With the movie coming out this week, it seems like Faeries are the buzz. To me, Tinkerbell is the most famous and likeable.
I grew up about a half hour from Disneyland and would visit once a year. We didn't have all the wonderful advertising products that they have today, so I patiently waited for the trip to see all of my Disney Hereos. My favorites were Sleeping Beauty and Tinkerbell. I would always visit the Castle and couldn't leave until after the Tink's flight from the Matterhorn to wherever it was that she landed. I wanted to be at that spot, but my parents kept me close at hand. The fireworks were the highlight of the whole day. (Little did I know that my future husband would watch those fireworks from his backyard about two blocks away from the park!)
My Faerie interest grew once I had my girls and we would play pretend. With the ability to own movies and watch them anytime, I collected as many as I could that included Faeries: Hook, Peter Pan, Ferngully, Fairy Tale: A True Story, Neverland, etc. I lead a unit for a Girl Scout Day camp where the theme was movies. I chose Ferngully for my group of 2nd grade girls. We made wings, wands and pouches to hold faerie dust. (We couldn't use real faerie dust due to eco reasons, so we used birdseed instead!) We went on hikes to look for faeries and we would fly to the other units and put spells on them. We really did a number on the boys' unit because they were so obnoxious!
I find that keeping the magic alive does wonders for my well-being. I would love to hear your faerie stories!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
To Medicate...or Not to Medicate
So, out of four children, two have ADHD. It has made my life just peachy, because it has not allowed me to slack off...at all...not even for five minutes!
With ADHD Child No. 1, I thought it was a "boy" thing. Don't all boys run around in circles, knocking over lamps and tables, and jump into pools thinking it's just like the bathtub at home? It took six years before I heard the first "I think your kid may have ADHD" from his 2nd grade teacher. I was so relieved to hear those words.
In the state where my children were born, no ADD or ADHD diagnosis could be official until the child could read. Like reading skills are the most convincing behaviors of an ADHD child! (NOT!) Way back then, when New Kids on The Block were the hot "Boy Band", there was not as much information as there is now. My son had a missing link in his brain and there was a magical pill that would "link him up." This is what worked for us, having toddler and a newborn in addition to Child No. 1. I had read about diet, and behavior modification therapy, but chose the pill over both because I didn't think he would go along with changing his eating habits or being tested by stark raving scientists!
The pill worked. He could focus, he could study and he stopped knocking over lamps! There were a few minor side-effects, but they were outweighed by the results. He was getting straight A's and he was happy. In middle school, he told me he didn't need the meds anymore. We talked to the doctor, who said "Let's try it without the meds." So, we went off the pill. His grades went down, he couldn't concentrate on homework, and every little noise or slight movement made him anxious. He entered high school with a 2.0 gpa (down from a 4.0 two years prior). At the end of his first year of high school, he realized that he needed some help, so he started up again with the meds. He stayed on the meds until he finished high school. He recently graduated from college "med-free" and shows no signs of his former condition. I just have to remind him to not take his eyes off the road when he drives home....cows can look very interesting from the highway!
I'm glad we have the internet now and the ability to acquire more information. It's a personal choice that parents have to make. What works for one may not work for another. I think we have to find a course that will give our children the best opportunities for a healthy and productive life.
Next post will be about ADHD Child No.2...who is gifted...another peachy existence!
With ADHD Child No. 1, I thought it was a "boy" thing. Don't all boys run around in circles, knocking over lamps and tables, and jump into pools thinking it's just like the bathtub at home? It took six years before I heard the first "I think your kid may have ADHD" from his 2nd grade teacher. I was so relieved to hear those words.
In the state where my children were born, no ADD or ADHD diagnosis could be official until the child could read. Like reading skills are the most convincing behaviors of an ADHD child! (NOT!) Way back then, when New Kids on The Block were the hot "Boy Band", there was not as much information as there is now. My son had a missing link in his brain and there was a magical pill that would "link him up." This is what worked for us, having toddler and a newborn in addition to Child No. 1. I had read about diet, and behavior modification therapy, but chose the pill over both because I didn't think he would go along with changing his eating habits or being tested by stark raving scientists!
