Failed Hearing Test

My 1st grader failed her hearing test today at school. We knew she had hearing loss at the higher frequencies since she was a toddler (two sets of ear tubes back then to stop the infections which worked) but this was a failure at the middle frequency.

Her ears also overproduce wax, which the ENT clears out as needed. I'm not sure if this is too much wax down in her ear resulting in temporary loss or if she has lost more hearing. We are hoping it is too much wax and it is just a matter of a trip to the ENT to remove the wax (easy for me to say but painful for her:( So, I will be contacting her pediatrician and ENT next week.

I don't think there is ever a day that goes by that you don't worry about your kids. *sigh*

Omega-3, ADHD, and Apraxia - I NEED YOUR HELP

I am researching Omega-3 supplements for children and its benefits in terms of ADHD and Apraxia (for our own kids). I have spoke to our pharmacist who says it can't hurt (ok, would like more info. than that, lol). The online information I have come across so far has shown positive results for children with ADHD (as opposed to medicating them). Then today I ran across parent reviews of children with Apraxia who also saw positive and noticeable results in their children after supplementing with Omega-3.



I would like all parents and any other adults who have had positive experiences with supplementing with Omega-3 for their children with ADHD and/or Apraxia to comment and let me know your experiences. I am really hopeful that this is something that isn't a hoax but accurate and positive.

So, please, if you know anything about this, or anything else that you have seen aid in safely managing ADHD and Apraxia without drugs, please comment to this post. I would really like some firsthand accounts on this other than articles online.

Thanks!

More Great Vacation Moments with Kids

Our youngest just turned three and is still in "potty training" mode. That means, sometimes she will use the potty and most of the time, she won't. So, during our long ride to get to our destination for our vacation, we stopped at a Big Boy's Restaurant to feed everybody. After eating, we (six of us) go in shifts to the bathroom with me taking our almost three-year-old angel with me who decides she is going to use the potty this time. Yeah, she goes! Proud mommy tells her what a big girl she is, wash her up and back to the table we go. As she is climbing into the booth, she says VERY loudly (yells it basically), "Daddy, I pee'd in the toilet." The waitress who was walking by at the time cracked up all the way back to the kitchen. The people around us were laughing. I just shook my head, said a "OMG" and laughed. Daddy told her how great it was and she was oblivious to the giggles in the restaurant. She was just proud of herself.

She is such an angel. No matter what she says or does, everybody just finds her adorable. They wouldn't think so if they were still changing her pull-ups like I am (as she has decided...AGAIN...that she's not using the potty anymore) but she really does have everybody in this house wrapped around her chubby toddler finger.

Things Kids Do

My three-year-old daughter is busy amusing herself today - at other people's expense.

I decide to take a hot soak in the tub. The house is quiet - kids are at school and hubby is sleeping. The only one awake with me is my three year old. So I am sitting in the tub relaxing. I have my large, fluffy olive green towel hanging on the rack nearby ready for me to get out of the tub when I notice my daughter's nose is running. I am just about to tell her to get some tissue for her nose when she turns around before I can utter a word...can you guess? She grabs my soft, fluffy clean towel and swipes her nose with it! GRRRRR!

After my bath, I am brushing my teeth when she picks up her brother's Tooth Tunes toothbrush that plays Black Eyed Peas while you brush your teeth. (If you aren't familiar with these, you can hear the music through your mouth as you brush. Otherwise, the music is too soft to hear well in general.)


"That is your brother's toothbrush. Get your Dora toothbrush and brush your teeth."

Child proceeds to stick her brother's toothbrush in her ear to listen to the music. *sigh* Did I mention you can hear the music if you stick it in your ear? She figured this out months ago but I had thought she'd stopped doing this.

This isn't the first time she's done this as you can see from the picture at left that I took in January.

Funny things kids do!

Then, I am sitting down and this same little girl leans in for a hug. Awww, how sweet I think to myself as I lean to give her a hug. Then I feel a wet finger across my face and get a "ha ha aha ha" chant that kids love to do when they think they got you. Did this newly turned three year old plan this? Let's try it again...

She leans in for another soft hug which I give her. Then I see her sticking her finger in her mouth during the hug and reaching up for my face AGAIN! Then the "ha ha aha ha" chant with her laughing at me. Yup, this newly turned three year old planned it. She is doing her little chant, shaking her head back and forth with a big smile on her face, shaking her booty - just thinking she is all that to get her momma like that.

Should I be worried that my three-year-old can now plan on how to get momma? Did this new ability come with her third birthday this past Sunday?

Gotta Drop Some Lbs.

www.my-calorie-counter.com The webs free Calorie Counter

OK, I have to drop some weight. I am carrying more weight since my last daughter than I ever have before and I am very unhappy with the way that I look. My husband says I look good and that I don't need to lose any, but he has to say that, right? Usually, I lose most of the baby weight after each of my babies but not this time. My "baby" just turned three.

So, I have set my first goal. Once I reach that goal, then I will decide if I like the way that I look and feel )and decide if I should lose 5-7 more or be happy at that weight). I want to be comfortable in my own skin again but not as skinny as I used to be. I KNOW my hips will never squeeze into a size 2/4 again after birthing four children, but I'd like to be comfortable fitting my backside into an eight...maybe even a 6? So, here goes!!

Anybody want to join in with me?

Sexting - The New Danger for Kids

Is this the new "thing" with teens and texting? I've not heard of it before but as a parent of a pre-teen with a cell phone, this is something I am definitely interested in learning more about for prevention.

"Sexting" is more than just a flirty message sent via text/cell phone. Teens are sending erotic messages and pictures via texting. It is more private than talking on the phone and can be hidden from parents easier.

My pre-teen has a cell phone with texting capabilities but I monitor her useage. She has rules she must follow and I DO check her texts and call history regularly. I also check her contact list as she is only allowed to phone/text certain people (family and a few select friends). It's worked out well so far. We'll see what we get into as she becomes a teenager and starts whining about her privacy (that will be when I take away the phone we have given her the privilege of using:) The cell phone is not "hers" - it is a privilege given to her by us with the understanding that it can be taken away at any time.

For information on how to keep your children safe on this subject and others, check out Netsmartz.

