Mome reads Mommy, My daughter's way to spell it when she was younger... It stuck. My son calls me Mome... just like it looks. I now sign all my notes to them "Love, Mome". It's our inside secret and makes them smile. I always want them to smile.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Getting closer to Family

 I grew up in Michigan and by the time I was 25 had had enough of the cold winters.  While I loved to play in the snow as a child, snowsuits were no longer proper attire, and hats make my hair staticy.  I was working as a restaurant manager for one of the big chains at the time and requested to be relocated "south".  When asked if I had a specific southern state in mind, I replied "North Carolina."  My little brother had moved to Chapel Hill years before and I had visited and fallen in love with the city.

My request for a "southern" transfer was approved, however, NC wasn't available and I landed in Virginia Beach.  I figured since it was a popular vacation spot, it should be warm enough for me.

My brother and his family have since moved to Raleigh and Hubby and I have had several conversations about relocating to that area.  It is the placeto be for business and the schools are top notch.

Clicksmart.com makes it easy to find a raleigh realtor and I often find myself looking for agents handling Raleigh properties in my brother's neighborhood.  While we probably won't be moving this year, I would love to be closer to MY family and have the kiddies grow up with their cousins like I did.

Full Bookshelf

Tammy, over at A day to share with Tammy. was so sweet to develop this wonderful bookshelf FULL of awards and give it to several of her fellow bloggers. The bookshelf is lovely and I am grateful to be in its list of recipients. I really enjoy Tammy's blog and am thrilled that she has recognized mine. Check her out and check back soon to see who I will pass the awards to. Leave me a comment if you'd like to be included and I'll come to your site and check it out.

I think some bloggers are sick of the tags and would prefer NOT to get awards, but to me, I always appreciate knowing that someone is at least peeking in every once in a while to see what I am up to. I'll need to check out some other bloggers "status" on award acceptance to make sure I don not tick anyone off.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Love Letters

Did you see the Sex in the City movie? If you did, then you'll remember the love letters that Big sent to Carie and how they mad her feel. Although there wasn't a book for Big to get those letters from...THERE IS NOW!

John Kirkland has put together a book of intimate letters from poets. writers, and novelists like Goethe, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Jack London and several more.

With the movie being released on September 22 on DVD, I think a copy of the book, along with the DVD would make the perfect gift for any Sex in the City fan.

The book is availabe for Purchase on Amazon for only 19.95.

On our way.

We got a late start this morning on our little vacation. The weather is a little rainy and drizzly. Stopped for a little lunch and I thought I'd do a little update and see if I could make a wee bit of money while hubby and kiddies eat lunch. Heading over to PPP now to see what's going on. Have a geat Thursday and I hope the weather is better in NJ.

On a side note, and I should have learned this 2 years ago when we were driving to Mi with our newly potty trained son, When you are potty training...Allow for LOTS of extra stops! I swear Puddin' Pop has had to pee every 30 minutes. We might get there before nightfall Would I be a bad mom if I slapped a diaper on her???

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Long Holiday Vacation

We decided, at the last minute, to take a family beach vacation over this labor day weekend. Hubby managed to get tomorrow and Friday off so we are headed to New Jersey.

I managed to come across a spectacular place in Wilwood called Morey's Piers. They have over 100 amusement park rides between 3 different piers and 2 water parks, which will thrill the kiddies. Shhh, we haven't told them yet.

Their website made it super easy to purchase tickets for the parks and find accomodations near by as well as book them without ever having to pick up the phone. That's good, since the kids NEVER leave me alone while I'm on the phone and surely would have ruined the surprise.

I was also excited about the specials I found on the site. They offer daily specials throughout the summer and I think the kids will really enjoy riding rides under the fireworks on Friday night.

I can't wait for some good, quality, family time! I will have my trusty PC to amuse me on the drive as well as after kids and hubby go to sleep, but don't expect too much.

Business Checks with VistaPrint

My husband has a full time job and a Disc Jockey business as well. We recently were looking into ways to cut some costs with his DJ business as he is currently not allowed to drive and has had to sub contract others to do his pending jobs for him.

I found a great deal with VistaPrint on business checks that will save us some money as well as let us design our own checks to bring attention to the business. We can order our checks online, choose a template and the colors for the checks. We also determine the font and can add his business logo. What a great advertising tool. His sub contrators will get the checks. They will take them to the bank for cashing, and WHAM, instant advertising to the teller and anyone else who comes across the check. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this before.

With coupon code Checks25 We can get an additional 25% off the already low prices.

The prices are so good at VistaPrint, I'm going to design and get my Christmas cards from them as well. They offer a variety of services from business to personal. If you have any printing needs, I encourage you to check out VistaPrint.

My hidden talent?

I took another super quick quiz to find out my "hidden" talent. I'm not so sure the talent is hidden, but this definitely describes me. What's your hidden talent?

"I have you in my power. You can not resist the urge to read my blog. You will be back often, if not everyday, to see what is going on. You love it, you HAVE to have it, You will be back!"

Your Hidden Talent
You have the power to persuade and influence others.
You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.
The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.
Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Tuesday's Wine Spotlight (with chocolate!)

Instead of just spotlighting a particular wine or wine brand, I thought I would share this great video combining my 2 true loves...Wine and Chocolate. Enjoy them both (the wine and the chocolate)

Video courtesy of About.com
with Jonathon Stewart

,

What is your Personality?




Your Personality Profile



You are dreamy, peaceful, and young at heart.

Optimistic and caring, you tend to see the best in people.

You tend to be always smiling - and making others smile.



