The Shandle: Review

With allergies, colds, flus and viruses already affecting my girls school they are taking measures to make sure to keep the kids as clean, healthy, and hygeneic as possible. Of course hand washing, hand sanitizer...and most of all keeping hands to yourself are of course top priority.  Keeping this in mind, I was delighted when I was asked to review The Shandle because it would be perfect for the pre-K classroom as they are learning all the important rules of their classroom. One of the most integral rules of the Pre-K classroom is to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. Since I have subbed in that class already 4 times this year, it is a rule that needs a constant reminder.

With The Shandle it helps have a visual daily reminder to my darling little pre-k class that washing hands is so important. Last week I took it up to school and showed Mrs. Steinmann the teacher and we adhered it to the toilet seat. The next day she had a small talk with the class and explained how to lift the seat to the boys in class (and of course put it back down for the girls in class). She then told them what it said so they would have that visual reminder every time they went in there to use the   restroom.

I wish I would have gotten pictures of Mrs. Steinmann giving her talk with those attentive darling children.  She has reported back to me that all the kids are washing their hands with no problem and no need for verbal reminders so it shows that The Shandle is working.

I think they need these in daycare centers and classrooms everywhere as well as in homes to help kids learn proper hygeine while in the restroom. This is an innovative product that I can highly reccomend.

Baby Teeth....Make Great Keepsakes?

Not long ago I was at a friend's house when I was introduced to a jar of her children's baby teeth. I have to admit I at first thought she was kidding. Then I discovered, that I was the odd one for just considering baby teeth only trash can worthy. I do have both of the girl's first locks of hair.  I have beautiful scrapbooks of their infancy, I am always on the lookout for chronicling every Kodak moment....but baby teeth, it never occured to me.

So, I took an informal survey of several of my friends. A few ladies kept first teeth only, some threw them all away, and then a few kept every single one. One friend even told me about having them in the baby album placed in order of where they belong in the mouth and what date they were lost on, yeah that not a little psycho troubling. Hmmm, so will my children one day need therapy because I didn't scrapbook their baby teeth?

Apparently, historically saving baby teeth is a timeless tradition, and in the Victorian Age, really devoted mothers could even have jewelry made from them.....no kidding!!!!

Prima Princessa: The Nutcracker

Dancing is a part of life at our house. For the last two years Rebecca has had an after school job as a dance asistant at the gym where I work at. She helps every Monday coaching three classes of 3, 4, and 5 year olds. It is one of her favorite things to do teaching and mentoring young girls and their love of ballet and tap. Since Rebecca has become interested in dance she, more than anything, wants to learn the correct moves and configure choreography for the Christmas recital. Her latest and greatest tool being Prima Princessa.

We already own the DVD for  Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake, and now we have the newest Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker. My girls have seen several performances of this magnificent ballet. It is really nice to have a DVD that breaks down the steps to their basic form for young girls. It is even better at our house because Rebecca is learning correct form and moves so that she can help reteach at her dance classes on Mondays.

The Nutcracker is designed by the mom-preneur team of Stephanie and Mary Kate who are dedicated to bringing the beauty and magic of ballet into the lives of children everywhere. The 40 minute show joins  Prima Princessa as she takes a holiday adventure filled with snow fairies, toy soldiers and sweets abundant, Performed by the esteemed San Fransisco Ballet children can get up and learn real ballet steps from actual students at the School of American Ballet in New York City.

This is a wonderful gift for the dancer in your life.  With the upcoming holiday season approaching this would be a great way to introduce the magic of ballet to your yong one. It is geared to the ages of 3-6, and of course 11 yr old girls who want to learn choreography. I think that Prima Princessa and Rebecca make a great team as she ventures forth from the smallest of plies to the grandest of jetes

Regan at Work

My computer has found a new owner over the weekend. Regan is so very excited that she has been asked by a focus group to take on a four day job. She is doing several assignments for a company and is going to be well compensated for her time. She is so happy feeling like her opinion matters to a big company. She is taking each assignment seriously and has spent a great deal of time making sure her answers are just right.

And of course most importantly she is spending the money before she has even finished the work. As much as I am happy that Regan is getting a taste of work and responsibility the fact is she is terrible with any amount of money. She hates the thought of saving a dime of it. In this case she has planned on several items that her money could be well spent on.