This is not a sponsored post.

Take 25 - Your Children's Safety

I was coming home from grocery shopping when a commercial came on the radio about the "Take 25" campaign. It was a reminder to take 25 minutes to talk to your kids about safety as summer approaches and kids will be out and about more. So take the time to talk to your kids about strangers, Internet safety, abduction, sexual exploitation and anything else you deem important to your child's safety.

Nature Pix

I snapped this photo on one of our walks through the forest while on vacation. It was mid-morning and I just tipped the camera up towards the sky and snapped it. I wasn't sure what I was taking a picture of since I wasn't looking through the lens but I like what I ended up with. I have a few of them like this. I am trying to think of what would be the best way to finish these - perhaps black and white? I've not decided yet.

Dehumidifiers

We live in a bi-level house, which means the bottom level is halfway underground. Because of that, it is an absolute necessity to have a dehumidifier on the lower level. With my allergies and asthma, keeping the air conditions stable is a must! Otherwise, the downstairs gets too damp and starts to smell musty which I really can't stand. Dampness always smells like fish to me which is really gross, lol.

If you are looking for a dehumidifier for your living space, check out Ebac dehumidifiers. I couldn't even use our lower level if we didn't have a dehumidifier down there. I'd feel like I was breathing in musty mold otherwise.

Time is Flying

We are almost to the middle of 2008 already. Can you believe that? Can you believe the end of the school year is near? Pretty soon, we will be in the full heat of summer and planning for the next school year. There will be school supplies and school clothes to buy. Before you know it, summer will be over and the kids will be planning Halloween. Mine always do as soon as school starts. They start picking out their costumes before the heat of summer is even over!

One thing I am very disappointed in at that time of year is how the schools, and a lot of towns, take the fun out of Halloween for the kids by making it a harvest party and not allowing costumes. I like Halloween to be for my kids what it was for me - costumes, candy, trick or treating. Fun! I am sure you will hear me complaining about it on here in a few months as I do every year when the schools irritate me by taking all the fun out of it.

Taking A Few Days Off

We have a lot of family plans to attend to over the next few days so I won't be around much, if at all. Going to spend some time with the family, relax, etc.

I hope everybody has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend! I'll be back regularly on Sunday or Monday but until then...enjoy!

New Blog

I have started a new blog. I'm not sure in which direction it is going to go in yet (whether I will keep it a personal blog or be a part of my job yet) but since it's still in its infancy, I have some time to decide. Check it out!

Waiting On Some Pearls

What girl does not like jewelry? OK, there may be some who do not, but that does not include me. I have plenty of jewelry with diamonds and then a piece of jewelry for three of my four children's birthstones. The one piece that I am missing that I would like to have would be pearls, freshwater pearls to be specific. Hmmm, I think a few hints to hubby are in order.

Where I Buy All My Domains

I've had a few people ask me where I buy my domains from so I thought I'd post it here. I buy all my domains from Godaddy and host them all under one hosting account (so far). I haven't run out of room yet and I have quite a few web sites under them. I don't expect that to last forever but it's gotten me through this year and I still haven't run out of room yet. I am going to be buying another domain name for a new blog that I've started soon.

To save more money during the checkout process, I google "godaddy promo codes" and find an active promotional code to use during checkout. It saves me money and who can't use more money nowadays (to fill their gas tank with:(

"Plus" Size Model Standards

I saw on TV a few days ago that America's Next Top Model winner (the Tyra Banks show...I don't watch it...I just caught the news on one of the entertainment news shows) is a "plus size" model. She is a size 8-10 and they called her "plus" size. SINCE WHEN DID 8 - 10 BECOME PLUS SIZE? That irritated the you know what out of me. Hollywood is whack! The media is whack!

I used to be a size 2/4. That was before kids. Those skinny days seem like a dream now.

Four kids later, I know I will never see a size 2/4 again and I don't want to! That was just too skinny on my 5'6"-5'7" frame. Now, I would like to lose 18 pounds (to start) and then another 7 if I meet my first goal (which I have to admit isn't going well). What would 18 pounds do for me? It might get me into a size 8 again (and that would still make me "plus size" according to media standards). *sigh* 25 pounds might get me into a size 6 but it's not likely. I've given birth to four kids. These hips aren't like they used to be and are not likely to squeeze into any size 6's ever again;) I'll be happy to see size 8 again.

This "plus" size winner actually looked healthy. She looked normal. She wasn't boney or gaunt. What kind of message does this send to our kids?

My 1st grader the other day changed out of her camo capris into another pair before school started. When I asked her why, my tiny little 1st grader said it was because they made her look fat! She said her butt looked big in them. This is the little girl who is in like the 25th percentile for her weight - she is a wispy little thing. She weighs about what a four year old would weigh right now. If this is any indication, when she was five years old, she squeezed herself into shorts and a top that were for 18 month olds! Tiny!

First graders should not be worried about being "fat" - it's ridiculuous!

Male Time

My son is surrounded by girls most of the time. Dad is the only other male in the house regularly and with his work schedule, it leaves my son with me and his three sisters too often. That's too much estrogen for the little guy! He needs time with boys his own age to play with.

There aren't any neighborhood boys within walking distance to us. There are plenty of neighbor girls who come over, cutting through the backyards into ours to play here on an almost daily basis. That doesn't help my son though.

His best friend has been over here once before and as of last night, he's been over to his house. He was able to do boy things! They watched a baseball game before taking off to play on the playground with his best friend, who he says is like his brother. They live out in the country so they were outside to see the neighbor's horses. He came home last night very tired, lol.

I talked to his best friend's mom last night and the boys are going to have a sleepover soon. We were both happy to see our sons playing with other boys as his best friend is usually with more girls than boys too, just like here.

My son definitely needs more time with boys his own age to do boy things. My oldest daughter is somewhat of a tomboy, but really, it's not the same thing as having a male best friend your own age.