You are shy and intelligent... and a very hard worker.

You're also funny, but many people don't see your funny side.

Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches.

This was the easiest personality test ever! Pick a picture and voila! Everything is pretty true except the shy part.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Why NOT to hit your Children. Reasons #2 and #3

See previous post for #1, and be on the lookout for more.

2. HITTING DEVALUES THE CHILD
The child's self-image begins with how he perceives that others – especially his parents – perceive him Even in the most loving homes, spanking gives a confusing message, especially to a child too young to understand the reason for the whack. Parents spend a lot of time building up their baby or child's sense of being valued, helping the child feel "good." Then the child breaks a glass, you spank, and he feels, "I must be bad."

Even a guilt-relieving hug from a parent after a spank doesn't remove the sting. The child is likely to feel the hit, inside and out, long after the hug. Most children put in this situation will hug to ask for mercy. "If I hug him, daddy will stop hitting me." When spanking is repeated over and over, one message is driven home to the child, "You are weak and defenseless."

Joan, a loving mother, sincerely believed that spanking was a parental right and obligation needed to turn out an obedient child. She felt spanking was "for the child's own good." After several months of spank-controlled discipline, her toddler became withdrawn. She would notice him playing alone in the corner, not interested in playmates, and avoiding eye contact with her. He had lost his previous sparkle. Outwardly he was a "good boy." Inwardly, Spencer thought he was a bad boy. He didn't feel right and he didn't act right. Spanking made him feel smaller and weaker, overpowered by people bigger than him.

SLAPPING HANDS
How tempting it is to slap those daring little hands! Many parents do it without thinking, but consider the consequences. Maria Montessori, one of the earliest opponents of slapping children's hands, believed that children's hands are tools for exploring, an extension of the child's natural curiosity. Slapping them sends a powerful negative message. Sensitive parents we have interviewed all agree that the hands should be off-limits for physical punishment. Research supports this idea. Psychologists studied a group of sixteen fourteen-month-olds playing with their mothers. When one group of toddlers tried to grab a forbidden object, they received a slap on the hand; the other group of toddlers did not receive physical punishment. In follow-up studies of these children seven months later, the punished babies were found to be less skilled at exploring their environment. Better to separate the child from the object or supervise his exploration and leave little hands unhurt.

3. HITTING DEVALUES THE PARENT
Parents who spank-control or otherwise abusively punish their children often feel devalued themselves because deep down they don't feel right about their way of discipline. Often they spank (or yell) in desperation because they don't know what else to do, but afterward feel more powerless when they find it doesn't work. As one mother who dropped spanking from her correction list put it, "I won the battle, but lost the war. My child now fears me, and I feel I've lost something precious."

Spanking also devalues the role of a parent. Being an authority figure means you are trusted and respected, but not feared. Lasting authority cannot be based on fear. Parents or other caregivers who repeatedly use spanking to control children enter into a lose-lose situation. Not only does the child lose respect for the parent, but the parents also lose out because they develop a spanking mindset and have fewer alternatives to spanking. The parent has fewer preplanned, experience-tested strategies to divert potential behavior, so the child misbehaves more, which calls for more spanking. This child is not being taught to develop inner control.

Hitting devalues the parent-child relationship. Corporal punishment puts a distance between the spanker and the spankee. This distance is especially troubling in home situations where the parent-child relationship may already be strained, such as single-parent homes or blended families. While some children are forgivingly resilient and bounce back without a negative impression on mind or body, for others it's hard to love the hand that hits them.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

My First Tag

So, lucky me, I have friends and one of them "tagged" me. I officially feel like part of the big blog family, thanks to RJ Flamingo who tagged me with this...



Instructions: What you are supposed to do...and please don't spoil the fun...Copy/paste, type in your answers and tag four people in your lists! Don't forget to change my answers to the questions with that of your own.

(A) Four places I go over and over: Grocery store, drive hubby to work(and pick up, at least for the next 6 months),Riverview Gymnastics center (2x a week for the kids classes), Grocery store (that counts as 2 because I'm there at least 3x a week)


(B) Four people who e-mail me regularly: Cassandra, Nikki, Janey and all my survey groups

(C) Four of my favorite places to eat? Rey Azteca, The Grate Steak (but it's a little far since they closed the one close)Soya (or any great sushi place, this is closest and the food is great) and Ruth's Chris


(D) Four places you'd rather be? On the Beach (actually living in a house on it), On a cruise ship to Alaska, New York (but just for a visit)Home in Michigan(again, just for a long visit)

(E) Four TV shows I could watch over and over: CSI, Law and Order, American Idol, Army Wives


(F) Four people I think will respond: Heidi, Katie, Tammy, and Eric

Your turn!

WiiFit Update (2 weeks)

So have lost 3.8 pounds in the last 2 weeks, and actually it would've been more, but after 1 week I had actually gained 1 pound. I would like to say it was due to toning, and the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing, but it was no fault of the Wii, it was my addiction to the Chicken taquitos I had bought at Sam's the same time hubby was picking up the WiiFit. The taquitos are now gone (I won't say how many were in the box, just know it was from Sam's and I ate them all) I'm banning Sam's and trying to eat healthier (I eat pretty well, but when those darn taquitos are in the house, all bets are off. I eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner, they are that yummy).
I set my "goal" to lose 3.4 pounds every 2 weeks, so I am just over my goal and expect much better results in the next 2 weeks. The exercises, especially the aerobics, are interactive and fun. Who knew I was a master hula hooper? I encourage anyone who may be unmotivated to "work out" to at least give it a try. I'm very competitive, so I find myself doing some "tests" over and over, until I beat my previous high score.
I'll keep you posted!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Winter Vacation

Boogie will start Kindergarten in a little more than a week and this will be the first time that we've had to plan our "vacation" around a school schedule. Where should we go? How should we get there? It reminds me of all my favorite vacations and the great friends and family I spent them with.

