. Your child might find it necessary to own her own dragon. Your child might find the need to attempt to ride said dragon. Your child might even insist that you watch this movie on a regular basis - Oh, about once every two hours or so...

Lucky for me, the movie is entertaining enough to be tolerated when excessive exposure occurs. Lucky for me, I happen to find Toothless to be an adorable addition to our family - both the stuffed Toothless and the invisible Toothless!

I can haz entertainment?

Are you looking for an inexpensive and easy way to provide everlasting entertainment for your children (and your cats)?

The answer is right in your own back yard. You need only make a couple of minor purchases and then be on your way to never ending entertainment for your children (and your cats).

What you need: 

1 or more bird feeders
1 or more bags of bird seed

What you do:

Find a good spot in your yard to hang the bird feeders. Near a window is preferable.
Apply liberal amounts of bird seed on a regular basis.
Keep the blinds open so the kids (and cats) can enjoy the ever changing view.

Bird feeders are great, especially in the winter. We hung our feeders a few short weeks ago, and we're already the most popular house on the block. The sheer volume of hungry birds that visit our back deck every day is unbelievable. The girls (and the cats) sit by the window and jump for joy each time a new bird visits. The girls (and the cats)  twitch with excitement as we watch new birds settle in the nearby trees, waiting their turn at the feeders. We have even had the opportunity to learn about the various types of birds that frequent our back yard. Cardinals are frequent visitors, and we have learned the difference between female and male cardinals just by watching the birds that come to eat.

It is fun to feed the local wildlife. Your kids (and cats) get free entertainment, and you are doing something to help out in the world. You can also dispose of old bread, old cereal and leftover crackers in this manner. Just sprinkle the crumbs out in the yard for the birds and squirrels to scavenge. Those bits of food end up in some lucky animal's tummy instead of the landfill. See - just another way that feeding the animals helps.

Survival - Kira's Current Obsession

I told Kira and Marisa that we were going for a drive and asked Kira to tell me what we needed to put in the car in case of an emergency. So she decided that we needed a couple of blankets, some water, some food, flashlights, a lighter, and some toys... lol.
So we got 3 blankets - one for each of us - and a pack of graham crackers and a jar of peanut butter. I filled 2 bottles with water. She helped me gather all our emergency supplies and take everything to the car.

We had to go by the Dollar Tree to get batteries, so I got her and Marisa a Sprite and me a Dasani water.

Then we 'got lost' - literally. I asked them which way to turn at every light or stop sign. I couldn't even begin to tell you how we got where we went. I found a place called Bolding Mill campground. We stopped there and got out to look at the lake because there was a very shallow area where you could see the bottom. I explained that all the leaves that we could see piled up in the water makes perfect places for fish to lay their eggs because the babies can hide from predators. Then a guy came with his boat and we watched him put his boat in the water - move his truck - and go off on the lake to fish.

I taught Kira how to use my phone to call her daddy, just in case mommy ever got hurt and couldn't use the phone. Then we went on with our 'getting lost' adventure.

So then I come to a place called Toto Creek. Again, it is a local campground with boat docks. (lots of those around here)

I parked the car and we all got out and walked over to the edge of the trees. There was a big wooded area. Kira and I chose a good clearing (right near the edge of the woods/parking lot) where we could build ourselves a shelter - and then we pretended we were lost in the woods and trying to survive until somebody found us.

(I'm sure you're laughing by now... but it gets better.)

I had to use the scissors that we had included in our emergency kit to cut away some briers from our clearing. While I was doing that - without any direction from me at all - Kira was gathering longer branches that we could use to build a 'roof' over our shelter.

So I laid one blanket on the ground after I cleared the briers and twigs and pine cones out of the way. I sat Marisa down and covered her with another blanket so she could be warm. And then I used the branches that Kira had found to build a sort of wall by wedging it between the trees. We had chosen an area that had several trees kind of lumped together, but was clear in the center and had a natural "doorway" for the shelter. Anyways, I used the third blanket to drape over the branches to act as a wind break wall.

Then we snuggled up together and I made Graham Cracker, peanut butter, ghiradelli square sandwiches... which were beyond delicious!

We sat and talked about how we could build a better shelter if we were actually lost. What we would do if we heard voices out in the woods if we were actually lost. Lots of different scenarios...

