Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!! I love this planet we live on and I love teaching my daughter about the Earth and why it's our job to take care of it.

There is a team in Germany working for an initiative called "Make it Green!". Their goal is to contribute their part in reducing the carbon footprint by raising awareness of the severe environmental damage caused by carbon emissions.

One of their activities is to raise awareness of the carbon emissions resulting from the use of the internet - specifically of blogs. Did you know that a blog with 15,000 visits a month has a yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 8lb? Who knew?

To demonstrate that I care about the environment (I mean, shouldn't we all?) and the carbon footprint of my blog, I have added a button on my sidebar. Just by my adding the button, they will neutralize my blog's carbon footprint by planting trees in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California. Thousands of wildfires burned down many national forests over the past ten years and 88.000 acres of Plumas' were destroyed by two fires in 2007. For every participating blog they plant a tree. One blog - one tree.

Why? They are a German-based company called kaufDA, which provides advertisement brochures of local stores online to help consumers search for specific products and find good deals in their neighborhood. This reduces the amount of brochures printed and so the project helps the environment by reducing unnecessary paper in mailboxes.

This is how I have decided to celebrate Earth Day!!

Please take a moment today to marvel at the wonder that is this planet we live on. Sit back and appreciate it, even if it's only for a moment. It's the only planet we have!




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Thank You's

I read a story today about a couple here in Texas whose little baby developed without eyes. She literally has no eyeballs. She will never ever see. She will never see her parents or herself. She will never see clouds in the sky or sunsets. This makes me want to cry. It also makes me so very grateful for everything I have in my life.

Everyone has things about their lives that they would like to change. We want a better job, or a better house. We want to lose weight or get married or divorced. Heck, sometimes I just wish I had that particular shirt in a different color. Since the Thanksgiving season is one of being thankful I have decided to do that....a little early.

TODAY (the list changes day to day) I am MOST thankful for:

• God


• my family


• my sister


• my in-laws (who are like second parents to me)


• my mother (she did give me life after all)


• my husband


• his never ending love


• his hugs and kisses


• the way he loves my daughter


• the way he looks at me when he thinks I'm not looking


• my daughter (who is my heart)


• her laugh


• her smile


• her hugs


• her tears


• her just being alive


• our health


• my job


• my friends (old and new)


• the fall


• sunrises (sun awake mommy!)


• fog in the morning


• coffee (if only it woke me up)

Granted, it's a short list. The real list of what I am thankful for would take too long to write and you'd likely not want to read it. It all boils down to being grateful for the life I have.

The whole point of the entry, I suppose, is to stop and THINK ABOUT the things you are truly grateful for whenever something gets you down. There are many blessings in life, you just have to find them.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!


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Are You Constantly Running on Full?

My daughter watches Elmo a lot. Her favorite video is Elmo's Potty Time. One part of the video has a giant blue monkey who is "in tune with his body", meaning he knows when he's thirsty or hungry, etc. because he listens to what his body is telling him. This is helpful in learning to use the potty. I find this to be an interesting concept, especially because I don't think most people are in tune with their bodies (me included).

My weight has been an issue for me ever since the 7th grade (or so). I was never really "fat" (like I am now at a size 18, which is over the average size of 14 for women in America), just overweight. As I am sure I have mentioned in here before, I think it's important to set a good example for your young, impressionable, children. That's why I exercise regularly (actually enjoying it) and do my best to not overeat. We get take out about once a week, which I think is pretty appropriate.

I asked a (thin) co-worker what she does to stay fit. She said she didn't exercise (which I didn't find too shocking), she just ate several small meals a day, always stopped eating when she was full, and didn't eat past 8:00pm. It was the middle part that struck a chord with me and made me think about the blue monkey in the Elmo video.

What does it mean to be "full"? Seriously, do you know when you are full? When I was a kid we were always told that we had to finish what was on our plate. We were never told "Please eat until you are full and then stop, like you should."

There was an article on MSNBC recently called Overweight pals eat more when they’re together. According to the article, in a study of 9- to 15-year-olds, researchers found that all kids, regardless of their weight, tended to eat more when they had the chance to snack with a friend than when they were with a peer they did not know. But the biggest calorie intakes were seen when an overweight child snacked with an overweight friend.