One particular vacation stands out as a comedy of sorts. Although at the time it was NOT that funny, in retrospect, it all turned out fine. I went to visit my best friend, at the time, who had moved to Chicago to go to design school and to be close to her fiance. On this particular visit, she thought it would be nice to set me up with a coworker of hers whos company she enjoyed. Chuck seemed like a nice enough guy. The fourof us went out to dinner and had a couple shots of tequilla (Chuck and I) and then went to a night club. While I do not remember the name of the club, it was HUGE. I turned my back for 2 seconds and all the sudden found myself alone, no friends in sight. Making the best of it, and knowing we planned on being there for a while, I got a drink from the bar and wandered around looking for interesting people to engage in conversation with. At one point I remember a bouncer trying to get frisky with me, but I just laughed, smiled, and walked away. Soon I "bumped" into my friend and her fiance and we had another round of drinks and casually looked around for Chuck. After a couple more drinks (and hours) we had not seen Chuck anywhere. Assuming he ran into other friends and would get a ride with them, we went to leave. As we went to the parking lot to get into my car...it wasn't there. We, of course, thought we were just looking in the wrong place, so we kept wandering the parking lot. After about 30 minutes, we started getting worried, this was a bright yellow car, so it should've been easy to spot. Well we started to go back to the club to call the police (I'm showing my age now) because we didn't have cell phones. As we got to the front of the club, up pulled my car. Had we valet parked and not remembered? No, My friends coworker, Chuck, had apparently taken my keys out of my purse and decided he would take MY car and an unknown guest, out for a spin. Needless to say, I took my keys, my car, my friend and her fiance, but NOT CHUCK, and we went home.

So, back to our winter vacation. My friend still lives in Chicago, and I haven't been there in, gosh, 15 years. Her middle son is 3 months older than mine and she has a daughter who is less than a year younger than my daughter. I think the kids would have a blast together, and I would love for my kids to see a "real" winter. We don't get those here in Virginia. I however am NOT fond of driving in Chicago or in winter weather, so I was looking at different Chicago tours to see the city as well as things the kids might like to do while there.

Trusted Tours & Attractions offers site seeing as well as discounted tickets on special attractions. I think the kids would really enjoy going to the Legoland Discovery Center. You can check out their online travel guides as well as sign up for their newsletter and get the chance to win a $150 Magellan's Gift Certificate. You must sign up for the newsletter by August 31, so check it out now.

If you are planning a trip to New York, you should check out their Top of the Rock tour. The view is spectacular.

Ambitious or crazy?

For some crazy reason, I thought it would be a good idea to start a third blog. I had a fun idea from a post I did about my neighbors complaint (a letter I wrote, but never really sent) and thought it would be humorous to do a blog all in letters to people. It's really new (3 posts) but I think it will be my best. Check it out and let me know what you think. Oh, and if you want to explain wordpress, or the Today VIP formatting to me, I'd be in debt forever!

Just a quickie

Everyone is still sleeping so I'll try to make a quick post. We have "baby" coming today and I need to get the kids up and dressed to take hubby to work. Of course he's not up yet either, so here I am.
Several have asked for a WiiFit update. It's coming this weekend. I thought I had posted that I would update every 2 weeks, but apparently I put EVERY week, so sorry for that. I will update this weekend and explain the results (they may not be pretty) but it's of no fault to Wii.
I hope everyone has a great Friday and a terrific weekend.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Wine Spotlight 8/19/08

So, while I'm not a huge white wine drinker due to the fact that it hits me like tequila and the hubby gets scared when he sees it in the house, I did get a tip from my new blogger friend Katie about Twisted River Riesling. While I could not find a website for the actual Vineyard it comes from, I did find an overwhelming amount of info on the wine itself. Thanks Katie for the tip.

Thank You also to Mora's Fine Wine & Spirits for the info and pic.





The Twisted River label offers delicious wines at affordable prices. Their "Late-Harvest", or Spatlese Riesling is rich and fruity with hints of pear and melon. This wine is bottled with 55 grams per liter of residual sugar. Perfect as an aperitif or with Asian cuisine or barbecue. This wine is sealed with a BVS twist-top to maintain maximum freshness and fruitiness.

Alternative Solutions

If you’ve been reading this blog, then you know that Hubby took a spill a couple weeks ago and the Doctors have no idea why. Hubby doesn’t remember the event, so he’s not of much help. Since the main reason people “faint” without any pre cursors (feeling dizzy, nauseous, lightheaded, etc.)Is usually heart related, and since he has a terrible family history of heart disease, that is what they are looking into. None of the tests have shown any reason for concern, but I thought I would do some research of my own.

While somewhat unrelated, since we haven’t received any news that his heart is in trouble (although, with his lifestyle, we both assume it will be a problem in the future) I came across some very interesting information that I thought I’d share. You know I’m a sucker for info, and learning new things is always fun.

While I’m not in the medical field, and some of these processes are way over my head, with words I would rather not even try to pronounce, I found the idea to be revolutionary (even though it’s been around for 50+ years) and a good alternative to massive surgery, or at the least, something to try before surgery is necessary.

THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROCESS

As we age, cholesterol, calcium, and other minerals accumulate on the inside lining of our blood vessels and, over time, clog them. This process is referred to variously as hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial plaque buildup (see Figure 1). To ignore this process can be exceedingly dangerous and may result in rampant cardiovascular disease. Examples of such diseases are high blood pressure, angina (chest pain due to poor blood circulation to the heart), heart attack, peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation to the legs and feet), and stroke. Most of these conditions are physically disabling and depressing to the patients.

EDTA is an arterial cleansing agent that removes plaque, cholesterol and any heavy metals that restrict your oxygen and blood flow throughout all the blood vessels in your body.

The process of EDTA Chelation can be done with several intravenous treatments or oral chelation is also available. The results from studies are amazing and it has even more positive effects on your body than traditional procedures which target the main problem without preventing other “issues” which may occur with the “standard” aging process.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any ailments due to restrictive flow of arteries, I encourage you to check out the site http://www.arteryhealthinstitute.com/

Two for Tuesday 8/19/08

The amount of feedback to my post last week was overwhelming (that's sarcasm, since I received NO comments) but I said I'd post about 2 charities, and this will give me the opportunity to spotlight the ones I am involved in. (and I'll get to yours next week, Cassandra, thanks for the input).

The first is the Memory Walk for Alzheimers. I will be walking on October 11th of this year and have attached my personal sponsor/donation page. Feel free to donate here, or to the main foundation.

About Our Organization

The Alzheimer’s Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research, is dedicated to finding prevention methods, treatments and an eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.

For almost 30 years, the Alzheimer’s Association has provided reliable information, care consultation, education and support; increased funding for dementia research; and influenced public policy issues.

Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's disease.



National Presenting Sponsor



My second Charity is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This is the one closest to my heart as it took the life of my Mother, a Second Cousin, and currently afflicts my Step Mother. Please do what can to help this very worthwhile charity.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.

MS is Thought to be an Autoimmune Disease

The body’s own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The nerve fibers themselves can also be damaged. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur.

Most people with MS learn to cope with the disease and continue to lead satisfying, productive lives.

The Four Courses of MS

People with MS can typically experience one of four disease courses, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe.

  • Relapsing-Remitting MS
    People with this type of MS experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks—which are called relapses, flare-ups, or exacerbations —are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions), during which no disease progression occurs. Approximately 85% of people are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS.
  • Primary-Progressive MS
    This disease course is characterized by slowly worsening neurologic function from the beginning—with no distinct relapses or remissions. The rate of progression may vary over time, with occasional plateaus and temporary minor improvements. Approximately 10% of people are diagnosed with primary-progressive MS.
  • Secondary-Progressive MS
    Following an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, many people develop a secondary-progressive disease course in which the disease worsens more steadily, with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus. Before the disease-modifying medications became available, approximately 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS developed this form of the disease within 10 years. Long-term data are not yet available to determine if treatment significantly delays this transition.
  • Progressive-Relapsing MS
    In this relatively rare course of MS (5%), people experience steadily worsening disease from the beginning, but with clear attacks of worsening neurologic function along the way. They may or may not experience some recovery following these relapses, but the disease continues to progress without remissions.

Since no two people have exactly the same experience of MS, the disease course may look very different from one person to another. And, it may not always be clear to the physician—at least right away—which course a person is experiencing.


Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dear Neighbor...

Dear Neighbor,
I wanted to personally write you a letter to apologize for the "eyesore" in our back yard. While it was not our intention to have the kids pool up this long, or for it to get "green" there were extenuating circumstances that pulled us away from the task of getting it drained in a timely fashion.

I started draining the pool 3 weeks ago and was diligent to drain several hundred gallons every other day, so as NOT to flood the yard next to us or behind us (yours). I realize my mistake and will make sure next year to siphon it ALL through the hose and let the water flood wherever it may, probably towards the back of our property, so this won't happen again. Anyway, when my husband was rushed by ambulance 2 weeks ago to the hospital, and then had to stay for 4 days, I lost track of this pool project and thus it looks the way it does now. I'm sorry.
Thank you so much for calling Codes and Compliance, the nice man and I had a good laugh that someone would call over something so petty. While the nice man could not tell me who the complaint came from, I recall watching you clear the bushes, and weeds from your back fence line (and throwing all the crap into our yard) thus exposing your new view to our yard, just days before the complaint came in. I'm not mad, I'm sure you had good reason to call, and I'm writing this letter to open up the communication between us, so next year when I flood your yard emptying the pool, you can just come to the cleared fence line and tell me your displeasure to my face.
Sincerely,
Your neighbor with the "green" pool.





Saturday, August 16, 2008

I'm PURPLE

Your Passion is Purple
Sophisticated and classy, you're a bit picky about sex.
You're more likely to be turned on by a fancy hotel room than a dirty flick.
Sex is fine enough, as long as it doesn't mess up your hair.
For you, sex is more about power and favors than actually pleasure.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Bubble Kids

I'll start by saying that if you are the type of person who is terribly afraid of germs, turn back now. I'm not that person. I do not even carry sanitizer in my purse (I can here your gasps). My children can and do get dirty, their dad is more worried about dirt and germs than I am, pretty funny, but at least it gives the kids "balance".



So I took my 2 (Boogie and Puddin' Pop) along with another little girl (baby) to the park. While I'm sure the other Mother's were cringing at the thought of the "germs" the 3 of them put their faces in contact with, but to me, it was a photo opp.



Pictures were taken with my cell phone so quality isn't the greatest, but funny none the less.




This is Puddin Pop!