For instance she thinks it will buy her a laptop. I have assured her that not only will she not be making enough to purchase a new laptop computer....she certainly would not be able to afford Internet on top of that. What good would it be to have the bare basics and not much else.

Next she would like to buy herself a cell phone. Well now she will be making enough for a cell phone, but in no way could she afford a plan to go with it. I reminded her that a cell phone that only works for a month is not really worth it, and having the phone alone will do nothing.

She also thought that she would like her own itouch. Which again is not really in the price range of what she will be receiving....but then someone suggested we could look at the refurbished ones for sale at the apple store, and maybe get a good deal.

To this I have to say:

"Quit helping People"!!!!!!!!

How about teaching Regan to save up for something she really wants. Let's teach her to spend just a bit, and how much better it is to save and invest in your future. If she isn't taught moderation and basic financial skills, how is she going to learn to function later in life. My darling Regan is developing for herself a very technology rich future....but she wont be able to afford to keep them going. Luckily we have a month before payday is expected and I am hoping by then sense and reason will reign supreme.

But she is 13 and who do I think I am kidding?

AAAAAAK!!! I hate BUGS!

Let me preface this by saying Thank the Lord above that we have had rain this last week, and we are expecting it to rain most of this weekend too. The after effects of having it so dry on south Texas drought country makes me question my desire for rain. First of all the crickets everywhere are disgusting. I don't mean just a few...I mean like thousands and thousands. In fact it made the front page of the local paper the crickets swarming downtown getting into every office. My girls school smells like dead crickets because although the bugs have no odor while alive...they stick to high heaven when they are dead.

Secondly the mosquitoes are every where. Now one of the things I love about my house is that we are nowhere near standing water for these blood suckers to breed. Our little honeymoon house (AKA the closet sized crack house) was across the street from the town drainage ditch. I pretty much bathed in bug spray on a daily basis the four years we lived there. All of a sudden we are having a massive mosquito outbreak at my current house, and I can't figure out where they are breeding from. we have no backyard water scape with pond filters. We have no neighbors with anything like that. We do have a neighbor with a swimming pool, but mosquitoes do not breed in chlorine. No idea how they got in my house and bitten us up.

Finally we have the flies. Now flies are not on their own terrible, but they are annoying. My flyswatter is in use all the time, and we are in the midst of fall when all these bugs should have moved on or become dormant by now. As we move into another week of potential downpours all I can say is I HATE BUGS!!!!!!!!

Mum's the word at Homecoming

It is homecoming week in our small town and my social child Rebecca had planned a whirlwind week of activity. Now the policy at our house is that as long as Rebecca is well behaved at home and school and maintains her straight "A" average, then we will do our best to accommodate her social calendar (yes I know....she is just 11). It is our way of preemptive parenting. We know what means most to her in the world, being around people, and the thought of having any of that taken away is usually the perfect incentive for her to toe the line. The few times she gets in trouble and she is stripped of social engagements then she fixes the behavior that got her into that predicament. In other words I know what she will work hard for and I hold it over her head.

With it being Homecoming week, we were already scheduled to be in the parade on Monday night. Thursday she wanted to go to the junior high game, and Friday night the Varsity game. Most importantly (in her mind) was the piece de resistance....the mum. She had gone last week to a neighboring town's homecoming and was so coveting the beautiful flowers with the ribbons and accessories trailing down to your knees. She had also convinced some of her best friends that they must also have these if they even were going to show up to the game otherwise (I was informed) they would be "losers".

John Mark put out the expectations for the girls to each get a mum. For Regan it was to keep her temper in check this week. For Rebecca she had to organize her closet which currently looked like this:Well with the terms settled and agreed upon by all parties concerned. John Mark went down to the local florist and ordered both the girls this epitome of social status. Last night before heading off the the junior high game my friend Audra and I snapped pics of the girls all getting ready for their big night out. Here are my cuties all primed and ready for the social football game.
Here is Rebecca with four of her best friends. Who had planned the perfect outfits (I know who would have thought that was jeans and tshirts), the perfect hairstyles...which again I am shocked really consisted of the same ponytails and throw-up styles they do every day. Then with just a touch of make-up they were ready to rock the stadium. Yes I realize Rebecca is awfully short compared to all of her friends..... she was even trying to stand on her toes to even out the heights.