Exercise

My husband bikes about 60 miles a week. Not because he has to (he does have a car though with the gas prices the way they are, biking is looking better and better); he does it because he loves it. It is how he keeps in shape. These 60 miles, he recently informed me, is cutting back from his usual. His usual was double that per week. *twirls and faint*

OK, I picked myself back up off the floor and realized I don't have one percent of the willpower he does. At this point, I don't know if I could go one mile without having an asthma attack (or heart attack). That's pretty bad. I am six years younger than he is and physically, he is probably 20 years younger than me. That's really bad (for me health-wise).

What is it about some people that they can do this and enjoy it? Where do they find the willpower and ambition? I need some. Anybody have any they want to give away?

My First Blog Contest

I've decided this morning to enter my first blogging contest. The contest is at BLOGGING-ADS.COM and the prizes are pretty cool. I don't usually enter contests but I thought I'd give this one a try. I've had the flu (or maybe pneumonia...who knows...except the doctor...if I'd go, which I won't until I feel like I'm close to death) since last Sunday so maybe it is the fever talking.

Anyway, back to the prizes, winning either one of them would be pretty cool. Who couldn't use a little spending money (having six kids) or a new computer? A friend of mine always raves about her Mac, but I've never used one. The requirements so far seem pretty basic. Nothing illegal or anything, lol.

So, here I am...entering my first blogging contest. I've now lost my blogging contest innocence. Now, let's hope I win something!

Looking For Redecorating Ideas

During the course of our redecorating, our lighting is going to have to be replaced as well in several rooms sooner rather than later. One of those fixtures to be replaced is going to be our foyer chandelier. The one we have now is awful and the previous owners slapped paint across it when they were repainting! I was looking at Hinkley lighting fixtures and found several chandeliers that I really liked. Now I need to find dining room lighting as well so off I go to online window shop!

Ack! Oil Prices!!

Oil prices hit a new record high today of almost $128/barrel. Are you surprised? I am not. I don't see it going down either because people have to have it; there is no choice right now. If people are willing to pay (or have no choice to pay), why should they lower it? The record profits the oil industry is seeing is really irritating. Their pockets are lined with money while the general public's are lined with only lint after visiting a gas station.

Who the heck is going to do something about it? Nobody.

Creepy, Crawly Things

Why is it that the spiders only seem to come out of their hiding spaces when my husband isn't home? That means I get to deal with the squealing kids who first spot one of them by myself. That also means that I am stuck getting rid of the little buggers (the spiders, not the kids) myself. That is a bad thing because I happen to have an intense fear of spiders...seeing them, getting near them, getting close enough to get them. Ewwww!

When I was younger, I could scream for my older sister no matter what time it was and she would take care of it for me. Since I am married with kids and have to be the 'adult' now, that leaves me to do the job. Sometimes, I'd like to be the kid again - you know, crawl under my covers while I scream for help and let somebody else get near the creepy, crawly things.

Blogging with Bloggerwave

Blogging, for me, is almost therapeutic. I can write, which is something that I like to do. I can offer my opinions on things that matter to me (and everybody who knows me knows I am opinionated). I can update family and friends on family life. Finally, I can bring income into our family. All of these are important to me.

With Bloggerwave, I get the opportunity to write, offer my opinion and bring income into our home. That's meeting three of my blogging goals!

It's simple. Just register at Bloggerwave and submit your blog. Choose the jobs you want to write on your blog and post. It really is that simple!

Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007

It was presented to President Bush on April 14, 2008 and signed into law on April 24, 2008. It sounds ok, right? Newborn screening to save lives? Doesn't sound harmful. Our newborns are screened in the hospitals already with a blood test and hearing test.

Now wait! It is a baby DNA database!

Did you know that this law requires the collection of every newborn's DNA? What about the privacy rights of parents and children? You can't just swab a suspected criminal for DNA without good reason. Newborns are treated as lesser human beings than suspects of a crime? Am I reading this right? In most paternity cases, you have to have a court order to verify paternity of a child via paternity tests, yet newborns and their parents have no rights for the government?

The bill supposedly allows for this DNA to be used in experiments and testing.

Doesn't this go beyond the constitutional limits of the government? There is TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT in our lives already.

Does this mean that the government and their "special interest groups" will have legal access to our medical records now? I would like to know what this means and what it opens us up to in the future.

This has already been signed into law. Wonder why the public didn't hear more about this? I missed it somehow.

Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) sponsored this bill.
Co-Sponsors of this bill can be seen here. Oh yeah, Hillary Clinton is one of the co-sponsors.

Myanmar Cyclone

The AP says that the death toll from the Myanmar cyclone has risen. There are discrepancies in the number of deaths and missing. According to their government, the number of deaths have risen to over 43,000 to date with 27,838 as the number of missing reported. However, other agencies have the numbers at 68,833 to 127,990 deaths. That's a big discrepancy. Those numbers do not account for the millions that require urgent aid either.

There are problems with getting access to the areas where help is needed. Aid has been restricted dependant upon what country you are it seems like.

Loss of life is always difficult. Hurricane Katrina was really bad (and the aftermath also bad), but could you imagine the loss of life in the numbers Myanmar is seeing? I can't.

What Do You Get...

...when you can't move or bend over without feeling like your head is going to pop off of your neck?

ME!

What do you get when you feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest, making your breathing difficult?

ME!

What do you get when the pressure in your ears, neck, and head is so strong you just want to dig your fingers into your skull to relieve the pressure?

ME!

Now these silly little germs who have made me miserable since Mother's Day can take a flying leap until next winter! I'm not supposed to be sick now. I have too much to do to get ready for our family vacation next week. I have doctor's appointments, vet appointments, cleaning, packing, shopping, meals to make, laundry to wash, and a horse to sell! Besides, my two year old really wants to go outside and moving makes me want to cry. Moms can't get sick! Didn't somebody inform all of the virus and bacteria in this world of that? So, I sit here with my head crooked at a funny angle, not moving, hoping that this virus will go far, far away really, really soon and prepare myself for the pain through my head every time I feel a cough coming on.

Was Never Sure It Was Real

I've heard of this before but never knew if it was for real or not, however, I just read in USA Today of a nine year old girl in Greece who was having stomach pains with part of her abdomen swollen. She had surgery and behind the tumor they found a two inch long embryonic twin! It was a formed fetus with head, hair, eyes but no brain or umbilical cord.