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AWESOMENESS! And... I thought of this all on my very own!!! lol

I told Kira that we will go camping when the campgrounds open in the Spring and we will build ourselves a true shelter using trees and sticks and stuff.

I was amazed at how she "packed" our emergency kit and how she chose properly sized branches that were just right for wedging between the trees for building a shelter.

I just had to share. It was so much fun!
(Marisa was pretty much just along for the ride - and the chocolate peanut butter sandwiches... )

The Christmas Scramble

Why, oh why, does the powers that rule over the world of toys make it so difficult for us parents to procure that perfect gift for our children? Those in charge somehow know exactly what toys are going to be most coveted. They release the toy in September or so, with only a limited supply so that that one item is around for a very short time when parents are  not even thinking about Christmas. Then - very clever of them - they make sure that the prized toy is simply unavailable by the middle of November, leaving a trail of frantic and frustrated parents.

This year's prize - TOOTHLESS.

I had originally intended to have Santa bring an Ant Farm for my 4 year old - Marisa. Unfortunately, the weather grew too cold for ants to travel, and I was left to search for another suitable exciting item for Santa to leave under the tree. We recently discovered How to Train Your Dragon, so it occurred to me that she would like to have a Toothless. After all, she spends a great deal of time pretending that she has an invisible dragon named Toothless. I have no doubt that this will please her, even though she has not thought to request it. Indeed, she is not even aware that such a creature exists. Neither was I until I did a nifty little Google search.

Much to my dismay, that Google search revealed that Toothless does not exist in any store. Clever toy manufacturers limited the supply for Christmas in order to drive up the demand. So - I did what most parents would do. I checked elsewhere. There's Amazon, Ebay, and multiple other locations for buying coveted items that can not be located in stores. Sadly I discovered that this little dragon was selling for exorbitant prices. I was certain that I had no chance of being the lucky soul who would have a Toothless under my tree this year. I began making alternate plans - JUST IN CASE. As I planned, I also placed a bid. I hoped that my bid would be enough, but I have a budget to maintain. I have a limit of what I am willing to spend on any stuffed animal - even for Christmas. The item I chose to bid on included extras, too, so it was more appealing. There was a small package of Squinkies - also coveted this year - and a miniature Toothless figurine. The package was alluring and promising. I dared not hope for positive results because I felt certain that some other soul would be willing to pay way more for this collection that I could manage.

This morning broke with a sigh of relief. I woke with a start and hurried to check the status of my Ebay bid. The bid ended sometime in the night. Having entered my maximum bid, I felt no need to watch the disaster as my prize was stolen from me by some other with a higher bid. Instead I ignored the bid and hoped - prayed - for the optimum outcome.

You should know that I do not normally obsess so much about buying the perfect gift for my children. They are typically so easy to please. The issue here, though, is that I had already determined the PERFECT GIFT for Marisa and had it all planned out. That ant farm was going to be so amazing. She would have her very own ants. She would be beyond thrilled. (My mother-in-law would not be so thrilled at the idea of ants spending the night in her refrigerator, but she was going to suck it up for the greater good... ) The weather, which is rarely THIS cold here, took a turn that required me to change my plans. It took me some time to come up with the next idea.... and then I found that it was going to be difficult, at best, for me to make that happen.

Well, I digress.

This morning broke with a sigh of relief. I woke with a start and hurried to check the status of my Ebay bid. Imagine my surprise and glee when I discovered that I WON MY BID!

Yes - I awoke to find an invoice awaiting payment for my wonderful little Toothless (and everything else). I am so thrilled and excited. The seller has assured me that he will make sure the package is mailed first thing Monday morning via Priority Mail, complete with a tracking number. Now I have to sit back and wait patiently for my Toothless to arrive. I am having it mailed to my mother-in-law's house since we will be there for Christmas. I am certain that she will be more accepting of a dragon in her house than those little ants.... although having ants in her refrigerator would have been so much fun.

And in January - a few short days after Christmas - I have no doubt that every store between here and said mother-in-law's house will be FLOODED with multiple stuffed Toothless dragons...because that is what the manufacturers do.

Imagination...

Have you ever listened to your children as they play whatever pretend games they enjoy playing? It is a very interesting activity to sit and listen in while they play imaginary games. I've noticed over the past few weeks that my girls are playing games that replicate their real lives. Whatever issues they might be dealing with at the time are acted out in the realm of their pretend world. Their animals have nap times, move to new homes, meet new friends, and even lose their teeth - based on whatever is going on in our real lives.

