Roll With the Punches

This idea comes from my friend Cara, who told me that she has a little one who loves playing with her scrapbooking tools.

If you need to entertain a little one for a while, this is an easy idea. Scrapbook and art supply stores sell craft punches for the purpose of punching shapes in various types of paper. If you already scrapbook, then you probably have one or two of these punching tools hanging around. You can provide your child, ages 4 and up, with a stack of different colored and patterned paper. Show your child how to position the paper and push down to punch the shape. After your child gets the hang of it, you can let her play nearby with your punch tools while you do some much needed housework - or reading, or playing, or scrapping...

If your little one is really careful, you can add her finished products to your own supplies or let her create her own little collage using her finished shapes.

Non-Parenting Tip

I know this tip has nothing to do with parenting, but I really want to share.

If you have a paint project that needs to be done, and you don't really care too much about what color the paint is, you can get your paint for a fraction of the cost by buying "oops" paint.

Anywhere that paint is mixed and sold, paint is mixed incorrectly or buyers decide they don't like the color after all. That mixed paint is then considered to be messed up and unsellable. The store does not want to take a total loss, so they put a dab of the paint on the lid and label it for an extremely reduced price.

I happen to have a bathroom that is in the process of being remodeled. Actually, the entire apartment will require a bit of remodeling, but I chose to begin with the bathroom.

I had not really chosen a color scheme, but did have a couple of options in mind. Tonight I went to the local Home Depot to get wood filler and a sand paper block so I could move on to the next step in this project. (Removing the wallpaper was the first step - and it was NOT fun.)

While I was at Home Depot, I walked by their "oops" table and found that there was acceptable paint colors available. I bought a gallon of paint that normally costs $26.00 for a mere $6.00 just because I bought something that was already mixed instead of choosing a color from the cards and having it mixed just for me. I still ended up with a color that was similar to what I probably would have chosen, and I saved $20.00.

So that's my tip for the day. If you have a project that will require you to purchase paint, you should check out the messed up paint before you choose your colors.

Hugs and Snuggles

A little love goes a long way. Sometimes your child just needs to be held and snuggled. Even in our busy lives, it is important to just stop and hold your little ones. (This works for the big ones, too, but they would never admit it.)

A day that starts off to be difficult can easily be turned around with just five or ten minutes of snuggling and hugging. It's magic.

Hurt feelings and bodies can be quickly healed with just a bit of understanding and love.

Never underestimate the power of your touch. Kids need to be touched and loved and smothered with affection. (Yes, even teenagers need to receive an abundance of affection.)

I know this post is a bit short, but I must - on occasion - practice what I preach.

Marisa is in need of some affection so I must go cater to her needs.

Tip For The Day!

For one day, reconsider every single response.

I know that I usually respond to requests without really considering that response. Answering no to something is generally an automatic response. So today I will not say NO without stopping to consider the request. I'll try to say YES to every request that is not harmful. I'll say yes when Kira wants to paint instead of the usual "not right now" response. I'll say yes when Marisa wants to be picked up even though I'm busy doing other things. I'll say yes even when I want to say no if the reason I want to say no is not a valid reason.

So many times I say no without stopping to consider. I don't feel like dragging out all the paint supplies and cleaning up the mess so I say no. I don't want to stop what I'm doing because it's "important" so I tell Marisa I'll hold her later.

Today I will take time to do the things they want me to do. Today I'll try really hard to say yes.

Just Give It Away!

Well, I have this really awesome Give-Away going where you could easily win one year of Family Fun Magazine for FREE!

But it seems nobody is really interested in my favorite magazine. I've had THREE people join my contest. Yep - THREE. That means that the odds of winning right now are very, very good.

Now, my contest has about 6 more days until it's OVER.

So, if you want to get something for FREE...Then visit this link to find out how.

Button Bookmarks

This craft idea is so easy that your child might not even need your help.

Grandma Shari loves to read, so Kira decided to make her some new bookmarks. We spent about 30 minutes making this, but only because we made several. Kira was having so much fun making her bookmarks that Marisa insisted on joining us to make a couple of her own.

