GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART

MOTHER

2010-07-23T18:55:00.000-05:00

MOTHER

This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece. Please

read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in

leisure...do not hurry....this is a treasure...
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. 'Is

this the long way?' she asked. And the guide said: 'Yes, and the way is hard.

And you will be old before you reach the end of it.. But

the end will be better than the beginning'

But the young mother was happy, and she would not

believe that anything could be better than these years. So she

played with her children, and gathered flowers for

them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and

the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,

'Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.'

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was

dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother

drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said,

'Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.'

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and

the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary.

But at all times she said to the children,' A little patience and we are there.'

So the children climbed, and when they reached the top

they said, 'Mother, we would not have done it without you.'

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up

at the stars and said, 'This is a better day than the last, for my

children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage.

Today, I 've given them strength.'

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened

the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped

and stumbled, and the mother said: 'Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.

' And the children looked and saw above the clouds

an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the

darkness. And that night the Mother said,

'This is the best day of all, for

I have shown my children God.'

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and

the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent.

But her children were tall and strong, and walked with

courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her,

for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,

and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And

mother said, 'I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end

is better than the beginning, for my children can

walk alone, and their children after them.'

And the children said, 'You will always walk with us,

Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.'

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates

closed after her. And they said: 'We cannot see her

but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She

is a living presence.......'

Your Mother is always with you.... She's the whisper

of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach

in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand

on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives

inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop

She's the place you came from, your first home; and

she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love

and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can

separate you.

Not time, not space... not even death!

ANOTHER LOOK BACK IN TIME

2010-07-15T10:12:00.001-05:00

Remember when:

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?

It took three minutes for the TV to warm up?

Nobody owned a purebred dog?

When a quarter was a decent allowance?

You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?

Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?

You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?

Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?

It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?

They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . and they did it!

When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?

No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?

Lying on your back in the grass with your friends?

and saying things like, 'That cloud looks like a... '?

Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?

Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?

Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

. .as well as summers filled with bike rides, Hula Hoops, and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with

sugar.

Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?

I am sharing this with you today because it ended with a Double Dog Dare to pass it on. To remember what a Double Dog Dare is, read on. And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know better and too young to care.

Send this on to someone who can still rememberHowdy Doody and The Peanut Gallery, the Lone Ranger, The Shadow knows, Nellie Bell , Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.

How Many Of These Do You Remember?

Candy cigarettes

Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.

Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes.

Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum.

Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers.

Newsreels before the movie.

Telephone numbers with a word prefix...( Yukon 2-601). Party lines.

Peashooters.

Hi-Fi's & 45 RPM records.

78 RPM records!

Green Stamps.

Mimeograph paper.

The Fort Apache Play Set.

Do You Remember a Time When…

Decisions were made by going

'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'?

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, 'Do Over!'?

'Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest?

Catching The Fireflies Could Happily Occupy An Entire Evening?

It wasn't odd to have two or three 'Best Friends'?

Having a Weapon in School meant being caught with a Slingshot?

Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?

'Oly-oly-oxen-free' made perfect sense?

Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?

The Worst Embarrassment was being picked last for a team?

War was a card game?

Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?

Taking drugs meant orange - flavored chewable aspirin?

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN"T LOOKING

2010-07-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my friend Michele for sending this to me.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children

are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my

first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately

wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a

stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind

to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my

favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little

things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a

prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always

talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a

meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I

learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care

of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have

to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you

handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't

feel good, and I learned that I would have to be

responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come

from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things

hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you

cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of

life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and

productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and

wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when

you thought I wasn't looking'

I AM SENDING THIS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW

WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS,

BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES.

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT .

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influences the life of a child.

SORRY,I WILL NOT BE POSTING FOR A WHILE

2010-04-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry, but I will not be posting for a while. Things are just too overwhelming in my life right now. Thanks to my followers for being interested in what I had to say. God Bless, generositiesoftheheart

THE HISTORY OF APRONS

2010-04-07T08:48:00.001-05:00

I don't think our kids

know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished

in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids…

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it

around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folks knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love...

DIFFERENT STAGES FOR DIFFERENT AGES

2010-03-31T19:47:00.000-05:00

Switching from a baby to a toddler....Once baby Orlando started walking we all thought it was so cute. Then came the screaming which is not so cute. He is beginning to learn more and more words, but still relys on screaming to let us know he is not happy. He is becoming more assertive against his 3 year old big brother and, his brother in return, is learning that his baby brother can't be pushed around so easily.

What happened to my munchkins? The baby that used to be so cute and loveable has turned into a pushy, uncooperative toddler. The 3 1/2 year old once uncooperative toddler is now so sweet and loveable. He has turned into a little man with manners and actually follows directions. He has a longer attention span now and talks like a grown up. He still has tantrums once in a while, but also wants to please adults now. He is starting to understand once confusing statements, like, "grandma will be back tomorrow" or, "that happened yesterday." He can play by himself for longer periods of time and has a wonderful imagination. He gets frustrated when he can't fix a toy or if the refrigerator does not have his favorite food. He is proud of his accomplishments. He is used to having his younger brother around and actually misses him when he can't see him or his brother is napping. He actually tells me what his brother wants. For example, "grandma baby needs a nap now" or "grandma baby is hungry"

Orlando(the 20 month old)has a temper. That is probably because his mind is more advanced than his skills.
He knows whats wrong but can't express it. He still puts a lot of things in his mouth and throw things. His little mind is slowing catching up though. When we say no enough times, he understands we are not pleased.
He is a little stinker. He will take off and run in the opposite direction and at 60 years of age I am not the quickest to catch up with him. His brother is a big help with pinning him down.

He is very determined and stubborn when he can't get something done the way he wants to do it. He will try to figure out for himself how things work. This is cute...he will sit and look at something backwards and forwards and inside and outside until he is satisfied it is to his liking. He loves picture story books. When watching a movie, he laughs at the funny parts and gets excited when there is action. He does not have fear of danger. I don't think he yet understands the concept of dangerous places and things. At the park, he is not happy playing on the toddler equipment, he wants to go up on the bigger equipment. He is not happy, but he has to learn that not everything is safe for him.

This is certainly a challenging time for me. I have to constantly be about my wits for sure. In no time, these munchkins will be able to outwit me. They already out-run me!!!

WHEN YOUR LAST BABY IS GETTING MARRIED--THOUGHTS OF AN EMPTY NESTER

2010-03-29T15:49:00.003-05:00

An empty nester is someone whose children have left home. I guess I never really felt too sad about them leaving, and I am certainly happy that they have not bomeranged back home. I have always felt that once they are adults they needed to start being more independent and taking care of themselves. Having their own responsibilities and making their own mistakes and learning from them is a good thing.

My oldest child lived at home until he got married. He knew he had it good at home, where most of his needs were being meet by his parents. I was excited about the wedding. He married a wonderful woman whom he had known since childhood. I was pretty sure that marriage would last and it has for 12 years now.

With my daughter it was different. Her and I did most of the planning and made all the arrangements for the wedding. I was too busy to be sad about her leaving. She found a wonderful man and was at long-last settling down. In a way I was relieved. She is the mother of my only 2 grandchildren which has made our mother/daughter bond even greater. I didn't have time to miss her because she made sure I was involved in her life, sometimes more than I wanted to be. However, if I could go back, I would not change one minute! It was precious time that we spent together that can never be replaced.

My youngest son just got engaged over the weekend to a wonderful young woman. This is my baby. I love the woman he is marrying as my daughter. It's not that. I guess it's being sad that I am getting old so quickly now. Why is it that the older we get, the faster time goes by? All 3 of my children have given me more happiness than words can explain. Mothers tend to overlook the hard times, and focus on the good times.
Kevin was the child of my old age. He was planned by me, but not whole-heartedly by my husband. Everyone said, "you have a boy and a girl, what more do you want?"

You know sometimes God puts this feeling in your heart that just makes you ache for one more time. Well I had that ache and it would not go away. It turned out it was one of the best decisions we ever made. He turned out to be such a joy and never gave us a bit of trouble. He is sweet, loving, compassionate, and caring. He knows how to make me laugh and reminds me that life is to be lived and enjoyed.

Kevin, know that your mom is so happy that you found your soul mate. I am so proud of all you have accomplished in your life. Thank you for all the great memories. Go forward and make a new life for yourself and Teryn. Dad and I look forward with excitement to your wedding day. We look forward to the prospect of more grandchildren and many good times with you and your new family.

Congratulations on your engagement to the love of your life, Teryn. God BLess you both with continued happiness and love! May every dream you have hoped for come true. We love you both. mom and dad

OBSERVATIONS OF GROWING OLDER

2010-03-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

Observations on Growing Older

~Your kids are becoming you...and you don't like them

...but your grandchildren are perfect!

~Going out is good.

Coming home is better!

~When people say you look "Great"...

they add "for your age!"

~When you needed the discount you paid full price.

Now you get discounts on everything ...

movies, hotels, flights, but you're too tired to use them.

~You forget names ... but it's OK

because other people forgot

they even knew you!!!

~The 5 pounds you wanted to lose

is now 15 and you have a better chance

of losing your keys than the 15 pounds.

~You realize you're never going

to be really good at anything .... especially golf.

~Your spouse is counting on you

to remember things you don't remember.

~The things you used to care to do,

you no longer care to do,

but you really do care that you

don't care to do them anymore.

~Your spouse sleeps better on a lounge chair

with the TV blaring than he does in bed.

It's called his "pre-sleep".

~Remember when your mother said

"Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"?

Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident!

~You used to say,

"I hope my kids GET married ...

Now, "I hope they STAY married!"

~You miss the days when everything worked

with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..

~When GOOGLE, ipod, email, modem ...

were unheard of, and a mouse was something

that made you climb on a table.

~You used to use more 4 letter words ...

"what?"..."when? " ???

~Now that you can afford

expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.

~You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it.

~Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless" ?!!!

~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

~Everybody whispers.

~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet ....