Kira loves to reenact her favorite television programs, too. Her animals have been sold in yard sales - based on Clean House. They have been in competitions to find out who is the best cook - based on Iron Chef. They play school even though my girls are home schooled. They rescue other animals. The scenarios are really quite endless.

This process of imaginary play is so important for the development of the child's mind and social skills. (Social skills? Learned through imaginary play?  --- YEP!) Children who actively engage in imaginary play are given the greatest opportunity to explore every possible role that they might experience in life. The imagination can allow them to be a teacher, be mean, be nice, and even play through all the possible outcomes of each persona they choose to imagine within themselves.

In our excessively structured world where children are expected to engage in multiple activities and spend every waking moment involved in some sort of perfectly scheduled activity, the unstructured freedom of imagination has been lost. It is time to allow children to reconnect with their imagination. Give them freedom and allow them to revel in a world that is not dictated by any predetermined rules.

Let them play!

I Need Help

I'm wandering through my day today, dealing with two very whiny children. I have no idea what has happened to turn my darling angels in to devilish monsters, but I know that something has to change - and FAST - before I completely lose my mind. (or what's left of it...)

In an attempt to figure out what to do, I revisited one of my old posts - Oh the Joy of Whiny Days... - and did a bit of reading to refresh my memory with the wonderful advice I gave so long ago. 

Reading through the list of possible causes of extreme whiny behavior, I had to stop and consider what might be going on.

I know the girls are coming off of an extended sugar high thanks to the gracious givers of Halloween candy. We came home with far more candy than anybody ever needs to eat in such a short time, but eat it they did. There has been a continual barrage of requests for "just one more piece ... PLEASE!" I've held them off as much as possible, but the candy has now dwindled to those dreaded pieces of undesired candy droppings - you know the ones... those things that NOBODY eats, but somebody out there feels the need to buy and give out. That person is probably gleefully passing out dreaded candy droppings while they lament upon the notion of begging for candy in the first place. (If I must give you candy, I'll give you something that I know you will never, ever eat! Bwa ha ha!!!)

And then there's the wiggly tooth. Actually, it would be more correct to say wiggly teeth, as Kira has four teeth that are wiggling their way out of her mouth. One of those teeth is now barely holding on to its last stronghold of rooting in the lower level of her gums. Unfortunately she gets to experience the discomfort of that lingering tooth until it finally gives up its battle to stay where it is. She refuses to let me try to get it out by brute force, so there it stays.

Then there's the fact that they both sleep stalked me all night long. Sleep stalking is the process of relocating themselves to wherever it is that I am trying to sleep. I generally lay on the sofa to sleep because it is more comfortable on my back. About half the time I fall asleep there instead of in my own bed. Last night Kira came out of her room in tears because of some bad dream. I thought this would be okay because just one little girl on the sofa with me really isn't that difficult to accommodate. Unfortunately, Marisa woke up while Kira was crying and soon followed her out to the sofa. I had one little girl curled up at my feet using my leg as her pillow - and one little girl snuggled up in my arms. We all drifted off again, but I quickly woke due to the excessive heat produced by two extra little bodies in such a small space. After I managed to extricate myself from the conglomeration of arms and legs, I moved to my own bed. This was about 3:00AM and I had not yet managed to get any decent sleep. I'm sure they didn't, either. Within a few short minutes - less than half an hour - somebody was following me with plans to infiltrate my newest location. Traitor Daddy gave her access and that was that.

So - all things considered - I think we all just need a really long nap!

Moving, Settling, and Chaos

The last few months have been filled with complete and total chaos. We moved at the beginning of September and still have not quite found our equilibrium. I find myself struggling with the day to day... and the super whiny kids... as we all try to adjust to these most recent changes.

For starters, the kids' toys have taken over and seem to be multiplying as though we had turned loose a few dozen bunnies into the house. No matter how hard we try, I can't seem to get a grip on the toy organization. We have managed to eliminate toys flooding into the entirety of the house, but the girls' room completely out of control. I'm at a loss as to what I should do, short of just throwing them all away... which has certainly crossed my mind a time or two.