With so many articles and studies on the "Obesity Epidemic" in this day and age, you would think that people, at the very least, could stop eating when they are full. But surprisingly, we don't. With humongous portions being served in restaurants and with the plain abundance of food here in America, it's not surprising to me that so many Americans are fat.

But, and I know this is a crazy thought, what if we did stop eating when we were full instead of "finishing our plate"? Just something to think about.

Being a parent is about taking care of your child(ren), but it's also about taking care of yourself. Every day I see the results of my daughter copying me. I have to have things "just right" and so does she. She has a little freak out if there is cat vomit on the floor and one of her new favorite words is "mess" and she can't stand for her play blanket (that we lay on the floor) or the mats in the kitchen to have a crumpled corner (subsequently fixing it if it does). I'm not quite sure if I have a borderline OCD here, but I am thinking that's probably not the case.

The point is that "do as I do" is what children do. They can and do pick up on swear words and even how you drive, clean, and eat your food. YOU ARE THE STANDARD and the example that they have. Are you "in tune with your body"? I know I am working on being in tune with mine. Read more!

Welcome the Pad

A discussion about feminine products and my evolutionary views on them as I have aged into my 30's.

When you're young and hip and on the go, you tend to use certain "products" over others during your Aunt Flo's visit. Am I right? And, let's be honest, when you're young the tampon is what most women use. Especially in this day and age when it seems (to me, at the risk of sounding prudish) like young women are wearing less and less. We can't have that bothersome pad sticking out and ruining our outfit, can we?

However, since having a baby, my views have changed. And I am uncertain as to whether it's to do with the fact that something so large came out of an opening that was so small, but tampons just don't seem to FIT like they used to.

And, since I was bleeding after giving birth for about 5 weeks, I got to know the pad a little better. We became friends, of a sort. And, if you haven't checked them out lately, the pads of today are not your mother's pads. They are very thin, have great adhesive, and don't feel at all like a diaper.

Tampons on the other hand don't seem to stay in place. I sneeze and it seems to dislodge. And I have used everything from regular to super with the same results on all counts.

So, what gives? Am I just getting old? Maybe so, but I have never been happier than I am with my pad. If you haven't tried them out in a while and are looking for a change, try them out! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Let's just hope I remember how to use a tampon when my daughter is old enough to use them.




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Courteous, Polite, Kind

These are words that we want people to associate with our children, aren't they? How awesome does it feel when someone compliments you on your child's behavior? I have gotten compliments on my 22-month-old so I can safely tell you that it is pretty awesome. It makes you feel like you are doing something right. So, the questions is, why do we want to instill traits and behaviors in our children that we do not ourselves pattern?

We "roll through" that stop sign but if our teenage child did the same we'd surely say something. We complain when the neighbor has a party, but when it's our turn we are just as loud.

Ever since having a baby I have learned a little more about consideration for others. This is because I am considerate (or at least try to be) for my child. You would think that having children would make you sensitive to the difficulties others have, especially in a neighborhood situation where there are many children involved. But I have found this to NOT be the case and, frankly, it has me baffled.

We live in a "do as I say not as I do" society and adults are terrible when it comes to manners, and being kind and polite. I was stuck on the side of the road a couple of months ago with a flat tire. It wasn't a highway and people were driving by at a rate of several a minute. It took me 45 minutes to get the stupid lug nuts off the tire to change it out. I had 4 of 5 off when one of the probably 50 people that passed me by in that span of time (about 30 minutes) finally stopped to help me. I appreciated the help but it was too late to make any kind of time difference for me. The moral of the story is that people want someone to stop for them but aren't willing to stop and help someone else. It's so easy to say "Oh yeah, I would totally stop and help someone." and then never have the opportunity to do so. It's another thing altogether to actually stop and help when you do.

Another case in point is my neighbors. Of the 23 (or so) houses on my street (which is a cul-de-sac), about 17 (or so) of them have kids. It's a great street for kids and we love it, for the most part. Our house is the center house at the end of the street. So when the kids play outside, it's right outside my house in front of my driveway (and very loud because apparently screaming is conducive to having fun ^_^) and we don't mind at all (and I don't remember ever complaining about noise).