2 of which you will never wear.

~~~~But old is good in some things:

old songs

old movies

And best of all OLD FRIENDS!!

A CHILD'S MIND IS A LIKE A SPONGE

2010-03-21T17:32:00.002-05:00

A child's mind soaks in so much knowledge and information it leaves me dumbfounded! At 19 months of age, my grandson is learning new things every day, no every hour. His vocabulary is building at a rapid pace. He spends a lot of his time just watching, learning, and staring at things trying to figure out how things work. He has learned to climb up the stairs and to climb down facing forward and doing the butt bump on the way down. When things don't go his way, he lets us know he is angry by screaming. He likes to grab anything he can put his hands on. So all things we treasure and want to keep in one piece have been put in high places. He likes picture books. He pulls the kitchen chair close to the kitchen counter and points to what he wants out of the cabinet.

He still needs lots of affection and still wants his bottle for comfort. He is getting braver now and fights back when his brother picks on him. He likes to show off and get attention. He will dance when he hears music. He crys when adults leave the room. He is starting to realize that some things are dangerous.....like basement steps and food that is hot. He likes to explore and has to be constantly watched when we leave the comforts of home. One look away and he takes off on his own and runs into the street. He has a very good appetite and is not at all picky(as compared to his 3 year old brother) He still doesn't have enough back teeth to safely chew certain foods like grapes and carrots. He loves to help mom on cleaning day. He is growing up so fast now and is quickly turning into an independent little person.

ANXIETY ATTACK NUMERO UNO

2010-03-21T02:42:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday turned out to be one of those days that I should have stayed in bed. Got to my daughter's house, only to remember that I forgot my purse, my cell phone, and my driver's license at home.
Dropped Dallas off at class, 2 hours later was getting ready to go pick him up and could not find my car keys. Anxiety attack numero uno!! Ok, I don't have a phone to call anyone! I had visions of my little guy standing there crying, "I want my grandma." I just figured the teacher would eventually call one of his parents to come pick him up. I felt like such a fool.

What to do at times like these? Say a little prayer. Calling on the name of Jesus for help always seems to do the trick. Found my car keys at last. At least one of the muchkins didn't lock himself in the car with the key in the ignition...that would have been one gigantic anxiety attack...a real basket case!!

SLOW DANCE

2010-03-20T16:28:00.002-05:00

This poem is written by a teenage girl who has cancer....

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,

or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,

when you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,

and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

'cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

it's like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn't a race, so take it slower,

hear the music before your song is over.

THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA

2010-03-20T09:19:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friend, Michele, for sending me this.....

THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA

Yes, honestly it's true.

She pressed "control" and "enter"

And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,

The thought just makes me squirm.

She must have caught a virus

Or been eaten by a worm.

I've searched through the recycle bin

and files of every kind:

I've even used the Internet,

but nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Jeeves

My searches to refine.

The reply from him was negative,

Not a thing was found "online".

So, if inside your "Inbox",

My Grandma you should see,

Please "Copy", "Scan" and "Paste" her

And send her back to me!

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF FIRST GRADERS

2010-03-15T14:03:00.003-05:00

1stgrade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders.. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change horses......................................................until they stop running
2. Strike while..................................................................the bug is close
3. It's always darkest before..............................................daylight savings time
4. Never underestimate the power of.................................termites
5. You can lead a horse to water but..................................how?
6. Don't bite the hand that..................................................looks dirty
7. No news is....................................................................impossible
8. A miss is as good as......................................................a Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog.............................................new Math
10.If you lie down with dogs...............................................you'll stink in the morning
11.Love all, trust................................................................ me
12.The pen is mightier than..................................................the pigs
13.An idle mind is...............................................................the best way to relax
14.Where there is smoke, there is.........................................pollution
15.Happy the bride who.......................................................gets all the presents
16.A penny saved is.............................................................not much
17.Two's company, three's....................................................the Musketeer's
18.Don't put off tomorrow what you......................................you put on to go to bed
19.Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and you .........have to blow your nose!
20.There are none so blind as.................................................Stevie Wonder
21.Children should be seen and not...........................................spanked or grounded
22.If at first you don't succeed..................................................get new batteries
23.You get out of something only what you................................see in the picture on the box
24.When the blind lead the blind.................................................get out of the way
25.A bird in the hand is..............................................................going to poop on you
And the WINNER and last one
26.Better late than.......................................................................pregnant

6 MONTH OLD IS LATEST IN LIST OF INFANT ABUSE CASES

2010-03-13T11:37:00.001-06:00

                                                                Emiliano Garcia-Cruz

THIS IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN MILWAUKEE. SO MANY BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN SUFFERING ABUSE AND DEATH BY THEIR PARENT OR BOYFRIEND. THESE PEOPLE THAT COMMIT THESE CRIMES GET EITHER PROBATION OR NOT MORE THAN 5 YEARS. IT YOU KILL AN ADULT YOU CAN GET LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE, BUT A BABY'S LIFE ISN'T WORTH THAT MUCH, I GUESS! FOR ME, THIS IS ALL ABOUT SOCIETY NOT PUTTING MUCH VALUE ON LIFE..IT IS THE CULTURE OF DEATH. THE PREBORN, THE AGED, AND SPECIAL NEEDS PEOPLE DON'T HAVE VALUE FOR A SOME OF US.  THIS IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE FOR SURE. I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO GO BACK TO HITLER'S VIEW OR THE ARYAN RACE...WHERE ONLY BLONDE- HAIRED, BLUE-EYED PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE OF VALUE TO SOCIETY.

Emiliano Garcia-Cruz shared a room with his mom and three turtles. His favorite toy was a glowworm.
When you press a square on the glowworm's chest, the toy plays a song.

Samantha Garcia, Emiliano's mom, presses the square. Brahms' Lullaby. She holds the doll and listens.

Emiliano, who was 6 months old, died Sunday of injuries so violent that they caused his eyes to bleed. His 19-year-old father, Julio Cruz, was charged Wednesday with killing him.

According to a criminal complaint, Garcia and Cruz shared custody of their son. Thursday through Sunday, the baby lived with his father. The rest of the time, he lived with his mom.

Cruz has given police conflicting accounts of how the injuries occurred, the complaint says.

He said he was playing a video game Saturday when the infant, who lay on his chest, stopped breathing. He said he tripped over a toy and dropped the child. He said he was lying on his bed, bouncing the baby on his legs and he accidentally let go. He said he was throwing the child in the air to stop him from crying and missed. He said he was rocking the child, accidentally let go, tossing him head-first into a wall.

Emiliano was taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where he died the next day.

"This is the blanket I held him with when he passed," Samantha Garcia says.

She unfolds a plush blanket decorated with teddy bears. She rolls the blanket up and holds it in her arms.

Garcia, 24, says there was nothing about Cruz that indicated he would hurt Emiliano. She says he had always returned from his father's home happy and without a mark.

"I thought my baby was in the best hands," she says.

Cruz is charged with second-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

The charge against him brings the number of fatal child abuse cases open in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to nine. The other eight cases:

Crystal Keith, 24, is charged with the Nov. 11 beating death of 13-month-old Christopher Thomas and with torturing his 2-year-old sister.

Her husband, Reginald Keith, 26, is charged with child neglect and with failing to report the abuse suffered by Christopher's sister. Crystal and Reginald Keith are the Thomas children's aunt and uncle and were their kinship foster parents. Police say the children were abused despite repeated visits to their home by Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare caseworkers.

Vera Morehouse, 21, is charged with allowing her 7-week-old son, Lamour Caesar-Burnley, to starve to death. The child welfare bureau had been notified repeatedly of abuse in Morehouse's home but were not pursuing the matter when Lamour died.

Melody Cole, 29, is charged with the 2006 starvation of her 7-month-old daughter, Layunnia Lewis. Layunnia perished despite repeated visits to her home by child welfare workers who were checking on the condition of an abused older sibling.

Salvador Ochoa, 33, is charged with killing his 2-month-old daughter, Rubi Ochoa-Dervantes, by punching her in the stomach Dec. 10, 2005. According to investigative reports, a doctor who treated the girl for a skull fracture when the infant was a month old notified child protective services after the family did not show up for a follow-up examination.

Malcolm Eiland, 18, pleaded guilty last week to the Sept. 23 beating death his 6-month-old son, Jaiden Eiland. Eiland slammed his son on the floor, shook him and burned his right hand with scalding water.

Michael Harman-Derosier, 25, is charged with beating his 9-month-old son, Micah, to death. According to police, the child lingered in a coma for nearly seven months, then died April 18.

Manuela Velazquez-Rodriquez, 39, is charged with shaking her 6-week-old daughter, Zully Antonio-Velazquez, to death. According to police, the mother told investigators she shook her daughter, who died Sept. 18, because the girl would not eat.

"I don't know what's going on," said Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams, head of the Milwaukee County district attorney's homicide unit. "In 18 years, I haven't seen this many baby deaths in this short of time."

REAL WOMEN

2010-03-12T11:47:00.002-06:00

Real Women

our culture has taken women displayed in images such as these, and taught us that this is what is sexy and desirable and good.

The point is not that thin people aren't attractive. Some people really are just thin - they are healthy and their bodies look like the woman's in the picture. But do they have to be displayed like this? Show me a woman of this body type playing the piano or doing humanitarian work or writing a novel or climbing the corporate ladder or teaching children or repelling down a cliff.

I'm glad I have moved on from reading teen magazines like Seventeen that too often glamorize this type of image. Give me the strong, fast, muscular women from Health magazine; natural, curvy, peaceful-looking women from Organic Living magazine; or the full-of-life volupturous women from Oprah magazine any day!

Better yet, I'm glad my life is filled with women who are real - and have all different body types, none of which matter - and who know that their value does not come from being frail and weak and vulernable. I am blessed to know many women who are a riot to spend time with; are pursuing educations, doing meaningful work, gardening, raising children, supporting families, and solving small and big problems alike; are witty, strong, funny, and intelligent....these are the women that that more teenage girls should look up to and that I am happy to call models in my life.

Who are the women that you call role models? What have they taught you and what do you admire about them?

MY REVIEW OF FAMILY FUN LAND, GERMANTOWN, WISCONSIN

2010-03-09T10:49:00.006-06:00

                                       W189 N11161 Klienmann Drive; Germantown, Wisconsin
                                                             (262)251-0338

As a grandparent, I am always on the look-out for places to take my grandkids that are inexpensive, fun and
safe. Well I think I found the place. It it called Family Fun Land in Germantown, Wi. Not much atmosphere, but tons of fun for little ones. It looks like a school gym and the eating area like a school cafeteria. The first thing you see are the arcade games. I didn't count but I think there are around 30 games. Tokens are     $1.00 = 4; $5.00 =20; $10.00= 44; and $20.00= 92. Skee Ball requires only 2 tokens; and the game that requires 6 is the Nascar game.

One of the toddler inflatable areas!

The toddler inflatable toy area is great fun for 1 to 3 year olds. Then then have a padded area much like a jungle gym for kids 4 to 12. Also a jumping inflatable for all kids. I let my grandkids play the skee-ball(2 tokens) for tickets to get some free candy. All other games are off limits right now. They enjoy just pushing the buttons without putting in any tokens. This place is very clean with lots of staff to keep the older kids off the areas used by toddlers.

Here are their weekly specials:
MONDAY: $1.00 admission for kids; parents are free all of the time
TUESDAY: Buy any 6" pizza and receive on free wristband.
WEDNESDAY: $20.00 includes 100 tokens and 2 wristbands.
THURSDAY: Buy one wristband for $4.00/get one free(no limit)
FRIDAY: Enter to win our fabulous Friday giveaway drawn every Friday at 7:30(need not be present to win). Register to win every week, prizes change each week.

If you go there just for the food, I wouldn't. It's just so so. Also, much like a school cafeteria quality.
Chuck E. Cheeses is far superior in the area of food!!. Their prices for food are a little on the high side. I suppose that's where they make most of their money. Now, mind you, I am comparing it to McDonald's prices. You are not allowed to bring carry-ins. Small soda is $1.55 with refills .50. Their pizzas run from $11.95 for a small to $18.00 for a medium. A corn dog is $5.00.

Another drawback I found was the location. It is way out in the "boonies"; however, it is close to the Mequon Road Exit of Hwy. 45. Mequon Rd and Maple Road in Germantown if coming from Pigrim Rd.
I have been there twice, and would go again on a Monday because of the $1.00 admission price.

Another toddler play area!

For information about their birthday party plans, please call them at (262)251-0338

KINDERGARTNER SUSPENDED FOR MAKING GUN WITH HAND

2010-03-07T12:33:00.003-06:00

Kindergartner suspended for making gun with hand. Punishment Harsh? Appropriate?

When Mason Jammer, a kindergarten student at Jefferson Elementary in Ionia, curled his fist into the shape of a gun Wednesday and pointed it at another student, school officials said it was no laughing matter.

They suspended Mason until Friday, saying the behavior made other students uncomfortable, said Erin Jammer, Mason's mother.

School officials allege Mason had displayed this kind of behavior for several months, despite numerous warnings.

"I do think it's too harsh for a six-year-old," said Jammer, who was previously warned that if Mason continued the practice he would be suspended. "He's six and he just likes to play."

Jammer says her son isn't violent, and there are other, more effective ways of teaching him not to make a gun with his hand.

"Maybe what you could do is take his recess away," suggested Jammer, adding her son doesn't have toy guns at home.

"He's only six and he doesn't understand any of this.

DO THEY EVEN SELL TOY GUNS ANYMORE? I CAN'T RECALL SEEING ANY AT TARGET. THEY HAVE DART GUNS BUT I GUESS THOSE ARE OK. IT IS SAD THAT OUR SOCIETY HAS COME TO THIS. POLICE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SHOOT PEOPLE WHO THEY THOUGHT HAD A REAL GUN AND LATER FIND OUT IT WAS A TOY GUN. WHAT ABOUT WATER PISTOLS ...THEY STILL SELL THOSE. ARE THOSE GOING TO BANNED TOO? KID'S DON'T PLAY COWBOYS AND INDIANS ANYMORE OR COPS AND ROBBERS, SO I GUESS THERE IS NO NEED FOR TOY GUNS. MY OPINION IS THAT TOY GUNS WOULD MAKE BOYS MORE AGGRESSIVE, BUT A 6 YEAR OLD SEEMS A LITTLE YOUNG TO BE DOING ANY HARM. WHERE DID HE LEARN ABOUT GUNS ANYWAY? AN OLD RE-RUN OF A WESTERN OR DAVY CROCKET? PROBABLY FROM A VIOLENT MOVIE OR VIOLENT VIDEO GAME WOULD BE MY GUESS!

HOW TO READ TO A YOUNG GRANDCHILD

2010-03-06T10:20:00.005-06:00

IDEAS FOR READING TO YOUR YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN

Here are some tried and true tips to help release your very own inner storyteller. Be captivating!

(Pick and choose from among these suggestions to make book-time more fun.)

The most important thing to remember is that you can customize your book-reading to accommodate the needs of your grandchild. What this means is that you should "experiment" to find ways to make book-time enjoyable for both of you.

If your grandchild tends to be squirmy when you're reading, try not reading the text and using your own words, instead. Try pointing to the objects on the page while you or the text "talks" about them. If necessary, disregard the text's story and talk about the pictures in your own words, instead. In many cases, books with "sing-songy" texts will probably be the first ones your grandchild will actually sit through while you read the real text.

Put "life" into the reading with your voice. Be expressive. Give different voices to different characters.

Move your fingers across the page to show that movement is taking place. (As reading adults, we take so much for granted concerning what we "see" in books. Remember that a child has to learn to shift from 2-D into "life.")

You might find that your grandchild enjoys book-time more if, each time you "read" a book, you talk about the same things using the same words. Children love repetition and enjoy it when you say something they expect you to say and they adore the sound of your voice.

If parts of an illustration aren't familiar to your grandchild's world, introduce new objects a few at a time, but be sure that you frequently point to and talk about them (eyes, animals, moon, etc.).Gradually, expose your grandchild to more new objects in the illustrations, pointing them out whenever you see them, both in books and in daily life. Anything you do to encourage your grandchild to participate in the story, either while reading or "after the fact" while, say, looking at the moon or at an animal, will enhance enjoyment of the book.

Just talk about the pictures, and don't stay on one page too long. (Four seconds is often long enough for the inexperienced listener.) Don't even have high expectations of reading all of the book! Soon enough, you'll no longer be talking about single objects on the page, but about relationships of characters on the page, for instance, or what caused this or that. You may be pleased to find a little "story" tucked away in a corner -- put there by the artist for the observant.

Start with "easy-to-read," bright, simple and maybe even aesthetically unappealing (to you, anyway) picture books. Children often need to be taught to appreciate the classy, beautiful art in so many books. Introduce these often among favorites, and when s/he's about 12-18 months old, teach your grandchild to turn pages.

If your grandchild is still at the point of needing you to zip right through page-turning at a pretty good clip (to hold her interest), you might find that you shouldn't bother reading text with a plot. Talk about the pictures, instead, and forget the plot for now. Do remember, though, that a book generally "recommended" for much older children can be used with an infant if you use the book creatively.

Use the book the way you want to use it. For instance: you don't have to teach numbers to a one-year-old with that beautiful counting book. Just talk about the pictures, instead. You don't have to read what the book says. If the story includes a particular event or emotion you'd rather not present, make up your own version. Children over 16 months particularly enjoy self-concept books emphasizing "me;"at around 2 years, "make-believe" is grasped and immensely enjoyed.

When you don't feel like reading, remember that many requests for book-time are merely indications that your grandchild wants to sit and cuddle. Pick a very familiar book and let the grandchild space out on the illustrations, having him indicate when to turn the page. He may repeat all you've ever said, and you just say, "uh-huh." (Compiled by Anita West)

PIGS LIVE IN MESSES, PEOPLE DON'T

2010-03-04T11:35:00.004-06:00

Which of your grandkid's messes drives you battiest? Is it the toys with all the parts? The
mealtime aftermath? Laundry litter? And how did you work with grandkids to clean up after themselves? Tell us what worked, what didn't! Share your tales in the comments below.

Because I was a stay-at-home mom, my children did not have a list of daily chores. They were, however, told to clean their rooms once a week and take out the garbage. I guess I always thought that they should concentrate on school, getting good grades, and making sure their homework was finished. Some things I am glad we did not have for them is:

*We never allowed TV's in their rooms
*They did not have cell phones
*They did not have video games
*They did not have a computer
*They did not have MP3 Players
*They did not have their birthday parties at some elaborate funland or indoor waterpark

Not that I think that all of the above things are wrong for kids. I do believe it takes away from famly time and stunts creativity. They did have encyclopedias, calculators, portable tape players, hand held video games. Their birthday parties were usually at home where they played pin the tail on the donkey and duck duck goose and had hot dogs and chips for party food. The birthday party event is now a competition as to who can have the most costly party. I don't believe that the more it costs the more fun it is for the kids. Unbelieveable, now people spend hundreds of dollars on a child's birthday party.

Is is spoiling if we do not demand that toddler grandkids help to clean up toys and every other mess they make? It seems I have to negotiate with my grandson to get him to help clean up. Example, if you help grandma clean up, you can have ice cream. Clean up time is a good oppotunity to explain to him that people do not live in messes, pigs do and we do not want to live like pigs. Here's another one....People do not pee on the floor, dogs do, and people are not dogs.(can you tell we had a few pee pee on the floor accidents this week)?

My grandkids do enjoy taking a spray bottle and cleaning mirrors and windows. So I guess the solution is giving them something fun to clean up. My least favorite clean up duty while I am at granny day care is picking up little toy pieces and pieces of food that have been thrown on the floor by the 1 year old(especially if it is something sticky)!

TUG OF WAR

2010-03-01T20:27:00.002-06:00

Today while we were at McDonald's playland there was a father there with his 3 year old son. My grandson is also 3. Well, the boy was misbehaving and spitting at other children. The father says, "You better stop doing that or we will go home". So the boy stops while the father is looking and continues misbehaving again when the father is not looking. So again the father says, "You better stop or we will go home." This goes on for about another 15 minutes or so. Finally, the father gets his coat on and says, "Now we are really going home."
The son says, "oh please daddy just a little longer". "Ok son you can have another 8 minutes, that's all." I was ready to pull my hair out. This father could not follow through on what he was saying. You could totally tell that the child was in control. I deal with this tug of war, back and forth negotiating with my grandson on a daily basis. The adult must set limits and stick to it. A few more observations.....

Let me be clear:the more you give in to negotiating with your grandchild, the more you're training
your grandchild not to accept your limits.

Make sure your grandchild knows you are the boss. They will try to test your limits and try to wear you down. Believe you me, it is so easy to just give in and be done with it. Another word for it is bickering. If you give in eventually everything becomes a negotiation. I'll do this if you do that. They like to gnaw at you like little beavers...oh please grandma, why not grandma, over and over until you just give in.

Grandma needs to be strong and stick to her guns, or grandma will lose control and her grandchild will gain control.(not a good thing)

With all these questions grandparents have about grandkids who push the limits, don’t forget, it’s the adults who have the power to change the limit. If you find your grandkid is pushing the limits a lot, that usually means you’ve given them the power to change limits too many times, and now they’re looking to do it whenever they can. And your grandkid doesn’t know the difference. Grandparents say things like, “Why are you doing this to me? I try to be nice to you and look what happens.” They say those things out of frustration, but the bottom line is that once you start changing the limits, as far as your grandkid is concerned, there are no limits. Remember, kids are very black and white. Once you give them any gray area, don’t blame them for trying to get more. That is their nature; that is their developmental level.

STUCK IN A RUT AND DEPRESSED

2010-02-28T12:33:00.003-06:00

I felt sad and depressed all weekend. SO tired.

All I wanted to do was stay in bed and pull the covers over my head. I feel like I have no time for myself...my life is and has always been about helping out
everyone else. I need help getting out of my depression.

Is it selfish to want a little time to myself? I know God wants us to help other people in need, but He also wants us to enjoy life, doesn't he? I was a stay-at-home mom busy raising 3 children for 1/3 of my life, then came taking care of my grandma who was in a nursing home, then helping out my aunt who lives by herself and her English is very limited. Now I am helping to raise my daughter's two children. Most days I don't mind, I even enjoy it, however, this weekend I was saying to myself, "when is enough enough?"

I used to have hobbies, I used to be able to come and go as I wanted, I used to be able to take long walks by myself. Now all that I do is change diapers and listen to screaming kids. On my days off, I do my weekly chores...cleaning, cooking, shopping, washing, etc. Turn around and your young, turn around and your old.
One thing I miss most is trying out new recipes and making them for dinner. Now it's fast food or out of a can.

Probably if I had all this free time, I would get bored eventually too! I have all these needlepoint kits just sitting around waiting to be worked on. Today I am thinking I will be dead and buried and someone else can go through all my needlework collection and give it to charity...because most of the younger women today are not interested in such things.

Oh well, I guess I just should thank God I woke up this morning and was able to get myself out of bed and dressed. There are lots of people who have it worse then me. I have to daily remind myself God wants me where I am...helping to shape the lives of my toddler grandsons.

I found these few tips on how to get out of a depression...I might give them a try! I wish I could go on a long extended vacation to someplace WARM.

If you are doing something you really don’t like, it might pay to change careers. The same holds true for the key people in your life. If you have surrounded yourself with energy-sucking losers, give them the heave-ho. Same holds true for your neighborhood. Does it really suck? Does it depress you every time you think about it? Do you dream of warm weather and sunny skies? (Come to Florida!)

On the other hand, if you basically like your work/colleagues/location, don’t waste any time fantasizing about changing them.

Three Stages to Getting Yourself Out of a Rut

I said there is no reason to ever be in a slump. It’s true. And here’s better news: Getting yourself out of a funk is relatively easy to do.

1. Recognize that you are very low in energy . . . and energy is what you need. Imagine that inside your brain there is a motivation panel. The panel contains dozens of fuses, each one a conductor of energy. When you hit a slump, many of these fuses have blown. Blown fuses - any sort of negative, self-deprecating or self-limiting thoughts - must be removed before they can be replaced with good ones.

To take out your blown fuses:

Recognize that your slump will pass. (It passed before, didn’t it?)

Try not to be mad at yourself. (After all, this is basically a biochemical problem.)

Remind yourself how lucky you are. (Think Christopher Reeve.)

If you are worried about a particular problem, imagine the worst outcome and then figure out how you will survive it. This will neutralize the anxiety.

2. Do something - anything - that gives you a little charge. The idea is to think/say/do a number of things that you’ve found through experience charge you up a little. Some things that work for me might work for you. Try these:

Put on some music. Loud. Choose something that will "pump you up," as they say. This morning’s selection for me was "Help Me Rhonda" by the Beach Boys. Very therapeutic.

Dance. (Make sure no one is looking.)

If you can’t force yourself to dance, do some kind of wild exercises. Frantic jumping jacks. Leapfrogging across the carpet. (Do this in private too.)