What you need:

popsicle sticks
glue
buttons and jewels

What you do:

Spread glue on the popsicle stick.

Let your child line the popsicle stick with various buttons and jewels. This is a pretty open project. Your child can use whatever they like to make their bookmarks. Small, flat buttons tend to work best, though.

Lay the decorated popsicle stick on a flat surface and let dry overnight.

What are you doing?

It's 1:00 AM and I am feeding the most adorable little boy born this year.

And chicken pecking this glorious, mind-stimulating post.

Scramble!!!

Around here, I don't really like to tell my kids to go away or get lost. However, there are times when I "NEED" them to go away or get lost. Instead of being rude or bossy, I make a joke of it when I shoo them away.

I say: "SCRAMble like an egg." Followed by a quick and silly "Scram Scram Scramble"

Well, my clever little girl has come up with a nifty little reply. (Yes, I grew up in the time when "NIFTY" was THE word to say...)

Yesterday her Grandma came to visit for a while. Grandma is very curious about homeschooling and what curriculum I plan to use, and how I plan to be sure that the girls don't miss anything important. This is her first exposure to anything "homeshooling" so she has a lot of questions. I - being the wonderful daughter-in-law that I am (Grandma happens to read my blog, by the way) - invited her over for a visit and tour through my school supply closet.

While she was here, I really wanted the girls to go play for a while so that the two of us could talk without complete and constant distraction. So --- I told Kira to Scramble. Her response:

Keep in mind that she is 4 years old.



**Insert Drum Roll Here**




"THIS egg does NOT scramble."

Smurfs

You can now buy Smurf episodes on DVD. Your kids will love them just as much as you did. Of course, Kira swears she doesn't like the Smurfs. She says this over and over again - while she sits in front of the T.V. transfixed by the little blue creatures.

Go buy the Smurfs. You'll enjoy listening to them while your kids are watching them. (I enjoy watching them, too. I admit it.)

Easy Dinner

Do you need an easy dinner recipe?

Do you want something that will please just about anybody?

Well, here it is!

What you need:

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 can cream of mushroom soup (Progresso is the best!)

1 can of mushrooms, drained (optional)

poultry seasoning or salt and pepper.

What you do:

Put the chicken breasts in a casserole dish. Sprinkle seasoning on chicken to taste. Add mushrooms. Pour soup over the top. Put it in the oven and bake at 350 for about an hour. Turn the chicken over about half an hour after you start cooking. Spoon the soup over the top of the chicken to help retain moisture. Test the chicken to be sure it is fully cooked as cooking times can vary.

Cook some broccoli and rice, or green beans and there you have a good healthy dinner that everybody will love. Leftover chicken can be used to make a casserole later in the week. (I often double the recipe to cook enough for a wonderful casserole the next day.)

Books! Books! Books!

You may not know, but there is a wonderful way to stock up on books for your kids without paying full price. Scholastic, one of the most popular publishers of children's books, has special customer appreciation sales every so often to clear out their warehouse supplies. Books bought at this sale are a minimum of 50% less than what your kids pay for them at the popular school book fairs.

You can find out where a warehouse sale will be by checking out the Scholastic website. This link will take you directly to the section that provides the necessary information. Just click on your state and find out when and where the next sale will be. If there isn't a sale scheduled at this time, a message will be provided.

I have to avoid these sales at times because I can easily spend tons of money buying books there. My favorite series - Dear America - can be purchased for as little as $1.00 per book and as much as $5.00 per book. The store price is generally $10.95 or more. Being a homeschooler, there are certain books that I hope to collect and keep within easy reach for my girls. I think the first step in instilling a love of reading is having books available to be read. So whenever the sale comes to my area, my husband always groans with knowing regret that his wallet will be hit very hard if he doesn't keep me occupied for the duration. Of course, the sales generally last for several days so it isn't always easy for him to divert my attention...(hehehe)

Now that I've told you all about this wonderful thing that Scholastic does, I need to go find out if there will be a sale here any time soon.