Everyone on the street knows I have a toddler. She is one of the youngest on the street. They also know her bed time and that her bedroom is in the front of the house above the garage. They know this because I have mentioned it several times both in person and via e-mail. And while some people are considerate, all that knowledge doesn't stop others from doing things like lighting off fireworks on the 4th of July and on New Year's late into the night. You know, for the kids. (Luckily I have been blessed with a heavy sleeper)

I am the type of parent who doesn't keep her kid up for my convenience. Because when she is up too late it is decidedly inconvenient for me and my husband (if he's home) for the rest of the night and likely the next day. And I know it's just because of her age and when she gets older the whole "staying up late" thing will be easier (and harder for other things).

I know this is probably coming off bad, but I really don't mean to chastise parents who do keep their kids up for selfish reasons. We are all selfish from time to time. But my daughter thrives on her routine, which we established right from the beginning. They tell me all the time at daycare how she is the most routine child they have. And I take pride in that because she knows exactly what to expect and when to expect it (for the most part). Part of that routine is a stringent bedtime, which is timed for when she is really too tired to go on in order to get her needed sleep in for the night and not be cranky the next day. This is the reason we don't go out at night...well, that and we are just homebodies who are happiest relaxing in the home that we love. (I have considered a babysitter but I'm not there yet)

Since becoming a parent, I have developed a consideration for other people and their children that I assumed other people with children also have. Boy, am I wrong. And being wrong about that makes me sad. I'll admit that I am judgmental when it comes to parenting. It's stupid and I try to keep it to myself and vent only to my husband when I see things like a 16-month-old (who is much smaller than my 22-month-old in 2T) in size 4T clothing, or when I see a child under 6 holding a firecracker while their grandmother lights it and tells them to throw it (while filming the whole thing). To me, those things represent irresponsible parenting. But, who am I to judge? I promise you I am no saint.

I just wish that people really "did unto others as they would have done unto them" like we are taught as children. Imagine a world where people really do stop to help; a world where people don't chastise you for being a "party-pooper" when you ask them to quiet down (or heck just have some plain old consideration and follow the local noise ordinances) because your baby is sleeping. Imagine the world we would be handing our children if we, as adults, just exemplified the manners and etiquette that we expect from our children. I know I'd like to see that world.

So, next time someone tries to cut you off (whether it's on the parking lot, in the grocery store, or on the highway, etc.), why not let them in instead of stepping on the gas for a change? Next time you are running late, make sure to STILL stop at that stop sign (because it doesn't save you time really). And next time someone asks you to turn down the noise, accommodate them. Just the once.

On the other hand, give people the benefit of the doubt. (she says as she judges ^_^) I try to, really I do. I always give people a chance, even two chances! I don't assume you never stop at that stop sign just because I saw you run it once. I'll even walk with my daughter in the street because your car is (illegally) blocking the sidewalk. Maybe you have a reason for not pulling all the way into the driveway?

Moral of the story? The next time you are given an opportunity to be one of those things (essentially the "bigger" person), give it a try!! It feels good to be courteous, polite, and kind, I promise. (your children can see the double standard when you aren't)


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An "Ideal" Life?

When you make the decision to become a parent, you have ideas about how you want to raise your child and what kind of parent you want to be. You have seen how well your parents did and what mistakes they made and you vow to be and do better.

But, is such an idealistic way of parenting reality? Being the parent of a toddler, I find it incredibly hard to abide by the "rules" I have set for myself as a parent. And I am strict.

There is no cursing in front of the toddler. That little mimicker is already picking up my bad habits of picking up the bowl to get the last scrapings of food (it's cute but messy). The last thing I need is for a curse word to "slip out" in public. And I think I must have hit the cat once or twice in front of her because she seems to think it's not only okay, but fun to do. Not to mention the yelling. I mean I am not a yeller, at least so I thought, but she sure likes to test out her volume. I just wish she would wait until I'm not driving to do it.

We all have cutesy-fun stories about toddler woes, don't we? And we all, universally, think that our kid is the brightest and the most adorable. I mean friends and family agree, right? No one has told you that your kid is ugly and dumb; that's just plain rude and not what we do in the "civilized" society we live in.

It's a delicate balance to live your life while providing the best life you can for your child(ren). You don't want to lose "yourself" while gaining this new personality that is your child. You need time for yourself, but choosing what to do in that time is a delicate balance. Do you read a book (just because you want to) or do the dishes? Do you play your Nintendo DS or clean up from the day? God knows it seems like those moments that you have to yourself are dwindling more and more. (or is it just me?)