The pill worked. He could focus, he could study and he stopped knocking over lamps! There were a few minor side-effects, but they were outweighed by the results. He was getting straight A's and he was happy. In middle school, he told me he didn't need the meds anymore. We talked to the doctor, who said "Let's try it without the meds." So, we went off the pill. His grades went down, he couldn't concentrate on homework, and every little noise or slight movement made him anxious. He entered high school with a 2.0 gpa (down from a 4.0 two years prior). At the end of his first year of high school, he realized that he needed some help, so he started up again with the meds. He stayed on the meds until he finished high school. He recently graduated from college "med-free" and shows no signs of his former condition. I just have to remind him to not take his eyes off the road when he drives home....cows can look very interesting from the highway!
I'm glad we have the internet now and the ability to acquire more information. It's a personal choice that parents have to make. What works for one may not work for another. I think we have to find a course that will give our children the best opportunities for a healthy and productive life.
Next post will be about ADHD Child No.2...who is gifted...another peachy existence!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Meet Tootsie!
I took a little time for myself the other day, and tweaked my blog a little bit. I started to click on stuff and this picture came up. Let me introduce you to Tootsie! We rescued her from the Humane Society about three years ago. They tell me she is a Scottie/Basset Hound mix. Yikes! We love her dearly. She has a very calm demeanor, lets us know when she needs something (like food, water, chasing chipmunks or bunnies, etc.) and has a larger bladder than Edwina.
We waited a long time for her...too long, I think. Hero was already out of the house in college. I feel that he was cheated a little. He enjoys her when he comes to visit. Oh sure, the boys had hamsters, lizards, frogs and miniature catfish, but a dog or a cat is beyond compare to these critters.
The boys' hamsters were named Jake and Elwood. We couldn't find small enough sunglasses for them to wear, so we talked about using a permanent marker to draw them on. We chose not to do this in case the boys wanted to change their names. Jake and Elwood make so much noise at night, we had to move them to the garage. Big mistake. Elwood escaped, never to be seen again, and Jake grew a tumor on his ear. We couldn't get near Jake without a little nip here and there, so we took him to a Vet who specialized in "exotic" animals. She wanted to keep Jake overnight for observation. What she really was going to do was to put Jake out of his misery, but at the time, Rock was only 4 and was already in hysterics because of the tumor. We told Rock the next day that Jake passed on to hamster heaven and that he was reunited with Elwood. Now the two soul hamsters could continue their quest with the "Band" to raise funds for the Sisters of Perpetual Gerbels.
Now, the girls have their own "hamster" story, but that is for another day...
Tootsie is telling me to get ready for work! Enjoy your day!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
What Season Are We In?
Hooray! We are finally out of the 80's. My goodness, it's been just a little too toasty for me lately! I'm a full-figured girl, so most of my comfy clothes are stretchy and synthetic. Well, my chubby thighs get a little warm inside of synthetic material, so you can sort of see what I'm talking about......I'm looking forward to cooler temps, shorter days (good excuse for not getting some things done..."I just didn't have enough daylight!"), leaves changing color and then dropping, and maybe a little flurry or two.
I just finished organizing my desk, throwing out junk, tearing off our names and address to be shredded (a little paranoid, huh?), made a new "To Do" stack, "To File" stack, and catalog stack. It's only October and I already have a bazillion catalogs! I dog-ear all of the things on my wish list, and then slap the pages that I really, really want. It's just a little tradition we do in our family...it was great fun for the kids when they were little. All those toy catalogs! They would slap their pages and then circle everything they wanted to put on their list. It was hours of fun... a good thing for them to do at the kitchen table while I cooked dinner.
The girls took their PSAT tests today (for those who have little ones only, and have blocked this part of high school from your memory - it's a practice test for the ACT (college) test). If one does really well on this test, they are almost guarranteed some $$$ for college. Edwina has a bladder the size of an M&M. She forgot to go before the test began. They wouldn't let anyone leave during the "stretch" break. It was close, but she survived!