She had absorbed her twin in the womb. This appears to happen in about 1 in 500,000 live births. The little girl has made a full recovery.

The 20th Hijacker - 9/11

The charges against the "20th hijacker" have been dropped by the Pentagon. They can be reinstated as they were dropped "without prejudice." His lawyers are saying they were dropped because he was tortured and that this will have some bearing on the case of the other five who will face charges. They face the death penalty.

As of February 11, 2008, six were being charged for their involvement in 9/11. As of May 13, 2008, five remain to face the charges.

Read more about the 20th hijacker and the dropped case here.

Getting Ready For Baby

No, I am not pregnant though I highly doubt anybody would be surprised at this point. I remember when we were getting ready for our first child. The bedroom was painted in yellow and white. The lower half of the walls yellow and top half white. We decorated the room in a carousel horse theme with borders going along the middle of the wall and along the top. The curtains were hung and rug laid. We received beautiful baby furniture at the baby shower that finished the room. It was a beautiful room for a beautiful baby girl.

That little girl whose room we decorated so carefully all those years ago now has boy bands and teen celebrities on her wall, an attitude forming, and is getting ready for junior high. They grow up so fast!

Getting Healthier

My oldest is a preteen. She's growing up. With her teen years not too far away, and me being against all the harsh chemicals found in so many of the products we put in and on our bodies after becoming highly allergic to anything that contacts my skin it seems like, I want to make sure my kids aren't getting inundated with chemicals. I do a lot of looking around to find natural shampoos, natural conditioners, natural laundry detergents, natural cosmetics, etc. for my family. I am slowly but surely switching our products over to a healthier version. Pretty soon, I will have to find a natural acne treatment for my daughter when she needs it, which won't be too far away. I want what is best and most healthy for my kids. I hope that by doing this, it makes a difference for them so they are not where I am at right now - dealing with so many allergic reactions that I'm not even sure what is causing what anymore.

ADHD - is Omega-3 a breakthrough?

I've been doing some research because my husband's son has ADHD. He's gone from medication and all A's to no medication and D's! He was supposed to be seen by other doctors but that hasn't been done yet. It's sad to see his grades all year long looking like this and nothing being done about it.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...I ran across an article online that talked about promising research for Omega-3 helping children with ADHD. So, I searched and found many, many articles about it. I talked about it on my other blog but I thought I should mention it here since it is so very important. There are too many kids being diagnosed with ADHD. It's beyond time to do something about it.

Daddy Daughter Dance - A Great Time!

My girls and I spent the day shopping yesterday. The girls picked out identical dresses and shoes. We were all over the place shopping yesterday. Then a couple hours before the dance, I took them to get their nails painted and hair styled (they picked the same hair style too, lol).

The dance and everything done at the hair salon was to raise money for charity (Cystic Fibrosis). It looks like they did a great job for contributions. The donation jar was overflowing and that was in addition to what everybody paid at the school already for the tickets (which went to the charity as well). Great job!

I took a lot of pictures of course. I always do. My family probably gets tired of them all, lol.

The girls had a great time on their daddy daughter date last night. My oldest said daddy taught her how to slow dance. My youngest demonstrated how she did the limbo. My husband talked about a room full of screaming girls, lol.

Daddy - Daughter Dance May 10, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to ALL the mothers out there!

Men's Jewelry

When I met my husband, he had ear rings. He went on to get another ear piercing (actually we both got a matching piercing together) and shortly thereafter, we looked at men's jewelry to pick him out a very nice wedding band with diamonds. I like a man who can wear jewelry and feel comfortable doing so. Finding jewelry at good prices is even more attractive!

Daddy Daughter Dance

Tomorrow is the Daddy-Daughter Dance. My husband is taking two of our girls (the baby is too young, of course, lol). It is a Prince/Princess theme so my girls and I are going to do girly things tomorrow to get them ready to be princesses. First, we are going shopping to find them dresses and shoes. I am going to get princess tiaras for them both too. In the afternoon, I am taking them to the hair salon to get their nails and hair done. They'll put the tiaras on at the hair salon.

It is going to be SO SWEET when they come out all dressed up for their dance with their daddy. I am going to have to get A TON of pictures! They are going to have a good time.

I have to remember to pick up some flowers tomorrow too so daddy can give his girls flowers.

I wish they'd do a mother/son dance but I doubt my son would want to go. He's at that age where he's embarrassed to show any type of affection for his mom so dancing with mommy in front of all his friends probably wouldn't happen, lol.

Taking Care of Loved Ones

After my husband and I had children, we wanted to get a life insurance policy so if something happened to one of us, or both of us, our children would be taken care of. We didn't know what all the terminology was. I'd never heard of term life insurance before. It gives me some peace of mind to know that the guardian of our children will have financial help in raising our children.

High Gas Prices

They are, of course, expected to go higher.

Gas by us is between $3.74-$3.89/gallon regular unleaded. That's outrageous. Of course, it goes up $0.20/gallon shortly before Memorial Day weekend when all the travel starts. Good timing of the industry to do that eh?

What's the answer? I don't know.

Democrats want to pass a bill for an excess profit tax on oil companies (Consumers First Energy Act). Republicans don't agree and say it will make things worse (Washington Post and Boston.com article). I found information on past Democrat activity re: petroleum on Technorati with their source of Rightvoices.com but I couldn't find the article on the link they listed.

Did you know that credit card companies collect $0.09 of every gallon of gas sold (according to source: CNNMoney.com). I didn't. Maybe we should all pay cash and get the credit card companies to back off to save a little bit. I wonder if it is the same if you use a debit card? Hmmm...something to find out! It's not like our credit card companies don't make enough off of us with the interests rates they charge. They are in essence double charging. Once at the pump and again with the interest on our monthly statement!!

Big Oil has raked in record profits the last few quarters. While we struggle to pay our bills and feed our children, the oil companies are raking it in. Nice.

To find the lowest gas prices in your area, check out Automotive.com.

This is not a sponsored post.

Travel in Style

I have never had a nice luggage set. When we go on family trips, all of my belongings get stuffed into a duffel bag. We have one large suitcase and I do my best to stuff all of my kids' belongings into that one suitcase. We desperately need a better luggage set.