Personally, I am in the middle of about 3 parenting books right now. I try to fit them in when I have a minute. But it's both a chore and something that I want to do, if that makes sense. See, I want to be the best parent I can be and I know I'm not an expert at it. I've only been at it for about 21 months now and this is the first (and only) time for me. I am also reading my Mother-In-Law's journals that she kept from when my husband was a new baby and "Dead Until Dark". I hope to finish the latter in the next couple of months, not to mention I am about 8 weeks behind on my People Magazines.

So, back to ideal parenting. You want your kid to be the smartest and the cutest and the first to do everything. And it's so incredibly INCREDIBLY hard NOT to speak up when "Donna Reed" is bragging about little Emma and her latest accomplishments. But I try to not say anything about my kid unless asked. You know why? Because if Willow isn't where whatever the kid that is being bragged about is, it makes me feel like a terrible mother. I mean if little Emma can name all the animals in the jungle, shouldn't Willow be able to? You begin to question your parenting. Maybe I'm not working with her enough. Should I enroll her in an early learning program or get a tutor? You get the idea.

The thing I try to remember is that kids are kids and they learn when they learn. Some kids Willow's age (21 months old) are talking less than her and some are talking more. Some are potty trained and some (like Willow) aren't.

My new "ideal parenting motto" is to "wait until Willow is ready". She has NEVER failed to let us know when she is ready to try something new or give up something old. Now, I am perfectly aware that this isn't going to last forever. I can't always wait until she is ready for something. Part of being a parent is deciding when it's time to lend a helping hand and guide your child in the direction that you'd like them to end up, right?

So what's the point of this post? The point of this post is to remind everyone that no one is the perfect parent. And no matter how well you plan and what ideals you adopt, parenting is never straight forward and is almost always a guessing game. Sure, you have the experience of the child(ren) you have raised should you have more than one, but since every child is different no two parenting experiences are the same (even with the same parents).

The point is to give yourself a break. I know I am working on it. I am not perfect and Willow doesn't really need me to be. As long as she is happy overall, that's all that matters.




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Happy Memorial Day!

In this time of war, it's important to remember that although it's not talked about on the news every day (anymore), there are people overseas fighting for the freedom we enjoy here in America.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

So, while you are enjoying your BBQ or on that road trip with your family on this long weekend, please take a minute to just think about the people fighting to keep America free and say a short prayer of thanks.




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Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day!!



Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

It's never too early to get your children involved in helping the earth. Whether it's teaching them about recycling, participating in an "Adopt a Highway" program, or simply planting a tree.

Whether or not you believe in Global Warming, doing what you can to save and protect the earth for the future is an important thing. There is a great article today on ABC News entitled "7 Easy Ways to Conserve". Here is a summary:

1. Watch how you shop. Whether you're shopping for a book or a new refrigerator, online or in the store, there's a way to consume with the environment and your bank account in mind. For starters, look for appliances and items with the Energy Star label. Backed by the Energy StarEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy, this label indicates a model that has met minimum federal energy efficiency standards.


2. Measure Your Miles. Gas prices may be down now but, even so, fuel costs can still eat up a large portion of the family budget. And, in the United States cars are responsible for about 25 percent of the greenhouse gases produced, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says. Purchasing fuel-efficient, less polluting cars is an option. So is keeping your current car in good condition with regular tune-ups and properly inflated tires. Car pooling and biking when possible also save money and cut down on emissions.


3. Unplug when you can. It's one of the easiest things to do: unplug. Standby (or phantom) power, may be haunting your house -- and costing you more money on energy bills than you bargained for. Standby power eats up electricity on common appliances throughout your home while they're not even on. Seem unfair? Phantom power in the United States is responsible for 5 percent of the total energy used and $3 billion in actual dollars wasted, according to the Department of Energy.


4. Choose greener power when you can. Save energy even while you're plugged in. San Ramon, Calif.-based Green Plug recently announced the Innergie mCube 90G, a universal power adapter that eliminates the need for multiple chargers.


5. Don't waste water. Wasting water is an easy way to watch your money go down to drain. But there are several ways to fix this. First off, take a minute and listen for the soft, "drip, drip," sound coming from your sinks or shower. The NRDC estimates that leaky faucets wastes about 3,000 gallons of water a year.


6. E-Cycle. Have an out-dated iPod or computer? Is your cell looking a little tattered? You could make a buck selling it for cheap on Web sites like eBay, or you could give something back to the environment by recycling it. YouRenew.com lets you easily sell or recycle your electronics. You can get cash for the electronics with value or ship it to the company for free and they'll recycle it for you.