Stand in front of a mirror and smile. Smile one hundred times. Did you know that the physical act of smiling releases endorphins? You won’t believe it until you try it. Go ahead.

If you do enough of this stuff . . . and you’ve really rid yourself of your blown fuses . . . you are ready for the third step (which is really the key to the entire process).

3. Complete a worthwhile task - something useful that has value to you.

The trick is to have a ready inventory of meaningful tasks that need doing. If you are a busy person, this won’t be a problem. The tasks you have set aside in inventory should be relatively small in scope - you should be able to complete them in a few hours at most.

I can’t even begin to guess what your inventory would look like. Mine would most likely include writing something (like a short story, a scene for a screenplay, or a message for ETR). It might also include something more mundane (like replacing that light bulb that has been out for six months).

Remember that the job must be important - to you - and you must do it well. If it is and you do, you will be out of your slump by the time you are finished with it.

It works every time. Getting out of a slump is all about forgetting the problems that are draining your energy and getting involved in good, energizing work. The secret is to climb out of the rut in stages. Otherwise, you won’t succeed.

One more thing: When you feel a slump coming on, don’t ignore it. Act immediately.

THE PRICE OF CHILDREN

2010-02-26T10:43:00.004-06:00

The price of a child cannot be put into dollars and cents. As grandparents we are not resposible for the costs, yet we get all the benefits that the parents have. Plus we get another branch added to our family tree so in our obituary they can list our children, our grandchildren, perhaps even our great-grandchildren. Afterall, isn't that what life is all about?

The Price of Children

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

$8,896.66 a year,

$741.38 a month, or

$171.08 a week.

That's a mere $24.24 a day!

Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is: don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

Naming rights. First, middle and last!

Glimpses of God every day.

Giggles under the covers every night.

More love than your heart can hold.

Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.

A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.

Someone to laugh yourself silly with — no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

finger-paint,

carve pumpkins,

play hide-and-seek,

catch lightning bugs, and

never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,

watching Saturday morning cartoons,

going to Disney movies, and

wishing on stars.

You get to:

frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets

collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay on Mother's Day and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,

taking the training wheels off a bike,

removing a splinter,

filling a wading pool,

getting the cat out of a tree,

coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and

coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

first step,

first word,

first bra,

first date, and

first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and — if you're lucky— a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever and love them without limits,

So, one day they will — like you — love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

THE MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

2010-02-23T14:04:00.002-06:00

Now that I have joined the 60 and over club and earned the title of Senior Citizen(boo whoo), I am thinking it is important to keep our brains healthy as well as our bodies...especially when we are chasing after toddlers and trying to keep up with new technology and everything else thrown upon us in the 21st. century. Here is some helpful advice...

1. Stay Physically Active

Physical exercise is essential for maintaining good blood flow to the brain as well as to encourage new brain cells. It also can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and thereby protect against those risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
Growing evidence shows that physical exercise does not have to be strenuous or even require a major time commitment. It is most effective when done regularly, and in combination with a brain-healthy diet, mental activity and social interaction.

Aerobic exercise improves oxygen consumption, which benefits brain function; aerobic fitness has been found to reduce brain cell loss in elderly subjects. Walking, bicycling, gardening, tai chi, yoga and other activities of about 30 minutes daily get the body moving and the heart pumping.

Physical activities that also involve mental activity – plotting your route, observing traffic signals, making choices – provide additional value for brain health. And doing these activities with a companion offers the added benefit of social interaction.

Avoid head trauma when exercising

Use protective headgear when engaged in physical activities, such as bicycling, horseback riding, bouldering, skating and so on.
Wear a seat belt.
Guard against falls by using handrails, watching out for tripping hazards and taking other precautions.
Severe head injuries have been associated with increased risk for later development of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

2. Adopt a Brain Healthy Diet

According to the most current research, a brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol. Like the heart, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar, to function well. A brain-healthy diet is most effective when combined with physical and mental activity and social interaction.
Manage your body weight for overall good health of brain and body. A long-term study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia. Adopt an overall food lifestyle, rather than a short-term diet, and eat in moderation.

Reduce your intake of foods high in fat and cholesterol. Studies have shown that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol clogs the arteries and is associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. However, HDL (or “good”) cholesterol may help protect brain cells. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, for example. Try baking or grilling food instead of frying.

Increase your intake of protective foods. Current research suggests that certain foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and appear to protect brain cells.

In general, dark-skinned fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidant levels. Such vegetables include: kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell pepper, onion, corn and eggplant. Fruits with high antioxidant levels include prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes and cherries.

Cold water fish contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids: halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna.

Some nuts can be a useful part of your diet; almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant.
Not enough information is available to indicate what quantities of these foods might be most beneficial for brain health. For example, it is not clear how much fruit would have to be consumed to have a detectable benefit. However, a study of elderly women showed that those who ate the most green, leafy and cruciferous vegetables in the group were one to two years younger in mental function than women who ate few of these vegetables.

Vitamins may be helpful. There is some indication that vitamins, such as vitamin E, or vitamins E and C together, vitamin B12 and folate may be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A brain-healthy diet will help increase your intake of these vitamins and the trace elements necessary for the body to use them effectively.

3. Remain Socially active

Research shows that people who are regularly engaged in social interaction maintain their brain vitality. But again, the combination of physical and mental activity with social engagement — and a brain-healthy diet — is more effective than any of these factors alone.
A recent study reported that leisure activities that combine physical, mental and social activity are the most likely to prevent dementia. In the study of 800 men and women aged 75 and older, those who were more physically active, more mentally active or more socially engaged had a lower risk for developing dementia. And those who combined these activities did even better.

Other research found that sports, cultural activities, emotional support and close personal relationships together appear to have a protective effect against dementia.

So stay socially engaged in activities that stimulate the mind and body:

Stay active in the workplace
Volunteer in community groups and causes
Join bridge clubs, square dancing clubs or other social groups
Travel

4. Stay Mentally Active

Stay Mentally Active
Mental decline as you age appears to be largely due to altered connections among brain cells. But research has found that keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and connections. You could even generate new brain cells.
Low levels of education have been found to be related to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. This may be due to a lower level of life-long mental stimulation. Put another way, higher levels of education appear to be somewhat protective against Alzheimer’s, possibly because brain cells and their connections are stronger. Well-educated individuals can still get Alzheimer’s, but symptoms may appear later because of this protective effect.

You don’t have to turn your life upside down, or make extreme changes to achieve many of these benefits. Start with something small, like a daily walk. After a while, add another small change

Keep your brain active every day:
Stay curious and involved — commit to lifelong learning
Read, write, work crossword or other puzzles
Attend lectures and plays
Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college or other community group
Play games
Garden
Try memory exercises

QUESTION:
WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP YOUR MIND ALERT/ACTIVE/HEALTHY?

SUPER WHY ON PBS TEACHES KIDS HOW TO READ

2010-02-21T12:30:00.002-06:00

SUPER WHY IS A PBS ANIMATED SHOW THAT MAKES IT FUN FOR KIDS TO LEARN THEIR ABC'S AND HOW To READ. Check your local listings...it is on in my area at 9:00 a.m. central Mondays thru Fridays. My 3 yr. old and 1 yr. old grandsons both love this show because it keeps there attention. The stories are so cute and, without them knowing it, they are also learning to read. Praises to PBS for this one!

Super Why...to the rescue!
Welcome to SUPER WHY, a breakthrough preschool series designed to help kids ages 3 to 6 with the critical skills that they need to learn to read (and love to read!) as recommended by the National Reading Panel (alphabet skills, word families, spelling, comprehension and vocabulary). SUPER WHY is the first original program from Out of the Blue Enterprises, an innovator in interactive children's entertainment led by Angela C. Santomero, an Emmy-nominated co-creator of Blue's Clues, and Samantha Freeman Alpert, a veteran in children's entertainment. SUPER WHY makes reading an empowering adventure by using interactive literacy games that need YOU to play. In SUPER WHY reading is power!

SUPER WHY is an interactive reading adventure!
We begin each 24-minute reading adventure in Storybrook Village, a magical 3-D world hidden behind the bookshelves in a children's library. The Storybrook Village is the home of your child's favorite fairytale characters. Immediately, you'll meet the four best friends who anchor each episode: Red, from Little Red Riding Hood; Pig from The Three Little Pigs, Princess from The Princess and The Pea, and Whyatt, the curious younger brother of Jack from Jack and The Beanstalk who discovers he has the power to fly inside books to find answers to his questions. Each of these characters is re-imagined as an everyday kid, not unlike your child's own friends: Red rides roller blades; Pig drives a trike; Princess loves tea parties and dress-up; and Whyatt is the group's natural leader.

Each episode starts with a preschool relatable problem.
In every episode, one of the friends encounters a problem with another Storybrook Village character (For instance, Jill from the Jack and Jill rhyme is not being nice). As in real life, the problems require preschool social skills to resolve. And that's when SUPER WHY gets super-powered! Whyatt calls his fairy tale friends to their secret clubhouse, named "The Book Club," where they transform themselves from mere mortals into literacy-powered super heroes: Alpha Pig with "Alphabet Power," Wonder Red with "Word Power," Princess Presto with "Spelling Power," Super Why with the "Power to Read," and your child-Super You, with the "Power to Help." Using their super powers, these Super Readers literally fly inside books. The adventure begins as the Super Readers find out how famous fictional characters handled similar situations (Why is the big bad wolf so big and bad?). This adventure inside a book helps the Super Readers figure out the answers to their own problems. Be prepared to hear: Super Why and the Super Readers.to the rescue!

The Super Readers can solve any obstacle with their literacy powers!
"Inside" each book the Super Readers lead the viewer on an engaging reading adventure. They talk to fictional characters from the story, play reading games and activities to overcome obstacles, search for Super Letters, and practice such key skills as letter identification, word decoding, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension. Super Why, who has the Power to Read can even change a story ending.and save the day! (For example: He can change the big bad wolf to a small good wolf!) What's unique about this approach is that while kids are learning and practicing the ABC's of reading, they're also thinking about what they're reading, applying reasoning skills to see the story in a real-life context and experiencing books in a powerful new way.

Hip Hip Hurray! The Super Readers save the day!
As soon as the Super Readers solve the fictional problem and gather all the Super Letters they need, they fly back in their Why Flyers to the Book Club. There, they decode the Super Story Answer, or theme, on the Super Duper Computer and reveal how to realistically resolve their own problem. (The big bad wolf is acting bad because he was so sad. He has no friends.) The episode ends with the characters modeling the behavior so kids can actually see the problem being fixed. Finally, with a song you'll find yourself singing, a dance you'll quickly pick up, and a hip, hip, hooray! The Super Readers—and Super You—save the day!

LENT--A REMEMBRANCE OF THE SUFFERING AND GLORY OF JESUS

2010-02-20T10:22:00.004-06:00

As we begin the Lenten Season, I want to reflect back on the life of Christ and all He has done for me. Coming down from Glory to suffer and die for a wretch like me. What can I do for Him? Everthing I can think of seems to be insufficient. While it is not possible to be sinless, we can try our hardest to live a life following in the footsteps of Jesus. Trying to keep God's commandments as best we can, rebuking the devil, living a life of love and service to others, reading His Word, praying daily.

I know it is popular to give something up for Lent, but for me that isn't enough. After all Jesus did for me...the pain and suffering He went through, the ridicule he endured, the agonizing death. So I have committed myself to reading and studying the Bible from Genesis to Revelation..however long it takes. I have the NIV(new international version) which is easy to understand. My study bible suggests not reading chapter by chapter, book by book in order, but mixing it up. One OT and one NT. I am underlining things that I think are important..also writing things in the columns that interest me. I have started this journey before and never completed it. This time, with the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, I am committed to finishing this spiritual task of love.

For me this is something I can actual give back. The Bible is God's book and in it you will find the magnificence of God's love for us. The Lord told us, "Search the Scriptures, for They are They which Testify of Me"
John 5:39.

It is my prayer that every Christian can find something he/she can do for the Lord this Lenten Season that truly is a sacrifice, for He sacrificed so much for us. Amen

ADDICTED TO TRAINS

2010-02-18T20:20:00.002-06:00

Dear God, Please help me. I need more energy and motivation to get through another week. Yesterday was quite stressful and I was almost in tears over an episode that happened at the library. After the "grandma and me" class I decided to take the boys to the local library where they have a wooden train set for kids to play with. Dallas had a tantrum because he did not want to share the trains with anyone else. He started throwing things and having a tantrum. I call him the "train boy" because of his love of all trains.

As I decided long ago, I would not put up with any tantrums in public, I dragged him out of the library screaming "I want to play trains." He finally started to settle down during the ride home. Once we got home, I put him in a time out until he completely settled down. I also gave him a good talking to.
Why was he perfectly fine at the "grandma and me" class, but acted out at the library? Because he has an addiction to anything to do with trains. He loves watching them on youtube, TV, reading books about trains, seeing model trains. In fact, I told my husband we need to take him on the Amtrack train to Chicago. Dallas and his brother are getting along better now and Dallas is also getting better at sharing with his brother. Hey, I know now where this all started.....The Polar Express Movie. He got himself addicted to that movie and it just escalated to toy trains.

Today Dallas was great! He occupied himself with his toys. I let him go outside for a while and play in the snow. To top the day off, he even made a poop in his potty chair. I will get a commitment from him in words that he is ready to share the trains at the library before we go there again; however, that probably won't even help until he goes through a 12 step train "withdrawal" program. Where can I sign him up?

ASH WEDNESDAY--A DAY OF REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION

2010-02-17T14:36:00.002-06:00

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod--

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The History and Meaning of Ash Wednesday

By Dr. Richard P. Bucher

Ash Wednesday is the name given to the first day of the season of Lent, in which the Pastor applies ashes to the foreheads of Christians to signify an inner repentance. But what is the history and the meaning of this Christian holy day?

Ash Wednesday, originally called dies cinerum (day of ashes) is mentioned in the earliest copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary, and probably dates from at least the 8th Century. One of the earliest descriptions of Ash Wednesday is found in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon abbot Aelfric (955-1020). In his Lives of the Saints, he writes, "We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast." Aelfric then proceeds to tell the tale of a man who refused to go to church for the ashes and was accidentally killed several days later in a boar hunt! This quotation confirms what we know from other sources, that throughout the Middle Ages ashes were sprinkled on the head, rather than anointed on the forehead as in our day.

As Aelfric suggests, the pouring of ashes on one's body (and dressing in sackcloth, a very rough material) as an outer manifestation of inner repentance or mourning is an ancient practice. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. What is probably the earliest occurrence is found at the very end of the book of Job. Job, having been rebuked by God, confesses, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). Other examples are found in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1,3, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 6:26, Ezekiel 27:30, and Daniel 9:3. In the New Testament, Jesus alludes to the practice in Matthew 11:21: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."

In the typical Ash Wednesday observance, Christians are invited to the altar to receive the imposition of ashes, prior to receiving the holy Supper. The Pastor applies ashes in the shape of the cross on the forehead of each, while speaking the words, "For dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). This is of course what God spoke to Adam and Eve after they eaten of the forbidden fruit and fallen into sin. These words indicated to our first parents the bitterest fruit of their sin, namely death. In the context of the Ash Wednesday imposition of ashes, they remind each penitent of their sinfulness and mortality, and, thus, their need to repent and get right with God before it is too late. The cross reminds each penitent of the good news that through Jesus Christ crucified there is forgiveness for all sins, all guilt, and all punishment.

Many Christians choose to leave the ashes on their forehead for the remainder of the day, not to be showy and boastful (see Matthew 6:16-18). Rather, they do it as a witness that all people are sinners in need of repentance AND that through Jesus all sins are forgiven through faith.

Ash Wednesday, like the season of Lent, is never mentioned in Scripture and is not commanded by God. Christians are free to either observe or not observe it. It also should be obvious that the imposition of ashes, like similar external practices, are meaningless, even hypocritical, unless there is a corresponding inner repentance and change of behavior. This is made clear in Isaiah 58:5-7 when God says,

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes ? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

With this in mind, however, the rite of ashes on Ash Wednesday is heartily recommended to the Christian as a grand opportunity for repentance and spiritual renewal within the framework of confession and absolution. A blessed Ash Wednesday observance to all.

VALENTINE'S DAY TRADITIONS

2010-02-13T11:52:00.002-06:00

February 14th is Valentine's Day. When I was younger it was important for me to receive a gift or card of some kind on Valentine's Day. As I grew older I thought love isn't just about one day. We should be showing love everday. Whether it be to our family, friends, and expecially people we don't know, and yes, even our enemies. Christ told us to love our enemies and we should follow in the footsteps of Jesus. It may be hard to love our enemies and to forgive them for some wrong they have done to us, but as Christians we are called to do so. The pharisees hated that Jesus sat with sinners, but aren't we all sinners? We love the sinner, but not the sin.
Valentine's day seems like a good day to retell stories of how you and grandpa met, why you fell in love. Show them your old wedding pictures and/or any videos you have. Go through the old family album and show them pictures of your parents and re-tell the stories of how they lived and how it was different than now-a-days.

Watch a touching movie. The movies don’t have to be sappy chick flicks. Once the kids become teenagers, especially the boys, they will want out of this tradition, especially if the movies are too mushy. The movie can have aspects of love whether it is friendship, family bonds, or the boy-girl kind of love. Stories of love give kids a strong sense of its meaning so that they are prepared to show and receive love from others as they grow up.

Play a game that tells what each person in the family loves about each of the other family members? Each person will get a chance to write down on a piece of paper what they love about one another. Anonymously, every family member writes their thoughts on a separate slip for mom, dad, brother, sister, and so on.

The papers are put in a basket or a small box that is owned by each person. Family members take turns reading aloud what has been written about them. It’ll feel good to know that you are loved and respected by your family.

Valentine’s Day traditions help us teach our grandkids about love. We grow closer as a family and learn to depend on each other no matter what when we create Valentine’s Day traditions such as the ones mentioned here.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN.........

2010-02-10T19:54:00.001-06:00

These are pretty funny. Sadly, I can relate to pretty many of them. I am adding a few more of my own..
(1)You know you're getting old when the things you thought were cute about your spouse when you married him suddenly become annoying.
(2)You look forward to watching re-runs of the Lawrence Welk Show on a Saturday night.
(3)You NEVER have a bad hair day because you are just glad you have hair.

IF YOU CAN THINK OF MORE PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT OR TWO. YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS KEPT PRIVATE. Regards

You know you're getting old when...

Your joints are more accurate than the National Weather Service.
Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
Your back goes out more than you do.
The twinkle in your eye is only the reflection of the sun on your bifocals.
You feel like the morning after when you haven't been anywhere the night before.
You finally got your head together, now your body is falling apart.
Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
You wake up with that morning-after feeling and you didn't do anything the night before.
You don't care where your wife goes, just so you don't have to go along.
It takes twice as long to look half as good.
Many of your co-workers were born the same year that you got your last promotion.
People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"
You can live without sex but not without glasses.
The clothes you've put away until they come back in style... have come back in style.
You look forward to a dull evening.
Your mind makes contracts your body can't keep.
The pharmacist has become your new best friend.
There's nothing left to learn the hard way.
You come to the conclusion that your worst enemy is gravity.
You start video taping daytime game shows.
You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
You look for your glasses for half-an-hour, then find they've been on your head all the time.
You wake up, looking like your driver's license picture.
Happy hour is a nap.
You begin every other sentence with, "Nowadays..."
You constantly talk about the price of gasoline.
You don't remember when your wild oats turned to shredded wheat.
You sing along with the elevator music.
You are proud of your lawn mower.
You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't remember being on top of it.
Getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.
The little gray-haired lady you help across the street is your wife.
Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.
Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
Your ears are hairier than your head.
You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.
It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
You talk about "good grass" and you're referring to someone's lawn.
The end of your tie doesn't come anywhere near the top of your pants.
You give up all your bad habits and you still don't feel good.
Your childhood toys are now in a museum.
You can't remember the last time you laid on the floor to watch television.
You confuse having a clear conscience with having a bad memory.
You frequently find yourself telling people what a loaf of bread USED to cost.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
You got cable for the weather channel. Old Folks MTV!
Your new easy chair has more options than your car.
Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D.
Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.
You find yourself beginning to like accordion music.
You have too much room in the house and not enough in the medicine cabinet.
You get into a heated argument about pension plans.
"Getting a little action" means you don't need to take a laxative.
Conversations with people your own age often turn into "dueling ailments."
You buy a compass for the dash of your car.
You take a metal detector to the beach.
The car that you bought brand new becomes an antique.
You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police.
You realize that caution is the only thing you care to exercise.
You don't remember being absentminded.
You have more patience; but actually, it's just that you don't care any more.
Your memory is shorter and your complaining is longer.
Your drugs of preference are now vitamins.
You tip more and carry less.
You read more and remember less.
You get propositioned by AARP.
Younger women start opening doors for you.
You begin to become invisible in the dating and mating game.
The highway patrol sigh or shake their heads but don't give you a ticket.
You scout for a warmer place to spend the long, cold winters.
You are no longer 'promising'.
Younger men ask you for advice.
You work on your short game.
Youthful injuries return with a vengeance.
Youthful indiscretions harden into bad habits.
You shop for health insurance the way you once shopped for a new car.
Your medical expenses go up 50%.
A 'late night' now ends at 11 pm.
You learn where your prostrate is.
You develop a knack for wearing hats.

THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU

2010-02-10T12:43:00.001-06:00

My husband and daughter always tell me to stop complaining when I am tired or stressed out after a long day of watching my 2 toddler grandsons. The boys are both very active now. Both are running, jumping, squelling, screaming. They always seem to be hungry....I call it graising. I keep a constant supply of healthy snack items on hand for them to graise on throughout the day. It is always a struggle to get them dressed to go anywhere. Have to remember the bottles and the diapers. Hats, gloves, jacket, shoes..first of all I have to find these items and then chase after the munchkins who are not always in a cooperative mood. Trying to get them away from the TV and in its place finding useful, fun, learning activites can be a challenge. Getting them both to take a nap at the same time is now out of the question. When we do go somewhere, I am always chasing the little one down. He seems to always want to go in the opposite direction.
The one year old is now screaming whenever he wants something. Not that I blame him...he can't talk so that's how he lets us know he wants attention.