This is "Baby"

And my darling Boogie

(Is it a boy or a piggy?)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

No surprise!

For those of you who know me, this will come as NO surprise...





You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish



You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.

Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.

You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.

You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

End Corporal Punishment

I am one of the few who DO NOT believe in hitting my children. I think it is degrading, disrespectful, and completely sends the wrong message. I believe people genuinely do what they think is best, and for me, hitting is a non negotiable, ask my husband, he's tried to sway me to "the other side".

That being said, I'd like to start a series of NO HITTING articles. Of course there are 2 sides, but this is My blog, so it will be what I believe and some of the resources I researched while pregnant that drove me to my decision. I always enjoy feed back, so don't be afraid to chime in.



The following is from Ask Dr. Sears.com

1. HITTING MODELS HITTING
There is a classic story about the mother who believed in spanking as a necessary part of discipline until one day she observed her three- year-old daughter hitting her one-year-old son. When confronted, her daughter said, "I'm just playing mommy." This mother never spanked another child.Children love to imitate, especially people whom they love and respect. They perceive that it's okay for them to do whatever you do. Parents, remember, you are bringing up someone else's mother or father, and wife or husband. The same discipline techniques you employ with your children are the ones they are most likely to carry on in their own parenting. The family is a training camp for teaching children how to handle conflicts. Studies show that children from spanking families are more likely to use aggression to handle conflicts when they become adults.

Spanking demonstrates that it's all right for people to hit people, and especially for big people to hit little people, and stronger people to hit weaker people. Children learn that when you have a problem you solve it with a good swat. A child whose behavior is controlled by spanking is likely to carry on this mode of interaction into other relationships with siblings and peers, and eventually a spouse and offspring.

But, you say, "I don't spank my child that often or that hard. Most of the time I show him lots of love and gentleness. An occasional swat on the bottom won't bother him." This rationalization holds true for some children, but other children remember spanking messages more than nurturing ones. You may have a hug-hit ratio of 100:1 in your home, but you run the risk of your child remembering and being influenced more by the one hit than the 100 hugs, especially if that hit was delivered in anger or unjustly, which happens all too often.

Physical punishment shows that it's all right to vent your anger or right a wrong by hitting other people. This is why the parent's attitude during the spanking leaves as great an impression as the swat itself. How to control one's angry impulses (swat control) is one of the things you are trying to teach your children. Spanking sabotages this teaching. Spanking guidelines usually give the warning to never spank in anger. If this guideline were to be faithfully observed 99 percent of spanking wouldn't occur, because once the parent has calmed down he or she can come up with a more appropriate method of correction.

VERBAL AND EMOTIONAL "HITTING"
Physical hitting is not the only way to cross the line into abuse. Everything we say about physical punishment pertains to emotional/verbal punishment as well. Tongue-lashing and name-calling tirades can actually harm a child more psychologically. Emotional abuse can be very subtle and even self-righteous. Threats to coerce a child to cooperate can touch on his worst fear—abandonment. ("I'm leaving if you don't behave.") Often threats of abandonment are implied giving the child the message that you can't stand being with her or a smack of emotional abandonment (by letting her know you are withdrawing your love, refusing to speak to her or saying you don't like her if she continues to displease you). Scars on the mind may last longer than scars on the body.



Be on the lookout for #2 soon, or check out the website.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Two For Tuesday

I want to start a new campaign to spotlight 2 Charity groups or individual charities every Tuesday. I've mainly spotlighted Children in need but will open this campaign to all things charity. If you know of someone in need, have a charity you are involved in, or just want to get involved in some way, leave a comment here with all the info about the charity and a link to it and you. I will pick 2 each week and post them along with crediting you. We can all do our part to help others.

Don't forget to check back next week.

Thanks for your help.

Why oh Why?

Here is my darling baby boy, Boogie, last year when he turned 4.  Now he is 5 and losing his mind!

He decided that it would be a good idea to get naked (why not, his sister gets laughs when she does it, she's 2) She also has accidents and sometimes pees on the couch or floor, with NO laughs! But apparently Boogie doesn't realize the peeing thing isn't funny, because he climbed behind a chair, wrapped up in a blanket and Pee'd.  What have I done wrong as a mother to make him think this was okay?  I sent him to his room and made him stay until the blanket had been washed and dried.  If I had a clothes line, I may have hung it out to dry, and he'd still be in his room.  Some days...

He starts Kindergarten in 3 weeks, deep breath, I'll miss him so much! It's ALL DAY!

Tuesday's Wine Spotlight

From here on out I will spotlight a favorite wine or winery every Tuesday for your enjoyment.

If you would like to send me one of your favorites to spotlight, tell me about it in a comment here, with a link back to you and if I post it, you'll get all the credit.

Here is my personal favorite: Barefoot Wines. They have a large selection of extremely inexpensive wines in 750ml and 150ml. I encourage to check them out and pick up a bottle or 2.


Get a Laugh!



I was visiting another Mommy blog, The Wise (young) Mommy, and came across some ecards you will never see Hallmark put out. Stop by Someecards.com and find the perfect one for your friend, significant other, Parents, or coworker. I'm sure you'll be as amused as I was.


Here's one I really liked.


This is for BOTH of my Children!




Monday, August 11, 2008

Let the games begin

If you are a fan of gambling, and I'll admit that I am, I've come across a great online casino that has it all. It is actually a forum of great casinos with great giveaways like $400 Double Bonus at Platinum Play, $50 FREE at 7 Sultans Casino and 300 free spins at Royal Vegas Casino, just to mention a few.