Luggage Universe carries brand names at discounted prices. Some of the names you may recognize are: Atlas, Bosca Leather, Eagle Creek, High Sierra, Samsonite, Timberland and many more. They also carry handbags, duffels, backpacks and business accessories. You'll be good to go for the family vacation or business trip.

Have To Know More Than My Kids

...when it comes to drugs.

My oldest is going to be starting junior high school. It is time for me to become knowledgeable on all the drugs that are out there that are going to be pushed under her nose soon. I was a goody goody when I was a kid so I don't know very much about the drugs that were popular back in my day and now there are so many more out there and more dangerous!

So what should I be researching:

• Drug Names (regular and street/slang names)
• Symptoms of each particular drug.
• Side effects and dangers of each drug.
• What they look like.
• How they are taken (smoked, ingested, inhaled, huffed...did I miss any?)

Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did. Those are my initial thoughts. I have a lot of educating to do to myself so I can talk intelligently with my child about it.

For more on huffing, I wrote this: click here.

The BIGGEST thing I need to teach my daughter: TO SAY NO. She lets her friends boss her around now so I do worry that she will crack under the peer pressure when it comes to drugs. She's a goody goody like I was when I was a kid, but I was stronger. I hope she toughens up the next few years and learns to stand up for herself.

Stimulus Payment - Problem If You Used Turbo Tax

If you use Turbo Tax to file your taxes and you used the "refund transfer" to pay for your tax prep/filing fees out of your refund proceeds (instead of using a credit card), you WILL NOT be getting a direct deposited IRS stimulus payment as you expected. You will be receiving a paper check according to their paper check schedule.

READ MORE HERE AT TURBO TAX

Nice that this wasn't made more widely known!

It's Not What Your Parents Smoked

Is your teen smoking marijuana (pot, weed, reefer, ganja, dope, doobie, bud, grass, leaf, joint, chronic, bammer, schwag)?

Short-Term Effects:

Relaxation, paranoia, dilated pupils, dry mouth, impaired memory/concentration, fear, increased heart rate, munchies, seem dizzy or have trouble walking, silly/giggly for no reason (isn't that a lot of teen girls in general), red eyes.

Long-Term Effects:

• Breathing problems, higher incidence of pneumonia, colds, and other airway problems such as coughing and wheezing;


• THC in marijuana damages cells and tissue in the body that protect against disease.


• Whether it causes cancer is still unclear;


• Dependency.

Marijuana in the 60's and 70's was much less potent. Marijuana today is much more potent due to technology so the chemicals being inhaled/consumed has substantially increased. This isn't your parents' pot anymore. It is more dangerous.

If you've seen or heard your teen refer to "420", it is said to be a term marijuana users use to mean April 20 (of any year) - almost like a national holiday for them (a time to get high) or the time 4:20. Wow, kids actually think they are spiritually connected to other pot users on this day or during this time on any given day? *yikes* They say April 20th is a day when schools see a decrease in attendance. I'd be curious to see if that is correct. It might show up in texts, myspace pages, license plates, t-shirts, etc. Interesting eh?

If you hear the term "wake and bake" - it means they are using in the morning.

Contrary to general opinion, you CAN become addicted to pot.

An article I read today in USA Today indicates:

"...Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts..."

"Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years," said John Walters, director of the office. "This is not just youthful experimentation that they'll get over as we used to think in the past."

"...using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40%, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a year-long period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than non-users..."

"It's not something you look the other way about when your teen starts appearing careless about their grooming, withdrawing from the family, losing interest in daily activities..."

This is not something for parents to write off as "experimenting" or "we did it when we were kids..." It's not the same anymore!

Wee Willie Winkie

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Up stairs and down stairs in his night-gown,
Tapping at the window, crying at the lock,
"Are the children in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

It's 11:20 p.m. here and my two year old is still awake. She is laying next to me watching Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. She took a late nap today and slept for too long. I knew I should've woke her but she was so tired (and it was so quiet, lol). She has never been up this late before. I hope she goes to sleep soon because I am very tired myself.

Faith

I was raised Catholic, though I no longer consider myself Catholic. I did communion, confirmation, catechism, church, confessions...all of it. I was miserable being told what I was to believe and what I was or was not to do. I was miserable having all these questions about what I was being told and nobody giving me satisfactory answers. The fact that our priest drove a black Firebird and ran off with his secretary had nothing to do with my opinion of Catholicism by the way.

I want my children to choose for themselves what they feel in their heart is right for them. I don't want to force any religion on them, like I felt it was for me for many years. I want them to come to their own beliefs out of their own need to learn and feel connected to something universal rather than force something on them and then they come to resent it. (That obviously didn't work for me.) I don't think it is up to me to tell them what they are supposed to believe or feel in their souls. Faith is a personal choice and I didn't like anybody deciding it for me!

I prefer "faith" to "religion" myself.

Too Young

This past week, my first grader has come home with a necklace from one boy and, today, a ring from another. She's listing off all the boys who like her and there were a handful. It's not supposed to start in first grade! At least give mom until fourth or fifth grade please to get used to the idea! It's too young.

Last year when a boy kissed her, she cried. She hated it because it embarrassed her. This year, she is all giggly and happy over these gifts from boys and gushing about them being her "boyfriends" and all these boys who like her.

Mom needs Tequila!

Addiction Help

If you or a loved one is in need of a top alcohol rehab center, Sunset Malibu may be what you are looking for. They offer alcohol detox as well as treatment for depression, eating disorders, and drug addiction/substance abuse. The facilities are luxurious and the staff gentle. Located in Malibu, California, long-term sobriety is within reach.

China Controversy

I wrote something on one of my other blogs this morning that I think is important enough to mention here so readers of this blog don't miss out on this global issue. Well, it SHOULD be a global issue! I hope you read it and get as outraged about it as I did! It is a very sad and frightening situation that this is allowed to happen to women and children (and the fathers/husbands who have to helplessly watch this happen).

Life of the Party

Are you looking for a Bing Bong tournament table like the one featured on the front of the New York Times? How about a little customization for your beer pong tables? A popular game with the 21 - 35 age crowd, it is also known as "Beirut." These tables have been manufactured since 2004, are portable and lightweight so you can take them anywhere. Get one for your summer party!