Up to this point, a fresh, clean bottle of milk usually does the trick. However, these fits of screaming, are usually quite embarrasing when we go somewhere(especially a restaurant). That's why I take them mostly to a McDonald's where there is a playland. I have found that there are usually ways to work around these little annoyances. Run in and out of the grocery store...having a list in hand. Don't plan to ever go to the mall shopping or browsing. We go there just to get rid of some built up house-bound energy! The best thing is to keep a "goody bag" of things to play with in the car at all times. My daughter has a portable DVD player which she uses on long trips. We have a new rule now...can't watch your favorite movies unless you sit on the potty chair for at least 30 minutes a day. That way their minds(and mine) do not turn into mush from all the cartoons and animated movies. We also have a rule now that the TV has to be turned off a least 2 hours a day and we have to do a learning activity. I am currently working with flash cards to teach Dallas(the 3 year old) his ABC's and shapes.
The main point I wanted to make is, even though I complain and am tired, I will not stop being "grannydaycare" to my 2 grandsons as long as I stay healthy. I can never imagine having some "stranger" taking my place. I would always worry about them. For example, "what are they doing now?" If they are sick, "are they being taken good care of?" They would always be on my mind!
At the grocery store, Wal-mart, craft store...I may have more time to browse, but everything I look at would remind me of them. For example, "oh Dallas would like this, or "Orlando would like that." It's the curse of being a grandma I guess. The joy they bring me so much makes up for the little irritations I have with them on a daily basis. I always tell people, "I thought I had only 3 cildren, but I was wrong, God actually gave me 5. Being "grannydaycare" is a choice I have made for myself and I will not run away from it, but approach it with enthusiasm and love.

WHAT ARE YOU ADDICTED TO?

2010-02-08T10:17:00.001-06:00

Addiction doesn't apply only to alcohol and drugs, it can be any compulsive, habitual behavior that limits the freedom of human desire. How many of these things are you addicted to? My addictions are in all caps...
GO THROUGH THE LIST AND SEE HOW MANY YOU CAN FIND. I HAVE BEEN HONEST, I HOPE YOU ARE TOO! The one I am least proud of is gossiping. I am not addicted to it, but I find myself doing it. I have to become better at stopping the words before they come out of my mouth. Amen

1.anger 2.approval 3. art 4.attractiveness 4. being good 5. being helpful 6.being loved 7.being nice 8.being right 9.being taken care of (BLOGGING) 10.calendars. 11.candy 12.cars 13.causes 14.chewing gum 15.children 16.(CHOCOLATE) 17.cleanliness 18.(COFFEE) 19.comparisons 20.competition 21.(COMPUTERS) 22.contests 24.death 25.depression 26.dreams 27.drinking 28.drugs 29.(EATING) 30.envy 31.exercise (FACEBOOK) 32.fame 33.(FAMILY) 34.fantasies 35.finger drumming 36.fishing 37.(FOOD) 38.friends 39.furniture 40.gambling 41.gardening 42.golf 43.(GOSSIPING) 44.groups 45.guilt 46.hair twisting 47.happiness 48.(HOBBIES) 49.housekeeping 50.humor 51.(ICE CREAM) 52.images of God 53.intimacy 54.jealousy 55.knowledge 56.lying 57.meeting expectations 58.memories 59.messiness 60.money and spending it 61.money and saving it 62.movies 63.music 64.(NAIL BITTING)65.neatness 66.parents 67.performance 68.pets 69.pimple squeezing 70.pistachio nuts 71.pizza 72.(POLITICS) 73.popcorn 74.popularity 75.potato chips 76.power 77.psychotherapy 78.punctuality 79.reading 80.relationships 81.responsibility 82.revenge 83.scab picking 84.seductiveness 85.self-image 86.self-improvement 87.sex 88.shoplifting 89.sleeping 90.soft drinks 91.sports 92.status 93.stock market 94.stress 95.sunbathing 96.suspiciousness 97.talking 98.television 99.time 100.tobacco 101.weight 102.winning 103.work 104.worthiness

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET US KNOW IF YOU THINK OF ANY MORE THINGS PEOPLE ARE ADDICTED TO.

BIRTHDAY FUN

2010-02-07T22:06:00.001-06:00

My family took me to Wis. Dells Wilderness Territory. Its a hugh resort with emphasis being on the indoor waterpark area. It was great fun for the 2 munchkins. It gives families somewhere to go during the cold winter months in Wisconsin. Because it was Saturday, it was really packed from little babies on up. You really need more than one day to walk around and see everything. We stayed in one of the vilas. They were really roomy and spacious. Included everything you need to stay for a whole week, including dishes, dishwasher, laundry room and spa tub. My only complaint with the water activities is that the water was ice cold and my 2 munchkins were shivering. They also had a shuttle bus to take you around the complex. It was nice because they had something for every age group to do, including an arcade for the teens and play area for little kids. Definitely would recommend as a place for grandparents to take their grandkids.
The restaurant on the premises was expensive because it was a Saturday night. However, the food was scrumptious and they treated us like royalty...putting the napkins on our laps and giving us hot, wet hand towels after dinner. If you go during the week, they have better deals. All-in-all it was a lovely weekend. Here is their link...

http://www.wildernessresort.com

The birthday cake I had was out of this world. It was a cheesecake with a brownie base and raspberry filling all covered in chocolate ganache. My daughter purchased it at Simma's Bakery..... One of America's top 25 bakeries.

http://www.simmasbakery.com

CLEANING UP FOR THE CLEANING LADY

2010-02-03T20:45:00.003-06:00

My daughter hired a cleaning lady to come and clean her house 2 times a month. My daughter has a compulsive obsession about things being orderly and clean, even with 2 toddlers and working full-time. I do what I can and usually pick up before I leave for the night. What I found to be funny is she cleans up before the cleaning lady even gets there. Of course, she wasn't hired to be a maid, just a cleaning lady.

Well, it turns out this cleaning lady did not want to get her hands dirty. She did use a mop on the floor, but, god forbid, she would have to bend over and pick up a crumb or scrape off some hard jelly on the floor.
She scrubbed the inside of the toilet with her brush, but refused to do the outside of the toilet where the pee stains were. I remember when cleaning ladies got paid $4.00 or $5.00 an hour, now they want to get paid by how big the house is. My daughter and son-in-law have a 2 story Colonial, so they paid her $60.00 each time...which I guess sounds reasonable for that size house. The problem was that the cleaning lady could zoom through that whole house in an hour. $60.00/hour is a pretty good salary for a plumber or electrician, but a cleaning lady? Especially considering their house was clean to start with. My daughter did talk to her, but you'd think this woman was doing them a favor by her rude attitude. Needless-to-say, she is no longer coming around. I guess she really didn't need that extra $120.00/month even with the economy being bad. This situation just proved to me that there are jobs out there for people who really want to work. We have too many young people now-a-days who grew up being coddled and spoiled and only want to work on their terms.
I guess I should be grateful that all 3 of my grown children and their spouses have good jobs and take pride in what they do.

TWENTY-FIVE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

2010-02-01T15:53:00.002-06:00

Last Friday my husband and I took a trip downtown to see the "DEAD SEA SCROLLS"... Old testament manuscripts dating back 2,000 years. They were found in Jars in caves in Qumran. It was a very humbling experience indeed. All the spectators there were quiet and very reverent as they viewed these holy objects. It was quite a spiritual experience for me. They have been authenticated to be from the time period. They were written in Hebrew and Aramaic(the language during the life of Jesus). Although Jesus is not mentioned by name, Isaiah's prophesies foretelling the birth of Christ are there. Make sure to see them if they come to your town. The Scrolls are currently at the Milwaukee County Museum Until June 6, 2010.
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1.The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven caves alont the northwest
shore of the Dead Sea between the years 1947 and 1956. The area is 13 miles east of Jerusalem and is 1300 feet below sea level. The mostly fragmented texts, are numbered according to the cave that they came out of. They have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. See a Dead Sea Scroll Jar.

2. Only Caves 1 and 11 have produced relatively intact manuscripts. Discovered in 1952, Cave 4 produced the largest find. About 15,000 fragments from more than 500 manuscripts were found.
3. In all, scholars have identified the remains of about 825 to 870 separate scrolls.

4. The Scrolls can be divided into two categories—biblical and non-biblical. Fragments of every book of the Hebrew canon (Old Testament) have been discovered except for the book of Esther.

5. There are now identified among the scrolls, 19 copies of the Book of Isaiah, 25 copies of Deuteronomy and 30 copies of the Psalms .

6. Prophecies by Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Daniel not found in the Bible are written in the Scrolls.

7. The Isaiah Scroll, found relatively intact, is 1000 years older than any previously known copy of Isaiah. In fact, the scrolls are the oldest group of Old Testament manuscripts ever found.

8. In the Scrolls are found never before seen psalms attributed to King David and Joshua.

9.There are nonbiblical writings along the order of commentaries on the OT, paraphrases that expand on the Law, rule books of the community, war conduct, thanksgiving psalms, hymnic compositions, benedictions, liturgical texts, and sapiential (wisdom) writings.

10. The Scrolls are for the most part, written in Hebrew, but there are many written in Aramaic. Aramaic was the common language of the Jews of Palestine for the last two centuries B.C. and of the first two centuries A.D. The discovery of the Scrolls has greatly enhanced our knowledge of these two languages. In addition, there are a few texts written in Greek.

11. The Scrolls appear to be the library of a Jewish sect. The library was hidden away in caves around the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-70) as the Roman army advanced against the rebel Jews.

12. Near the caves are the ancient ruins of Qumran. They were excavated in the early 1950's and appear to be connected with the scrolls.

13. The Dead Sea Scrolls were most likely written by the Essenes during the period from about 200 B.C. to 68 C.E./A.D. The Essenes are mentioned by Josephus and in a few other sources, but not in the New testament. The Essenes were a strict Torah observant, Messianic, apocalyptic, baptist, wilderness, new covenant Jewish sect. They were led by a priest they called the "Teacher of Righteousness," who was opposed and possibly killed by the establishment priesthood in Jerusalem.

14. The enemies of the Qumran community were called the "Sons of Darkness"; they called themselves the "Sons of Light," "the poor," and members of "the Way." They thought of themselves as "the holy ones," who lived in "the house of holiness," because "the Holy Spirit" dwelt with them.

15. The last words of Joseph, Judah, Levi, Naphtali, and Amram (the father of Moses) are written down in the Scrolls.

16. One of the most curious scrolls is the Copper Scroll. Discovered in Cave 3, this scroll records a list of 64 underground hiding places throughout the land of Israel. The deposits are to contain certain amounts of gold, silver, aromatics, and manuscripts. These are believed to be treasures from the Temple at Jerusalem, that were hidden away for safekeeping.

17. The Temple Scroll, found in Cave 11, is the longest scroll. Its present total length is 26.7 feet (8.148 meters). The overall length of the scroll must have been over 28 feet (8.75m).

18. The scrolls contain previously unknown stories about biblical figures such as Enoch, Abraham, and Noah. The story of Abraham includes an explanation why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.

19. The scrolls are most commonly made of animal skins, but also papyrus and one of copper. They are written with a carbon-based ink, from right to left, using no punctuation except for an occasional paragraph indentation. In fact, in some cases, there are not even spaces between the words.

20. The Scrolls have revolutionized textual criticism of the Old Testament. Interestingly, now with manuscripts predating the medieval period, we find these texts in substantial agreement with the Masoretic text as well as widely variant forms.

21. Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls actually appeared for sale on June 1, 1954 in the Wall Street Journal. The advertisement read — "The Four Dead Sea Scrolls: Biblical manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BC are for sale. This would be an ideal gift to an educational or religious institution by an individual or group. Box F206."

22. Although the Qumran community existed during the time of the ministry of Jesus, none of the Scrolls refer to Him, nor do they mention any of His follower's described in the New Testament.

23. The major intact texts, from Caves 1 & 11, were published by the late fifties and are now housed in the Shrine of the Book museum in Jerusalem.

24. Since the late fifties, about 40% of the Scrolls, mostly fragments from Cave 4, remained unpublished and were unaccessible. It wasn't until 1991, 44 years after the discovery of the first Scroll, after the pressure for publication mounted, that general access was made available to photographs of the Scrolls. In November of 1991 the photos were published by the Biblical Archaeological Society in a nonofficial edition; a computer reconstruction, based on a concordance, was announced; the Huntington Library pledged to open their microfilm files of all the scroll photographs.

25. The Dead Sea Scrolls enhance our knowledge of both Judaism and Christianity. They represent a non-rabbinic form of Judaism and provide a wealth of comparative material for New Testament scholars, including many important parallels to the Jesus movement. They show Christianity to be rooted in Judaism and have been called the evolutionary link between the two.

WISCONSIN'S SEX ED BILL SPARKS CONTROVERSY

2010-01-31T11:20:00.003-06:00

Our esteemed govenor, Jim Doyle, just signed a bill saying sex ed must be taught in middle schools meaning 7th and 8th graders are taught about contraceptives. Ok, we have already found that doing that doesn't help because Wisconsin was in the top 10 teen pregnancies rates for the country. True for a while the rates were down. Then they said abstinence could be taught....that apparently didn't work either. So now we are back to Planned Parenthoods sex ed class.

Of course abstinence works if it is practiced, but apparently the likelihood of getting pregnant and/or a sexually transmitted disease is not enough to stop some teens from having sex.
We all know the bigger problem is the families these teens come from and what kind of morals/values are taught at home. Parents want to be friends with their teens and not be parents or role models for their children. One generation after another of single parent moms is the problem. When will they understand that a child needs 2 parents in the home?

Our pastor said the other day a lot of kids he sees now-a-days have never even been to a wedding nor do they have examples of married couples in a loving, long-term relationship in their lives.
Another statistic, most kids leave the church after they are confirmed and never return. They get all their values from society.
So the churches problem, as I see it, is how to keep their young people in the flock, and how to attract more young people.
Until we fix the problems in the family and in the churches, I can only foresee more and more of the same statistics.

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CHILD'S FAITH IN GOD LOW PRIORITY FOR PARENTS

2010-01-28T22:14:00.006-06:00

I recently found the article below while searching the internet. I felt very sad as I read this article. It concluded that people want their kids to be happy and successful, but that a faith in God is not that important.
As I was growing up, my relationship with God was very important to me and is one of the main reasons I have inner peace and joy in my life.
The article also concludes that this world is a scary place and that parents are fearful for their childrens' futures. Since this is true, doesn't it stand to reason that parents would want their kids to know God more than ever?

God chooses to have a close relationship with us.. The benefits we receive from this relationship spreads out into everything in our lives. Anger and resentment can kill a relationship with God. We have to come to peace within ourselves and rely and trust in God for everything. God wants us to come to him. He causes bad things to happen because he wants to test our faith. Trust in Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.

The wordly culture has always told us our happiness comes from things. God gives us things as gifts, but He does not want us to put the gifts(things) before the giver. You can never have joy or peace until you give yourself over to God.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you! Psalms 55:22
God is faithful to the end, ARE WE?

It is my fervent prayer that more parents will raise their children in the ways of the Lord for it is the wise and loving thing to do.

Raise a child in the ways he should go and he will not flee far from you.
Proverbs 22:6

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Lifeway Finds Child's faith in God Low Priority for Parents
Research by Lifeway
(March 17, 2009) in Health / Parenting
By Mark Kelly

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- The vast majority of parents hope their children grow up to live good lives, but for many, parental success does not include faith in God – even among parents who are evangelical Christians, according to a new study from LifeWay Research.

The national survey of 1,200 adults with children under 18 at home was conducted by LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, for the new book The Parent Adventure: Preparing your children for a lifetime with God by Rodney and Selma Wilson and Scott McConnell (B&H Publishing Group).

The study found the most common definitions of successful parenting include children having good values (25 percent), being happy adults (25 percent), finding success in life (22 percent), being a good person (19 percent), graduating from college (17 percent), and living independently (15 percent). Being godly or having faith in God is mentioned by 9 percent of respondents.

Parents who attend religious services weekly are particularly likely to emphasize faith in God, but only 24 percent of them identify that as a mark of parenting success, the research found.

“We are seeing an ever-widening gulf in American believers between the private faith and a faith that is passed on,” said McConnell, who serves as associate director of LifeWay Research. “Instead, we too often see an emphasis on guiding children to a social morality and toward an as-yet undefined ‘happy’ life.”

Influences and goals

While the vast majority (83 percent) believes parents should be most responsible for a child’s spiritual development, only 35 percent say their religious faith is one of the most important influences on their parenting, according to the study. This leaves nearly half (48 percent) who acknowledge their role in their child’s spiritual development, but fail to consider their own religious faith among the most important influences on their parenting.

Pushing out to either end of the religious spectrum, the study found that almost a third of all parents either have no religious faith or say religious faith has little or no influence on their parenting. Conversely, among born-again Christians, 29 percent say faith is not among the most important influences on their parenting. Stetzer added, “When self-identifying Christians are not able to say that faith is a priority for parenting, we should not be surprised at the prevalence of church drop outs in the younger generation.”

Asked if they have a written plan or goal for what they want to accomplish as parents, a full 33 percent say they have no plan or goal at all. Among those who attend religious services weekly and evangelicals, 76 percent say they have a plan, either written or unwritten.

Fears and regrets

In contrast to visions of success, many parents are fearful for their children’s futures and some harbor regrets about their parenting, according to the research. A full 82 percent agree they feel fearful when they think about what kind of world their children will face as adults. Asked if they feel a lot of regret about what they’ve done as parents, 28 percent of parents agree, although only 5 percent feel strongly about it.

Almost 6 in 10 parents (59 percent) indicate they want their children to experience pain and disappointment so they can learn from it, but about 3 in 4 parents (74 percent) say they try to keep their own pain hidden from their children. More than 1 in 3 parents (34 percent) say they worry when they think about their children ‘leaving the nest.’ A full 15 percent say the prospect of their children growing up and leaving home is simply too painful to think about.

Only 14 percent of all parents say they feel they are very familiar with what the Bible has to say about parenting, even though 77 percent identify themselves as Christians. Among those who attend religious services weekly, that number rises to 36 percent.

“One of parents’ ultimate responsibilities is to prepare their children for adulthood,” McConnell said. “This study may hint at why many young adults are spiritually underdeveloped – their parents have given little focus to matters of faith.”

ONE STEP FORWARD....TWO STEPS BACKWARDS

2010-01-27T10:24:00.004-06:00

Yesterday my 3 year old grandson pooped in his potty chair for the first time. It was a day of rejoicing for the entire family. However, it was short-lived. Today he decided to go back to the old way of doing things -- soiling his pull-ups.
This potty training saga has been a slow roller coater ride for about 6 months now. It seems the best time to catch him is when he first wakes up.
I hand him his juice,sit him on the potty, and he usually proceeds to go pee pee in the potty.
However, the rest of the day he insists on wearing his pull-ups. I know I should get on the ball and insist he sit on the potty every half an hour or so, but I have found out it is better for him to set his own speed, than for me to insist that he sit on his potty on a schedule he is not ready for.
So, while yesterday was a day of rejoicing, today we are just gliding along like before. To my dismay, I always thought a boy could be potty trained in a day or two. Just put a pair of big boy undies on him and he will automatically know they are not diapers and sit himself on the potty.
I decided not to get upset...after-all everyone eventually gets potty trained, right? An extra month or two longer isn't going to matter.
I should be thankful we are not in the 70's when we only had cloth diapers.
Now those were something to complain about!

HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS FOR FREE OR CHEAP

2010-01-23T12:12:00.003-06:00

Play soccer.
Paint or draw together.
Create a fort in your living room out of blankets or cardboard boxes.
Go on a hike.
Have a sunset picnic at a park or beach.
Play board games.
Play kickball.
Get up early, pack breakfast, and have a sunrise breakfast.
Go to a museum.
Go to a playground.
Play hide-and-seek.
Have a pillow fight.
Ride bikes.
Build sandcastles.
Rent a dvd and make popcorn.
Tell stories.
Have a scavenger hunt.
Make mazes or puzzles for each other to solve.
Play card games.
Garden together.
Bake cookies (let the kids help).
Go to the zoo.
Go to the library.
Shop at a thrift shop.
Create a blog together.
Create a scrapbook.
Make a movie using a camcorder and computer.
Learn to play music.
Fingerpaint.
Make play dough from scratch.
Make homemade mini pizzas.
Buy popsicles.
Make hand-painted T-shirts.
Set up a hammock, make lemonade, relax.
Go to a pool.
Go to a public place, people watch, and make up imaginary stories about people.
Visit family.
Write letters to family.
Paint or decorate the kids’ room.
Make milkshakes.
Play freeze tag.
Create a treasure hunt for them (leaving clues around the house or yard).
Decorate a pair of jeans.
Do a science experiment.
Play games online.
Teach them to play chess.
Learn magic tricks.
Create a family book, with information and pictures about each family member.
Fly kites.
Go snorkeling.
Barbecue.
Volunteer.
Donate stuff to charity.
Compete in a three-legged or other race.
Create an obstacle course.
Pitch a tent and sleep outside with marshmallows.
Roast marshmallows.
Play loud music and dance crazy.
Write and produce a play (to perform before other family members).
Paint each other’s faces.
Have a water balloon fight.
Have a gun-fight with those foam dart guns.
Explore your yard and look for insects.
Go for a walk and explore the neighborhood.
Go jogging.
Take pictures of nature.
Play a trivia game.
Make up trivia questions about each other.
Make hot cocoa.
Play house.
Decorate the house with decorations you make.
Make popsicles.
Play school.
Do shadow puppets.
Make a comic book.
Play in the rain.
Make mud pies.
Blow bubbles.
Take turns saying tongue twisters.
Sing songs.
Tell ghost stories in the dark with a flashlight.
Build stuff with Legos.
Give them a bubble bath.
Play with squirt guns.
Play video games together.
Play wiffleball.
Play nerf football.
Build a rocket from a kit.
Bake a cake and decorate it.
Play dress-up.
Thumb-wrestle, play mercy, or have a tickle fight.
Make a gingerbread house, or decorate gingerbread men.
Learn and tell each other jokes.
Play basketball.
Learn to juggle.
Walk barefoot in the grass and pick flowers.
Build paper airplanes and have a flying contest.

Feel free to add to this list if you know of any more.

THE GREATEST GIFT

2010-01-22T15:02:00.003-06:00

Now that Christmas is over for another year and all the decorations have been put away and the presents unwrapped, I found this poem while searching the internet. The greatest gift, afterall, was the gift God gave us of His only Son. There is no gift greater than Jesus suffering and dying for the human race to save us from our sins and take us to Heaven. Enjoy The Greatest Gift - by Michael J. Hatcher, Jr.

The Greatest Gift

Into this world Jesus came
Both man and God, one in the same
He came to earth so He could save
All of us sinners who couldn't behave
But He had to be strong and He had to be brave
Cause they whipped and beat Him worse than a slave
Then on the cross, His life he gave
But on the third day, He rose from the grave
He went to Heaven where he lives today
And if you believe these words I say
Then get on your knees and start to pray
Let Him in your heart to show you the way
If you confess your sin and start to believe
Then His free Gift of Life you shall receive
And then He will send His Spirit to you
To comfort your pain and guide you through
All the trials and troubles that come each day
Cause in your heart, forever he will stay
And when your life comes to it's end
Straight to Heaven your soul will ascend.

I TOUCHED HIM

2010-01-21T19:22:00.008-06:00

I forget now what it was about, I just know I was having a bad day from the start and the constant repetition of the word "no" out of my grandchild's mouth was really wearing on me. All I wanted was to sit and watch 30 minutes of the news without being interrupted with "turn on the cartoons grandma" It is spoiling them when you constantly give in to their every wants, isn't it?

I stated sternly, "I am the adult, and you are the child, you have to listen to me" "Don't push your brother and please come over here and get dressed." With this he laughed and ran past me faster than Lightning McQueen. Finally I caught him, kneeled down next to him, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Cut it out! You are going to listen to me." With this his little face crinkled up and tears began to roll. I threw an arm around him and hugged him tightly. We snuggled up against each other. Fights and tears were forgotten for the moment as we communicated with each other by touch.

I often forget the power of a hug. It is so easy to burst out in anger without giving it a second thought, but somehow it always seems to take more effort to develop a special closeness with a hug or a gentle touch. Thank heavens children are quick to forgive and forget(unlike adults).

Dear God, Help me to reach out to my grandchildren. Remind me that I have to show them I love them, not just tell them. Even after I discipline them, I need to reassure them that I always love them, unconditionally, just as our Heavenly Father loves all of His children.

LOOKING BACK AT 2009

2010-01-16T22:15:00.006-06:00

In 2009 I found out I that I have type 2 diabetes.

Discovered that Carnation Good Start is the best infant formula around.

I could actually wake up at 5:30 a.m. and survive the whole day.

2 year olds can lock themselvies into the car and can be persuaded to unlock the door again with the promise of candy.

babys and toddlers both love gerber baby food. Toddlers are not in any hurry to grow up.

jumping in a puddle of water can be more fun than watching a movie.

Found out that brotherly love means that if you sometimes push over or shove your brother, he still is good to have around when there is no-one-else to play with.

I can worry less and have more fun!

The little child in us never goes away, it just lays dormant for a while!

A wonderful world awaits you when you relate to little people. The love they give back is far better than gold.

When you can't find a chld's favorite stuffed animal before bedtime, it's an emergency.

That spending time alone in the bathroom will only happen at night when I am home.

I have learned to get my priorities straight. I will not let the laundry and dirty dishes get ahead of my grandchildrens' needs when I am with them. If I do, the time I might have spent playing with them is gone. The closeness we might have shared, the bonds between us we might have strenghened have been sacrificed.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY LEAST FAVORITE THINGS

2010-01-16T18:50:00.002-06:00

1.diabetes
2.old people who can't tolerate little children
3.heights
4.deep water
5.changing diapers
6.getting old
7.cold weather
8.driving in snow
9.waiting in line
10.rude people
11.bad coffee
12.repeating myself again and again
13.people who don't understand politics
14.rap music
15.migraines
16.cellulite
17.wrinkles
18.people skipping in line
19.shelfish people
20.people who complain all the time
21.cleaning
22.ironing
23.bugs and insects
24.arthritis
25.alzheimers
26.cancer
27.potty training