The Mom of Ow-ee Girl and Becca

In the last few weeks I have done a lot of substitute teaching at the school. This is partly to blame for all my random posting and being inconsistant (note again I said partly). This week I was once again with the darling Pre-K group. This year I have been with them about four times and it is a completely precious group of children. They love to hug and cuddle. They love that my last name is a color they are learning. They also love my girls....but could not understand that they were both my children. It was not a concept that would translate.

Honestly my girls have very little in common apart that I personally remember vividly giving birth to each of them. Most people would not put them together as sisters. They do not resemble each other in looks, style, ability, socially, or any other way you can think of. One of the things they both do have in common is a genuine love for children younger than them.

Rebecca is much loved by all the little kids. Many of the girls she has helped teach at the gym in dance class. She is quick to learn their names and talk with each one. Rebecca is a pretty child, and often the little boys develop big crushes on her and follow her around with dreamy looks on their little faces. Needless to say all the little kids love their "Becca".

Regan is treated with much respect at school. She is always friendly, but I think her walker (and for the moment her wheelchair) keep young children at a distance. They like her a lot and tell her hi when she goes by, but always at a distance just to be safe. Regan loves all the little kids too and it is hard for her to understand why Rebecca is always given hugs and has kids hanging off of her...and she does not.

Yesterday when once again I was ensconced in the Pre-K class one of the little boys said "I saw you last night at the parade and pep rally". This week is homecoming in our small town. He continued on, "You were only with the girl with 'ow-ees' though, not Becca".

Don't even Think about calling me Chrissy

Isn't it funny how names define us. We basically become wrapped up in a name that our mothers gave us on a whim. My mother chose to name me Christine Elisabeth. If I had been born a boy I would have been Christopher (not sure about middle name) and there was not going to be any shortening of that name or affectionate nickname to coincide with it. Of course like all young girls I went through a phase where I hated my name. I really wanted to have been named Cherie (with the french pronunciation) it sounded exotic and mysterious to my young ears.

In reality though Christine is a name that really suits me well. It is a strong intelligent name that means "follower of Christ", and I have learned to love it and embrace it with all of it's "Christine-ness". I could never (shudder) tolerate a nickname.

For Example, I could never be a Chrissy or Christie although nicknames have been attempted...and probably because I tend to have a bubbly personality they could have potentially stuck. I was having none of that. The only time in life I allowed myself a nickname was high school and that was really just because all nine letters in my name did not fit on my cheer uniform or megaphone.....so for a bit there I was Cris (it puts in my head a cubicle junkie finding a health insurance lead). It was a strong derivative still with an intelligent air and I tolerated it although very few people actually called me by that nickname. In fact the only time I remember it even coming up is when I dated a guy in high school briefly named Chris, and then of course linking the two names was sort of a joke.

As far as shortening my name there is one that just drives me insane. The name Chrissy bugs me in particular for two reasons and I do want to say I am sorry to any Chrissy's out there who might get offended reading this post..

1. It reminds me of Suzanne Somers of "Three's Company" which I watched growing up. The idea of being that dumb went against everything I was raised to be. I did not want to be cast in that light. Although the name suited her character perfectly
2. My Grandpa who had a bad habit of putting down everyone (but in a jovial manner so that he can call it a joke when you call him on it). He thought the nickname was perfect to match my boy crazy social life. To me he might as well be calling me a tramp every time he tried to get the nickname to stick. I finally put my foot down and refused to talk to him unless he called me by Christine

It is amazing to me how we grow and shape a name to become an integral part of who we are. I now can't imagine myself being anything but a Christine. Am I the only one with identifies so strongly when it comes to names? Do you feel that your name suits you?

Down to the last Grains of Sand

Regan is an 8th grader this year.
This means quite a few things for us, but primarily this is her last year at her beloved rural school. The little country school my girls go to only goes through 8th grade. The final year the students are preparing to head to the local high schools in the area. The great part is there is a wonderful selection. Within 5-15 miles in any direction there are five high schools to choose from (two Catholic and three public). You would think this would be wonderful to be faced with so many choices, but the truth is with Regan there really are other things that we have to use in determining her destination.