Please note: If you sign up online before the sale, you will receive a very important 10% off discount coupon. Also, while these sales are targeted to teachers, you do not have to be a teacher or a homeschooler to take advantage of the sale.

Oh my gosh: I just looked and we have a sale next week! I'm giddy with excitement. Please don't tell my husband. Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

Thank You!

I've received several blog awards lately. I honestly can't keep up with them all. I just want to thank those of you who have thought enough of me to give me an award. Please forgive me for not posting each award. I really do appreciate your kind words and thoughtful gestures.

Date Rape Drugs

I came across an article over at Teen Suicide Talk about date rape drugs that has prompted me to share this information with you.

As your kids get older and begin going out on dates and out to parties, be sure to talk to them - especially girls - about the dangers of these very power and very devastating drugs.

The article about at Teen Suicide can be very helpful in your preparations to talk to a teenager about the possible risks and how to protect herself from being a victim of date rape through the use of drugs or other means.

Please take the time to go read this even if your children are still very young. The day will eventually come when you will need to discuss this with your kids.

If you have boys, be sure to talk to them about sex and rape. There are many things that boys might not understand, and you are their first line of defense against ruining their entire life over a simple act. Include in your discussion the definition and consequences of statutory rape, being sure to explain that it doesn't matter if the girl lies about her age.

It isn't comfortable for anybody to talk about these serious topics, but it's part of your job as a parent to educate your child in the risks of sexual behavior. I hope the article I've linked to will help make it easier.

For more information on date rape prevention, read this article.

Lost Generation

I happened upon this video and found it to be of inerest. While it does not directly deal with parenting issues, I feel that it is worthy of your time.

I first posted this back in April. I've decided that it's worthy of being brought to the front of the line once more, especially now that I have many new reader now.

Be sure to turn your volume on.

Family Fun

I've been asked on occasion how I came to know so much about parenting. My answer is always the same.

I had kids!

That, and I read a lot. I read magazines, books, websites - anything that I happen across that pertains to raising my kids. My favorite books for parenting happen to be the What to Expect books. They are awesome for new parents.

I've tried many different techniques to accomplish various parenting goals. I know what my own parents did that worked and those things they did that - I'm sure they would be surprised and disappointed to know - didn't work. (Reading my diary when I was 14 DID NOT work!!!)

You may wonder what all this has to do with the title of today's post. How does the above information equate into Family Fun? Well, I'm going to tell you. (But you knew that, didn't you.)

One of my favorite parenting resources is the magazine Family Fun. I look forward to getting each new issue in the mail and reading all the clever ideas they have for entertaining my monsters. I have a couple of crafty critters here who both enjoy doing any type of art, so having a magazine that helps inspire me with new ideas is a wonderful weapon in my arsenal against the boredom blues.

Well, it occurred to me last night when I was reading my newest February issue that my favorite magazine has a website, too. I guess I should have realized this long ago, but sometime I'm rather distracted and the obvious doesn't always sink in. (Randall, if you happen to be reading this - I got that from you.)

Today I decided to visit the website and see what they have to offer. Joyous discovery! They have TONS of stuff. There are age-by-age craft ideas. There's the quick and easy section that gives boredom busters and craft ideas. There's even recipes and party ideas. Who knew?

So while I can't get all the fun of holding the magazine and flipping the pages while the cat tries to distract me from my reading, I can still find plenty of information and ideas to help me make it through my day.

If you want to check out what the Family Fun magazine is all about, you happen to be in luck because I'm feeling generous today. I'm going to give somebody a subscription.

Yep, you heard me right. ONE lucky winner will receive a ONE YEAR subscription to my favorite magazine - Family Fun.

To win, here is what you need to do.

1) Visit Family Fun online and browse their website.

2) Come back here and leave me a comment. Tell me what your favorite section, craft idea, or recipe is.

***For an extra entry:

1) Write about my contest on your own blog. Be sure to include a link to my site, please.

2) Leave me a separate comment with the link to your blog post so that I can visit and verify.

This contest will run until the end of February. I will pick my lucky winner on March 1st and post that information.