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2010-01-15T11:27:00.009-06:00

(1)Seeing my grandchildren at least 4 days out of the week.
(2)Relaxing on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
(3)Having family and friends over for dinner on the weekends.
(4)Having all 3 of my children(including spouses) and grandchildren in the same place at the same time.
(5)Having a great husband, father, and grandfather.
(6)Baking--trying new recipes.
(7)Going to Bible class on Sundays to learn about Jesus and his Word.
(8)Taking long, hot baths to relax.
(9)Going to Florida for vacation followed up by a cruise.
(10)Avon Products
(11)Taking my grandkids to different places and watching their faces light up when they are happy.
(12)Spending some alone time in our gazebo.
(11)My cat, Trudy
(12)Sitting in the hot tub(when its running) :(
(14)Going out to eat with my hubby.
(15)Having a close relationship with my children.
(16)Getting a new car :)
(17)Getting together with our friends.
(18)Attending German events and dances.
(19)Elvis Presley
(20)Sirius Radio always set on XM18 Elvis Presley Station
(21)Dancing the waltz
(22)You Tube
(23)Shopping
(24)Goulash and schnitzel
(24)cross stitch, knitting, sewing(no time for these anymore)
(25)Watching the progression of my grandchildren from babies to toddlers
(26)Dressing up nice and wearing makeup
(27)Natural Instincts Hair Color #24
(28)Avon Anew line and wrinkle corrector and Thermafirm firming lotion
(29)Remodeling my house
(30)The Bible
(31)Traveling
(32)Having people say they enjoy reading my blog
(33)Posting on my blog
(34)Finding new friends on facebook
(35)Chating with friends on facebook
(36)coffee with dessert
(37)Ice Cream
(38)My favorite day of the year...Christmas Day!

DON'T CALL ME GRANDMA

2010-01-13T20:41:00.001-06:00

WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, IT'S THE BABY BOOMERS THAT DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED "GRANDMA"
THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME ONE BIT

Just Don’t Call Me “Grandma”
By LISA BELKIN

Illustration by Barry Falls

Grandparents“Can I call him ‘Grandpa?’”

That’s what my young niece asked my sister when our mom introduced her new love recently, a few years after my father died.

What to call a grandparent, though, is a question usually tackled before the grandchild is old enough to ask it herself. My parents were Grandma Janet and Grandpa Mike to my children. My mother-in-law started out as Grandma Noemi, but an elementary school science class inspired one of the kids to shorten that to G-Nome (yep, like DNA) and my father-in-law decided from the start to be Saba, the Hebrew word for grandfather.

In the Boston Globe this weekend, writer Linda Matchan describes how for today’s new grandparents — the Boomer generation that is loath to admit to aging — the question of what to be called is more loaded than for earlier waves. “Sure, they want to be grandparents,” she writes. “Just don’t call them that.”

Instead, you could choose a suggestion from “The New Grandparents Name Book”: “Bubbles,” perhaps, or “GoGo” or “Napa” or “Pebbles.”

Or you could default to the adorable way a first grandchild mangles Grandma: that’s how friends of ours landed on “Mia.”

If you do take an alternate name, you won’t be alone. Matchan reports that a preschool in Newton, Mass., asked 40 students what they call their grandmothers, and only five answered with the traditional “Grandma,” “Gram,” or “Granny.” Among the other answers: “MorMor” (Swedish), “Bubbe” (Yiddish), “Momo” and “Granmuck.”

Not wanting to feel old is only one reason why Boomers are getting creative with their new titles, Matchan explains. There is also the desire of this generation to have a closer, “hipper” relationship with their grandchildren, and they want a name that reflects that change. In addition, as divorce and remarriage and increasing longevity become more common, a child is more likely to have many, many grandparents (and great-grandparents.)

HURTFUL THINGS WE SHOULD NEVER SAY TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN

2010-01-13T12:55:00.011-06:00

1. I NEVER WANTED TO BE A GRANDPARENT. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO OLD!
Out of frustration we say things we don't really mean. Once it's out, we can't take it back again. BITE YOUR TONGUE INSTEAD!! Sometimes it's not easy being around young children again. After all, its been many years since you had to raise children. Some grandparents resent their new roles. If you know you are one of these people, it is better not to be around your grandkids than to bombard them with negative comments. This comment only makes them feel unwanted. Everyone wants to feel wanted and accepted. Look at yourself and find out why you are this way. Don't take it out on the innocent children.

2. YOU ARE SO CLUMSY, CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT?
Accidents will happen. Don't take things so seriously. Life is about a series of events that happen. Some are good, some are bad...but all are learning experiences.
Hopefully as we age, we learn what is important in life, and it certainly is not how much money we have, or what kind of house we live in. It is about treating people with love and respect, and for grandparents, helping raise your grandkids with good morals and values.

So if you grandchild breaks your favorite vase or spills grape juice on your new carpet remember it was an accident and move on. Be more worried about if they run out into the street or if they bully a friend. Think about what you are going to say before you say it.

3. HERE LET ME DO IT, YOU ARE DOING IT ALL WRONG.
I have been guilty of this one. When we are in a hurry we tend to say this to kids. Adults need to be more PATIENT. How are children supposed to learn if we don't give them the time and the tools to learn? How do we expect them to gain self-confidence if we are constently belittling them? Offer praise even if things are done wrong. It will give them the confidence to keep trying.

4. IF I DIE TOMORROW, IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT!!
This one really makes me angry!!! How can any sane adult put this burden on a child???
A person who says this has to have some serious mental issues and needs to find help.
A lot of times people who say things like that have issues from their own childhood that need to be resolved. These people need our prayers.

5. IF YOU DON'T BEHAVE, I'M GOING TO SELL YOU!
Again, this is a terrible thing to say to a child. You may think it is only in jest, but children don't know much about joking around. They take everything literally.
It can give them nightmares and seriously scar them for life. Physical abuse usually goes away. Verbal abuse stays in your mind forever!!

6. EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO IT, IT'S SO SIMPLY, HOW CAN YOU GET IT WRONG?
Every chld is an individual soul made by God for a specific purpose. Some learn at a slower pace then others. Each child(like each adult) has their special talent. It is your job as caregiver to help them find and develop these talents. Just because it is not what you may choose for them, it does not make it wrong.

7. LOOK AT YOU...WHO WOULD WANT TO MARRY YOU?
Although my parents and grandparents never said this to me, I still felt ugly at times. I have always had trouble with my weight, but soon figured out that this is the way God meant me to be. Physical appearance is not important, it is really what's inside that counts. This is another comment that is degrading and superficial. Will make children feel that whatever they do they will never be good enough.

8. LOOK AT THE KIDS OVER THERE, WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE THEM?
Again, comparing a child to some other child(especially a sibling) is never a good idea. God has made us all different and unique. Try to encourage the talents and qualities that each child has. Give them a lot of praise for there accomplishments.
Remember, the more children hear negative things about them, the more they believe them and will start saying things like, "I REALLY AM STUPID." This pattern of self-criticism follows them into adult-hood. Also verbal aggression can lead to physical agression towards others.

PLEASE BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WHEN YOU TALK TO CHILDREN!!!!!! REMBEMBER THE OLD SAYING, "A LITTLE SUGAR GOES FARTHER THAN ANY AMOUNT OF VINEGAR"

I AM SURE THERE ARE A LOT MORE HURTFUL PHRASES. IF YOU KNOW OF ANY, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. THANK YOU

KEEP KIDS SAFE-PREVENT DROWNING

2010-01-10T15:15:00.005-06:00

This article was in our local newspaper in July of 2009. My daughter/son-in-law and grandkids live only about 3 miles from where this happened. If this happened to these grandparents, it could happen to anyone of us. Since I am watching my grandkids 4 days a week at my daughter's house, this really hit home for me.....
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CHILD DROWNS IN FAMILY'S POOL

By Charles Benson
Story Created: Jul 28, 2009

Story Updated: Jul 29, 2009

FRANKLIN - Three-year-old Gavin Eckert from Muskego was found under water in an above ground pool at his grandparent's home in Franklin.

The tragedy happened Tuesday afternoon in the 2900 block of W. Minnesota Ave.

The grandfather, Robert Prusinski, found the boy under water and began CPR on Gavin. A Flight for Life helicopter was called in but there was nothing paramedics and rescue crews could do to save the boy's life.

"It just makes me sick," said Neighbor Annie Ogren.

Neighbors arriving home were stunned. Ogren holds on to her 10-month-son Grayson as she tries to imagine what the grandparents of the 3-year-old are going through.

"My heart goes out to these people," said Ogren.

Police say the grandparents went looking for Gavin when they noticed he was missing after lunch. Somehow he was able to climb up the stairs to the pool deck and around a gate to get into the four foot deep pool.

"It's absolutely heart breaking," said neighbor Rose Roderick. "I was crying watching you actually with the story."

Neighbor Rose Roderick has 6-year-old twin daughters. She says news of the drowning re-enforces why she tells her girls they cannot go in a pool without an adult.

"It really brings to mind how you need to keep an eye on your children," said Roderick "especially where pools are concerned."

A neighbor say the pool was put in about a week ago.

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AFTER I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I WAS TOTALLY PARANOID ABOUT MY GRANDKIDS BEING AROUND ANY KIND OF OUTDOOR POOL THAT WAS NOT SUPERVISED BY AN ADULT. THE NEIGHBORS RIGHT NEXT DOOR HAVE AN ABOVE GROUND POOL, BUT THEY PROMISED TO REMOVE THE LADDER EVERYTIME IT WAS NOT IN USE. SO FAR THEY HAVE KEPT THAT PROMISE.

THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL INJURY-RELATED DEATHS TO CHILDREN UNDER 14 IS DROWNING!!!! IT HAPPENS IN BATHTUBS AND POOLS, BUCKETS AND TOILETS. IT HAPPENS IN SECONDS THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED IN SLOW MOTION FOREVER.

BUT I LEFT FOR ONLY A SECOND-------babies can drown in an inch of water and a few moments as, sadly to say, the grandparents in the above story found out! When a small child finds his face submerged in water, instead of holding his breath, he'll breathe in deeply trying to get air, but instead is pulling water directly into his lungs. Because babies heads are so much heavier in relation to the rest of their bodies, they can't lift themselves up out of a bucket or toilet.

DO NOT LEAVE STANDING WATER AROUND THE HOUSE-----Empty buckets immediately....a baby can drown in an inch of water left behind after cleaning. Make a habit of ALWAYS closing the toilet lid(my 1 year old grandson is always in that toilet water when the lid is open)and the bathroom door.

Many drownings and near-drownings occur when a child is momentarily left alone in the bathtub. Never leave a baby or toddler alone in a bathtub, even for a second. Even a 2 or 3 year old should not be left alone to bathe. If he slips under water, he needs to be pulled up fast.

A CHILD IN A BATHTUB TAKES PRIORITY OVER A RINGING TELEPHONE OR DOORBELL. IF YOU MUST ANSWER THE PHONE, WRAP THE CHILD IN A TOWEL AND TAKE HIM WITH YOU. AND ANY OLDER
CHILDREN MUST BE REMINDED TO DRAIN THE WATER OUT OF THE BATHTUB RIGHT AFTER BATHING.

NO CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 10 SHOULD EVER BE LEFT ALONE NEAR A POOL, AND NO CHILD(OR ADULT FOR THAT MATTER) SHOULD EVER SWIM ALONE!!!!!!

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MOST COMMON CULPRITS FOR CHOKING IN CHILDREN

2010-01-08T11:12:00.007-06:00

Probably one of the scariest moments of my life was when my 5 year old son almost choked on a hard candy. We were walking to the grocery store. My 12 year old daughter was with us. I told my daughter to run to a nearby coffee shop and get some hot chocolate. That's all I could think of doing at the time. I am happy to say that giving him that hot chocolate must have helped to dissolve the candy to the point where he was able to swallow it. Of course, I did a lot of praying during those moments and my prayer was answered. Don't let this happen to you. Take a CPR class and know the Heimlich maneuver!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are the grandparent of a toddler, you should know this. The American Red Cross
says that the most common culprits for choking in children under 4 years include:

*POPCORN
*GRAPES
*NUTS(ESPECIALLY PEANUTS)
*HARD CANDIES
*RAW VEGETABLES(LIKE CARROTS, SLICED INTO CIRCLES)
*DEFLATED BALLOON PIECES
*SMALL ITEMS(LIKE COINS, PINS, BUTTONS)
*SMALL TOYS AND REMOVABLE OR LOOSE TOY PARTS
*SMALL CIRCULAR PIECES OF HOT DOGS

Until children reach the age of about 4 or 5 they haven't mastered the art of chewing and grinding that is necessary to eat small, hard, smooth foods.

Other foods and object hazards include raw celery, raw cherries with pits, spoonfuls of peanut butter, raisins, crayon pieces, marbles, jewelry, small batteries, eggshells, pop tops from beverages.

A GIANT STEP FOR MANKIND

2010-01-03T20:03:00.004-06:00

"I didn't think he'd ever let go of the edge of the coffee table to try a step alone. Week after week he worked his way carefully from table to couch to wall and back again. His chubby legs seemed just a trifle unsteady and he tested the floor with his toe each time before he'd commit himsself to putting his foot down, but still he seemed strong and ready to walk.

How many times did I watch him as he looked wishfully across an empty space and considered trying to cover the distance in an upright position, only to decide at the last minute not to chance it? He'd plop down on hands and knees and creep to his destination, a more familiar and trusted form of locomotion. I'd release the breath I'd been holding and hope...maybe next time.

But today the urge to try overcame his inhibitions. He pushed himself away from the table and stood there, swaying back and forth for a moment. Then, one step, another, and plop down on this behind. That first step seemed every bit as important to me as the astronauts" first walk on the moon. Both were truly giant steps for mankind!"

WHAT MAKES YOUR GRANDCHILD HAPPY?

2010-01-02T10:53:00.004-06:00

Here's a cliche that has become worn out...."It's not the quantity, it's the quality"
The new generation of parents use this to not feel guilty about not being able to spend more time with their children.

I am sure a lot of grown-up kids will say that the thing that bothered them the most growing up is that their parents never had enough time for them. So that old cliche has been debunked. It takes time to build a lasting relationship. Just from my own experience, I felt closer to my grandma than my mom because my grandma always had time for me.

One thing I do know is that it is not toys that make grandkids happy. After the mad rush to open all their Christmas presents(which were mostly toys), my grandkids now throw them around as if they were garbage. The initial enthusiasm has now been replaced by contempt for these trivial objects. I must admit I do feel contempt for toys at times because I have to pick them up off the floor. The magic of a new toy is short-lived. My 3 year old grandson has one particular toy which he loves the most. It probably only cost around $5.00 to purchase, but it has given him hours of joy. That being a little plastic train with a string on it. He pulls it around the house constantly. He uses his imagination to make up stories about the train, which he calls his "Polar Express." I also think this little train helps him to calm himself down after a stressful episode.

Children crave interaction with the adults who care for them. Some people may call that "spoiling" but I think spoiling is about over-indulging them with things and activities they don't need or want.

My question, "how can it be quality time, if you are constantly looking at the clock to see when this quality time is over?"..... Or when you are spending time with your child or grandchild while your mind is really on other things you should be doing. Children, even toddlers, can sense this.

Have fun, laugh, do silly things, ask their opinions, listen to them, discipline with love. You may think that all this is a waste of your time, but down the road, both you and your grandchild will have happy memories and a closeness that other people will be jealous of!!

HOW DID WE SURVIVE CHILDHOOD?

2009-12-31T12:21:00.005-06:00

Did you know that school nurses can now pass out CONDOMS? Boy have times changed. It used to be that school nurses passed out aspirin.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned
HOW TODEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS AS SEEN BY CHILDREN (VIDEO)

2009-12-27T21:26:00.004-06:00

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions For Children
The top 10 New Year's Resolutions as seen through children.
Read More

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR ADULTS

2009-12-27T20:16:00.005-06:00

As we quickly approach 2010, many people start making New Years resolutions. Here are the 10 most popular.....

1.SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY

2.FIT FITNESS INTO YOUR LIFE

3.TAME THE BULGE

4.QUIT SMOKING

5.ENJOY LIFE MORE

6.QUIT DRINKING

7.GET OUT OF DEBT

8.LEARN SOMETHING NEW

9.HELP OTHERS

10.GET ORGANIZED

MEMORIES OF MY GRANDMOTHER

2009-12-23T12:32:00.007-06:00

Looking back at my own life growning up, I was always closer to my grandmother than to my mother. I want to be truthful here...I loved my mother, however, she always seemed so busy doing other things that she never had much time for me. My grandmother was always there...cooking, baking, cleaning. I would follow her around for hours and she would tell me stories. She would sit on the edge of her bed braiding her long hair, and she would listen to me and I would listen to her. She never had a lot of money, but she always made sure I had a special gift on all important occasions...my birthday, valentines day, Easter, St. Nicholas Day(Jan. 6th), and Christmas. Sometimes it was just a chocolate bunny, or chocolate santa. At Easter she would bake little loaves of Easter bunnies and always made my favorite foods when I asked her to.

Although she faced many hardships during her life(like WW II) and a nasty divorce which included abuse by her husband, she never let those things affect the way she loved me. When I was married, she would come over and babysit my children and plant flowers and vegetables in my garden. She would spoil my children. They could never do anything wrong in her eyes.

As she grew older, she ended up in a nursing home. I would visit as often as I could. I knew it was now my time to repay her for the many blessings she showered on me. Whatever I did for her, it never seemed enough to repay her. Sometimes now I regret my dad placing her in a nursing home. She wasn't sick, she was just old. At the time I was raising my own family, and felt I could not handle any more. However, I would pick her up from the home and take her places like the zoo, botanical gardens, church, my house, and other events around town. I know that she appreciated that. I still have beautiful dreams about my grandmother, and although I miss her, I know when my turn comes I will join her and we again can have long conversations and sing together praises to our Lord.

So if you have a grandmother, or great grandmother appreciate her... for someday when you least expect it she will be gone, but not forgotten.

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TOYS THAT FOSTER IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN

2009-12-21T15:29:00.006-06:00

GIFT GIVING IDEAS FOR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS....

Children's gifts lack the imaginative quality that they need> Indeed the toys of
today light up play music and do everything but walk. But what are they teaching our children? Child obesity is growing at a rapid rate. They are no frolicking on the playground like those of us over 40. Instead they are glued to their computers and T.V We need to give gifts that encourage a child’s creativity and growth. Here are a list of great toys that foster creativity and imagination in children....

Blocks
children need blocks. I prefer plain, unpainted wooden blocks in a variety of sizes and shapes. There are certainly benefits to blocks in terms of motor skill development. A young child will get great joy from simply stacking a few blocks - and then knocking them down. While it has been my experience that most boys never get tired of the 'knocking down' part of block play, their abilities in stacking and constructing get more and more complex. This is where creative development begins to blossom. With a bucket of blocks, a child has a world of possibilities with what they can do. A child can build a doll house, skyscraper, or parking garage. Blocks can become roads or fences. It's not a far stretch to role-play the part of an architect or construction worker when there are blocks available. Blocks can easily be integrated into other types of play, as well. They are great for individual play, and also group play. Of all toys that should be made available to children, blocks are number one on my list.

Art Supplies.
This one is almost a no-brainer. Do you want a creative child? Give them the tools to develop their artistic abilities! Even a one year old can scribble with crayons - and these beginning scribbles are just as important to their development as anything else. When your child becomes old enough to scribble, tear paper, or smoosh play dough, you need to start allowing daily access to art supplies. What should you have on hand? Crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolors, tempera paint, paper, coloring books, play dough (homemade or store bought), scissors (with supervision), glue, glitter, and anything else you can think of! Of course your child won't need (or use) all of these items at once, so don't worry about slowing accumulating your collection of supplies.

Books.
Books are important for so many reasons in childhood. Besides boosting language skills and creating regular parent-child bonding time, they have the ability to take
children anywhere - with their imaginations. Don't just readto your child though; make story time an interactive experience. Ask questions that stimulate their minds; ask them what might be happening 'behind the scenes' - what another character might be thinking or feeling, what the weather might feel like, and so forth. Have them guess what's coming up next - or even come up with alternative endings to favorite tales. Encourage them to illustrate their favorite stories. Have them write their own stories - or dictate one to you!

Dress-up Items.
If you have a boy, you may not think this one applies to you. WRONG. While they may turn their noses at princess dresses and butterfly wings, most boys will gladly don a superhero cape, wizards hat, or fire-fighter's jacket. One of the best times of year to stock up your dress-up supply is the first part of November when stores are clearing out their Halloween costumes. Don't want to wait that long? Visit thrift stores to find fun and funky treasures - from jewelry to hats, dresses to dress coats. Buy fabric in various lengths, or purchase scarves. Children can make their own creations, or - with a few simple stitches - you can sew some basic items for a dress-up box. Role-playing is very important in the creative development of children; letting them create their own scenarios and 'star' in them (complete with costume!) is very rewarding and lets the imagination soar.

Musical Instruments.
Music should be a part of every child's life. It's not hard to find CDs full of child-and-parent friendly songs (Laurie Berkner is a favorite over here), but do most than listen to music - CREATE IT, too! If drums and whistles aren't your cup of tea, consider some soft maracas, sandpaper blocks, or a pleasant sounding xylophone. Play along to favorite tunes, or strike up a band! Make music with your children and have fun with it! As they get older, please consider providing them with formal music lessons; from piano to guitar, research has consistently shown that music leads to increased creativity and often better academic performance.

Enjoy your children/grandchildren as they grow; engage in creative opportunities alongside them - don't be an on-the-side spectator. The rewards will be great for both of you.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS PAST AND PRESENT

2009-12-19T10:32:00.007-06:00

Christmas is almost here! I was just reminising about Christmas past. My husband's parents always put up the tree and put the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve.
My mother-in-law would take the kids for a long car ride looking at decorations while my father-in-law did all the work. This is more of a German/Austrian tradition. To some people it might seem like why put the tree up for just one day? To them it was for the excitement of the children seeing the tree and the presents for the very first time.

Back then, they used real candles not electric lights, so of course someone had to be home so the house wouldn't burn down!! Another German tradition is putting brightly colored, wrapped candy on the tree. I also remember my mom putting walnuts in their shells on the tree. People could not afford, or probably not even find ornaments like we have today. Both sides of our family lived in poor farm towns, with many having dirt roads and no transportation besides horse and buggy. Another German tradition is the pickle ornament. The first child to find the pickle would be the first to open a present. Oh what fun!!!!!!!! My parents would also say that if they received an orange or a banana for Christmas there was such excitement in the house. Bananas and oranges had to be imported, because in Hungary the climate was not condusive to these fruits. Boy, how things have changed, hey?

In Germany, the celebration of the birth of the Lord was done mostly on Christmas Eve. First we would have a festive dinner, go to church, and when we came home Santa(St. Nicholas) would have been there already.

This tradition held true for our family also. We always celebrated both days by going to Church, a festive meal, presents, and fellowship with the whole family.
My Christmas Eve dinners pretty much consisted of Kelbasa, ham, lasagna, and, of course, tons of cookies. Lately, I have found that as the family changes I had to change also. Since I don't have the time, I don't make tons of cookies anymore. I just make the most popular ones to give as gifts, and make one or two additional desserts.

Rum balls with 120 or 160 proof rum are always popular. Another German favorite I make is apple strudel...also walnut strudel and poppy seed strudel. As I love to bake and don't need the extra calories, I usually bake something for our coffee hour at church. Tomorrow I will bring along a black forest cherry cake for coffee hour. Another tradition for years now has been my spiced tea which everyone seems to enjoy. It is very comforting on a cold winter night. I posted the recipe here on my blog.

As we now have grandchildren, the circle has been completed. Now my children have to make their own traditions to pass dowm to their children. That's the way it's supposed to be. I am blessed to be able to be the caregiver for my two grandsons four days a week.... So I am with them probably more than most grandparents. It is very rewarding and challenging at the same time. Knowing the right way to discipline is the hardest. You know us grandmas like to spoil. Yesterday was my grandson's third birthday. Time flys so quickly, doesn't it? They add so much joy and fulfillment to my life that it is hard to put into words sometimes.

I am looking forward to seeing the delight in their little faces as they open their presents. Giving gifts is part of Christmas, but I am also telling them about the real meaning of Christmas...the birth of Jesus! At one and three I don't know how much their little minds can grasp, so I make it simple. Just that Jesus was born on Christmas. That he loves them very much. He lives up in and Heaven and someday we will live there with Him. Oh, and that Jesus doesn't like it when they are naughty and that He is watching them.

May each and every one of us have a Christ centered Christmas. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year! God Bless!

CHRISTMAS SPICED TEA RECIPE

2009-12-18T14:17:00.002-06:00

This has been a Christmas tradition of ours for years. Everyone always loves this spiced tea and all look forward to it on Christmas day. I usually double it for a bigger crowd. It is very comforting. Enjoy!

HOT SPICED ORANGE TEA

1 quart boiling water
¼ cup of sugar
10 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, each 2 inches long

4 tea bags
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 slice fresh lemon

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Mix well and bring to boiling point. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Strain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Place over low heat to keep warm. (Do not boil.) Remove and discard orange rind. Serve in cups, using cinnamon sticks as muddlers, if desired.

ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

2009-12-13T09:09:00.003-06:00

Now Christmas Day is coming soon.
It comes around each year.
The air turns cold;
We might have snow!
Then Christmas carols we hear.

It is, Oh, such a busy time!
Mom makes the house all clean.
Dad hangs the lights.
We wrap the gifts
And drape the evergreen.

We help our mom bake cookies
And pies and cakes and bread.
We stir the pot;
We taste the fudge;
Wrap treats with green and red.

We take these sweets to neighbors dear
Who might have less than we.
We play their games
And sing some carols,
Then decorate their tree.

On Christmas Eve, we read again
How Jesus came to earth.
He came a babe,
Born of a maid;
In a stable she gave birth.

Out in the fields the shepherds slept
But woke up in great fear!