Summertime Blues

How many moms like it when their kids are in school and dread the summer break? I'm wondering how it is going to be here honestly and what I need to plan for NOW so it runs as smooth as possible with chores and the noise level. I don't want the house turned upside like a tornado hit it on a daily basis. Boy do I dread the noise level. My toddler is a terror when her siblings are home. I don't want a three month long terror. I prefer the sweet toddler personally. What to do to avoid it is the question?

What do you do to ensure a happier summer break for all involved (not just the kids but mom and dad too)? I'm open to suggestions, lol!!

Second Language in Children

They say that children can learn a second language easier than if they were to wait until they were....well, not children. The school where my kids go start to teach Spanish starting at 1st grade. It is a rotation class (like gym, computer, art, music). I think it's good for them. If they can get a good start on learning another language instead of waiting until high school or beyond, I don't see the problem with it. I'm glad their school does this. Their old school didn't do this. I wonder if it is going to become more common in elementary schools. Is it offered in your children's schools?

What Happens in Vegas

The one place my husband keeps bringing up is Las Vegas. He has never been there and wants to go quite badly. He wants to go for the gambling I think. I would want to go for the shows. I guess we would have to do some marital compromising and each do some of both for each other. Finding hotels in las vegas seems easy enough. They're everywhere! For discount hotel searches, check out i4vegas.com.

We're Heading Towards Finish...

My daughter has been through you know what with her mouth and orthodontic work. Her bone structure was too small, mouth too narrow. Several of her adult teeth were jammed up in her gums unable to come down, too many of them. The x-rays of her mouth were really bad. This would have eventually caused problems with talking and eating for her.

The choice was to pull several adult teeth so a few of them could drop down, leaving her without some of her adult teeth in the front (which would've been a blow to her self-esteem I am sure) or widen her bone structure with the use of a palate expander and then braces. The recommended route was the palate expander and braces. We went with this route. We couldn't pull adult teeth at age 10 and take away the opportunity for her to have normal looking teeth when she smiled for the rest of her life.

The palate expander broke the palate in her mouth apart and widened it. This was a horrible experience because I was the one who had to twist that key every day to widen it just a little bit, hurting her. It hurt me to hurt her. She'd lay there with tears sliding down her face. I would do what I needed to do and not let her see me shed any tears over it later. Thankfully, this was a short-term procedure! This then filled in and hardened so her mouth was wider.

Then came the braces. This hasn't been too bad.

Right now, we are waiting for one adult tooth to drop down. The rest have come down. They've been moving her teeth around to make room for it and now we wait. If it doesn't drop down soon, they will have to cut into her gums and pull it down. Obviously, she hopes it falls down by itself. So do I.

If that tooth was down, she'd be in braces for another six months and be done with it. As it stands now, we are probably looking at closer to a year. We're through the worst of it though. The palate expansion was the worst. That one was short term, which was a relief, and then a holding expander was placed there for the last six months or so. They took her holding expander out of her mouth today so she's thrilled about that.



Come on tooth...drop down!!

I'm Losing Time

Summer is almost here and I still have 20 pounds to lose! I told myself I wouldn't go through another summer, like last year, feeling like I was too heavy. What I would love is to be able to get into a bathing suit this year and feel good about it. It'd be nice to find a diet pill that works. I really need to get in gear and lose this weight for my health. With thyroid disease, it is always going to be a struggle for me if I don't get into the habit of a more healthy way of living.

Blowing in the Wind

Here's the littlest again. I like this picture too. It looks like she's deep in thought (or up to something) with her baby fine blonde hair blowing. Daddy says her face is getting fat, lol. Toddlers are supposed to have baby fat!

I can't wait to figure out Photoshop and see what I can do with these. I might make some black and white? What do you think?

Buying A House

One of the things that made me feel "adult" was buying my first home. I left apartment living behind and settled down. I did that when I was 24 years old. It was a four bedroom, two bath smaller place (tiny kitchen, lol) near family. I was proud of the fact that I was able to get a house on my own without having to have anybody cosign with the mortgage lenders. I did it on my own! We lived there four years before moving. We've lived in two more homes since then.

If you want to learn about the mortgage process and check out your options for home ownership, check out Somerset Mortgage Lenders Co. They offer free rate quotes!

My Darling Baby Girl

I took my daughter into our backyard and snapped a bunch of pictures of her. Her siblings all had spring portraits taken at school and she was due for her own. Rather than pay somebody else to do them, I just start snapping away and find some of my favorites. This is one of my favorites. What do you think?

I wonder if I can Photoshop out the background? I recently loaded Photoshop onto my computer but haven't tried it yet so I don't know if it is even possible but it'd be nice to get that fence out of there.

My Crazy Eights

I was tagged by my new blogging friend, Dette at Dance of Motherhood, to post eight crazy random things about myself. I am a bit loopy so this shouldn't be too hard, lol. This is my first blogging meme, lol. Thanks, Dette!

Here are my CrAzY EiGhTs:

1. I am actually quiet in real life (except with immediate family as my poor husband would attest to...he thinks I talk too much).


2. I have a very dirty mind - in the GUTTER all of the time. My nickname in high school was "nympho" (only because of my dirty mind and dirty mouth, not for any other reason!!).


3. I have a strong backbone for standing up for things that I don't think are right where it affects me or my family...very strong sense of justice. I get quite nasty if anybody messes with my family, as I'm sure my husband's ex-girlfriend would agree:)


4. I am a slob. I hate to clean. I do the basics because it's necessary but I leave the deeper cleaning to my husband (like the bathrooms:) Works good for me, lol.


5. I can burp like you would not believe with Pepsi (give me a burping contest with a man and I'll stand toe to toe with ya), though I have never done it in front of my husband. In fact, until my kids recently ratted me out to their dad, I think he thought I just didn't do it. It really grosses my oldest daughter out which brings me to...


6. I dance and act goofy and outrageous with my kids. Sometimes, my oldest just covers her face with her hand and shakes her head out of embarrassment.