Please be sure that you either provide me with information for contacting you if you win, or check back here on March 1st. The winner will have 7 days to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

PLEASE NOTE: Family Fun only ships to USA addresses. However, I am opening this contest to anybody, even foreign addresses. If you live overseas and win the contest, I will personally mail the magazine to you each month. It may delay your receiving the magazine a bit, but you are still eligible to enter.

Baby Grace Gets Justice

I was over at What's On My Mind Today and saw his post from February 2nd where he talks about the trial and conviction of Baby Grace's mother. I have to confess that I missed this development because I don't see the news or read much in the way of the news, not to mention that last week was quite busy for me.

I'm pleased to know that this woman was convicted of this horrible crime. I just can't understand how anybody could hurt a small child. I know kids can be frustrating, but to treat them so brutally... I'll just never understand.

Freedom

As kids grow older, they become more capable and love to do things for themselves. It isn't always easy to give your children the freedom to do the things they want to do. For starters, they take much longer to do the simplest things. If we do it for them, it is certainly quicker. It's also difficult to accept that they can accomplish certain tasks without our help. We often want to jump in and assist them even before we give them the chance to discover how to work out their own problems. Here are a few tips for helping your children develop that much needed freedom.

1) Start early enough to allow time for them to dress themselves, put their own shoes on, or whatever tasks it is that they are capable of completing. If you allow extra time, you will both be less stressed over the entire process. You won't feel anxious about getting done and feel the need to jump in and do it for your little one.

2) Force your child to do the things that you know she's capable of doing. This is certainly not an easy accomplishment because nobody likes to see their child struggle. However, your child needs to learn that the struggle to accomplish something is part of what makes the final accomplish so sweet. If you know your child can put her own shirt on, then give her the shirt and walk away. Don't stay to supervise because that will just make the entire process more stressful. Tell her what you expect and give her the chance to make it happen. This is particularly true if you have a child with disabilities, as I discovered over the last few months. Making Kira do things for herself during the aftermath of her surgeries was horribly difficult for me, but she needed to figure out what she was capable of doing without me hovering and coddling her. If I had always done those little things for her then she would never have figured out how to manage on her own.

3) Give your child plenty of opportunities to succeed. It's important to build your child's confidence. To do this, you can give your child tasks that you know will be successful. This starts early in life, as soon as your child becomes mobile. When a child is still a baby, she can do simple tasks such as throwing her own diaper in the garbage or putting her toys in a box. An older child can help with more difficult tasks. For example, Kira (4 yrs old) helped me strip wallpaper from the bathroom wall this past week. She had a great deal of fun pulling the paper off the wall, and I got some much needed help in accomplishing a daunting task. She felt really great about helping me, and there was honestly no way she could mess up. She was guaranteed to succeed at that project.

4) Let them make mistakes. Watching your child make a mistake is not easy. It's necessary, though. You need to let them learn from their own mistakes. Avoid stepping in unless there is some chance of your child being seriously hurt. If she puts her shirt on backwards, just tell her and let her fix the problem. If she breaks the plate while she's taking it to the sink, help her clean it up (depending on the age of the child) and discuss what caused the plate to break. If she refuses to wear a coat out in cooler weather (not bitterly cold), let her learn the hard way that she will be uncomfortable in cool weather without a coat.

5) Give them choices. There are so many opportunities in our day to allow our children to make choices for themselves. Make use of those times to give your child a sense of control over her own life. Let her choose between two shirts to wear or two cups to drink out of. Let her choose which snack she wants. Keep the choices simple, only offering two or three options at a time, so that your child does not become overwhelmed. The more control you allow your child to have over her own life, the easier it will be for her to accept those decisions that she has no control over.

One last thing - be sure to tell your child how she makes you proud and how much you love her. When she does make mistakes, reassure her that everybody makes mistakes and you will love her no matter what. Let your child catch you bragging on her to others. It will make her feel good to know that you talk about her accomplishments even when you think she isn't listening.