An angel choir
Told of the babe,
And then the skies were clear.

The shepherds ran to Bethlehem
To see the baby born.
Behind an inn, In straw he lay
On this first Christmas morn.

The Wise Men from the East set out.
They rode their camels far
Across the sand.
To find a king; They followed
one huge star.

These men brought gifts of gold and myrrh
And frankincense so rare.
They bent their heads;
They worshiped Jesus there.

The story's over; it's time for bed.
But will we ever sleep?
We kiss our mom, We hug our dad;
Into our bunks we leap!

It's not yet dawn on Christmas morn
When we jump out of bed.
And there we see!
Under the tree!
Exactly what we wanted!

On Christmas morn we give our gifts,
Because God gave his Son.
For Christmas Day, It is the Day,
That Jesus Christ was born!

Written by Patricia A. Pingry

HOW DO PRESCHOOLERS COMMUNICATE?

2009-12-11T08:03:00.003-06:00

Between the ages of two and three, many preschoolers begin to use more complicated sentences. However, this does not mean that they understand all of an adult's words or abstract concepts. In fact, preschoolers are often very literal thinkers and interpret ideas concretely. Many are only beginning to think logically and understand sequences of events.

Preschoolers learn that they can use specific words to say what they mean. They have long known their parents' words have power over their lives and they are beginning to realise that their own words can make a difference as well. They create more powerful meanings using their growing vocabulary.

‘No’ and ‘why’ become common words for young preschoolers. Saying ‘no’ is a way a preschooler claims her space. Saying ‘why’ is a wish to understand the world around her. ‘Why’ is also a word preschoolers use to question authority. Underneath the question, they are saying, ‘Why do you have power over me when I want to feel autonomous?’

Preschoolers like to participate in decisions. This gives them a feeling of control and independence. A preschooler might think, ‘I can take a different position from my mother – and I like it’. Or, ‘By saying what I want, I am a big kid’.

Preschoolers love to imitate other people's words. They often mimic comments, phrases and sophisticated statements. At times they misuse or exaggerate phrases, particularly during pretend play. A preschooler might say to a doll, ‘You are so bad you are going to jail for 100 years!’

Preschoolers like to hear about and describe the same event over and over. By telling and listening to stories, preschoolers begin to form opinions about the world and how they fit into it. They say ‘Tell me again’, because hearing a story many times makes them feel safe and secure. When the story is repeated, it also allows them to imagine new scenarios.

Preschoolers like to make up their own explanations. This helps them make sense of things they are only beginning to understand. For example, a preschooler might explain rain by saying, ‘When it rains the sky is crying’. Preschoolers may also embellish stories with wishful thinking.

Between three and five, preschoolers refine their understanding of cause and effect. Older preschoolers can understand simple explanations of cause and effect such as, ‘The medicine will help you get well’ and ‘If you eat healthy food, you will grow big and strong’.

Preschoolers also talk through their bodies, their play and their art. In fact, verbal communication still may not be the dominant way many preschoolers either understand the world or express themselves.

ARE YOU FEELING LEFT OUT THIS YEAR?

2009-12-07T11:11:00.009-06:00

We all know that as our children grow older and get married, there are usually 2 sets of parents and grandparents. So during the holidays we have to share them with the parents/grandparents from the other side. If you have sons, they usually have to do what their wives tell them. Which, sometimes means the grandkids go visit the maternal grandmother more than the paternal. When I was married, I knew that my sister-in-law always had Christmas Day at her house. I wasn't about to argue, so I settled on Christmas Eve for our family get together. Now that my one son and only daughter are both married, there is always a juggling game over who goes where.

I feel that the holidays should be a a happy time and not a time of conflict, so we usually can all figure it out so that everyone is happy. We alternate...one year Christmas Eve by our house and the other side gets Christmas Day. This has worked out well so far.

There, however, was a little conflict over the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. For 12 years now, my oldest son and his wife drove about 50 miles to be with her parents, and would come later that day by us. Well by the time they made it to our house, they were tired and not hungry. Last year they did not show up at all. So this year, I totally changed the routine. I told them they needed to come to our house first, which meant eating at 1:00 p.m. instead of 4:00 p.m. To my surprise, they said that was fine. Next year I will try inviting my daughter-in-laws family(which is small) to our house too. I think that probably is the best solution and no one gets hurt.

I can't even begin to imagine the juggling that goes on when parents are divorced and there are step-parents involved. I guess I should be happy for what I have.

My yet single son thinks he found the solution....He was going to charter an airplane to come and pick everyone up and fly them to his mansion and back home again. Wishful thinking on his part, but that would be a good solution.

Next comes Easter....let's not jump the gun. I'm sure we will work something out! (HOPEFULLY)

DO YOU CELEBRATE ST. NICK'S?

2009-12-04T22:10:00.003-06:00

Here in MILWAUKEE, it has been a tradition for many generations. Since I was born in Germany, when I was young, I always put shoes out on St. Nick's Eve (Dec. 5th) and in the morning the shoes were filled with candy. Luckily, they were never filled with coal, even though I wasn't always that
"NICE".
************************************************************************

Article which follows is by Sandy Maxx of ONMILWAUKEE.COM
Published Dec. 5, 2006

When you wake up on the morning of Dec. 6, will there be a stocking full of candy and maybe even a piece of fruit in it waiting for you? Or maybe some small gifts?

If you answered yes, you're one of most Milwaukeeans who participate a tradition known as St. Nick's Day.

Do you celebrate this holiday?

For some who have moved to Milwaukee from other cities, this is a new phenomenon. And if you just can't wait for Christmas -- this could be a nice little tradition to adopt to help tide you over for the next two and half weeks of anticipation.

A few years ago, I was one of the uninitiated. I found a couple of presents in the living room that I left untouched, figuring my boyfriend just wrapped some gifts early and I was supposed to wait until Dec. 25 to open them. The St. Nick's Day tradition was then explained to me. Growing up in Kentucky, even though my father's side of the family is mostly Polish Michiganders, I had never heard of it. Of course, once I got up-to-speed on the custom, I complied and turned into a little kid and gleefully ripped open the gifts of candy and CDs.

A quick introduction to the man of the day:

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of a long list of types of people including children, bakers, merchants, sailors, newlyweds, and shoe shiners. He lived in the 4th century and some of his greater feats during his colorful life include reviving murder victims and rescuing women from a life of prostitution. Saint Nicholas is the figure who evolved into the legend of Santa Claus and is known for his secret gift-giving.

If you trace several of the rituals celebrated in Europe around the birthday and benevolence of St. Nicholas, you can see how they've evolved to our Americanized and personal celebrations in modern Milwaukee. Since we have such a strong sense of heritage in our city, it follows that so many immigrants who originally populated this city brought those holiday traditions with them to continue.

In the Netherlands, children would anticipate the arrival of St. Nicholas on the night of December 5th by putting their shoes in front of the chimneys and singing a special song (any one up for a Christmas carol?) in the hopes of waking up to find chocolate or a small toy in their shoe. Like kids now leave milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, these children would put some hay or a carrot for St. Nicholas' horse as a nice gesture. Helpful for lobbying to make it on the 'Nice" list, right?

In Germany, children would leave a boot outside the front door on the night of December 5th in hopes of it being filled with gifts on Dec. 6 morning. The one boot or pair of shoes has become something else you wear on your foot, a stocking -- which is a glorified name for a big ol' sock, these days.

Another amusing part of the German legend is that this tour of footwear is when St. Nicholas would assess at this time whether the child had been naughty or nice.

Naughty? Then you'd wake up to a charcoal in your boot -- which has become referred to as a lump of coal in your stocking -- for being bad these days. A further part of the German legend is that children worried that St. Nicholas would be accompanied on his boot-filling check-up rounds by a character called Knecht Ruprecht who'd use goat legs to beat children deemed naughty -- or worse, eat the bad kids.

Milwaukee's St. Nick's Day is a lot less stressful. The simplicity and sweetness of St. Nick's are what I really like about the holiday.

Since the main treat on St. Nick's Day is candy, some people consider it similar to an Easter in the winter. Lots of 20-somethings and 30-somethings remember that along with that candy was often a small gift like baseball cards, a doll, or peppermint-flavored lip gloss. Today, St. Nick brings coffee store gift cards and bigger gift items. He tends to find a favorite DVD for me.

Others add in traditions of driving through the Candy Cane Lane neighborhood together or playing games at home.

It's been fun to find out people's favorite St. Nick's memories and customs here in town.

On of my co-workers at WMYX, Tony Lorino of Shorewood, remembers a St. Nick's Day that must have snuck up on his parents. That was the year that he received a glue-stick and a highlighter in his stocking. Seems St. Nick scavenged through an office desk at the last minute, but hey, at least he didn't forget one good little boy in Milwaukee and it made for a funny memory.

St. Nick's Day has been habit in Milwaukee for generations. There are parents and friends sending St. Nick's Day stockings and gifts to adults around the country to continue the happy feelings. One mom thinks St. Nick's is a good time of year to give the underwear and socks that aren't so fun to open at Christmas. If you don't have kids of your own, no problem. Many non-parents decide to continue the practice with nephews, nieces, and godchildren. I spoke with dog owners who make sure their pooches get the perks of St. Nick's Day treats, too.

Happy St. Nick's Day to you!

ADVENT SEASON DEVOTIONS FOR FAMILIES WITH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

2009-12-04T08:12:00.007-06:00

WHAT HAPPENED? "Let's go to Bethlehem" Luke 2:15

Encourage your grandchild to make the appropriate sounds....

When Jesus was born, a cow might have mooed.
When Jesus was born, a dove might have cooed.
When Jesus was born, a donkey might have brayed
When Jesus was born, a horse might have neighed
Now Jesus was born, and I can say:
"Jesus of Bethlehem, Happy Birthday."

Dear Jesus, I'm glad Christmas is coming" Amen
CRAFT..Your grandchild can make napkin rings to use for holiday meals. Cut off a 1 inch strip from an empty toilet paper roll. Your grandchild can decorate with Christmas stickers.

Many churches have a birthday party for Jesus during Advent. Children will get to decorate their very own birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday to Jesus"
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TICKLE MY BACK!! The water...was a symbol pointing to baptism 1 Peter 3:20-21

Instructions: For this activity, have your grandchild sit with his/her back facing you. Using your fingers trace different Christmas symbols on your grandchild's back. Can your grandchild guess what you're drawing?

Heart(reminds us Jesus loves us)
Candle(something we put on Jesus' birthday cake)
Star(what the Wise Men looked at in the sky)

Dear Jesus, I liked this tickly game. Thanks for the fun times, like Your birthday. Amen

As the busy days of December tick away, use this game again and with variations. Playing "tickle my back" will give you and your grandchild quality moments during this busy season...and a great excuse to sit down and rest!
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. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S Glory to God in the highest heaven...Luke 2:14
Encourage your grandchild to use his ten fingers for this fingerplay...

C is for Christmas, Jesus' birthday.
H is for happy, and that's for me
R is for robe, that kept Jesus warm
I is for innkeeper who lent a room free
S is for star, high in the sky
T is for three(wisemen), who rode through the night
M is for Mary, mother of the baby.
A is for angels, who looked so bright
S is for shephers who came right away
Y is for you! Happy Birthday Jesus.

Dear Jesus, I used my fingers, all of them, to tell Your birthday story again. Amen
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CHRISTMAS FUN!

Encourage your grandchild to act out this verse.

I would laugh if the shepherd's staff
were a Candy cane
I would bite a star cookie in the night
but the Magi's star was real.
I like to eat all kinds of Christmas treats
that remind me of Jesus.
But all the while, as I smile, I'm most happy
that Jesus was born.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the fun times of Christmas. Amen.

To the Adult: With the pressures of holiday activities, it's easy to lose sight of the true joy of Christmas. That's one thing that makes Christmas with a young child such fun: they laugh, smile, and really enjoy. What a privilege to share a first, second, or third Christmas with a child. As you experience the real joy of Christ's birth, may you have a most blessed Christmas.

LITTLE PEOPLE HAVE BIG EMOTIONS TOO!

2009-11-30T15:53:00.001-06:00

It's a tough job to be little and to maintain a sense of dignity when adults treat you like a cute object. If we can think of children as having emotions just as adults do, we might change our behavior toward them. My rule of thumb is, don't do do something to a child you wouldn't like done to yourself--like having a stranger walk up to you and tap you on the head, tweak your arm or cheek, say, "Isn't she cute" and then laugh when you cry or try to pull away, and say, "Oh, isn't she shy."

Most people don't laugh when a friend is afraid, upset, or crying, but people do it routinely with children. Imagine that your car got smashed up, you were feeling lousy, you broke down crying with frustration, and a friend started laughing. You would feel horrible. Children feel equally upset when a toy breaks, someone goes away, or they have been shamed. They need understanding, not adults thinking that little people's tears and frustrations are cute or something to laugh at.

Finding Joy by Charlotte Davis Kasl

GIVE THEM THE GIFT OF HAPPY MEMORIES

2009-11-30T08:49:00.001-06:00

The job of caregivers is to provide children with roots, then give them wings. A life-long blessing for children is to fill them with warm memories of times together. Happy memories become treasures in the heart to pull out on the tough days of adulthood. You can make lots of mistakes, but if you give children avenues for creativity and joy, they will have resources to carry them through. For example, if cooking together, reading, listening to music, coloring, participating in sports, or taking a walk in the woods are paired with pleasure and closeness, throughout life doing these things will kindle old feelings of happiness and/or comfort.

It's not so much that you teach children to do things right, but rather you help them associate pleassure with doing something. Set a good example and they will learn on their own. Then, if they show great talent in one direction and want to go for it, help them by getting good teachers and cheering for them.

It may comfort you to know that if your grandchild reaches the age of 11 or 12 and you had a good bond or relationship, no matter how dramatic adolescence becomes, your grandchild will probably turn out all right and want some form of connection to you. So lighten up. Save the lecture. Remember, it matters, but it's not serious. Love matters, self-confidence matters. Underneath the surface is a little person with big feelings, growing up, struggling, scared, tender, brave, desperately wanting your unconditional love and approval. Give it...it is the greatest treasure on earth.

Finding Joy by Charlotte Davis Kasl

HOW DID WE SURVIVE WITHOUT? GRANDKIDS WILL LOVE THIS!!

2009-11-27T08:50:00.010-06:00

I was just remenising about days gone by. When my dad was alive he would quite often tell us war stories and hardships he and mom faced....which were a lot more difficult than those we faced in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's.

How did we survive without...

*Cell phones, i-pods, blackberries...You actually had to go visit someone to see what's new in their lives.
*Dishwashers...what's wrong with using your hands and soapy water? I still do that!
*Microwaves...We had to heat things up in or on top of the stove....I must admit I do love my microwave.
*Automatic washer and dryer...My mom had a wringer for many years. I can do without the dryer, but not the washer. Fortunately, I still live in a community where they allow you to hang out your clothes on a line.
*The internet...We used a typewriter or a pen to type/write letters. Used a dictonary and encyclopedia to look up information. Rode our bike or the bus or pulled a wagon to go grocery shopping.
*Throw away diapers....We had to rinse those nasty diapers(I plugged my nose with a clothespin)before we actually threw them in the washer. Remember we had to hang them on a clothesline? Trying to get a clothespin into a frozen diaper was always fun!
*GPS system and mapquest...The greatest inventions since the map.
*Wal-mart.. Remember when we had Mom and Pop stores?....This hits home because my daughter and I used to own a handbag boutique, but found we could not compete with Wal-mart! The bottom line today for most shoppers is the price, while sacrificing quality and great customer service.
*Everything being made in China...Remember when Grandma would knit us afgans, scarves, mittens.....Yes, Craftsman, needlework art, knitting, crocheting is being replaced by machines and cheap labor, low quality.
Years ago, products labled "made in Japan" were considered "junk". My dad was a shoemaker by trade. Today people can buy a new pair of shoes for the price it would take to repair an old pair. Have you ever owned a pair of shoes made by hand? I have...they never wear out!
*Fast food and frozen dinners...There is nothing like homemade soup, healthy, homemade dinners.
My grandma would spend the whole afternoon cooking. Homemade noodles, soup, bread, canning pickles and peppers.
*Discipling your children without the police, a counselor, or DSS child care worker being involved. Now children can sue their parents, teachers, anyone! Poor me, I always thought grown-ups were in charge!.
*Children being coddled by adults who are afraid their childrens' self-esteem will be hurt. Hey, lets baby our children so they can't survive in the real world where feelings do get hurt.
*Children being taught the "PC" way of doing things. Politically Corrrect that is.We didn't care if we offended someone.We could laugh it off back then. Everyone is too sensitive. Can't even tell jokes anymore? We could go to school and didn't have to worry about being kidnapped, getting shot or stabbed. We could sing Christmas songs and our history books actually told facts, not impressions or re-written history the way the "pc" crowd and "special interest" crowd wants us to view history. We actually respected our teachers and the worse trouble we ever got in was for chewing gum during class!
*We are in a rush here, rush there, society. If we can't get it done in 10 minutes we don't want it. So sad! A lot of traditional values and morals have been lost in our society. This is one of the main reasons I help raise my grandchildren. To teach them how to be a good person, have faith, love, kindness, respect and honor for their elders, etc. AND NOT WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT IF THEY CAN READ AT 6 MONTHS, IF THEY KNOW A SECOND LANGUAGE, IF THEY ARE CONSTANTLY BEING KEPT BUSY WITH TONS OF ACTIVITIES, IF THEY HAVE DESIGNER CLOTHES, ETC. For heavens sake, let chldren be children. My children turned out all right and so will my grandchildren. There is something to be said for the "old-fashioned" way of doing things.

SUPER NANNY TECHNIQUES FOR DISCIPLINING A CHILD OR GRANDCHILD

2009-11-24T14:55:00.002-06:00

As many of you know there is a show on television called Super Nanny. She goes into a household where the children are unruley, disobedient, spoiled and they make the rules not the parents. I like the techniques she has for discipling the children and, most of them do work. Some of them take longer to work because of the repetitive nature of her techniques. I have found that most of the parents on her program are not on the same page as far as discipline is concerned, or there is little or no discipline. So, of course, the children are going to do just as they please. Here are some of the techniques she uses.................Please substitute grandchild for child.

1. Discipline

When your child does something unacceptable:

· Go down to their level

· Make eye contact

· Tell them they did something unacceptable

· Warn them that if they do that again they will go to the Naughty Chair

· If the bad behavior is repeated, take the child and sit him in the Naughty Chair

· Explain why they are sitting there and to stay there until you come and get him

· The length of the time-out is determined by their age: 1 minute X their age. A timer would be useful here and a visual indication for the child to watch the time go by.

· At the end of the time-out, the child must apologize.

· For an older child, they can go to a “Naughty Room” that is not their bedroom and does not have a TV or other activities; it has to be a boring place.

· For a younger child, the time-out should take place in a “Naughty Chair” that is placed close-by the main play area, but again not in a bedroom or eating place. The first step of the stairs, if you have stairs, is a good place for a toddler.

· Either way, you cannot associate a time-out with a place where they sleep or eat or play, or else they will refuse to sleep, eat, or play there.

2. Meal time

· If a child is still sitting in a high chair away from the table, he should be moved to the main table so he can feel he is a part of the family, he can be seen easily by all – instead of mom having to turn to see the child. This will minimize the bad-behavior at the table. A booster seat placed on a chair is good. Or just push the highchair up to the table, removing the tray, and then the child can use the table to eat off of like the rest.

3. Nap time

· Nap time should be scheduled at a certain time each day and must end by 3pm so that the child will be able to sleep at bedtime.

· Kids resist nap time because they want to keep playing. A nap time routine will help transition the child from play time to nap time.

4. Clingy/Whiny Child

The clingy or whiny child uses clinginess, whining, and other bad behaviors to get attention and get what they want. To break this cycle, you have to teach them that these things will not get them what they want.

· Go down to their level

· Make eye contact

· Keep a small distance

· Explain to them that you will listen to them when they stop clinging/whining/crying/screaming

· When they calm down, give them a hug and then ask them what they want and do it for them. If it’s something you don’t approve of, distract them with something else.

· Remove them from the situation and use distraction

5. Bed time

· Make a set time for bed time

· Develop a bedtime routine: bath, brush teeth, read a book.

· Place in their bed, kiss goodnight

· Phase I:

o Sit on the floor next to their bed.

o If they get out of bed, place them back in bed

o Do not talk at any time, keep silent at all times

o No eye contact at any time

· Phase II:

o Sit in a nearby room

o If they get out of bed, place them back in bed and go back out without talking or looking at him

Warning: As I saw in the episodes, the first few times you use these strategies it may take 30 min to an hour for it to work, during which you have to repeat the steps many many times. You may need someone to be with you to support you so it may be best to start on a weekend.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse all these methods, but i wanted to just let you know about them, so you know what's out there. I do endorse the Naughty Chair method - it is just a smarter way to do Time-outs. I tried it and it works so i would recommend this to you.

Jo Frost, the star of ABC's new reality show, Supernanny, says that children have been a big part of her life from the beginning. She's always had a gift for connecting with kids on their own level, and began babysitting as a teenager. After college she embarked on nannying as a career, and over 15 years she has honed her successful methods of child-rearing with hands-on, real-life experience. She has managed all manner of child-rearing challenges -- from potty training and sibling rivalry to sleep issues and tantrums -- over her years working in temporary, long-term and trouble-shooting jobs.

This article by Mona Eid.

EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PERFECT ALL OF THE TIME..THE CAUSES OF OVERTHINKING

2009-11-21T15:09:00.004-06:00

(1) THE VACUUM OF VALUES....

First, we have many choices these days, but there is a vacuum of values that guide these choices. We can choose what profession to pursue, whether to marry, and whether to have children. These choces free us to do what we think is best for us, rather than what we are told to do by our parents, our religion, or social
norms.

Previous generations may never have questioned the value systems that led them to make the choices they made, but we question everything: religion, patriotism, humanism. Pop culture tells us to value being richer, more successful, more beautiful, and more popular than the next person.

There is hope, however. I believe that buried in the muck of most people's worrying too much is a set of values they hold dear, that they would be willing and happy to base their decisions and choices upon. The problem is that these values can be almost impossible to see when they are obscured by the negativity and chaos cased by worrying. When this negativity and chaos can be cleared away, those core values shine, illuminating answers to our most troubling questions.

(2) THE ENTITLEMENT OBSESSION

We have developed an extraordinary sense of entitlement. We feel entitled to have lots of money and a dream job, to have a fulfilling relationship, to have our opinions listened to and respected by others, and to feel good most of the time. When these expectations are violated, as they inevitably are, we do not easily accept it as a normal part of life and instead begin worrying about why we are not getting what we deserve.
Sometimes our worrying focuses on what is wrong with the world that it is not providing us with what we want, and sometimes our worrying focuses on what is wrong with us that we can't accomplish our goals.

Our obsession with entitlement can be summarized in the following beliefs:
   I deserve whatever I want
   No one else has the right to make me feel bad
   Anyone who makes me feel bad should be punished, publicly if possible, so everyone else knows I'm right.

(3) THE COMPULSIVE NEED FOR QUICK FIXES

The third socal shift leading to constant worrying is our compulsive need for quick fixes. If we are down or upset, then there must be some quick fix.
Sometimes you may have chosen the right choices, but if they are done as quick fixes for dissatisfaction, they tend to accumulate into a string of failures that leads us to to worry about. Sometimes we try to get our minds off our concerns through frantic activity, taking up yet another sport or signing up for another class.

(4) OUR BELLY-BUTTON CULTURE
One of the predominant themes of popular culture since the 1960s has been the importance of self-awareness. But many of us have taken this self-awareness too far. We over analyze every twist and turn of our emotions. We become totally self-absorbed in pondering the meaning of a twinge of sadness, a slight rush of anxiety, or a fit.
   We also hyperanalyze the events in our lives. A friend makes a rude remark and we spend many hours worrying about what this really means. The boss is irritable one morning and we dissect every word he said, trying to determine what it means for us. It could be that the friend had one of those momentary lapses we all have; the boss confronted a traffic jam on the way to work. Overthinking and worrying only adds fuel to the fire and encourages further signs of trouble. Don't let the thoughts win. Give it a rest. Get up and get moving. Hand it over to God. Lean on others who handle stress well. Seek your bliss and use it. Get a massage, play your favorite music, watch a funny movie. These techniques will help you break free of your overthinging and worrying.

Taken from Women Who Think Too Much by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PH.D

WOMEN WHO WORRY TOO MUCH!

2009-11-21T07:02:00.002-06:00

Over the past four decades, women have experienced unprecedented growth in independence and opportunities. We are freer to choose what kinds of relationships we have, whether and when to have children, what careers to pursue, and what lifestyles to lead--choices previous generations never dreamed possible. We have many reasons to be happy and confident. Then why aren't we? When we are at work, we feel guilty because we are away from our children and some day care provider is raising them. When we are at home full-time, we complain that we are bored and not living up to our full potential. (i.e. I didn't go to college to be a full time mom). We seldom reach any conclusions.

Research over the last twenty years has shown that a critical component of healthy living is not to allow our negative emotions to rule our lives and undermine our efforts. When we worry on top of sadness or anxiety, we pay attention to our thoughts creased by a mood, mulling them over, taking them very seriously, and letting them influence our decisions. The negative beliefs and bad decisions that result can ruin our lives, impair our mental well-being, our physical health, and our ability to function in the every day world.