7. Change a light bulb. Yes, you've heard it before. But the fact remains that the simple, cheap, and very easy act of replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs saves you about $30 over their lifetimes. In just six months, they pay for themselves

More Information:

• Better World Books - Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide.


• Carbonfund.org - eading the fight against global warming, making it easy and affordable for any individual, business or organization to eliminate their carbon footprint with our offsets and hastening the transformation to a clean energy future.


• Fuel Efficient Centers - Drive smart, drive green!


• Natural Resources Defense Council - Works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth.


• YouRenew.com - We have a mission to make it easier to sell electronics and recycle electronics than throw them away.


• Earth Day Network


• EarthDay.gov


• EPA Earth Day


• World Wildlife Federation Earth Day


• Google Earth Day Gallery

Sow the seeds of the future by getting your children involved in helping to make a greener planet TODAY. Willow is 19 months old and she LOVES to recycle. That is, she loves taking things into the garage and throwing them into the appropriate bin. And yes, she knows which bin is for which recyclables. It's so easy to "help" save the environment, why not get your children involved and set a good example?

Read more!

School - Is an 'Early Start" a Good Thing?

I don't know about you but I am already (when my daughter is a ripe old 18 months of age) thinking about preschool and elementary education for her.

Here in Texas I have a conundrum. Willow was born on September 17th and the cutoff for school is September 1st. This means that she will be turning 6 (instead of the typical age of 5) when she starts kindergarten and she will be 19 years old when she graduates from high school....unless I can find a way for her to start school when she is 4, turning 5. Unfortunately here in Texas, they typically are pretty strict with the cut off dates.

It's funny how your dreams for your children lead to fantastic fantasies about their future. They honestly have no idea what we have in store for them, do they?

So, what do (or can) you do if you are in a situation like I am? Well, I mean, like Willow is. Is there anything that can be done? I mean, it's not like they are going to change the laws in the next few years (I can hope though). So, I talked to my Mother-In-Law who taught 2nd grade for umpteen years before retiring last year.

She suggested seeing about starting Willow off in a private school, where they might be a little less strict with the cut off. So, I contacted one this past week. They claim "no dice" saying, "We do have a pretty strict cut off of September 1 for our age groups. So, chances are your daughter would not be able to start PreK3 here until the following year." Being an October baby who graduated high school at the ripe old age of 17 I am having a HUGE problem with this.

Part of me wants her to start early like I did. Especially considering that girls tend to be "more ready" for school than boys according to an Opinion Article published in 2006 on the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) entitled "Starting School--Why Girls Are Already Ahead of Boys" which states that "Drawing on a number of fields of educational research this article argues that girls come to school better prepared to meet its demands than boys. Parents encourage different skills in their children, as a result girls have more sophisticated communication skills, and are more likely to have been encouraged to participate in intellectual tasks than boys, who have been mainly encouraged to engage in sports and physical activities. These differences mean that girls more readily "engage" with school and show intrinsic motivation for academic tasks, factors strongly associated with success."

There is also an article I found (from the United Kingdom) called Boys are behind girls in every area - before they even start at school, published in 2008, which states "Fifty-eight per cent of girls are judged to have reached a 'good level of development' – against 41 per cent of boys – after spending up to a year in reception class at primary [elementary] school."

WOW!

So, will Willow be at a disadvantage by starting school "late"? Probably not. I came across a Yahoo! Answers question that was about this EXACT thing and the public opinions were pretty mixed. Some people had good experiences with holding their children back and some people felt starting early was best.

I think the key with the situation will be to research the possibility of starting her "early" and then look at the signs that she gives me when it is coming to the time. Because it's really not about MY needs, it's about HER needs. I think that sometimes parents let their desires and dreams come before what is actually the best thing for their children.

I mean, who doesn't think their child is the smartest and the best at what they do? I think finding a good preschool is a good start. Once she is actually able to perform academically I will look to her teachers to know what is best. And, of course, I'll ask her what SHE wants to do and how ready SHE feels she is. I'd hate to force her to go to school "early" making her think that I am expecting too much from her and setting her up for believing that she will be a disappointment to me.

See? Over thinking again...but I guess all this over thinking means that I care, right? Read more!