The Park

Small children love to play outside. We're lucky this week because the temperatures will be relatively high for this time of year. If you happen to be lucky, too, then you should find a local playground for your kids. Even older kids will enjoy spending time running and playing outside. Take a Frisbee and a picnic lunch so you can make it a lengthy outing.

As a side benefit, the kids will sleep better after a day playing outside.

Shaunalynn Needs!!!

Well, well, well - I must say that I am terribly disappointed.

I was out visiting today and Toni, at From The Mind of a Mom, had this cool post about what Toni needs. It seems she typed into Google the term "Toni needs" and came up with three really cool things that she needs. She was even able to verify that those were, in fact, things that she needed.

So I decided to go try this new Google game and typed in "Shaunalynn needs".

Guess what I need...

No results found for "Shaunalynn needs".

Nothing! According to Google I have no needs at this moment. Boy are they wrong. I need plenty of things.

So I made a tiny adjustment and tried again. This time I used the phrase "Shauna needs" to see what would happen. Here is the first three things in the list of what Google thinks I need.

1) Shauna needs to tell more people how cool this game is.

2) Shauna needs to uncover why Dr. Hipster was murdered.

3) Shauna Needs a Break!

So there you have it - what Google says I need.

Well, this game is pretty cool, though I have no idea who Dr. Hipster is or how he was murdered. I'm sure if I did know how he was murdered that it would be in my own best interest to keep that information to myself. As for the break - I definitely need a break, but this is nothing new. I'm always in need of a break from something.

I hope you enjoyed this little game today. Go play it yourself and let me know so I can come read what you need.

When All Else Fails

After a very long day of whiny children begging for food in an almost constant chant, even the strongest will whither with the weight of frustration.

I asked Kira what she wanted for dinner tonight and her reply was eggs. OK! I can do this. Easy!

It takes me about a half an hour to clear the kitchen of small predators so that I can even begin to try cooking. It's impossible to cook with two small people under my feet.

After the monsters realized that I had no intention of cooking until they were out of the room, they disappeared. So I take out the eggs, the milk, the butter and the pan. I get a bowl and begin cracking eggs to prepare for the magic scramble that makes my eggs so soft and fluffy.

Into the room other room filled with people I ask this simple question. You see, Angel and her husband are visiting tonight...

"Who wants eggs?"

My question was met with a couple of "I do!"s and one little voice carried by two little feet that came running into the kitchen. --- Remember my earlier dictation that the kitchen was to be cleared, right?

So here comes Kira, right up behind me while I'm cracking these eggs.

She starts spinning in circles saying "ME! ME! ME! ME! ME! ME!"

In my defense, I had been hearing her voice all day long whining incessantly for this or that. She's been perpetually hungry every five minutes and continually declaring that she does not want whatever food I have supplied to appease her endless appetite.

Now - back to my story.

She's spinning and bouncing directly behind me, loudly exclaiming her desire for an egg.

Being the wonderful mother that I am, I gave her one.

Yessirree! Right on the top of the head. I spun around with an egg in my hand. Cracked it on the top her head and gave her the ooey gooey egg treatment followed by insane amounts of uncontrollable laughter (and a bit of crying on her part).

My husband, bearing witness to the entire exchange, stared at me with complete astonishment.

Kira, shocked into a bit of silence, was quite upset with this new development. She was shirtless when this all took place so her entire back and head was covered with sticky raw egg.

The cats were quite thrilled at the prospect of a raw egg splattered on the floor.

And I felt better! I was literally doubled over in laughter.

Now, before you decide that I'm the worst mother in the entire universe, I did run her a bath right away and get her cleaned up. And I cleaned up the messy, sticky egg on the floor.

I didn't apologize, though. What I did was tell her that if she continued to pester me for things when it was obvious that I was trying to get them for her that it was entirely possible that she would get them before they were actually ready.

About a half an hour later she asked me for some juice...

Blankets and Loveys

It's a well known fact that small children will find some object that they will absolutely fall in love with before they turn a year old. For most children, their blanket becomes their favored object for many years. For others, they love a stuffed animal or toy. It's impossible to be sure what your child will come to adore and even more impossible to convince your child to love a specific object of your choosing.