We're trying to initiate and maintain a new policy for food. The food can no longer travel throughout the house. Instead, people are supposed to actually sit at the table and eat. This has been one of our most difficult challenges. Our girls have become accustomed to sitting in front of the television when they eat. Transitioning to eating at the table has been met with quite a lot of complaint. To be honest, I do not really care if they eat in front of the TV. The problem is that they rarely manage to keep the food on their plate or in their mouth. It gets scattered ... and stepped on ... or covered up with something and forgotten ... the list could go on. So the new rule has more to do with keeping the carpet clean than actually being concerned about their television habits.

One good thing is that Daddy gets to come home for lunch most days. With all the blessings that this brings, there is also a bit of frustration that goes along with it, too. Some days the girls really hate to let him leave when it's time to go back to work. Other days he doesn't get to come home because he's busy in court and then the girls are sad. And then some days they don't even notice...

Kira is starting to learn the calendar based on "school days" or "not school days." As you know, we home school so "school days" had no meaning to us - until Tyler. Yes - Tyler. He has completely changed the way our days operate. Tyler is 7 years old and lives a couple of doors down. He and Kira spend their afternoons gleefully playing in the trees and bushes around our apartment building. In fact, Kira has informed me that she will be marrying Tyler when she is all grown up --- IF that's okay with him.

My days used to start with the inevitable "I'm hungry!" Now they start with the inevitable "Is today a school day mom?" Followed by, "What time will Tyler be home from school?"

Yes, we've settled into a bit of chaos all because we decided to move. Sigh...

Competition

I just wanted to take a moment to share a bit of an observation...

I have heard a lot over the past years about how competition is not good for young children and their fragile self esteem. I have heard a lot about how schools are doing more to protect children from feeling as though they are competing against each other academically. I have even heard of sporting events that take place without the disadvantage of score keeping because the kids might be upset if they lost a game... (as if they can't keep score on their own).

I can't help but be amused by all this avoidance of competition when I see just how many competitive TV Shows there are these days.

 -- Chopped
 -- Iron Chef
 -- Dancing with the Stars
 -- Cupcake Wars

The list could go on and on and on...

It seems that television has overcompensated for the lack of competition in the school setting.

Back In Time

One of the most treasured activities for children is talking about themselves. Kids love to hear stories of their birth, stories of their big moments, anything about themselves, really. Sometimes telling those same old stories can get a bit boring to us parents. As an alternative, try telling a few stories about yourself. You might be surprised at how much your child will enjoy learning about your life as a child.

Some things to consider discussing:

Your favorite activities when you were little, especially when you were the age that your child is now.
Your favorite foods when you were little.
Your favorite toys...
Your favorite games...
Your best friends....
Your school memories...
Your most embarrassing moments...
Your happiest moments...
The things you didn't like about being that particular age...

The list could go on and on, but I think you probably get the idea. Take some time tonight to share yourself with your children.

The Art of Free Play

In today's world of hectic schedules and over booked activities, many children have lost the pleasure of unstructured free time. There is so much pressure to expose our kids to all possible avenues of interest that we, as parents, often forget to just step back and let our children be children. Unfortunately, the scheduled child loses something that is most important to their life. When we plan each detail of our child's life, we take away their option to find ways to entertain themselves. Unstructured time allows a child the opportunity to use his own imagination to fill the minutes. Without that time, he does not learn to foster that side of himself which will allow him to grow up with the ability to generate ideas and think freely.

Knowing that we need to leave our kids alone in order to have some free time does not mean that we are well trained in the art of doing this. Our kids come to us lamenting that they are bored or that there is nothing to do. It is all too easy to fill that void for them and provide them with something to occupy their time. By doing this, though, we often cause more harm than good. A child needs to know how to find a way to alleviate boredom. Kids need to be able to find new ways to entertain themselves - create new games with existing toys - make the world better and different than what we might expect. They can never learn these most important skills if parents are always stepping in to rescue them from their boredom.

Here are a few ideas for nourishing your child's imagination and creativity.

1) Keep an art box filled with a selection of art supplies. This box should include the usual art content, along with some things that might not be considered "art supplies." Throw in some bottle caps. Add a few twigs from outside. Include a few empty cereal boxes. If you are throwing something away, stop and consider what use it might be before you toss it. Many things that we have no use for can become unique and useful objects for creative endeavors.