With her cerebral palsy affecting her physically it is important to look at handicapped accessibility. Yes all schools in Texas must be to some degree, but two of the choices are from such old buildings that I don't think they have changed so much as their furnace filters in the last fifty years. Those would be the Catholic schools which not only are painfully not really accessible, but will also not have the services such as PT, OT, RT, and special education prompts in place that we would need. That knocks two schools off the list.

Our local school that my girls have not attended due to the fact that I find our home district unsafe and not as educationally challenging is my last resort option. It is the largest of the local public schools. We have friends who work at the school in the classroom, administration, and through the school board. I know she could be looked after but it is also much larger than we are used to and it is imperative that she get her individual attention and a personalized game plan. Coupled with the fact that drugs, violence, and gang activity have seemingly rocked out small town....I have labeled our local school a last resort (and would even consider homeschooling over sending her there).

That leaves the final two choices for a public school. One I really love in a smaller town 10 miles south of us. The school district is exemplary, it is small in class size (about 60-80 kids per grade), and has a brand new high school built in the last five years completely up to code. It is my dream school for Regan. The problem then lies in the fact that will not take any transfers from out of town. You must live within the school district to attend the school. Yes, I have every intention of putting my house on the market, but my deadlines are quickly approaching and I am behind.

It feels like the hourglass is on its last ounce of sand, and we have decisions to make.

Why don't they make scratch and sniff screens?

Earlier today my house was filled with the smell of grilled burgers. Then the girls made cupcakes and we had a sinfully sweet odor drifting through the house. Now everyone is settling down and I am ready for a non food calming scent to waft through the air.

So with the kitchen cleaned up and the kids out of the way, I switched on my new Febreze Home Collections Green Tea Citrus scent. I love clean scents. It isn't that I don't appreciate the smells of food, but after I have eaten, I really don't like the smell to linger. I would prefer to relax to a clean citrusy scent that I can place on my kitchen counter and forget about.

It looks kind of like a candle in the picture. It gives off a warm glow and a subtle scent that slowly infuses the space and my mood. So I can quietly relax on the sofa, pop open my book and settle down myself. Thank you Febreze for sending me yet another item from your collection that helps further my addiction to your line (as if sniffing my carpets, drapes, and sofa weren't bad enough).

Character Flaw #1: High Energy

I know that by any means I am not all that I can be. There are plenty of faults I have and I admit too. What I have a hard time with is is deciding if a character trait is a flaw or just part of the unique make up of me, and if it is a flaw....should I try and fix it? Would it better my life at all? So here I go into one of my character flaws that I am criticized for.

"Christine is high energy"

ummmmmmm Yes,
Yes I am.

I am sometimes energizer bunny high energy. I bounce, flit, and move quickly from one thing to another. I find it hard to focus and easily bore. I like new and different and embrace everything life throws out at me with a lot of energy. I am still the bouncy high school cheerleader that is in a great mood, and greets everyone that way.

It is a character trait that I recognize as not everyone's cup of tea. It can be difficult sometimes to be around someone who is high energy if you are not that kind of person. So I decided that I would point out the bad and good of this flaw to see if it is something I should work on or leave alone and the hell with what anyone else thinks.

The Good:

1. My girls do not tire me out easily, neither do the kids at school, or my darlings I coach at the gym. In fact I love kids and love them high energy and free spirited. I love the challenge of kids who others find difficult.
2. I am a willing party to almost anything. Need a car buddy for a road trip...I am your gal, someone who wants to shop at 3am on Black Friday...call me. Want me to drop everything and come to your house to help with a project...I am there in five mnutes.
3. I am always flexible and adaptable probably because I bore so easily.
4. Luckily I married a pretty high energy guy. He is not a still person either, and would rather be outside golfing or cooking at all times.
5. I am always up for a party and being social. In fact I'll host let me know when.
6. Need a friend at midnight or at 7am call me, I don't sleep a lot, and chances are I am available.