Our grandmothers never had much time to worry too much! As they moved through their lives, every day they faced difficult situations that would devastate most of us. They did backbreaking labor to put food on the table, they lost children to dreaded diseases. Some people were defeated by these events, but most dealt with adversity with dignity and strength. They did what they could given their circumstances, drew close to friends who could support them, and used their values and faith to understand and cope.

Taken from Women Who Think Too Much by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PH.D

THE NEWEST GENERATION

2009-11-20T20:42:00.003-06:00

Parenting children of the newest generation can be different than when we raised our own children. Children in our society are faced with many challenges and inappropriate choices posed by the media and those who exploit children. Keeping children safe is a top priority for grandparents. Saying this, we have become a generation of worriers is an understatement, especially for women. This is certainly true of myself and my daughter in regards to the children God has left in our care. When we are out in public we are constantly looking around to make sure they are in a safe environment. With child abuse and child molesters so prevalent, you can never be too safe.
Just around the corner lerks the internet and people who want to prey on children and indoctrinate them with their own values and beliefs. An example of this is our public school system. As we all know, our churches are not even a safe place to leave our children. Just in last weeks newspaper there was a case of a 10 month old baby being hurt by a child care worker at a church I had just visited for a playdate with my grandkids. Luckily, I stayed there with them the whole time. The world certainly has changed, hasn't it?
Far more people are starting to home school these days because of things that happen in the public schools.
Not only do teachers and students fear for their safety, we now have students taught values and morals we ourselves do not believe in. When my children were in elementary school some 30 years ago, you could sing Christmas songs and not worry about if the history books stuck to the actual facts and not added their own interpretation. There definitely been some major historical shifts in our Country.

MOVIES YOU WANT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO SEE

2009-11-13T08:36:00.001-06:00

For movie ratings that actually work check out..

http://www.kidsinmind.com/

Our Mission

The purpose of kids-in-mind.com is to provide parents and other adults with objective and complete information about a film's content so that they can decide, based on their own value system, whether they should watch a movie with or without their kids.

It's like a food labeling system which tells you what a food item contains. That's it. We make no judgments about what is good or bad or anything else. Indeed, we do not "condemn," "critique" or "criticize" movies. And we don't "praise" or "recommend" movies either. We advance no "beliefs" and we do not "preach" anything. We are not affiliated with any political party, any cultural or religious group, or any ideology. The only thing we advocate is responsible, engaged parenting.

If one reads our reviews one will often find many instances where our descriptions are so detailed they seem absurd. But we'd rather err on the side of comprehensiveness. It's up to parents to decide which details are useful to them and their family, and which ones they consider fatuous.

Parents should seek out sites like ours and make decisions based on objective information about content. Our position is that no organization should be involved in arbitrating who should or shouldn't see a film (especially one as closely involved with Hollywood as the MPAA). What we'd like to see is many independent organizations like ours distributing ratings to media outlets and theater chains. And allow the marketplace work. Consumers will choose the ratings system that serves them best in making a decision, according to their own values and priorities -- we freely admit that we think our ratings are hard to improve upon, but the consumer should be allowed the final decision.

SCARY MOVIE ADVICE

2009-11-12T18:32:00.005-06:00

Of course every child is different when it comes to scary movies. My youngest child could watch anything, even at the age of 3, and not be affected by it. He used to watch Freddy Krueger movies, which were some of the scarest movies around back in the l980's. I told him that the people on there were just "pretend" and not real. Also, his big sister was around watching them with him, which probably took some of his fear away.
My 2 1/2 year old grandson, however, is a different story. When he was 2 we made the mistake of taking him to a Mardi Gras type festival where there were people wearing scary masks and he was scared to death.
Now even the mildest, kindest looking monster makes him scared. It does seem that most animated movies have some type of scary "being" or monster in them. Right away, Dallas, will say, "Turn it off Grandma." Sometimes he even starts trembling. Hopefully he will outgrow this and as time passes understand that monsters are not real. It is ironic, however, that he is not scared of the dark and does not want a night light.

Even kids movies are a little scary. Here's some good advice to heed when taking young ones to see scary movies.

View >>

A PRECIOUS SONG/PRAYER TO SHARE WITH GRANDCHILDREN

2009-11-10T13:53:00.015-06:00

I am teaching my grandson this song/prayer which I learned when I was just a child.....

"I am Jesus Little Lamb;
Ever Glad At Heart I Am;
For My Jesus Gently Guides Me;
Knows My Needs And Well Provides me;
Loves Me Every Day The Same;
Even Calls Me By My Name"

Exemplify positive values, ideals, and beliefs. One of the most powerful ways to teach is by example. Most children are very observant and will imitate what they see adults do. Grandchildren can learn good morals and values by observing what grandparents say and how they act. When grandparents attend church, read the bible, and sing hymns, grandchildren see the importance of faith.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them for of such as these is the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 19:14

Others little prayers may include...

"Thank you , God, for loving me all the time."
Tell them that they make God happy. He loves us when we do good things. God loves us when we are happy and when we are sad.
"Thank you, God, for my family, and for all the other gifts You give to me."
God shows his love for us by giving us food, water, a place to live, a wonderful family. God is happy when we thank Him for things He has given us.
"Thank you, God, for giving me the Bible to read. Help me to obey Your rules."
God gives us His Word to read. When we read the Bible, God is happy.
God gives us rules and doesn't want us to get hurt. When we obey God's rules He keeps us safe. God is happy when we do what is right. God wants us to talk to Him through prayer.
"Dear Jesus, Thank You that You will always be with me"
"Dear Jesus, Thank You for taking me to Heaven to be with You always"

These are just a few. There are more common ones like the Table Blessing and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Tell the little ones that prayer is talking to God just the way they talk to mommy and daddy, because God is their Father in heaven.

Readers, Please let us know what special prayers you remember from your childhood.

READY TO READ SCREENING TOOL

2009-11-07T15:52:00.003-06:00

Have your grandchild take this quiz at this link and see if your toddler is ready to read. This is geared towards a 4 year old, but I will have my 3 year old grandson take it and see how he does. I will post his results at a later date.

http://school.familyeducation.com/famed/grtr/english/begin.html

SOME THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

2009-11-06T08:44:00.003-06:00

I learned that keeping my toddlers in the house for long periods of time brings on bordom, fights, and anxiety(both for me and the kids). Trying to keep Dallas and Orlando occupied with fun things to do is a major challenge since their attention spans are so short. When all else fails, they resort to pulling down the DVD's from the cabinet where they are stored or running around the house and screaming. Where do these kids get all that energy?

I also learned that as the almost 3 year old Dallas becomes more knowlegeable and more communicative, he also listens better and is more of a help. I believe that is because he is learning the difference between right and wrong and wants to please grandma.

On the other hand the 15 month old cannot yet communicate through words so he usually screams or has a fit when he doesn't like something or wants something. Usually a bottle or a nap will help. Since he is awake longer between naps now, he is learning that his big brother doesn't always need to get his way. He is screaming when his toys get taken away and when his big brother is constantly in his face. I must say, I adore it when they hug and kiss each other and show each other some of that brotherly love.

This week we ended up going to McDonalds twice in one day. These were 2 different McDonalds close to the house. These 2 McDonalds have completely different playlands. The one on Hwy. 100 and Forest Home has play equipment for toddlers, whereas the Muskego one has more for older children. I usually don't spend a lot of money. In the morning it was breakfast for $6.00; in the afternoon it was just an ice cream cone for 49 cents. There were other children around and that made all the difference in the world to the 3 year old. He actually asked to go home.

TEACHING YOUR TODDLER GRANDCHILD TO SHARE

2009-11-06T08:22:00.001-06:00

Teaching Your Toddler Grandchild to Share

Your toddler's language development advances the formation of empathy and first friendships. During the second half of the third year, language becomes more and more of a social tool. Playdates give your grandchild the opportunity to communicate with other children her own age—instead of constantly talking to adults.

Social language with other children begins with a marking out of territory. Your toddler is becoming her own person. And to forge her own identity, she needs to lay claim to what's (at least in her own mind) rightfully hers: her toys, her bed, her home, and her mommy and daddy, her grandma and grandpa.

When another toddler trespasses on this territory, your grandchild will yell, "Mine!" The other child will scream, "Go away!" You might as well get used to mediating these territorial battles ("Mine!" "No, mine!" "Mine!"). They will be played out for several months—and will recur from time to time for many years. Though it certainly doesn't seem like it, these skirmishes are just the first stage in a process that will teach your grandchild how to share and how to be fair.

As the year goes on, your toddler's friendships will probably get stronger, but even the closest of two-year-old friends still need consistent adult supervision. Left to their own devices, your grandchild and a friend will almost certainly be fighting soon about some perceived unfairness or refusal to share.

Share and Share Alike

Your grandchild may be more willing to share with a playmate if you allow him to put away several toys that he just can't bear to share. Knowing that his most cherished possessions are safely stowed away may give your grandchild a greater push toward generosity with the rest of his toys.

Toddlers do not share without prompting. It is by no means the natural behavior of a selfish, self-centered two-year-old—and that's the only kind of two-year-old there is. So if you want your grandchild to begin sharing, you need to teach him how to do it—and repeatedly encourage him to share. Try to be patient with your grandchild as he learns (and repeatedly forgets) and relearns the value of sharing.

If your grandchild—and you—are hosting a playdate, try to prepare him in advance. Tell your toddler that you expect him to share his toys. But stress this point: Just because the visiting friend plays with the toys doesn't mean the other toddler gets to keep them. Your child may feel more secure throughout the playdate if you keep reminding him that his toys will still be his when the playdate is over. It may help if you offer (in advance) to replace any toys that your guest might break—and then of course keep your promise if anything does.

Oddly enough, helping your grandchild and a guest share fairly and peacefully begins with getting the toddlers to understand the difference between possession and ownership. On playdates, no matter who actually owns a particular toy, possession is nine-tenths of the law. This doesn't mean your guest can take your child's toys home with her. But it does mean that your child cannot be allowed to grab the toy away from the other toddler—and vice versa, of course.

If your toddler does grab a toy (or food or anything else) from another child, you'll need to step in immediately. Quickly and firmly, but without anger (if possible), return the toy to the child who had it first and tell your child, "No grabbing!" Then remind your grandchild that if he wants something that someone else is already playing with, he must:

wait his turn;

ask for your help in setting up turns;

ask the other child nicely and get permission to use the toy; or

offer the other child a trade so that both children end up with something they want to play with.

Don't make playdates for toddlers last too long. Even if the parent of the other child stays, one to two hours is probably close to the limit for any two toddlers, at least at first.

If the other child will not under any conditions part with the toy that he has, or if your grandchild cannot wait a second longer for his turn to begin, you'll need to turn down the heat even more. Though two-year-olds are not nearly as distractable as one-year-olds, you may still succeed in distracting your child. Try shifting his attention to another toy or game—and if necessary, to another place.

If a particular toy becomes the sole object of full-scale warfare: take the toy away; bring out a duplicate (if you have a close enough match); or call an end to the playdate.

THE TOP SIX REASONS CHILDREN HAVE TANTRUMS PLUS GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTS

2009-10-31T13:33:00.008-05:00

1. Biological issues

Some kids become especially irritable when they're hungry or tired. That's why it’s always a good idea to take favorite snacks along on outings; you can even pull them out when waiting for meals at restaurants. To avoid grandchildren becoming overtired, build some rest time into your schedule when you take them out and don’t overschedule your days together. Last, consider what kind of stimulation your grandkids can tolerate — some like loud amusement parks, while others need quieter activities to keep them happy.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED....Agree with everything stated. Taking a snack or food along is a must. I always take an extra bottle along for the baby; and the toddler has his "sippy cup". I also always have some kind of snack item or toy in the car for both of them. At the toddler age, they both definitely still need a nap time(and grandma usually needs a nap time too!).

2. Lack of structure

Having nothing to do for too long a period of time is a recipe for trouble. Kids will create their own structure if you don’t, and this sometimes means arguing with each other or otherwise acting out. Create a "Things To Do" box with puzzles, games, art projects, books, videos and other calming activities for the downtime between scheduled activities, and take smaller versions along on long car rides or for destinations with long wait-lines.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED..With a toddlers attention span being so short, it definitely is important to keep them occupied with different activities throughout the day. It is hard for me to always think of things to keep them occupied. Somedays I would just love to sit on the couch and watch TV, but I know they will be crabby in no time. It is also important to get them outside and in group activities as soon as they are old enough. At the age of 2 1/2 they are always learning new things and are so inquisitive...always asking questions. I find if we get out of the house at least twice a week, they really behave much better. Another thing that I find important is for grandparents to have a sense of humor and playfulness. The kids just love that. Dallas(2 1/2 yr.old) and I make up silly words and real words...this past week I taught him the word "octopus" and he thought that was so funny. I also taught him the word trunk(as the trunk of a car). I told him that elephants also have a trunk. I think that confused him a little until I showed him a picture of an elephant's trunk.

3. Demands

Many kids find it stressful to be told to do homework or chores, or to try a new activity. When it's time for grandchildren to do their chores or homework, make a game of it, with rewards for completing each part of the task. If kids are afraid to try something new, don’t force them — instead help them gradually overcome their reluctance by letting them watch the activity first, then asking them to participate for a very short period of time.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED.....Like I said before, it is important to make things fun. Like for me it is a lot more fun to clean my house if I have the radio on. Stress the importance of chores to keep the house clean and make the family happy. Also, if they are overstressed do something else for a while and then get back to the chores later.

4. Waiting

Some kids melt down when they don't get what they want, or have to stop doing something fun. It is easier for kids to wait for what they want if they know exactly when they'll get it, so keep a timer or clock on hand. If you know you are going someplace where they will want something they cannot have, tell them ahead of time; suggest that if they get through the outing without complaint, they can have something else. When kids resist stopping a fun activity, try to make the transition easier. For example, as a reward for leaving the playground and going home without incident, stop for a small ice cream treat.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED...Shopping with 2 toddlers is stressful. Gone are the days of browsing and looking at things for an hour or two. When I take them along I know what I want to buy and get those things only and then get out. One thing that has helped is I purchased one of those little children's shopping carts and I keep it in the car. I let the toddler push it while I have the baby in the adult shopping cart seat. This made it fun for Dallas. I would say to him "grandma needs peanut butter". I would let him get the peanut butter off the shelf and put it in his little chart all by himself. He really loved. that. Rewards don't always work. Like with potty training. Once you start giving rewards, they start expecting a reward for everything good that they do. So limit the rewards.

5. Threats to self-esteem

Some kids are perfectionists and cannot stand making a mistake on their homework or, especially, losing a game. Remind such kids before an activity that you are more interested in their efforts or their sportsmanship than whether they do things perfectly. Promise rewards if they don't get upset when they lose a game.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED...I know this is a controversial subject. I believe that kids have to learn that sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Tell them not to have a fit if they lose. There will always be a next time. If you tell them that all that matters is the effort, they are never going to make it in the real world.
By losing, hopefully, it will make them tougher and try harder the next time. People in the adult world get ahead by winning, or trying again and again never giving up. Teachers who tell their students that all they need to do is try are doing their students a big disservice.

6. Unmet wishes for attention

Some children fall apart when grandparents ignore them to attend to siblings or other adults. Children can wait for adult attention more successfully when they know exactly when they will get it — again, a timer or clock can be helpful. If you are occupied with something important, ask them to stay near you while they wait; often, that closeness is enough to satisfy them for a while. Also, teach kids the correct ways to ask for attention, and to sit patiently rather than getting mad or acting out. If the kids ask nicely to play, then give them the attention they crave. After all, this is the most valuable gift a grandparent can offer.

GENEROSITIES OF THE HEART COMMENTED...This is a dilemma that I as a grandparent go through a lot. How do you give equal attention to both grandchildren? Scheduling a time for each is a good idea. A lot of the time I will have both on my lap during reading time. I usually tell the older toddler that after grandma is finished with this, she will play with you. He has been very accepting of this so far. Of course, we still have the jealousy of the older one against the baby. This is only natural and is getting better. We are also dealing with the 2 1/2 year old hitting the baby sometimes. At this age it is hard for him to realize that the 1 year old is still a baby and doesn't know any better. I try to always to discipline with kind words instead of hitting or yelling. Sometimes we do have time outs. He always needs to say he is sorry and, by example, I will say I am sorry if I hurt his feelings.

By Dr. Jed Baker

MY REVIEW OF STONE FIRE PIZZA--NEW BERLIN, WISCONSIN

2009-10-30T07:04:00.001-05:00

Overpriced - Better Options Elsewhere

Additional thoughts added on 10/30/09---Well it seems the food has improved a little. The pizza still tastes like cardboard and it is still over-priced though. It seems like they change their prices every other week. The only benefit is that I can sit there 4 hours with my grandkids and fill up on all the soda and food I want. The waitress staff is not friendly at all. They all seem like they hate their job. Chucky Cheese is a lot better in that department.
Chucky Cheese also has a great security system in place. Every child and adult gets a wrist band and when you leave they check the wrist bands and make sure they match. In todays world, every place that caters to children should have a system like this. They also do this at the YMCA if you leave your grandkids in their nursery. Unfortunately, Stone Fire Pizza doesn't see the need for this system yet. They need to do this. The sooner the better as far as I am concerned!

8/26/09
To start things off, the decor of the restaurant is actually very good. From the entrance, you'll see beautiful rocks and plants that give the impression of a high quality restaurant with great food. Then, you proceed through the line to a glorified cash register that strongly resembles a ticket booth where you would buy admission to enter a theme park. In short, it's my opinion that the owners of this establishment decided to focus more on the entertainment than the food and I think it's a fatal flaw.

First, take a look at their website here:

http://www.stonefirepizzaco.com/

You'll notice that they describe their buffet as a "Luxury Buffet." It's a complete overstatement and I'll explain why:

1. The salad bar lacks key ingredients that a luxury buffet would include. For example, there are no croutons or bacon bits. No tomatoes. No shredded cheese.

2. The pizza's all taste surprisingly plain and boring. They are primarily discs of dough with a little dash of toppings on them. I'd take a premium frozen pizza from the grocery store over these pizzas any day. It's not that they taste bad, it's just that they taste extremely cheap and appear to be made with low quality ingredients.

3. There are two slushie machines that dispense a total of four flavors. Unfortunately, neither machine worked for the duration of my visit.

4. The Asian food looked so bad that I didn't even want to try it.

5. The ice cream bar was staffed by two people. Instead of dispensing ice cream from a machine, they had huge plastic bags full of ice cream, cut those bags open, and then scooped some out. Because these bags of ice cream were just sitting on the counter instead of inside a chilling machine, they were melting quickly. When I was handed my dish, the ice cream was already turning into a "white soup" and was running down the side of my dish, making my hands sticky in the process.

On a positive note, they did a good job with the chicken noodle soup. Additionally, the food items for the children were tasty (chicken nuggets, corn dogs, mac & cheese, etc).

Although I didn't spend any additional money on the entertainment, I did take a quick walk through to see what was offered. The games seemed a little pricey and the variety of games was somewhat limited. From an entertainment perspective, I'd give them a grade of B-. From a food quality perspective, I'd give them a grade of D+.

KIDS TOP 10 FAVORITE CANDY RECEIVED WHILE TRICK OR TREATING 2009

2009-10-29T19:54:00.001-05:00

So you’re standing in the candy aisle at the local grocery store, staring at hundreds of black boxes and orange bags full of miniature chocolate bars, gummy eyeballs, and candy spiders trying to figure out what to give out to your trick or treaters this year. Here’s a top 10 list I came up with based on a couple of interesting articles (see them here and here) plus my own personal opinion.

1.Miniature Snickers Bars. Who doesn’t love a Snickers?
2.Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Singles. Or, better yet, Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins.
3.Mini M&M’s. Everybody loves them, plus the little bag makes you feel like you have a lot. 4.OtherMiniature Candy Bars. Mini Kit Kats, 3 Musketeers, Nerds, and Mike & Ike’s are always popular.
5.Pop Rocks. They’re tasty and so much fun.
6.Sweet and Sour or HOT. Lemon Heads, Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, and Hot Tamales.
7.Gummies. Gummy eyeballs, gummy worms, gummy coffins, gummy bears. They all work.
8.Anything Full Size. For obvious reasons!
9.Anything Unique. Part of the fun as a kid is getting candy you’ve never seen before. 10.Candy Corn and those cute little candy corn pumpkins!

WHY DO TODDLERS PLAY WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS INSTEAD OF TOYS?

2009-10-27T20:38:00.004-05:00

With all the toys in the play room, why are the toddlers always in the kitchen playing with pots and pans?
Today they decided to get out the shopping bags and have fun hitting me with them and crawling into the paper ones.
Another thing the 2 1/2 year old found out was real fun is taking all of the pillows off the couch, making a big pile, and jumping into that pile of pillows. In the same room sits a new Lego set his parents bought for him. He played with it 2 days and now loves throwing the pieces around the room.
Although I try to keep the toys organized, after about a week, they all seemed to be jumbled into one big mess of toys. No wonder they look for other options :)
Why do they get mesmerized with a certain movie? For the second time now, I let my grandson pick a DVD to take home from the library, and he picked the same one again. It is called, The Polar Express. I must admit this is one of the best Holiday movies around(even for adults). If you've haven't seen it, you really should. It is animated and Tom Hanks plays most of the speaking roles. My grandson loves trains, and this is definitely a train movie. It is about a boy who suspects there is no Santa Clause. He falls aleep Christmas Eve and dreams about a train that takes him to the North Pole. Anyways, my grandson would watch this movie over and over if we would let him. It actually is the best baby sitter for him right now. I am thinking about using it as a part of potty training.
What kind of household items do you remember your children or your grandchildren playing with?

TEACHING YOUR GRANDCHLDREN POSITIVITY

2009-10-25T12:09:00.001-05:00

Does your grandchild have a cloud over her head?

She's convinced that her birthday will be boring, friends will forget her, the zoo is sure to be closed.

It's not how you want her going into adulthood, especially since research reveals that negative kids are at higher risk for depression, illness, and poor academic performance.

Why does your grandkid sound like she should be in a nursing home rather than a nursery school, anyway?

"Through genetics and what you take in," says Jim Fay, cofounder of the Love and Logic Institute, which offers parenting training and resources.

If Mom and Dad aren't naysayers, the tendency can come from a more distant branch of the family tree. Bad experiences — academic or athletic troubles, bullies, or spats with friends — can weigh down mind and mood as well.

There's nothing you can do about the disposition your grandkid is born with. But you do have a say in their experiences — and how they deal with them.

1. Mirror, Mirror

It starts with you. Kids model their parents' and grandparents' behavior.

Read more about helping kids stay positive

Talk about body image »

Keep grandchildren off drugs »

Help kids survive divorce »

If you present them with a gloom-and-doom view of the world, guess what? That's how they'll see it. Maybe you're not the sunniest person, but you have survived, even thrived, in the face of adversity.

Tell the child about one of those experiences if it's appropriate: "My sophomore year of college, I was worried I'd fail my French final. Every night the week before the exam, I stayed up late reviewing. I studied really hard, and I passed!"

2. Fixer Upper

Often parents will rush to fix their children's problems, but then kids don't learn how to solve problems on their own, and they don't earn the satisfaction of that accomplishment. "The more we believe we're competent, the less scary and depressing the world looks," Fay says.

If a child blurts out something negative ("I'm never going to understand math!"), use empathy first ("It's frustrating when you don't understand something") and get him into problem-solving mode right away ("How do you think you're going to handle that?").

If he doesn't come up with any ideas, give him a menu of "what other kids have tried before," starting with suggestions that are clearly not great and working up to the better ones. Whichever way he chooses to cope with a situation, he'll come away learning something and feeling empowered.

3. Reword It

When a child says something negative ("I can't do this art project"), remind her of her past success ("Remember that beautiful birdhouse you worked so hard on?") or question her assertion ("You were sure you couldn't build that birdhouse. How did your thinking change?").