Take a moment to count your blessings, even if they make your life crazy!!
I just finished organizing my desk, throwing out junk, tearing off our names and address to be shredded (a little paranoid, huh?), made a new "To Do" stack, "To File" stack, and catalog stack. It's only October and I already have a bazillion catalogs! I dog-ear all of the things on my wish list, and then slap the pages that I really, really want. It's just a little tradition we do in our family...it was great fun for the kids when they were little. All those toy catalogs! They would slap their pages and then circle everything they wanted to put on their list. It was hours of fun... a good thing for them to do at the kitchen table while I cooked dinner.
The girls took their PSAT tests today (for those who have little ones only, and have blocked this part of high school from your memory - it's a practice test for the ACT (college) test). If one does really well on this test, they are almost guarranteed some $$$ for college. Edwina has a bladder the size of an M&M. She forgot to go before the test began. They wouldn't let anyone leave during the "stretch" break. It was close, but she survived!
Take a moment to count your blessings, even if they make your life crazy!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
R & R for Mom
I took the day off today to soothe my battered body and psyche. (Whatever that means!) Instead of laundry, errands and cleaning, I went to an event called "The Big Read." Initially, I wanted to go meet Mary Engelbreit, buy her book, and get her autograph. Then I realized all of the other interesting things that were going on. Today was a day that I was sad that my kids were grown up. There was a ton of activities, storytelling, entertainment and sales geared to kiddos betweeen the ages of two and 14.
Instead of my fantasy meeting with ME, I attended two writing workshops. They were both awesome! The first was about how to get published, and the second was how to pitch an idea. I really enjoyed both of them and I came away feeling very motivated...(did I say motivated?) - one of my objectives of this post. Driving home, I thought about redrafting some of my stories. Then, I saw Dairy Queen....the one where Edwina and Katya work. Let's see...I have two bucks...what can I get with their discount? (Another improvement I want to make...I guess that today is not the day for this one.)
Oh, by the way, the owner of the phone came in to the office the next morning to claim it! He is now back in favor with his mom and dad.
Instead of my fantasy meeting with ME, I attended two writing workshops. They were both awesome! The first was about how to get published, and the second was how to pitch an idea. I really enjoyed both of them and I came away feeling very motivated...(did I say motivated?) - one of my objectives of this post. Driving home, I thought about redrafting some of my stories. Then, I saw Dairy Queen....the one where Edwina and Katya work. Let's see...I have two bucks...what can I get with their discount? (Another improvement I want to make...I guess that today is not the day for this one.)
Oh, by the way, the owner of the phone came in to the office the next morning to claim it! He is now back in favor with his mom and dad.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Found on Bus 40
One of the job duties I have at work is to manage the Lost & Found Department. I am brought anything from money to phones to hoodies and expensive jackets. The person who brings the item in tells me where it was found. When someone loses something, they fill out a Lost Report and turn that in to me. I send out an email to the staff at the end of the day detailing lost items and found items. When I first started this, the emails were very boring to write, as well as, to read. So, I began to insert goofy humor (I pretend to be a professional critic for American Idol, and a few other Fox shows; I also share funny stories about my kids.) into my emails, and now I can get more people to open them up and read them.
Today a phone was brought to me that was found on Bus 40. I set it aside in a secret hiding place (so no one will take it when I am away from my desk). I have to be careful, though, because sometimes I forget my hiding places! At the end of the day, I opened the phone and looked in the contacts for "home" or "mom." I tried calling "mom", but I couldn't get service. I put the phone away and brought it home. I just tried calling it again from my back porch. It rang (one ringy dingy....) about five or six times and then I got a message that the battery was low and to recharge immediately. With what?....my good looks? It just so happens that Retro has the same brand of phone, so I'm going to charge the battery on that and then try "mom" again later tonight.
Edwina & Katya still go out on Halloween. I'm sure we will be pinning, taping and sewing at 5:00pm on October 31st, but oh, what fun it will be! Their high school football team plays the cross-town rival that night. The costumes are going to be very interesting. Do you think that if someone dressed up as a football player they could sneak out on the field and play?