Street Safety

I wanted to write a little bit on Street Safety. And when I say "Street Safety" I don't mean being able to bring down an attacker, I am talking about allowing your children to play in the road.

I live in a cul-de-sac. I am the center house at the end of the street. My street is shaped like an "L" with my house located at the top most part of the "L". We picked that lot to build our house on because we knew that living on a dead end where there is a huge amount of street in front of the house would be good for when we had children. They would be able to play in the road safely and not have to worry (as much) about getting hit by a car. Right?

Well, not according to my neighbors who think I speed.

Typically, the speed limit in a residential area is somewhere between 25-30 miles per hour. Just like typically, the speed in a school zone is 20-25 miles per hour. Now think about the speed limit in a school zone (which it seems like everyone aside from me zips through because it's too slow for their busy lives) when I tell you my story of strife.

Let me preface by saying that I would never in a million years put the lives of children at risk. Especially when I have my 17 month old daughter in the car with me.

Like I mentioned previously, my street is shaped like an "L". I have to slow down dramatically (I don't exactly know how to speed up dramatically with a 4-cylinder car and a span of 4 houses but that's neither here nor there) to turn the corner. I often come to a stop when rounding the corner to wait for children to clear the road. No problem for me, I am not usually in any kind of a hurry. Then I accelerate to about 22 miles per hour just to slow down again to pull into the driveway. Apparently pulling into my very own driveway is also cause for the neighbors to be angry.

On each of the driveways, there is a lip of a couple of inches. I slow down to about 10-12 miles per hour when I am pulling in. I don't come to a stop because I don't see a need. And children do not typically play in my driveway, just in front of it (and even then not very often).

I actually had a neighbor (well, two of them) ask me to slow down when I pull into my driveway. They think I speed (which I try to never do on side streets). I KNOW I do not speed. I kind of brushed them off while my anger continues to boil and smiled.

So, let me give you a few tips about street safety. I tried looking some up but could only find things about looking both ways before crossing and that is not the situation I am talking about here.

If your children (especially children under 5) play in the road:

1. Make sure a parent is observing
   


• Don't rely on children to police themselves


• Don't expect children to recognize a dangerous situation


• Don't expect children to be able to react quickly in a dangerous situation
  


2. Make sure they know that if a car is coming, they should move out of the way and not assume that it will stop for them


3. Ask your children to not leave large toys they are finished playing with in the road


4. If you think your neighbor is being reckless be polite to them and not accusatory

These seem like simple tips but they quite obviously are not. Remember that if you see a neighbor that you think is being reckless talk to them in a polite manner and tell them why you are concerned. Often times when you see a car driving down the road they can appear to be moving a lot faster when your child is playing in the road then they really are. Keeping a cool head can help you to remain neighborly for the future. I mean, no one wants to live near people they don't like, right?

In the interim, I am waiting for the next accusation and for the threat to call the cops to come to fruition. Until then I think I'll just continue to go under the speed limit and stop for children in the road like I have always done.

Remember, safety starts at home!! Read more!

On Being a Mother

That in which I fail and succeed...like all parents do.

I never realized what being a mother meant until I became one. I had (and have) a mother and my sister is a mother and my husband has a mother and they have mothers (some alive and some not) and on and on. You would think that with all of the mothers in the world there would be some kind of handbook or something that would guide us through and let us know what we need to do to be the best mother for our children.

But then you have to remember that every mother is different because every child is different and every family is different. You can have two families who live in the exact same house and work the exact same jobs and have the exact same children in the exact same order born on the exact same days and you will have two completely different families.

Like I said, you think you know what being a parent means. You observe others and you read books or watch television programs or talk to other mothers but it's still something that is so unique to you that I don't know if it's possible to "get" it before that baby changes your life forever.

I am not going to lie. I complain about the inconvenience of being a mother all the time. If not out loud, then in my head.

I am always tired. And now that Willow is teething (which means no more sleeping through the night) I sometimes feel like the 7th circle of Hell is the one where you never get to sleep. Sometimes I feel like a zombie and I wonder how I get through the day. And I try so hard to put on a non-tired face for Willow. She is only 16 months old, but she can still pick up on my feelings. What I do is I tap into her bubble of wonderfulness. I look at her beautiful face and listen to her contagious laughter and see her insatiable curiosity and it gets me through the day...most of the time.