2) Let your kids play with their toys in whatever way they choose. Resist the urge to dictate that toys be used in the way they were intended. In my house, a headband and a dog leash becomes a lasso that the girls use to catch their ponies. The large collection of ponies are often used to play school, vet, or other real life games. I have learned to distinguish when the ponies are crying and calling for their mother in order to avoid interrupting the girls during their most important games.

3) Give your kids unusual items to play with from time to time. A box of nuts and bolts can be an interesting and educational toy for young children. A set of padlocks with keys can also provide some unexpected fun. Think outside of the parenting box to find ways that your kids can use their imagination to entertain themselves.

4) Most important - resist the urge to participate. It is difficult for us adults to see the way our children see. When we get involved in whatever they are playing, we often direct the play without really meaning to do so. Let them play without you. That time of alone play is just as important for building independence as it is for exercising their imagination.

Rite Aid Brand Medicine

I stopped at my local Rite Aid on Wednesday to buy some Childrens Tylenol for Marisa because she was running a fever and I wasn't 100% certain that I had any Tylenol at home. Rite Aid happens to be within a mile of my house and is relatively easy to get in and out compared to other places around here, so I chose the path of least resistance even though I knew the prices would be slightly higher.

On the shelf was a lovely box of Rite Aid Brand childrens acetaminophen for about $3.00 less than the Tylenol Brand. Being a bit frugal these days, I decided to try the store brand in lieu of buying the more expensive brand name product.

Normally I would be able to say that the store brand was just as good as the more expensive name brand product and just leave it at that. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed in the Rite Aid brand for a couple of reasons.

First, when I tried to remove the medicine from the little foil backed capsule, the tablets crumbled into fine powdery dust. Now I'm no expert when it comes to pharmaceuticals, but it seems a tiny bit difficult to accurately measure dosage when the pill that you are supposed to be giving your child to chew upon has now crumbled into powdery dust - causing a fine layer of pink snow to envelop your surroundings. Indeed, I went through about 3 or 4 of the tablets before I managed to open one without turning it into dusty snow. By this time I was not only incredibly irate, I was also beginning to resemble some sort of bubble gum flavored SnowMom.

I happened to be in my car and on my way home when all this took place, so I called my husband and asked him to meet me at Rite Aid so he could sit with the girls while I ran inside for a bit. (Never, ever leave your kids unattended in the car...)

So I go into the Rite Aid and explain my situation to the manager. I did not have the receipt, so she said that she could only do a return on store credit. This really isn't a big issue for me because we generally stop at Rite Aid at least once a month so the money will simply go towards something else at a later time. She informed me that the product would ring up at the current price, but I was okay with that because it has only been two days since I made my purchase. Saturday tends to be the day when prices change, so I expected to receive a full refund without issue.

When she first rang up the product in the register, the price shown was $4.99 - which is what I actually paid for the box of pills. Imagine my surprise when she only refunded me $1.99 instead of the full amount. When I questioned her, she said they were probably on sale at a 'buy 1 get 1' price, resulting in the lower amount.

Now let me say again... I'm no expert, but... It seems to me that something isn't quite right here. Why did the box ring up initially at the higher amount and then lower itself when she pushed the refund button? Sigh... I have to say, I just wasn't in the mood for arguing so I took the card and left. I did ask her if she would adjust the refund amount if I found the receipt when I came home. She balked, but agreed that it would be reasonable if I returned later today with the receipt. Unfortunately for me, I actually threw that piece of paper away.

I can guarantee, though, that I will not be purchasing anymore Rite Aid brand products in the future. This experience was enough to convince me that the store brand isn't worth the hassle.

Bee Stings Hurt

It has been over 20 years since I was last stung by a bee. Twenty years, that is, until TODAY...

Today, while Marisa and I were viewing a potential apartment, we apparently disturbed the current residents living under the deck. When we first walked out on the deck there was nothing at all to indicate that we were in danger. Within mere seconds, however, we were swarmed by a cloud of yellow jackets. It took me some time to realize just what was happening, and by the time I realized we were under attack it was too late.

Marisa screamed about the same time I realized that the swarm was a mass of angry yellow jackets. I grabbed her and ran back inside, shutting the door behind me. Even with my quick reaction, we both managed to be stung twice each. The leasing agent was also stung twice.