7. I punched a high school boyfriend below the waist (in "that" spot) with my fist. I found my fist had better aim than my knee and I enjoyed doing it;)


8. I have an adult blog (*don't fall over in shock now*).
   
   
   
   TAGGING RULES:
   
   Each player starts with 8 random things about themselves.
   
   Athe end of your post, tag 8 people and include their names & links.
   
   Those who are tagged will post about their own 8 random things, including these rules as well.
   
   Don’t forget to leave them a comment on their blog and tell them they’ve been tagged, and to come back and read your blog for the whole story.

I'm now tagging...

The Independent Mom

Fairy Tale Treasure Shop

Live, Laugh, Blog

Travel Snippets and More

Create Your Own GPT Site

We and Mini-We

Shanney's Blogs

Make Real Free Money

Thanks Stylish Weblog!

I am an amateur when it comes to computers and all their quirks. When I bought my new laptop with Vista late last year, the user accounts had me feeling very inadequate. I think I thought that I knew more than I did until I met Vista and my first obstacle – the user account controls. Should I be an administrator or standard user? I flip flopped between both because I didn’t know what to do, which isn’t really efficient obviously. I wondered if I could turn it off safely. I didn’t know until I read Stylish Weblog. Now I not only understand what it is, but I know how to turn it off if I want to with the step-by-step directions!

I have something on my new laptop called Windows Defender. Huh? That was my reaction until I read up on it on Stylist Weblog. Being a part of this spyware community wasn’t so daunting after learning a little about it.

I needed a good design blog so I am glad I found this informative web site. Stylish Weblog is a programming blog loaded with plenty of useful information like transferring files, privacy settings, the dreaded back up, user accounts, spyware information and troubleshooting. I think everybody who uses a computer could find something helpful in this blog. It has helped me tremendously already.

Applying for Permits for Horses

We live right on the edge of town. We are literally within seeing distance of the sign that indicates the village limits. We have land here that we'd like to use for miniature horses, but it doesn't look like we are going to be able to. Because we are INSIDE the village limits (yeah, about a block), we can't. It doesn't matter that there are several places in town that have horses. They were grandfathered in. It doesn't matter that we are literally a block away from being OUTSIDE the village limits. I am going to talk to the village surveyor and see what they have to say, but I was told I have a "slim to none" chance of it happening. *sigh*

When Medicare Alone Doesn't Cut It

You worked hard all your life and now you're making ends meet with social security and regular medicare. Except there is one problem...it's not enough to meet all your needs affordably. What if you could find an advantageous solution? Now you can with medicare advantage. The benefits of Medicare Advantage are several:

• Low premiums,
• May have lower deductibles and co-payments than original medicare,
• If you are already on medicare, there are no health questions and guaranteed exceptance (except for end stage renal disease), and
• Most plans will cover things that medicare may not.

Check out the Mature Health Center and see if they can help you meet your medical needs more affordably.

Taking Care of Myself

I take my kids for their dental check-ups every six months and my daughter to her monthly orthodontic appointments. I always have, starting from a very young age for them. I think it is very important that they take good care of their teeth brushing regularly and having regularly scheduled appointments. I don't do that for myself. Why is it so hard for me to do that for myself? I go to the dentist about once every two years on average. The dentist says I have great teeth and are the strongest teeth he has seen. However, I know they won't stay that way if I don't take care of them better.

I make the excuse that I don't have the time with all the kids and trying to work every body's schedules, activities, etc. around my husband's ever changing schedule. I am the same way about medical appointments for myself too. When I find time, I don't want to be in the dentist's chair, lol. However, the truth is that I hate dentists. I am afraid of dentists. There, I said it! I am a big 'fraidy cat.

Tantrums

My kids have thrown tantrums. Some children were better at it than others. My oldest rarely did and my son only a couple times. My fourth child does periodically but not in public. My third child threw tantrums several times a week. Usually it was inside our own home but a couple times was in public. One time was so bad in Target that I didn't take her back shopping with me for six months. I rearranged my schedule to avoid it happening again. I was so traumatized, lol. I got such AWFUL stares from most everybody in the store...they looked at me like I must've done something to her to make her tantrum so badly. There were a few sympathetic stares and one man nicely offered to help me get something off the shelf that I couldn't manage with a screaming toddler at the same time. The sympathetic people were most likely parents. She tantrumed through the store, through checkout and all the way out to the car. She tantrumed so badly trying to get her in her car seat I stuck her in the car, shut the door, and stood outside the car watching her tantrum while I tried not to cry myself. I was SURE security was watching me on their security cameras or something, lol. It was awful.

When I see kids having tantrums in stores, I don't give nasty stares. I've been there. I don't leave my home with the intention of having my child throw a tantrum in public to irritate other people. Actually, if the people throwing irritating stares had known it was due to her frustrations at not being able to hear or communicate well at that point as a result, maybe they would've been a bit more sympathetic. Maybe not. Some people think children should be seen and not heard. What bothers me more are kids that run all over the place and get in the way of the carts (and won't move!) or roller skate down the aisles with no consideration for anybody else around them.

Anyway, I came across this post about how to handle a child's tantrum today. It started off sounding interesting at first. I thought it was going to go into a parent having a tantrum to show how silly they looked. However, then it went to having your children do something that caused them pain, actually encouraging them to do it as a lesson with pain, the article lost me. We made it through the tantrum years with three out of four so far; one left to go. I think I can make it through our last child without having them hurt themselves to teach themselves a lesson.

Before anybody gets the wrong idea, I do expect appropriate behavior from my kids. In fact, we've been called "too strict" by my husband's ex because we have expectations for our kids (and stepkids) and consequences. Obviously, I really care what she thinks considering what I think of her parenting. *eye roll* We've been complimented many times on how well-behaved our children are while out in public. However, I think there is a bit of a learning curve for toddlers. The "terrible twos" didn't get that name for no reason!

Custom Cadillac Grills

So you have a Cadillac that you want to customize a bit? Do you want to set it apart from your neighbor's down the block? Bling it up? You should check out Cadillac grills for your vehicle. You can find them for many of the different Cadillac models and model years. Whether you have a CTS, Deville, Eldorado, Seville or any of the other models, you can customize your Cadillac!