Thanks for stopping by. Gotta get some laundry done....
Today a phone was brought to me that was found on Bus 40. I set it aside in a secret hiding place (so no one will take it when I am away from my desk). I have to be careful, though, because sometimes I forget my hiding places! At the end of the day, I opened the phone and looked in the contacts for "home" or "mom." I tried calling "mom", but I couldn't get service. I put the phone away and brought it home. I just tried calling it again from my back porch. It rang (one ringy dingy....) about five or six times and then I got a message that the battery was low and to recharge immediately. With what?....my good looks? It just so happens that Retro has the same brand of phone, so I'm going to charge the battery on that and then try "mom" again later tonight.
Edwina & Katya still go out on Halloween. I'm sure we will be pinning, taping and sewing at 5:00pm on October 31st, but oh, what fun it will be! Their high school football team plays the cross-town rival that night. The costumes are going to be very interesting. Do you think that if someone dressed up as a football player they could sneak out on the field and play?
Thanks for stopping by. Gotta get some laundry done....
Friday, October 3, 2008
Don't Ya Just Love Fridays?
I don't know about you, but Fridays are so much easier to face than almost any other day of the week. Knowing that dress is casual, dinner is pizza and I can stay up as late as I want, really gives me a big smile throughout the whole day!
Fridays, I think, are also a day of reflection. What did I do right this week, and what could I have done right this week? I don't beat myself up anymore, for mistakes, misstates and stupid stuff. I just remind myself that God loves me no matter what, and as long as I keep trying, I will eventually "get it right."
I can remember (yes, sometimes my memory does go back farther than 10 minutes) the days before kids and responsibility...Fridays were meant for going out and (partying)socializing. Yes, I used to do the drinking thing, as well as the cigarette thing, but kids change things. Now Fridays are order out, kick-back, watch TV and fall asleep around 9:00. How sad is that? You know what? That's okay.
It's Homecoming Week for the girls. Edwina played in the Powder Puff game last night. It was Junior women against the Senior women. (The seniors always win no matter what!) Earlier in the day, the school put on a mock drunk driving accident, where students volunteered to be injured victims, as well as, fatalities. It was meant to make a statement about drinking and driving. Kudos to the school administrators! It was very moving for many. One girl watched her twin sibling being zipped up in a body bag. Reality at its best. Did they get the message?
On a lighter note, one amazing thing about my Fridays is that Rock comes home for the weekend. His college is close enough that he can do that. I love this guy! And, if I only see him for 10 minutes, that's okay.
Well, time to pop in another pizza, and feed Tootsie! Have a wonderful Friday!
God Bless
Fridays, I think, are also a day of reflection. What did I do right this week, and what could I have done right this week? I don't beat myself up anymore, for mistakes, misstates and stupid stuff. I just remind myself that God loves me no matter what, and as long as I keep trying, I will eventually "get it right."
I can remember (yes, sometimes my memory does go back farther than 10 minutes) the days before kids and responsibility...Fridays were meant for going out and (partying)socializing. Yes, I used to do the drinking thing, as well as the cigarette thing, but kids change things. Now Fridays are order out, kick-back, watch TV and fall asleep around 9:00. How sad is that? You know what? That's okay.
It's Homecoming Week for the girls. Edwina played in the Powder Puff game last night. It was Junior women against the Senior women. (The seniors always win no matter what!) Earlier in the day, the school put on a mock drunk driving accident, where students volunteered to be injured victims, as well as, fatalities. It was meant to make a statement about drinking and driving. Kudos to the school administrators! It was very moving for many. One girl watched her twin sibling being zipped up in a body bag. Reality at its best. Did they get the message?
On a lighter note, one amazing thing about my Fridays is that Rock comes home for the weekend. His college is close enough that he can do that. I love this guy! And, if I only see him for 10 minutes, that's okay.
Well, time to pop in another pizza, and feed Tootsie! Have a wonderful Friday!
God Bless
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