We were also followed by a few of those bees, but managed somehow to avoid any more stings. We quickly vacated the premises and sent the maintenance crew down to the apartment to seek revenge upon the masses.

In honor of my new found appreciation for the discomfort of bee stings, I would like to provide you with a bit of advice on how to deal with such a situation.

First, vacate the premises if you find yourself amidst an unhappy gang of bees. Standing there in awe and wondering where they are all coming from is never a good idea.

Second, check your clothes before checking those stings. Make sure there are no stragglers waiting in ambush. (I found one attached to the hem of my pants leg busily attacking my clothing. Lucky for me, the hem was too thick for the bee to sting me through the fabric.) Small children should be thoroughly stripped to ensure that there are no bees hiding in the folds of their clothes.

After you are certain that the attackers are no longer able to wreak havoc upon you or you child, check the stings for stingers. Removing those stingers is an important first step in treating bee stings because as long as the stinger is in the skin, venom is still being released. Applying ice to the sting will help alleviate some of the swelling and discomfort, as will a dose of Tylenol and Benadryl. If your child is truly distraught - and most will be - applying liberal amounts of chocolate will generally help the child calm down. (Marisa got Jolly Ranchers to help distract her from the situation, but those are not something I would recommend for just any child as they could pose a choking hazard.)

It is important to watch your child closely because many people are allergic to bee stings and the only way to find out if you happen to have that allergy is by being stung. If your child exhibits any extreme reactions, such as difficulty breathing or excessive swelling, then you will need to immediately contact your local rescue units. (Dial 911 here in The States...)

After you manage to take care of your child, then you can stop and deal with your own issues (unless you happen to be allergic to bees, in which case you might need to care for yourself first to ensure the safety of you and your child). The same techniques that are helpful for your child can also be used to alleviate your own discomfort.

Just remember that while those bees may be somewhat aggressive, they are only doing what comes natural to them in order to protect their homes. Also keep in mind that for each bee that managed to get its little stinger into your skin, there is now a DEAD BEE. The use of their stinger is an automatic death sentence to the offending bee because when the bee moves away from you, it leaves the stinger (and a few vital parts of its body) behind.

Bwa ha ha....

Get the RED towel...

THIS IS COPIED FROM DEAR ABBY. I THINK IT'S SUCH A NEAT IDEA THAT I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY. BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE IT CAME FROM ---- AVOID THOSE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS....


DEAR ABBY: My 4-year-old nephew recently cut his finger. When the story was being told by my sister, she mentioned telling her daughter to get out one of the red towels. "Red towel?" I asked. "Yes," she said. "I have four of them that I use only when the kids cut themselves. That way they don't see the blood, and the tears aren't as bad." I thought that was brilliant! -- KURT N., MILWAUKEE



DEAR KURT: It certainly shows preplanning. And it makes sense to me, because a small child who has suffered a minor injury often cries more out of fear than pain.

Dieting to die for

Here is a note that I needed to send to one of the 16yr old girls that plays for the team I coach.

Dear Xxxxxxx

If you come to the field again like two weeks again where you had taken caffeine pills and not eaten all day.
Or last week where you collapsed and then sat huddled in pure pain because you only had cabbage soup for three days.
Or last night where you showed up and your eyes were flickering because your body needed nutrition because you had not eating at all. And then threw up because of heat exhaustion.
I will not put you on the field, just like I did not do last night.

And I don't care what your mom or dad say.
If there is a problem they can take it up with me or the club.

It is dangerous for you and I will not take the risk or assume the liability

You must eat sensibly and healthy.
I understand you want to lose weight but starving yourself is not the way to do it.
It is dangerous and you will do a lot of damage to your vital organs.

There was more to the message but that is the just of what I said to her. The hard part about this is the dad knew this was going on and was angry with me that I would not play his daughter.

I really thought that girls were starting to be okay with their bodies and body image but apparently not. I know my daughter is very balanced and knows this is not acceptable as a matter of fact she gasped when she read what this girl was trying.

Do you know anyone in danger? Would you stand up like I did?

Time

I've read, many times, that you should spend "quality" time with your children. I've also read, far fewer times, that it is the quantity that matters even more.

I put in my vote for quantity.

It is easy for us as adults to get discouraged about doing things with our children - especially the very young. We sometime feel that we have to do "big" things and have adventures: Go to the amusement park, go camping, big shopping trips and spending lots of money.