The Bad:

1. When I am on vacation with friends I have worn them out. In fact my last trip to Disney Rebecca said some of the other parents were complaining.
2. Some parents don't like to send their kids to my house because then they always want to come here, and one mother mentioned it is hard to compete with all that I have going on.
3. It is hard for me to focus on things to long, so if you want a conversation with me to last more than ten minutes....you probably need me seatbelted in and on the road. Chances are I will change the conversation anyway.
4. I always have something going on, and juggling several projects, books, ideas, etc. People have stopped asking because it tires them out to hear all that is going on.
5. Good friends are few and far between, because it is can honestly be hard to keep up. The great friends I have are wonderful, but as I mature I think most people have expected me to mellow more than I have.
6. As the girls have gotten older they have noticed that I do not behave and do like most of their friends mothers. It does not matter if their friends like coming over and getting involved in my latest project...the girls have asked that I tone it down a bit and be just a little more normal.

There you have it.
I am a 37 year old High Energy gal. Do you know people like me? Do people who resemble Rachel Ray in persona irritate the crap out of you? It's okay I am looking at serious character analysis and trying to decide if taking it down a decible or so would be a good thing, or do you think like a good cheese I will mellow more with age?
Weigh in I am curious and open

Big Daddy EZ Lasso Review

Trick Roping
I can honestly say it is not something I would have ever though Rebecca would be interested in. Her summer camp offers trick roping as one of it's classes and you could have knocked me over with a feather when this picture came up on the camp website. There she was pure joy with a lasso. It is one of the activities she still talks about how fun it really is when you learn.

When I talked to the people at Monkey Business Sports it was with great excitement that I could bring part of the joy of summer camp home to Rebecca. They sent us The Big Daddy EZ Lasso to try out. It comes complete with the rope and an instructional DVD. I am excited to tell you that it was a great surprise for her and a really fun activity we have enjoyed.

The DVD leads you through how to get started with the basic twisting of your wrist. Then the first beginning Trick of switching hands while spinning. The tricks get more advanced as you learn and advance through the DVD. It is easy to understand and follow. We had no problems getting through the instructions.

Rebecca claimed to not need the DVD at first and was back to twirling the lasso right away, but she did want to learn the "Merry-Go-Round" trick and we popped in the DVD for instruction. Even Regan wanted to get in on the action , but I am afraid trick roping is one of those fine motor skills that do not come easy for her with her cerebral palsy.

I recommend this toy and DVD for any child six and up (and I do mean on up because Rebecca is 11 and had a blast). It is a perfect starter for any little cowgirl or cowboy. It would also be a great compliment to any cowboy/cowgirl Halloween costume to entertain the crowd and garner treats with your tricks.

Zhu Zhu pets: Commercial Retake

The girls have been on a commercial kick lately and this weekend wrote their own for Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters. We recently had a party with these adorable little pseudo pets and it is now required when you come to my house to bring your hamster along for play. Honestly I am glad to have found a pet in the meantime to distract from the dog conversations. If you haven't seen these adorable toys they are a lot of fun and have kept us entertained for hours.

Sentimental Sunday

This afternoon my good friend Cheryl and I were discussing junior high romance. Both of us have girls this age, but different opinions on the subject. I look back upon my junior high days and remember being so excited when a boy asked you to "go with him" as the phrasing went in the '80's. I remember my heart skipping a beat and thinking about seeing them at the Friday night football games with a large group of all your friends. Passing the random notes between classes, and maybe a quick shy and embarrassed phone call (with the voices of your brother and sister in the back ground squealing about a boy in need of an acne treatment calling the house).

That isn't to say I don't remember the bad times too. The boy who broke up before valentines and gave the carnation meant for you to another girl. The boy who really just wanted to find someone to "make out" with and then broke up when he found out you aren't that kind of girl. These to me are hard lessons but worthy of learning. To test the waters a bit to understand what relationships are about at all types of levels even the most immature. It is a foundation and stepping stone for future relationships. In my mind to know your heart you have to use it and learn from it.