Now I know gambling is not for everyone, and my father always says that online gambling is just a hoax. He'd rather watch the $100 bill go into the machine, only to never see it again. I disagree. While I've never put a $100 bill into anything, I do enjoy my slots. Not a big fan of table games, and playing with other people, I enjoy being on my own, putting my quarters in and spinning the wheels. The fact that I can do this in the privacy of my home, priceless, and here's why:

You plan a trip to a casino, or your on business and the group goes to a casino, you're usually with other people and that can get scary. My husband and I went to a casino with some friends a couple years back and decided we'd take $300, $150 a piece. It was a Friday night and the casino was only one hour from our friends house, so we figured 3 hours, $50 an hour, we're good. Our friends, on the other hand, took $2000 and planned on staying until morning, which we found out when we got there. Fortunately, we convinced them NOT to stay all night, and they ran out of money quick so it wasn't hard to persuede them. My point being, that if you have a little extra money, and get the gambling "bug", then online slots is the way to go. You dictate the amount to wager for the "trip" and you don't get stuck with others who may want to stay longer than your money lasts, "forcing" you to spend more than you had planned or wished.

I'm going to get my free $50 at Sultans Casino now.

Your kid did what?

I was reading a very funny blog by Heidi about her child eating cat puke. It had me rolling! While her child is fond of cat food, and aparently, other cat "stuff", my darlings both could not get enough dog food when they were litte (not so long ago). I recently, about 3 months ago, got my daughter to stop drinking from the dogs water bowl. She would get right down with the dog and lap it up. Kinda gross, but so funny to watch.

My son fell in love with dog food at the ripe old age of ten months and enjoyed it for about 5 months. I assure you we NEVER bought the poor dog any type of "wet" food, as I would never have been able to kiss my babies. I remeber telling my son "that's icky!" . to which he replied, while rubbing his belly, "Yum Yum." Again, gross but funny.

So, what do your kids do that freaks you out?

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Finally got it!

Yay. Yesterday I finally got my WiiFit. So, I thought I would track my progress here. I'll post a weekly WiiFit update and see if it can help me lose the 20 pounds I am trying to lose. I am currently at a 26.46 BMI and am trying to get down to 22.89. I have my goal st to lose the 20 pounds in 3 months. I did a 30 minute combined workout yesterday, and another 30 minute workout today, and hopefully will be able to sneak in another 30 minutes if I can get hubby to get the kids out of the house. Since yesterday, I've lost .4 pounds.
The system makes it easy to do different exercises without even realizing your doing it.
Wish me luck!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Oh my Goodness

Chelsea and I had gymnastics again today. While this class started out pretty simple, it is getting down right exhausting. We start out with stretching, helping the little ones touch their toes (which is easier than touching my own) "flapping" their knees like a butterfly, patting the floor, easy stuff. Then we break into 2 groups of 7 or 8 depending on attendance for the day, and move from one apparatus to the next as a group. In the first few weeks, the little ones were a little intimidated by the equipment, so we were encouraging them to try the different things. Now, when they are supposed to be on the floor, and it's taking too long for the person in front of them, turn away for a second and they take off. They want to do everything NOW! While Chelsea does well on the different tasks, she runs off a lot too. She is so eager to run to the beam, but when her group is on beam, she wants to be on bars, or tramp, or wherever she can run too. I spend 30 minutes chasing her, as do the other parents. I'm sure it is quite amusing to the spectators to watch all us old folks running after the kids. Quite the work out for us too.

Wine at Five?

I think we'll skip the wine in this heat and go for yummy pina coladas

Friday, August 8, 2008

So Soon?

This morning I took the kids to a friends house. Hunter loves to play with his friend Dominik, and Dominik's older brother was away at camp, so the little guys could play together...or so we thought. After about 30 minutes Hunter said he didn't feel well. When I asked what was wrong, he told me that he had put a "poisonous" eraser in his mouth and was told by his friend that if he was "lucky" he would die when he was 10, but it might be sooner. This really bothered Hunter and he wanted me to come look at the eraser to make sure I knew it wasn't "poisonous. " Why will our children take the word of a 7 year old and doubt us all day long? He must have asked me three more times on the way home if I was sure that it wasn't poisonous.
I also think Hunter was a little upset because HIS friend was paying more attention to His little sister and being nicer to her than to him. Oh, I remember those days. My older brother is 33 months older than me, the same difference between Hunter and Chelsea. I remember my brother always complaining to our parents that his friends paid more attention to me than him. Of course I remember it being when we were older. It started about the time I was 12 or 13. Hunter is getting it now, when his sister is only 2.
I'm already prepared for High School. It will be the common scenario of Chelsea's friends wanting to come over to "see her brother" and Hunter's friends being interested in "his sister." It will be an interesting dynamic, but one I have already been through. I know the tricks, I know the "plans" and I know that I will be HOME to monitor it all.
Got a good sibling story? Please share!


Tonight's wine at 5?
Barefoot Shiraz

Research for a friend

I recently had a conversation with a friend about lap band surgery. She has tried absolutely everything to lose weight and hasn't gotten the results she is looking for. I told her I would research it for her, and I thought I'd share with you what I found.

JourneyLite seems to be one facility that is committed to helping individuals lose weight, and keep it off. It's all they do. Their surgeons perform these surgeries all day every day and are the tops in their field because of it. They hire only bariatric trained personnel with a compassion to help fight the disease of obesity.

Their facilities are designed with your comfort in mind. They provide roomier gowns then regular hospitals, have handicap railings for support and ease of movement, state-of-the-art surgical suites, wider hallways, and a soothing atmosphere.