Not necessary, not even a little bit.

Sure, you want to have big adventures with your kids sometimes, but what they will really remember about you is if you were there every day for all of their little adventures - did you see her when she caught her first lightning bug? How about when she found that beautiful leaf? Or when he rescued the little bug?

Just today, I was planning on a big "daddy date" for Marisa and things went wrong. I lost my wallet, which meant no cash, no driver license, and no credit cards - which in turn meant no special lunch out, no gas for the car and no trip to the mall to the big play place. So, instead, I made PB&J sandwiches and went to the dollar store. We spent a total of $4 on toys that she picked out: Bubbles, plastic maracas, a small rubber ball and a scratch off glitter sheet that she could draw on. For the last two hours we have played with these toys in the driveway and the living room. She has giggled and laughed and had the best time doing what, to us big people, is so very minor and little.

Spend lots of time with your kids and don't worry so much about if you are doing the big stuff. Just make sure that they grow up remembering that you were always there for them.

When it's okay to call 9-1-1

We teach our children from a very young age how to use 9-1-1 and then we scare the geepers out of them by telling them not to call. We tell them it in case of an extreme emergency like an accident where mom or dad can't speak, a fire, or car accident it's okay. But never any other times!! Because we know if we abuse it we will be fined big time!

So as I was driving long last night I needed to use 9-1-1 and my daughter looked at me when it was all over and said 'I did not know you could do that.'

We were heading to soccer (where else would I be going) as I was getting onto the highway there was a thug in a pick-up truck that was speeding up in the slow lane and was not going to let me in regardless if it is the law that you are to move over because I am running out of road.

He flies up onto the back of my car on purpose and then changes lanes within inches of my car. He then proceeds to give me the finger and starts pointing at his head like I need to think or am I stupid or something alone those lines. At this point we are on the highway and he is in front of my and he is doing all these hand signals so I gave him the finger back. This is when it turned to pure dangerous road rage and he decided he was going to terrorize my daughter and myself.

He gets in front of my and hits his breaks then he speeds up and changes lanes and then gets behind me and is right on my back bumper this goes on as I stay at the speed limit and try to keep out of his way. He gets besides me to forces me from my lane. He is going to have no part of just leaving me alone. He keeps it up until we get to the top of a very dangerous bridge which has high winds most of the time. I'm in the center lane and he pulls up beside me and jerks on his wheel forcing me to swerve into the lane beside me. All I can say is thank goodness no one was beside me and I have ESC (electronic stability control) or I would have rolled the car and he would have killed us. It was at this point that I called 9-1-1.

There are MTO (Ministry of Transportation Ontario) cameras all over the highway I happened to be on, so 9-1-1 could watch what was going on and what he was doing to me. At several points he was tauting my daughter with a hand signal and she saw him saying "bring it on". The speeding up and slowing down went on as I tried to stay calm and they watched him ~ I had 9-1-1 on the speaker and she talked us through but even with them on the line I have to say it was still extremely scary. The 9-1-1 operator had to get me off the highway as she was directed me to the OPP station and he followed us off the highway.

It was at the top of the ramp when I saw the red light I broke down and started to cry. I was so scared he would do something to us as all the time he was taunting us we did nothing to provoke him, I just tried to stay away from him. She assure me the police were waiting for me, the car was locked and we were in a very public place so we would be okay. I have to say OPP Officer Dave was amazing! He helped calm us down and made sure we were okay. He could see the fright in my daughter and assured us this guy would not be getting away with this, he personally was going to visit this guy and make sure he never terrorizes anyone again. They told me they will put this on his driving record so if he does this again or is in a accident this will come back like karma to bit him!

It was absolutely the scariest thing I have encountered and to terrorize a 15yr old is beyond thug mentality. The only good that came from it was my daughter now knows that you can use 9-1-1 besides when there is a fire or someone is hurt in your home.

It is extremely important that we teach our kids that you can use 9-1-1 at times other then a pure accident or fire. Our teens are starting to drive and need to know when they are on the road and see a drunk driver or have someone (god forbid) drive like a maniac thug and scares them it's okay to call. Someone is on the other end to help them besides mom or dad. Also 99.9% of phone carriers in North America keep 9-1-1 alive on a cell phone even if you run out of minutes.

Contributed by: Mind of a Mom