But, like me, Willow has bad days too. And lately she is cutting the dreaded first molars and my life has a little more Hell in it so I have been a bit frazzled.

Like I have mentioned recently, I am reading Between Parent and Child. And reading the different situations outlined in the book really stir some emotions for me. I think it's because my childhood was so very unlike what Willow's childhood will be. And I think it's my drive to be the best mother I can be for my daughter and the best wife I can be for my husband that makes me ask myself how the parents in the book could possibly talk to their children the way that they do.

Then I remember how my parents talked to me and I wonder why they never thought to read this very same book, which was originally published in 1965. Did they not love me as much as I love Willow? Didn't they want to be the best parents that they could be? I think the answer to both of those questions is yes. Yes they love(d) me and yes they wanted to be good parents. And I really think that, they gave it a go the best that they knew how.

Being a mother is the most challenging thing I have ever done. Being a wife doesn't even come close. Not that sharing your life with another person is easy but it gets easier as the years pass. Being a parent is the single greatest sacrifice anyone can make because when your child is a baby your life and time are not your own. And I am okay with that. Heck, even if I wasn't okay with that I would have to be okay with it since it is my reality.

So, why am I writing here? I am writing here about my life and my situation since I am frazzled and it helps to get it all out. And because I know there are people out there like me who feel what I feel and can by sympathetic to my sleepless plight. And because I will need, in the future, to be reminded of these days gone by when all I had to worry about was getting a good night's sleep.

Read more!

In The News - Lots of TV and Web Harms Children's Health

My husband was looking at the news on MSNBC and found the article entitled "Lots of TV and Web harms children's health". I read that title and the article itself and finish the whole thing like I almost always do, shaking my head.

Why is it that in this day and age in America we need to be told time and again that too much of anything is bad for our children, let alone bad for us? It's not rocket science to know that too much of anything (even money) is a bad thing. And I would know, I am an aerospace engineer. ^_^ (get it? I'm a rocket scientist? Nevermind...)

But since most people seem to have uncommon (as opposed to common) sense, I thought I'd talk about the article here.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Yale University and the California Pacific Medical Center experts analyzed 173 studies done since 1980 in one of the most comprehensive assessments to date on how exposure to media sources impacts the physical health of children and adolescents.

The studies, most conducted in the United States, largely focused on television, but some looked at video games, films, music, and computer and Internet use. Three quarters of them found that increased media viewing was associated with negative health outcomes.

The moral of the story? A sedentary lifestyle for children, like adults, results in obesity. No duh. You mean to tell me that sitting in front of the television all day and not exercising your body (or your brain) is a bad thing? Well who would have thought it? (/sarcasm)

Seriously folks. Will we ever get to the point where we don't need doctors and scientists to point out the obvious to us? I sure hope so. Read more!

Babies Are Easy?

I thought babies were hard, but they have nothing on toddlers. Toddlers are little people who think the world revolves around them, because it does. I asked Willow yesterday if she wanted some milk and she started balling her eyes out and writhing on the floor. Seriously. You would think that I had asked her if she wanted me to pull out her fingernails or something.

The littlest thing can ignite a temper tantrum. Luckily I can tell the fake crying from the real crying and if I ignore the fake crying it doesn't last long. And she is not shy about trying to fake-cry her way into getting something. I would like to say that it's fun or cute but instead I find myself wishing for the earlier days every now and again. You know, the days when I had no idea what I was doing that went by in a blur that I knew I would be longing for again one day. I just didn't think it would be this soon.

The toddler I am living with now has shown me yet again that having one child is the correct amount for me. I think I may just pull my hair out if I had to deal with a baby and a toddler and I commend those moms that have more than one child. They should get an award for their commitment. Read more!

Willow has a cold

I love the fall and the winter but the transition of seasons between summer and fall is always a bit hectic for me since I tend to get a cold. Willow is, apparently, no different.

For the past week or so, she has had the sniffles, but today she has to be the most miserable she has been in a while and it makes me feel terrible for her. I am regularly squirting the "Little Noses" saline up her nose and, of course, she hates it...

But the funny thing about it is when I am all done with the squirting and the wiping, she grabs the saline bottle so she can play with it.

I have this silent fear that she is going to associate the words "come here" with bad things happening. So, I have been trying to follow up a "come here" with a hug and kiss every once in a while instead of a nose squirt or wipe.