While the decision to have the surgery is up to each individual, if it's one your contemplating, I encourage to check out the JourneyLite site. They have several locations already and have more coming soon.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

And The Winners Are...

Thanks to Eric, I not only got my first award, but get the great responsibility of passing it on to 7 blogs that I really enjoy. The list was long, and I finally decided on the top 7. Here they are:

* 2 Friends, 1 Blog

* The Stephford Diaries

* Mama Rose

* The Unskilled Housewife

* Flamingo Musings

* Everything that has Breathe Praise the Lord

* Hazel Quinn

So, fellow bloggers. Here is the award I present to you and I only ask that upon accepting, you follow these simple rules...

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated

The Hunger Site

Here's a no brainer. An easy way to help children in need. The Hunger Site, developed in 1999, dedicates itself to eliminating world hunger.



Hunger: Do You Know The Facts?

It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That's roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.

About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.

Famine and wars cause about 10% of hunger deaths, although these tend to be the ones you hear about most often. The majority of hunger deaths are caused by chronic malnutrition. Families facing extreme poverty are simply unable to get enough food to eat.

The Hunger Site began on June 1, 1999. In 1999, a year marked by good economic news, 31 million Americans were food insecure, meaning they were either hungry or unsure of where their next meal would come from. Of these Americans, 12 million were children.



By going to their site, you can click the "Click here to Give" button and every click generates money from sponsors which in turn is 100% donated to Mercy Corps and Americas Second Harvest. It's easy, and you get to feel really good about yourself for helping others.

What are you waiting for? Go to the site NOW!

Girls Night Out

We had our cul de sac GNO last night and had a blast. 4 of us get together once a month for food and drinks and to "catch up" without the distraction of the kiddies.
We started with beer and wine, took a dip in the pool (some of us did) and then sat down to dinner.
I brought a spinach salad with bacon, eggs, red onion, mushrooms and avocado, with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Kathy brought the fixing's for fondue, meat that we cooked in a seasoned beer bath and 3 fabulous dipping sauces. Becky made a fabulous lemon ice cream pie, that was to die for.
We ate and chatted, and drank more wine. Beth had to get stuff together for her daughters sleep over today so we left her house at 9pm and headed to Becky's.
While the rest of us have little kids at home, Becky's son is married with a child of his own, so her house is "kid free". The 3 of us listened to old records, yes, I said records, got silly, sang a couple songs into the TV remote (Kathy)and had a fabulous time just "hanging" out. I think we went through 3.5 bottles of wine and a couple beers, but fun was had by all.
Thanks ladies, for a wonderful evening!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

My First Award

I know, I know, I'm supposed to be taking the day off. We went to the Air and Space Museum and picked up lunch on the way home, so I have about 30 minutes to check e-mail and post the Great News I found there.

Eric S., from Ruminations of a Small TownMountain Boy, stopped by to give me a nomination for the Briliante Weblog Premio 2008 Award, or the award itself, I'm not sure. I'll have to find out what it is all about. I know I have to nominate 7 other people and pass the award along, but I wanted to post my new award, and I'll figure out the details later (tomorrow).,

Thank you Eric, for my FIRST award.

Back to day off status

... and here is my award

Day Off

The babies have been very patient with me while I immerse myself in this blogging project. I've decided to reward them with a trip to the Air and Space Museum. Yep, I'm taking the day off from this laptop that has really been attached to my lap for the last month or so. I have dinner with the "girls" tonight and I will be back tomorrow to tell you about our day.

Have a Wonderful one wherever you are.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Taking a Day Off!

Okay, I know I haven't been at this long, but I've really spent a LOT of time over the last few days catching up from the days I missed while hubby was in the hospital, and just trying to do some networking and research for future posts.

I am taking tomorrow off. I will spsend the entire day with the kiddies wherever they want to go and will try my darndest to not even open my laptop (okay, maybe just in the early am with my coffee).

I will join you again on Thursday. Enjoy you day!

Monday, August 4, 2008

How well do you know me?

Recently, I reconnected with an old girlfriend from High School and we've been chatting about every other day talking about the old days and discussing our lives now, with children. It's as if we never even missed those 20 years. It's been wonderful catching up and discovering things we still have in common after all these years.

Tonight we were discussing names, and how we chose the names for our kids, how early (or not) in our pregnancies we picked them out, whether or not they were named after relatives, and other names that may have been on our lists. Well she inquired about my middle name and I told her "Lynn", but felt hurt that she didn't know, or didn't remember. I told her such by letting her know that I remembered her middle name, just to get my point across (although, really, did I have a point?) Anyway, she tells me there is no way I could know her middle name because she didn't have one. I said "What about Brooklyn?"(which I thought was her middle name) and she told me it was just a name she liked and"told" people it was her middle name. Lied to for all these years. I really liked the name too Just goes to show that even when you think you know...You may not!

Time for bed,

Thanks for stopping by

Big Brother 10

Is anyone watching this? I am so surprised that no one can get along with Jerry. I think Memphis was justified in his outburst against Jerry, although maybe not to that extent, but it seems like this poor man is taking a verbal beating from everyone. I do not watch the live feeds or the after hour stuff, so maybe it all is justified, but it seems like everyone is ganging up on the old man. His poor wife must be sad. I also wonder what she thinks about the "boob grab"?
I'm starting to really like Keesha, but she better watch out, there are a couple people she should NOT trust, I was surprised to see her let April just suck up to her and become bestest buds after she won HOH, it seemed kinda silly. Dan is flying low under the radar, I hope America doesn't mess that up for him.
What are your thoughts?