Cheryl has a completely different idea. She prefers her daughter to remain on the sidelines of teen romance scene and not share her heart at all. To keep it pure and intact for when the right one comes her way. She says a piece of your heart gets torn away with each relationship you try. A fine and noble concept that I completely admire. I know her daughter has watched and learned by avoiding the pitfalls of her lovelorn classmates. She has figured out that the guys around her are not right for her. It has worked for her daughter to some degree but in my opinion it is not a route you learn or grow from.

I don't think either of us is right or wrong, just very different opinions. I don't think I would be able to love my husband as much as I do If I had not learned some of my lessons the hard way. As I guide my girls through their own junior high romances I wonder if I am dong the right thing by allowing them to test the waters with these beginner relationships, or if indeed I am not leaving their hearts pure for their one true love. I am curious to what others remember about this age are there good lessons to be learned, or just lessons to be avoided?

Pirate's Booty: A Snack Review

I had planned all these cute pictures of my girls enjoying snacking on their Pirate's Booty. I had thought it would be fun to interview them about how much they liked them in their school lunch boxes, and as an after school snack at the gym. We received this cute little treasure box filled with several flavors of Pirate's Booty to review from the Roberts Gourmet Snack company. Although this is already a product we know and love. Unfortunately it was not the way I planned it to go originally.

Confession Time:

The girls only got to have one bag of each flavor, because John Mark and I ate the rest. I kid you not!!! I guess I could have posted pictures of me with my cheeks stuffed full of Bermuda Onion Flavor. Maybe you would have enjoyed me timing John Mark on how fast he can scarf down a bag of the barbecued ones. If there were an Olympic contest on how fast can you down five snack size a bag of Pirate's Booty then you would see some major gold at my house.

Yes we love the stuff, and I promise my girls do really enjoy them as lunchtime snacks and after school goodies. It is a treat we have been eating for a few years now. My sister usually always has a bag at her house for us to snack on too. The great thing about these is that it is a healthy alternative to chips. Pirate's Booty are baked, all natural, and gluten free which is a huge plus to some of my friends who find it difficult to snack and don't have a lot of choices.

Stair Sledding

Rebecca and her friends were playing with my video camera at a friend's house. Yes, she is the one who trips and falls. This video cracks us up all the time, and I thought it was time to share, Enjoy!

Pet Wars

We are a petless home. Well, except for the carnival prize goldfish that lasted two days (but still illicited tears and a funeral). It wasn't our intention to have no pets at all, in fact we all really like the idea of having a pet, but there are a few things standing in our way.

First of all Regan has a fear of all animals she does not know. That being said, there are a few she has warmed up to over time and that has prompted us to consider actually getting one. I would love to get her a dog known for being gentle and disability friendly, and I think it would be a great companion for her and our whole family.

Secondly, I really need to move so there is no reason to have a pet in a house you don't intend to live in for much longer. Trying to deal with a pet and pet hair when I have enough to do at the moment is just not realistic.

Thirdly, what kind of pet can we all agree on. I would personally like a cat, because I love how independent in nature they are, and how fun their personalities can be. John Mark and I had a cat when we got married, and I just loved that prissy thing. We had to get rid of him when we brought Regan home from the hospital, first because it was angry with being neglected and peed everywhere, and secondly it thought Regan's oxygen tubes were a chew toy. So it was out the door within a week of Regan coming home, but since I had a baby at home to deal with the loss of the cat did not affect me that much. ***On a side note Rebecca was trying to encourage a stray cat last week who was on our back patio one evening. She put out some grilled shrimp we had eaten earlier in a bowl, and left the outdoor lights on. I am pretty sure it was not used to people, and took off.

The last problem we have is that if we decide on a dog we have very different ideas of what kind of dog to get. My parents and brother have golden retrievers, and I love those dogs. They are wonderful sweethearts and even Regan works well with them. The girls and I are huge fans of Golden's. John Mark wants more of a manly guard dog. He like rottweilers, dobermans, and German shepherds...all of which seem very scary to me. I know it depends on the individual personality of the dog, but they just don't have that warm feel I would want in a family pet.

Luckily we are not deciding on a pet today, but it is becoming part of the daily conversation here, as the girls are anxious to know what kind of pet we can get when we move. Want to throw in your two cents, I would be happy to hear all opinions.

Overcoming School Anxiety: Book Review

"This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Overcoming School Anxiety and it's publisher, who supplied the book for review."