3rd Birthday

In a few weeks, our youngest daughter turns three. Usually younger ones are so easy for me to buy gifts for, but I can't think of what to get her that won't end up tossed aside within two days. She LOVES Dora but she received so much Dora stuff from Santa that I don't even want to go there again unless they have something new that I think would hold her interest.

This is her with one of our dogs (we have three). This dog puts up with so much from our toddler! She is a year old mix that definitely has some annoying quirks but her tolerance for our three year old means everything else gets forgiven.

I Need More Memory

My laptop has been giving me so many problems lately. It has been slow, freezing up, or just refusing to do things. I take a lot of pictures and videos and I've used up most of my memory. I need to buy memory for it really soon. I have been dumping things onto cd's and dvd's for the last week, but it doesn't seem to be helping much. Tonight, it shut down on me twice! It is definitely time for me to upgrade and buy several more GB's of memory.

New Neighbors = New Problems

We had new neighbors move in two lots over from our backyard. In this picture, the line of evergreens in the very back of the picture is on their property (the line of evergreens on the left going towards the back are ours on one side of our lawn). It actually goes further back to the right but this is the only pic I could find, lol. It's like a huge park in our backyard with all the neighbors' yards like this. It's always been beautiful...until the new neighbors moved in.

They've been tearing around back there on their quads tearing up the lawn until all hours of the night. Ok, it is their property and I think they're not the brightest light bulbs to have as neighbors but the trees hide most of it (their trees) - not the noise but the sight. I should mention that we live in town too...not out in the country. Today, they started cutting off all the lower branches off all those beautiful evergreens from the ground to about four feet up. They made those beautiful, old trees look awful! Unfortunately, it also means I am going to not only hear them on their quads racing around without helmets on themselves and their kids, but I will be able to see them now too. It's their property though so I can only regret what they did to the trees and complain to myself about it.

Today their daughter, who is the same age as one of my girls, got mad when my daughter didn't want to play with her. They don't like this girl because she's mean and she hurt one of my other kids a week ago. She came into the yard a little while ago and wanted to play. They told her no. She got mad and said she was going to get her 20 year old brother to come beat them up (sure, that's the way to make friends). A neighbor said this 20 year old "brother" did intimidate one of the little girls who lives next door on a different occasion. I hear one of the kids screaming for me and come to the door to tell me what is going on and I go look out back and that ADULT "brother" is standing at the property line staring at my kids! I watch him for a minute from the door (to make sure I am really seeing what I am seeing and not overreacting) and he's just staring at them! NOBODY, especially an adult who should know better, is going to intimidate my kids! The nerve! I told the kids that if he steps foot on our property and causes problems, I would have him arrested; then I grab my shoes and cell phone and go outside to play with the kids. The kids are all singing really loud, "go mom, go mom" in that sing song voice. OK, that's probably not the best thing to do kids! The man saw me out back and went back to destroying those trees. I guess dealing with an adult isn't for him. He can only intimidate elementary kids.

If it happens again, I am calling the cops. I am also going to beef up the locks on my door. I didn't get a good feeling from this situation at all!

Sometimes, I am really weird

Do you ever have those times when you are giddy-goofy-weird or is it just me? Sometimes, I get weird. I'm sure my husband would agree with that statement. I mean, I can be serious and responsible and all that. I have to be as a parent. However, sometimes I can be such a goofy ditz - sassy, joking, giddy. Well, I am always sassy but I get giddy-weird too but not all the time. Maybe it is hormonal. I should keep track on the calendar to see if it is hormonal. Maybe it is when I am about to crack, lol. Lord knows with some of the stresses we've been under over the years that I've come close. Is it just me or do you ever get that way too? Please don't tell me I am the only loon!

The Health of our Kids

With all of the different medical needs of our kids over the years like occupational therapy for one, speech therapy for four, counseling for one, and having a palate broken apart with expansion and braces for one, we would've been in serious financial trouble if we had not had health insurance. I consider health insurance a necessity when you have children. Unfortunately, finding affordable rates isn't always easy.

If you need health insurance for yourself or your family, look at 2Insure4Less.com. You can compare online insurance quotes for your personal and business needs. Saving money where you can in this day and age when prices are skyrocketing everywhere else is important.

Bleeding Money at the End of the School Year

We are getting hit left and right with the school right now until the end of the school year. We have fees for three children's spring portraits (which did turn out beautiful I must say...we make cute kids), 1-2 field trips for each child (times three kids), the daddy/daughter dance tickets and dresses for two children, t-shirts for Field Day for two children, Square Art orders for one child...what's next? Oh yeah, teacher appreciate week is next week and end of the year gifts for the teachers, bus drivers and anybody else who comes in regular contact with my kids at the school. I'm sure I am forgetting something on here. As long as I don't forget it for the kids, it's all good. That'd be bad if I forgot to pay for something for one of the kids and they were left out. Last month, I spent $36 on cookie dough. Cookie dough!

Shhh, Don't Tell The Boss

You see them in many corporations - departmental heads sitting in leather office chairs. How many of us have sat in the boss's leather chair when he or she was out? Not only sat in it but spun around in it a few times? Now how many of us leaned back in it and put our feet up on the boss's desk? Well, I've not gone that far before but I have certainly sat in the boss's leather chair while they were out. Shhh, don't tell the boss!

They get the nicest leather office chairs. I eventually worked my way up to my own leather chair. Divine!

Equine Dentist in Ohio

My filly had her first equine dentist visit yesterday and she did great! She danced around a little bit but not bad for having a contraption in her mouth holding it open, rasping on her teeth, and a hand in her mouth. Much better than she did with the farrier a year ago when she tried to kick him - about 50 times (seriously!).

If you are in west central Ohio and looking for an equine dentist, comment back and I'll get you the information.

Itch My Scratch & I'll Hollaback Atcha

I've changed my Scratchback to $2 on both my blogs - here and at Stepfamily Sanctuary and changed them both to text widgets (that graphic pic thing was odd). I've decided that when I get a scratch, I'll hollaback atcha in a post on my blog that links to your blog or website in the widget within limits (no adult sites or other inappropriate sites:). That's two for the price of one, lol.