This builds awareness of constructive and obstructive thoughts, and gradually she'll learn to distinguish between them.

4. Great Adventure

Try new things together. Not only will the child feel secure in your love, but it will prove to him that there is fun to be had.

Often a negative child will avoid the unknown out of fear. But by not venturing out, he'll miss out on a possible confidence-building success. Offer to take the blame if things go awry.

5. Outside the Box

The world is full of examples of triumph. Introduce your child to an uplifting saying ("This too shall pass"), film (like Babe), or book (such as, Where Do Balloons Go?, by Jamie Lee Curtis), or to an athlete celebrity who overcame adversity.

6. Bright-sizing

Make a family ritual of reviewing your day at dinnertime or bedtime. Help the child see the good that could come from something bad ("You didn't do well on the test, but you learned you have to study more").

End on an up note by having her name something that she did well or that made her happy that day.

Just think, helping a child become more optimistic will boost your attitude, too. How's that for a brighter side?

This article originally appeared on guideposts.com.

MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS RECALL FAVORITE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

2009-10-24T20:19:00.002-05:00

http://www.wickedlocal.com/
HUDSON - Taylor Dalton

To commence, my most memorable costume was when I was the tooth fairy in 2001. My frilly costume had one strap and was cotton candy pink. The dress was cut diagonally at the scapulas and I had fake teeth hot glued on around my next. I held a schmaltzy wand, a lustrous pink hat and a grandiose necklace of teeth that shined like pearls. This costume was special to me for multiple reasons. First, it was special because my mom and I worked on my costume together. Little by little we created a masterpiece. My second reasons I loved this costume is because my compadres and I got to all get together and go trick-or-treating, which turned out to be a blast. Lastly, this was my most memorable costume because it was the last year my grandpa was with us. My Nana and grandpa lived five towns over which when driving there felt like driving to the Grand Canyon, so we didn’t spend too much time together. I got to see them at this Halloween and show them my costume. This was one of the only times, we got to see them close to holiday. That is why the tooth fairy costume is truly the most memorable costume I have created and worn.

Brenda Mackinnon:

My most memorable Halloween costume was when I was six and I was Piglet. I remember everything about that costume. I had pink ears, watermelon colored circle stomach, and black striped shorts. The entire costume was shaped like a stuffed teddy bear, but pink! I invoked my mom to make it for me and she did. I was flabbergasted by how I looked in the costume. The day my mom finished my costume, my brother badgered me about how his costume was going to win best dressed at the Halloween party. I however, ended up winning! This was the best costume ever.

Tom O’Loughlin:

My best Halloween costume every was when I was 6 and dressed up as the Red Power Ranger. I had foam spikes that covered almost my entire body. I picked this costume as my most memorable because on Halloween night I actually took a pillow case out with me and filled it to the brim with candy. I put it over my shoulder and off I went. Every house loved my Red Power Ranger suit and I felt like a superhero.

Adam Colbert:

The most memorable costume I ever wore on Halloween has to be Elvis. Tow years ago, I dressed up as the fabulous singer Mr. Presley. I sported funky glasses, wore a lustrous white jacket and jeans, and spiked up my hair. My mom and I spent time making my costume marvelous! I got tons of “Oohs!” and “Aahs!” from all the other trick-or-treaters. It was the most grandiose costume you could ever imagine. Everyone loved the idea. Some people enjoyed it so much that they even gave me double the candy. Elvis Presley was my most memorable costume ever!

Tatyana Dobay:

My most memorable costume was when I six and was the Princess Mulan.

At this age, I loved this princess and I always thought it would be a dream come true to actually become her. To make my dreams come true, my mom and my grandmother endeavored to make this costume just like the actual Princess Mulan. When Halloween came, I felt like I was queen of the universe, not just a princess. Once, I put my dress on, I was so vigilant to protect it from getting tarnished. Wherever I went, I made sure that it remained spotless, without a hint of dirt or microscopic rip. Not only was this a memorable costume for me because it made me feel special, I also loved it because my mom and grandmother dedicated so much time and energy to making it. Their love for me showed in this princess costume. They made my princess fantasies come true.

Jason Swain:

My most memorable Halloween costume was when I was 2 years old and I went as Darth Maul from Star Wars. I went with the costume store and was allowed to pick any costume I wanted. I saw the Darth Maul outfit and fell in love with its grotesqueness. I thought about how I could scare other people with its mask. For me, it looked like a hobgoblin. In addition to the scary mask, it had a robe, and his double-bladed light saber. When dressed up, I looked just like him, except shorter. Everyone in my neighborhood loved my costume. I got so much candy that year, that I was incapable of carrying home myself. I had so much that that I gave half of it to my cousin. The best part was that since I was two, I had never seen Star Wars yet and had no idea who Darth Maul was!

Molly Sullivan:

This year as a 7th grader, I plan to be the Joker for Halloween. I chose this costume because he is very unflappable! He has a distinct appearance which will draw everyone’s attention on me. I have never had an idea quite this exotic before; it is on the brink of brilliance! My face will be painted vibrant colors and my mom will endeavor to make me a lustrous purple blazer. Also, when I talk to people I will be cacophonous as I laugh and I really get into my character. The Joke is very ambiguous. He can be cool yet horrifying. The Joker is boorish and that is the complete opposite of my personality. So that means I get to really transform into someone I’m not this year. I plan to have a blast!

Rachel MacMunn:

For Halloween this year, one of my compadres and I are going to be an orange “Fanta” girl from the television. I am going to have a lustrous orange wig, a schmaltzy orange ¾ length sleeve top with a matching tutu, and fishnet leggings. My laudable sherbet colored nails and eye lashes will have everyone staring. I am going to get a tangerine colored shoes, and a mammoth white bow to put in my wig. I also hope to find a grandiose lip gloss that will shine from miles away, sparkly eye-shadow, and stunning hoop earrings. I decided to be a Fanta Girl for Halloween almost by chance. Coincidently, before going to Walmart to look for a costume, I had just seen a Fanta commercial and therefore was singing the song as I went down the aisles. I was astounded by all the costumes, many of which were exotic. As I entered the last aisle I saw the carrot-colored eyelashes and wig, heard the song in my head, and decided that a Fantasy Girl might just be the best costume ever!

Sara Mikula:

My most memorable Halloween costume ever was in when I was in the first grade and transformed into the Nintendo character Yoshi. This may sound grotesque or at least a bit strange, but at the time it couldn’t have been more perfect for me! One of the reasons, why it was so special to me is because my sister and my mom were in cahoots and worked together to create this laudable costume for me. Once it was completed, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was so flabbergasted by how great it looked. I couldn’t wait to put it on and show the world! When Halloween rolled around, my family and friends adored my costume and commented on how creative and exotic it was. All in all, that Halloween was filled with candy, fun, and grandiose memories.

Nick Darby:

My most memorable Halloween costume was when I dressed up as a girl. I painted my face with tons of makeup and lipstick the color of fire. My dress had pink flowers on a white background. The necklace I wore had lustrous pearls and my high heels were black like the night sky. The heels were four inches tall and made walking very difficult. This is my most memorable costume because everybody liked it and I got the most candy out of all my family and friends. Overall, it was a great Halloween!

Nick Garrity:

My most memorable costume was the Hulk because I dyed my hair black and I wore a mask. I was green and purple. I was wearing sneakers; my mask was all green and it had fake teeth on the bottom. I took it off for a little while and then I put my mask back and my black hair got messed up. I carried a basket it was made out of plastic. This was such an awesome costume that I scared a lot of people and got a lot of candy. What a great Halloween!!

Emily Tobin, 6th Grade Jade Team:

My Most memorable costume was of Goofy. I was really cute in this costume. I had long black ears and a big green hat that had black stripes on it. I loved playing with the ears. This was my favorite costume and I wore it even when it wasn’t Halloween. Goofy is just my favorite Disney character.

HOBBIES AND SUCH

2009-10-24T18:21:00.003-05:00

I am a counted cross-stitcher, although lately I haven't found the time to start another project. A few years ago I got the bright idea that I would make cross stitch items I would sell at craft fairs.
I made jar lids that I cross-stitched little sayings and pictures on to, however, they didn't sell very well. So now they are sitting in my basement. I probably will donate them to my church. The jar lids fit onto jelly jars that I decorated with lace and fabric.
   I also, for a short time, sold bakery at farmers markets. That went better than the cross-stitching. I did make a little money doing that.
   I also sell Avon as a hobby. In the beginning I was making money at it, but because of the recession, sales have dropped of dramatically. I keep it up because I love a lot of their products and I like seeing the new products Avon introduces.
   I have also dabbled at knitting and crocheting. Most people find crocheting to be easier to learn, for some reason I found that knitting directions were easier to follow.
   My husband and I love dancing and going on cruises. If we can afford it, I would love to take the grandkids on a Disney cruise.
   Anyone else love cruising? I was skeptical at first, but I find it to be the most relaxing vacation there is.
How about an Elvis cruise? Sign me up!! More about my affection(some say addiction) to the man/icon know as ELVIS PRESLEY in my next post.

WHEN YOU ARE THE MOM OF A MOTHER

2009-10-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

By Beverly Beckham
Motherhood, part two. That's what grandparenting really is. Your kids grow up, go off to school, move away. And they don’t need you anymore. They don’t call for advice. And you think, you’re done. That's it. The job is finished.

And then your kids become parents and you're suddenly back in the game. "Mom, can you?" "Dad, will you?"

When a child is placed in a woman's arms — in a hospital, at an airport, in a lawyer’s office, and whether the child is a newborn or a 10-year-old — a woman's life changes forever.

And so does the life of her mother.

I watch my daughters wipe noses and hands, buckle car seats, peel grapes, insist upon "please" and "thank you," wipe up spills, dry tears, read books, blow bubbles, monitor the TV, play games, and work outside their homes. And I am struck by the rigors of mothering — how hard it is and tiring and endless, and how amazing it is that anyone signs up for this job.

And then I think, this was once my job. I did all this. "How did you do it, Mom?" my daughters ask. And they listen to my answer because I've been down the road they're on now and they realize that maybe I know a few things they have yet to learn.

The mother-child connection. It changes. It evolves. It grows.

In the space between us now there is still no space. It is filled with children — theirs, but part mine. And on it goes. Mother to mother to child, this eternal bond that is recognized and honored on Mother's Day.

BEING A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN

2009-10-24T04:00:00.002-05:00

What does this mean to you? To me it means that I never swear or use dirty language. I always ask myself, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" When I discipline them I try to do it in a loving way, slow to anger, always showing kindness. Make them aware of dangerous situations...explaining things at the level they can comprehend for their age level. Monitor what they watch on television.
Read to them every day. Teach them how to pray and love the Lord. Tell them stories of how things were when I was young. Teach them the difference between right an wrong. Let them follow by my example.
Please leave a comment as to other ways we can be good role models to our grandchildren. If you are a parent, please let us know what you consider important qualities in being a role model to your child/children. Thanks!

THE INFLUENCE OF GRANDPARENTS

2009-10-24T03:43:00.000-05:00

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Over the past 20 years, increased attention has been given to the importance of grandparenthood. This newfound emphasis on grandparenthood and stepgrandparenthood is a reflection of the increased life span; adults are living longer and four- and five-generation families are more common. It's also a reflection of the importance of grandparents to grandchildren.

Grandparent Influence

Grandparents and stepgrandparents influence their grandchildren both directly and indirectly. Direct influences come from face-to-face interaction, and indirect influences are realized through a third party. Consider the phrase, "It's important to be there for your grandchildren." Being there is a concept that can mean physically being present (direct) or emotionally being present (indirect).

When you make phone calls, attend concerts together or take them places, you are directly influencing your grandchildren. When your grandchildren have been confronted with a situation and think about you, knowing you will be available to support them and that you're on their side, you are indirectly influencing them by emotionally being there. You are a role model to your grandchildren.

It's interesting to note the variety of terms used to refer to the many roles grandparents or stepgrandparents play. For example:

Stress buffer

Watchdog

Arbitrator

Roots/family historian

Supporter

One national survey of grandparents reported that a variety of activities were engaged in with grandchildren such as:

Joking and kidding

Giving money

Talking about growing up

Giving advice

Discussing problems

Going to church/synagogue

Providing discipline

Taking a day trip

Teaching a skill or game

Watching TV together

Talking about parent/child disagreements

Several writers have emphasized that grandparents are very important to grandchildren. They are described as "significant others who have a great deal to do with one's view of life." The intergenerational contact reflects a high value for family connection. Grandchildren exposed to such contact are less fearful of old age and the elderly. They feel more connected to their families.

A North Dakota study found that stepgrand-children tend to have less contact with their stepgrandparents and consider this relationship less important than grandchildren do with grandparents. However, the children surveyed also indicated a desire for more contact with stepgrandparents. Being a stepgrandparent can be more challenging than being a grandparent because the role is less clear. As more stepfamilies are formed, more attention will be given to stepgrandparenting, and the same influences or benefits found for grandparents will no doubt be found to be as important for stepgrandparents.

Making a Memory

Grandparents and stepgrandparents can make a lasting story of their lives for their grandchildren. These life stories grow in value to grandchildren as they grow older.

To capture one's life story, videotape significant events, people and places for present and future generations. Even if you're not handy with a video camera, your family will appreciate the commentary and memories shared as you visit points from your past and present.

It's easiest to do this project as a team, with one person taping and the other providing commentary and interviews. This also allows you to "star" in your own movie. So, select a partner and begin.

First, rent, lease, borrow or purchase a video camera. Next, buy some inexpensive videotapes and practice to get used to the machine and what it can and cannot do. When you feel comfortable with the camera, purchase some high-grade videotapes to use as your master copies for future duplicating.

Next, plan on paper who, what, when and where you will be taping.

Some ideas to consider may include:

Family

Interview parents, siblings, children, cousins and others. Tell some favorite family tales; describe family holidays, sad occasions or any other memorable events.

Show where your family lived. Take a tour of the house, if possible. Tell how it looked when you were growing up, the color of your room, who you shared the room with.

Go to the cemetery and walk through the family plot. Death is a part of life. Were or are there family rituals related to caring for the family graves?

What's your ethnic heritage? Are there things you'd like to share regarding ethnic customs? What does your name mean in your native language? Where did your ancestors come from? When did they emigrate to this country? How did they arrive? How old were they? Does anyone keep in touch with family from the "old country?" What are some of the special stories your family has passed down to each generation?

Education

Where did you go to school? Tour the building and grounds, if possible.

Who were your best friends during your school years? Interview them and tell of the things you used to do together.

Did you have favorite teachers? Interview them, if possible. If not, tell why you enjoyed them or their classes so much.

What extracurricular activities did you participate in? Do you have any news clippings, uniforms or awards to show for these? How about team photos?

Did you go to college or a technical school? If so, where and when? What did you study? What were the highlights of these years?

Religion/Spirituality

Do you have a special story to tell about your journey of faith?

What aspects of your religion/spirituality are most important to you and why?

Neighborhood and Friends

Who lived next door, down the road or on your block? Who did you know well and spend time with? Go visit them, and record reminiscing about the special things you used to do together. Bring out the photos, if possible.

Take a drive through the neighborhood, videotaping the countryside and places that had special meaning as you were growing up. These might include the local grocery store where you bought "penny candy," the softball diamond, places you used to go for walks and where you went to church.

Who were your friends throughout the years, and what qualities do you think make lifetime friends?

Marriage

How did you meet your spouse? How long did you court/date before you got married? Where and how did the proposal happen?

Where were you married? Tour the church/courthouse/chapel, if possible. Describe the ceremony and your wedding day. Who were your attendants? What colors were used? What Scripture or music did you select?

Talk about your marriage if you feel comfortable. What makes your partner special? What traits do you admire most? Any interesting or fun stories to share?

Work

Tell about the jobs you've had throughout your life, including homemaking. Tour where you worked last or are still employed. What were some of the greatest challenges in your work? What were you paid on your first job?

Describe the volunteer work you've done over the years. These may have been in church, at school or as an elected official. What are the fondest memories of your volunteer work? What are the benefits of volunteering?

Extras

The sky's the limit! Talk about hopes, dreams, regrets. Tell your favorite jokes. Visit about your favorite hobbies; show the finished products.

Once you've completed the taping, edit if necessary, and make copies for your children and grandchildren. Your history is captured for present and future generations to enjoy.

References

Denham, T. & Smith, C. (1989). The Influence of Grandparents on Grandchildren: A Review of Literature and Resources. Family Relations, 38, 345-350.

Sanders, G. & Trygstad, D. (1989). Stepgrand-parents and Grandparents: The View from Young Adults. Family Relations, 38, 71-75.

Special thanks to Gilman and Monica Peterson, New England, N.D., for their "Making A Memory" idea.

I'M SO TIRED--PREVENTING FATIQUE

2009-10-21T18:58:00.001-05:00

How do you prevent fatigue while caring for toddlers? I, personally, feel I have more energy now than before I began caring for them. I do, however, still suffer from aches and pains, migranes, and diabetes. I find that the additional excercise I receive while chasing after toddlers...up and down the stairs, placing silly games, dancing with them(to the oldies of course), etc. has helped improve my over-all health. Just when I think I have a moments rest on the couch, the 3 year old says, "grandma get up" or the baby needs changing, a bath, or a bottle.
   Once in a while I still manage to get in a quick nap, but those are coming fewer and farther between lately. I am dreading the winter months when we will all be stuck in the house again; but I am on the prowl for indoor activities that will keep all three of us happy.
    In the evenings I will relax with a hot bath, a good massage, listening to music, and getting at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW

2009-10-21T18:08:00.006-05:00

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove....but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a CHILD."

Dr. Forest Witcraft from "Within My Power"

WHEN GRANDPARENTS PROVIDE CHILDCARE

2009-10-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

Providing Childcare for Grandchildren

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When Grandparents Provide Childcare

Joan greets her two grandchildren with a big smile, and an even bigger hug, at the beginning of each weekday. Joan doesn’t live with the children. But she’s there each morning to wake them up and start them on their day. The children count on it—and so do their parents.

Joan’s daughter and son-in-law leave for work as soon as Joan arrives at 7 a.m. By the time the adults return home at 6 p.m., Joan has had a full day. She’s prepared breakfast for both children, helped them dress, gotten her granddaughter on and off the school bus, and spent hours trying to keep up with her grandson—an active toddler. Phew! After a short—but quiet—evening in her own home, Joan returns to her grandchildren the next morning and repeats the same routine.

Joan isn’t alone. Many grandparents pitch in each week to take care of grandchildren. Like Joan, grandparents may stay with grandkids while parents are at work. Other grandparents care for grandchildren in the evenings and on weekends, allowing the parents to run errands or go to the movies.

Grandparents like Joan are more than just babysitters. They spend many hours with their grandchildren each week. They’ve gotten to know these children very well. And they have become guiding forces in their grandchildren’s lives. These grandparents aren’t technically raising their grandchildren, but they are doing important work. They are passing on family traditions, serving as trusted role models, and helping to nurture a whole generation of children.

How Many Grandparents Provide Childcare?

No one knows exactly how many grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren. But research studies give us a few clues. The U.S. Census Bureau says that grandparents provide childcare for almost a quarter (23%) of children under the age of five. That number is even higher for youngsters who live only with their dads. Grandparents watch more than a third (34%) of these children. An even higher percentage (38%) of Hispanic preschoolers receives childcare from their grandparents.

Other studies tell us even more. One study appeared in the April 2001 issue of a journal called The Gerontologist. This study talks about how much time grandparents actually spend taking care of grandchildren each week. Almost one quarter (24%) of these grandparents watch grandkids between 10 and 29 hours a week. About 7 percent stay with grandchildren more than 30 hours a week.

Another recent study was conducted by Child Trends, a research group in Washington, D.C. This study suggests that most grandparent childcare providers are like our friend Joan. They are healthy grandmothers. They live near their grandchildren. And they care for children who are not yet in school.

Why Do Grandparents Provide Childcare?

Many grandparents babysit because they want to be part of their grandchildren’s lives. Others pitch in as a favor to their adult children. These adult children are looking for a loving relative to care for their kids. In addition, many adult children cannot afford the expense of private childcare.

Some grandparents babysit because they need the money. Almost 20 percent of grandparents in the Child Trends study get paid for the care they provide. These grandparents don’t charge their adult children as much as a daycare center would. But the extra money these grandparents earn is still very important to them.

Many grandparent childcare providers—more than half of them—work outside the home, says Child Trends. They do this in addition to minding grandchildren. Grandparents who work full time usually watch their grandkids at night and on the weekends. Grandparents with part-time jobs are more likely to watch their grandkids while an adult child works.

Challenges

It’s not always easy to keep childcare arrangements running smoothly. Watching kids can be stressful, especially for grandparents who work at other jobs. Conflicts can arise. Grandparents and parents may have different views about raising children. Parents may ask too much of grandparents. Grandchildren may not obey as well as grandparents would like. Grandparents may not like playing the “heavy” when discipline is required. These problems can be hard to resolve. But they can be resolved if parents and grandparents talk about them honestly and openly.

Fortunately, challenges are only part of the story. Every family member reaps many benefits when grandparents provide childcare. Grandparents get to form deep bonds with their grandkids. Grandchildren come to value the many gifts that grandparents give them. And adult children gain peace of mind and the satisfaction of knowing that their children are being cared for by a member of their very own family.

BRITONS SAVE BILLIONS USING "granny daycare"

2009-10-20T11:43:00.004-05:00

Britons save billions using "granny daycare"By Serena Chaudhry

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Six out of 10 working British parents rely on their own mum or dad to mind the kids during the business day, a report said on Tuesday.

Skipton Building Society, a mortgage and savings business, said British parents save a total of 6.8 billion pounds ($13.71 billion) a year on childcare with help from the grandparents.

"It's not surprising they need help, as the financial pressure of bringing up a child is ever increasing - for example, a nursery place can cost nearly 8,000 pounds a year," Skipton spokeswoman Jennifer Holloway said.

The building society said research data showed that 49 percent of working families would have to live on a tighter budget and that 21 percent of mothers would be unable to afford a return to the workforce from maternity leave if they could not rely on help from granny or grandpa.

"This may be why one in 10 parents have moved to be closer to their folks," Skipton said in a statement.

Nearly two-thirds of the 1,140 parents surveyed by research firm YouGov for Skipton also said they like the reassurance of knowing their child is in a loving environment and 47 percent believe that grandparents can always be relied upon.

Parents also said that spending time with grandparents would help their children to learn good manners and old fashioned values as well as give them a sense of family identity.

Skipton said its research included statistics from Britain's Office for National Statistics and Daycare Trust 2007.

FUNNY THINGS LITTLE ONES SAY

2009-10-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

The other day my almost 3 year old grandson asked me "grandma, what's a hon?" Of course, I didn't know what he was talking about. Finally I asked his mom if she knew what he was talking about. Well, she said "sometimes I call him "hon" instead of by his name." Now it makes sense.

This same almost 3 year old grandson was shopping with his parents at the mall. His dad farted and the little one says, "daddy why did you poop in your pants"? Out of the mouths of babes ;)

Please share any cute stories you may have.

THE BEGINNING OF MY GRANNY DAYCARE SAGA

2009-10-18T14:40:00.002-05:00

Dear Readers,

As a grandmother of two little ones, I find that the day-to-day pressures and the joys of helping to
raise them has sometimes been a momumental task. At the ripe age of 56, I found myself having again to deal with diapers, runny noses, and baby toys. Would I rather be doing something else? NO

I decided in 2006 when the first grandchild was born that I would not let my daughter send him to daycare. Thus began the saga of grandma, the nanny/caregiver/babysitter.

I am writing this blog to put into words some of the experiences I encounter in my role of granny daycare. I am hoping to find other grandparents who are in the same situation as myself. Together we
can encourage each other through the rough times when we would rather be in Florida. Let's also share the wonderful, silly times when thesse precious little ones melt our hearts and make us laugh over their crazy antics.

Four days out of the week at 5:30 a.m. I drive 10 miles one way to my daughter's house. Although it was a strain to wake up at this ungodly hour, my body clock is now waking up without one hit of the snooze button. I know most of the granny daycares out there probably have the little ones dropped off at their house, but for me things just work more smoothly when the little ones are in familiar surroundings. Ending thought for the day....Proverbs 2:6....."train a child the way he should go and he will not depart far from you"

generosities of the heart