I have come to realize that children often attach to whatever they are exposed to within the beginning weeks of their life. This may not hold true for all children, but certainly does for the children around here. So, I have a bit of advice for those of you with new babies coming into the world.

Whatever receiving blankets you buy for your baby to use in the first weeks of his life - BUY EXTRAS! (lots and lots of extras)

I say this because Kira has two blankets that she adores. The two blankets she adores the most are the two that we were using when she was born. Lucky for me I did buy a couple of packs of each so I have (had) a few extras. Over the years some of her "Sheep" blankets have disappeared. We found ourselves down to only ONE special Sheep blanket. Off to Ebay I went in search of proverbial needles in the haystack. I was lucky with the sheep blanket. I found lots of them. So I bought lots of them.(I won't tell you how much I spent on those blankets.) We now have about five sheep blankets. Kira, of course, has shunned the new sheep blankets because they are too soft. They are not as worn and loved as her favored blanket so they don't feel quite the same. The person I bought them from hadn't used them nearly as much as we used ours. I've explained to her that all she needs to do is love them a little and they'll become just perfect like her original Sheep blanket. Ever try reasoning with a 4 yr old?

Kira's other favored blanket is named Blueberry. He is the most favored and most preferred blanket of all. We currently have three Blueberries here in our home, but two of them are MIA. They are here, we just don't know where. So in reality there is only one for the time being. Now, Sheep can be lost and the world would not end. There would be sadness, but no real disaster. If Blueberry were to disappear the world would stop turning, the sun would turn black, the oceans would freeze solid... Let's just say it wouldn't be good for anybody within a 1,000 mile radius. Here I am with only one Blueberry to be found. I know those others are here, but WHERE? So off to Ebay I go. I've been to Ebay several times in search of extra Blueberries to no avail, but I keep trying periodically. I have yet to see a Blueberry. Apparently my child is not the only child in the world who loves her Blueberry blanket. There are none to be found anywhere. (Let us all hope and pray that the extra Blueberries in my house decide to come out soon.)

If your child shows a particular interest in a certain animal, especially one that plays music, go buy an extra one and put it away for later.

If there is a favored animal, you might ought to hunt down an extra one before the favored one becomes tattered beyond recognition. Musical animals and toys are even more important to duplicate because many of them have batterries that can not be replaced in order to fix the dying music. (Yes, I learned this the hard way!) Your child will inevitably play the music until the batterries are long gone and then become increasingly distraught when the music they love so much is no longer available.

**The key to making this process of duplication work is through a series of rotation. In my house, with the blankets, we just made them all available. I can't tell you how many times we went somewhere with Kira holding on to every single one of her Sheep blankets AND Blueberry blankets. It might be a hassle for us, but she was very happy being able to take all her treasured blankets along for the ride. As a benefit, all the blankets became worn at the same time so none were different from the others.

You may be wondering about Marisa and what she's become so attached to around here. Well, she does love her fluffy blankets. They are completely different from Kira's. Kira likes the receiving blankets that have no fuzz on them. Marisa likes the blankets that are fluffy and fuzzy and soft to touch. But what Marisa loves most of all is her pacifiers. She doesn't have one specific favorite, she has about 20 pacifiers that she hides throughout the house so that whenever we take one away from her she can go get another one. She used to have favorite hiding spots for her pacifiers, but since we moved I think she's forgotten where she hid most of her pacifiers because we're currently down to three, and I've been unsuccessful in locating those others.

One last thing - if your child happens to attach to her thumb, be sure that her thumb is cared for and never, ever injured. Kira LOVES her left thumb. Yes, the left thumb is the only one that will do. The right thumb isn't good enough. (See me rolling my eyes here...yeah, it's caused us a great deal of grief.) Last night was the first night ever that Kira had to sleep without sucking her thumb because she somehow poked her left thumb with a sharp object and whenever she sucked on it her thumb would hurt and the injury would bleed a little. She was devestated and cried over her injured thumb for nearly an hour. I'm a bad mom. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

My Special Day!