Today's Wine at Five?
Barefoot Shiraz

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Home Sick

So yesterday we were supposed to take the kids along with some friends to the zoo. Unfortunately, I woke up in the middle of the night with the flu, so that didn't happen. It also turned out to be 95 degrees so most of the animals would have been hiding indoors anyway. Hubby had planned on taking Hunter camping (in the back yard) so he had his mom come and get Chelsea, so I could rest. Felt awful most of the day, but luckily got to get a LOT of rest so I think that helped.

The campout lasted 'til about 11:00pm, when they decided it was just way to hot to sleep outside. They enjoyed a campfire and s'mores and some"boy" time and I think overall the campout was successful!

Back in Time

Perky wants to know about what moment in my life I would like to relive... I thought about this for a while and came up with a moment from 25 years ago, that if I could, I would go back to, and possibly change the outcome of. It's a story of first love, and how it all began.
There was a boy, we'll call him Pik, and I had known him all my life (since I was five). It was 10 years later and we found ourselves as "best friends". I knew that the boy wanted to be more than friends, but I resisted so as not to do anything to ruin this precious friendship. At some point, however, I started having feelings for Pik and kept them to myself. It was my first struggle with feelings. Prior to that, I always made it very clear to anyone who would listen, if I had an interest in a boy. It usually worked out in my favor. This friendship meant so much, that I feared losing it, and so I secretly longed to be with the boy, not telling a soul. One evening the boy and some other friends were at my house and we were all just "hanging" out and not doing much of anything (we were all 15 or so, and getting together at someones house was not uncommon, my house was one of the favorites as my dad was rarely home. Just innocent kids enjoying each others company.
The "moment" happened when Pik grabbed a pillow from me (a leather patchwork pillow I will never forget) and we ended up "fighting" over it, as young adolescence will do. Our "wrestling" landed us in an empty spare bedroom (my brother had just moved out)and we found ourselves alone, in the dark, grasping for the pillow, and giggling over the struggle. One thing led to another, and we were face to face, neither of us willing to let go, and we kissed. It wasn't my first kiss, but the first one I had "waited" so long for. It was a magical moment and one that started a 5 year relationship that I will treasure forever.
The boy and I went our separate ways after that 5 years. We are now in different states and haven't spoken in more than 15 years. But he will always be in my heart, my first love, and the best friend I ever had.

Cord Blood

I am very interested in the fact that saving a babies cord blood can be beneficial in treating over 70 different diseases and the research is ongoing. The stem cells gathered from an infants cord blood are the same cells normally found in bone marrow. These cells are already being used for stem cell treatments and transplants for such diseases as severe anemia, sickle cell disease, leukemia, non Hodgkin's lymphoma, and more. Furthermore, current research is being done on the effects stem cells have on cardiac and neurological diseases.
I find it fascinating and comforting that this research may someday save the life of someone I love, if not my own.
A leader in cord blood collection is Cryo-Cell. If you or someone you know is pregnant, I urge you to check out their site and gather all the information. They have reasonable rates as well as financing available. You can also give a gift certificate to the MOM-to-be in your life and get her started in providing a possible life saving alternative for her child, herself, and other family members as well.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Chocolate Stash

I went home (Michigan) to visit friends and my parents in February to celebrate my 40th birthday. I needed a break from the kids and wanted to be able to hang out with "the girls" without child interruptions. I had a friend come in from Chicago for the weekend and my other 2 best girls live in the same city as my dad and step mom. We had a fabulous dinner and cocktails evening, at my parents house and got silly and reminisced. I've know these gals for more than 25 years and it was a fabulous time.
For the occasion, my parents gave me a huge basket of chocolate. Not just any chocolate, a basket full of assorted dark chocolate bars, truffles, and cookies that they had collected over 4 months in anticipation of my visit. It was glorious. I LOVE dark chocolate, and love even more, that my husband does NOT. So, if it's dark, it stays in the house for when I have a craving.
So I came home with this HUGE supply and decided to hide it in my jewelry bureau so the kids wouldn't get into it. They also love dark chocolate, but only ask for it if they see it. So I had this nice deep drawer full for quite a long time (months). I would eat in whenever I was in the mood, have a piece in bed while reading at night, and generally enjoyed knowing it was there. Well, the supply looked sparse the other day and I panicked! I do NOT have to have chocolate. I do not eat it every day, but since I have had this "stash" for 5 months now, I've gotten used to it being there. While grocery shopping last week I bought a bag of ghiradelli dark raspberry squares, just to dump in so the drawer wouldn't be so empty. Today, I bought a bag of dark chocolate M&M's, I figured this would take up a lot of space and keep the drawer from looking empty for a while.
Do you have a stash of something?

Snapbomb

So, I've decided with hubby unable to drive for 6 months, a LOT of follow up Doctor's appointments, Hunter starting Kindergarten in a month, and Chelsea home with me. I need some way to make money from home instead of out of the home as originally planned.

I was doing some Internet searches yesterday and came across Snapbomb. Snapbomb is a company that matches bloggers with advertisers based on the relevance of the blog content.
Blog marketing and advertising has become huge in the recent year and will continue to develop as more and more people seek information from the Internet versus alternate methods.

As a blogger, I am excited about the opportunities I have seen so far with this company, and hope that they will find my writing style suitable for their advertisers. They do all the work. They review your blog content and give your blog(s) a value for advertising posts. They also search their advertiser database and only send you opportunities that match your blog content, making it easy to write about things you are already passionate about.