Right now she is napping. She took a short 45 min nap and started crying, so I went up and held her for a minute then put her down again and she is once again sleeping. I know she is exhausted and I hope she gets in a good rest.

Despite it all, she is pretty much happy when she is awake. I just hope it all goes away soon. Read more!

Today is America Recycles Day!!

As I have talked about before, at our home here in Houston, we recycle. Since today is "America Recycles Day" I thought I'd bring it up again!!

Recycling is easy and in many cities, they pick up your goods for recycling. All you have to do is put them in a bin instead of the trash. We don't have our recycling picked up at the curb, we have to go and drop it off. But it's not so bad since our trash has decreased so dramatically (meaning we are contributing significantly less to landfills).

I'm not going to try and convince you to recycle. If you don't do it by now, chances are you won't. I personally attribute it to laziness. Kind of like the people in the grocery store parking lot who don't return their cart to the proper place when it's literally 2 car spots over. Because, you know, someone else will take care of it. But that's just me and my opinion. Well, it's up to us to take the initiative to take care of our planet. And recycling is a good start.

To learn more, please visit the Recycling 101 page at the National Recycling Coalition. Read more!

Indescribable Love

It's funny because I never really thought of myself as "mother" material. I'm still not quite sure what that is. I believe everyone has the capability to both give and handle the type of love that exists between a mother and a child. That's not to say that everyone is cut out to be a mother but then not everyone is a mother.

I guess I never had that "calling" that some women get or feel when they get to a certain age. You know, that pang in your heart that longs for a child and to become a mother. That nurturing instinct that all women have. Well most, okay some, women. They have that pang, right?

But, when it felt like the right time, I tried getting pregnant. Then, I finally got pregnant. Then I gave birth and I was thrust, head underwater, into the ranks of those that are also mothers.

Let me tell you, this motherhood thing is trial by fire. It's on the job training that can have devastating effects if you don't learn fast enough. And I wasn't sure, even after Willow was born, that I was cut out for it.

I didn't feel that "immediate" bond with her despite carrying her for nine months in my stomach. And since I wasn't able to breastfeed, we didn't have that either. But, I have to say that I love being her mother.

I love seeing her grow up and getting slobbery kisses and baby hugs. I love being the first person she sees in the morning and the last person she sees at night and I really and truly miss her when she is sleeping, even though I am sleeping too during that time. My thoughts are always with her and she is my heart.

I hope that we have a good relationship when she gets older. I hope that she confides in and trusts me and I hope that I am doing all of the right things at this critical time in her life when she is learning how to trust and treat people and as she learns to trust and believe in herself.

Being a mother requires a lot of faith in yourself and in your partner and even if, like me, you thought that maybe you weren't cut out for being a mother well, life often proves you wrong and, for me, this is one of those times.

Even though I am lots of things; a wife, a sister, a daughter, an aunt...none of those things compare to being a mother. And I am so glad that we made the decision to bring a life into this world because I know it's made me a better person.
Read more!

Willow Has Found The Beanies!

So, I have this rather large store-type display case with many many many Beanie Babies on it ranging from the very small to the "buddy" size. This, in times past, was my prized collection and it represents literally hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars spent.

When I bring Willow upstairs for her bath (which is one of her favorite times of the day) I set up the baby gate in front of the staircase because, let's fact it, by myself I can't get everything I need and hold her at the same time. Well, I can if I want my arm to fall off (25 pounds is heavy!!). Besides which she is much happier being able to walk around and explore. When David and I "tag-team" her she usually hangs with David as he draws the bath and I get things ready for bed. But, since he is gone on a trip Willow has found other ways to occupy herself...

If you have a toddler, you know that they are curious creatures. If there is somewhere they haven't explored yet, they are drawn to it like a magnet. And the beanie display is full of colorful animals and the like, all of a size that is absolutely perfect for putting right in your mouth.

Now, my first instinct is to tell her "No!!" and draw her attention elsewhere. But, there is nothing very compelling in the game room (despite its name) to distract her from the colorful texture-rich goodness that are the beanies. And what am I really "saving" them for anyway? Sure, they are all tag-protected and neatly stacked and I once had a dream of them appreciating in value. But then Ty decided to keep making them and what value they had went down the toilet.

So, why not let her play with them? Besides, she is really cute when she grabs one, holds out her arm full-length, and tilts her head to the side to "give" it to me. Yes, I silently cringe but I'll get over it. Read more!