--
Wishing ME a very Happy Birthday!

Birthday Comments

I am 35 years old today! For more birthday wishes, please see these links below:
(This is a work in progress that will be updated throughout the day as I come across my birthday wishes. If you left me a wish on your blog and have not already been listed, please leave me a comment so I'll know.)

If The Walls Could Talk

Boogers, Screams, Headaches, and Dreams

It's a Woman's World

The Mind of a Mom

--

Unknowning to All Knowing

There was a time not too long ago that I knew nothing.

Nothing I had to say was of any value.

None of my experience was of any importance.

I was forever considered to be the "Unknowing."

---

Those of you with teenagers probably understand what I'm talking about. When there is a teenager in the house, parents are typically considered to be lacking in knowledge and value. Words from the mouth of a parent rarely make it through the walls of the teenage mind.

At some point, though, I transitioned from the Unknowing into the All Knowing. This change has certainly taken me by surprise because I have no idea how or when this all transpired. I only know that I am now the fountain of knowledge to be cherished and held in high regard.

I am the one with the answers, even more valuable than the words of any doctor who may speak of his learned wisdom.

This new position of mine became apparent last night as we were preparing to leave the hospital where my daughter, Angel, had taken her new baby to the emergency room. Dakota was running a low-grade fever, which would normally be of no concern but at his young age required a visit to the E.R. The silly doctor, for some bizarre reason, told Dakota's anxious parents that the only reason he was running a fever was because he had gas. (Yes - the E.R. doctor diagnosed the cause of the baby's fever as "gas". ) Having been schooled by me, Angel was acutely aware that gas does not cause babies to have fevers. She was disinclined to accept this explanation from the doctor, but he insisted that his diagnosis was correct. He even refused to provide her the proper dosing information for infant Tylenol should it be needed, assuring her that the dosage was to found on the label of the medication. (It isn't, by the way. Not for children as small as Dakota.)

Understandably, Dakota's mother and father were quite annoyed at being told to go home without even any directions on how to deal with the fever. So as we prepared to leave, Angel looked at me said "What do I do now?" With those simple words, she had conveyed to me that she knew without a doubt that I would provide her with sound guidance. She even followed that statement by telling me that I obviously knew more than the doctor there, and she wasn't sure what she should do.

After advising her appropriately on managing her evening with a baby that might or might not sleep, we parted ways. On my lengthy drive home it occurred to me - She TRUSTS me.

Me!

The ONE person in her last four years of life that has been her constant thorn. The ONE person who NEVER understood her or what she was dealing with. ME!

Not only does she trust me, but she NEEDS me. All those years of hoping that somehow I could manage to get through to her and now I find that I did. She practically begged me to meet her at the hospital (nearly an hour and a half away from my home) so that she wouldn't be there alone. (Anxious new dad didn't count as proper company...)

What a feeling! I MADE A DIFFERENCE! (With a whole lot of help from Randall!!!)

Were it not for the two of us and the grace of God, there is no doubt that this precious child of ours would have fallen to the depth of darkness.

So to all of you who have or will have teenagers and have or will have difficulties with said teenagers ---

IT IS WORTH IT IN THE END!

ONE DAY, YOU TOO WILL FIND THAT YOU HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM THE UNKNOWING TO THE ALL KNOWING!

Early Warning

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This week will be a very busy week for us. There are some hectic times and special times to come.

First, TUESDAY is MY BIRTHDAY! Yes, February 3rd is my special day.

And on my special day I will be:

Visiting two different doctors with my husband to help us control his new illness and verify the diagnosis. We will be seeing a hematologist and the rheumatologist that morning.

Not watching as the powers that be sell our house through the methods of foreclosure. The first Tuesday of every month is apparently the day they sell all the foreclosures and such. It just happens to fall on my birthday.

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To make my day a bit brighter, I would like to issue a special request. I really want to see a ton of Happy Birthday messages posted just for me all across the blogosphere. If you want to participate in my Blogosphere Birthday Bash, please leave me a comment so I'll know to come visit your site that day.