This year with both of my girl's in junior high, they were apprehensive for different reason. Regan really wanted to end her years at school on a high note. She has not always been the most successful student. She has displayed her temper on several occasions, and not been considered a model leader. She so badly wants to finish her eighth grade year as someone to look up to, and have the grades that will help her be successful in high school. With her disability she faces every year with a batch of new children that she has to get to know, and explain "why she walks in a walker", and "why she has braces on her legs". Coupled with her being a true teen with all kinds of anger issues it is no wonder she was worried with how school was going to go this year.

Just in time for school I read Diane Peters Mayer's book Overcoming School Anxiety. The book addresses being different in school and how to handle it. Regan is the only physically disabled child in her whole school district, so she tends to stand out no matter what. Most of the time she handles it all with grace and poise, but when she is nervous or angry then everything goes right out the window. She and I practiced some of the stress management skills talked about in the book, and we had a discussion about her limitations and her strengths that helped her face the first days with confidence.

We are now in the third week of school, and so far things have been smooth as far as her grades and expectations of her peers and teachers. She is happy that everything has been going so well, and is hoping that for the first time she will be included in the student leadership program at school. I think with the skills we have armed her with and the help I got from the book she will have a terrific year.

The Diorama Mama

Diorama....
I just love that word. It just fills me with joy as I envision shoe boxes filled with creativity and a child's point of view. I am not sure why I have this obsession with dioramas. I assume it goes back to middle school book reports and getting to recreate a scene with how I saw it in my imagination. Any time I can find an excuse to get kids involved in this activity I will.

Last year I had my 1st-4th grade GT (gifted and talented) group make ecological habitats that contained at least seven items in nature found in that particular environment. That way when they went back to their classrooms and took them for show and tell, their classmates had the challenge of identifying the seven things.

This year I am starting the year off with my 5th-8th grade group learning about the Roman Empire. I knew I wanted to incorporate shoebox dioramas right from the start to see how creative they could get. The first assignment is to capture a typical day in the life during the Roman Empire. Rebecca is choosing to do a festival box. Some of the other children are showcasing things like a market, a wedding, fishing, inside the Colosseum, etc.

I think I am going to do a box along with them. Should I showcase the orgies? The vomitorium? The virgin priestesses? The slave market?

Well of course not! It is middle school and junior high kids after all. They have years before true history has to be known, right now we will stick with the generic white bread versions we all know.

Okay well maybe just a little animal sacrificial alter (maybe they won't notice).

Am I the only one who is a diorama mama?

Football Season and the Family Television

"Guess what today is?" John Mark announced yesterday as he came bouncing in. I know it is odd to have a husband that bounces, but honestly if you knew him and all of his boundless energy it would come as no surprise. "It's College Game Day!"...he did not even wait for a response from any of us just continues his dancing around in his own world. He dreams of the day of a wall of LCD tvs to enjoy games from every channel in one spot.

The girls and I just watched him for a moment, and then proceeded to go back to our own projects. It is hard to get excited about something you really don't care that much about. It isn't that I don't enjoy football. I just like it as a real life spectator sport. I like the energy of being around a crowd of people who are cheering for their team. I love the social aspect of chatting with friends. I like to watch the sport in real action...and of course I love the cheerleaders because it is familiar and what I used to do.

Watching on TV, I could pretty much do without. I don't mind the Dallas Cowboys because I am interested in how they do, and of course they have the best cheerleaders (Have you seen their show). My girls pretty much feel the same way. Regan would rather be watching anything but sports and Rebecca would rather be doing something other than mindlessly watching television.

Rebecca was the first to break it to her dad that the we had plans for the living room TV. We were doing a Wii challenge since we have a game system on loan to us for the moment. We also had plans to watch Mama Mia later on TIVO.

John Mark looked flabbergasted. Why would we want to play games and watch a musical over football? His shoulders dropped and the bounce disappeared as he headed to the back of the house to enjoy his beloved football in the quiet of the bedroom. Poor guy to have no one on his side once again.

Disappointed in the Broken Bounce Dryer Bar

***This product was not sent to me by the Bounce company and it is not in conjunction with an organized review. These are purely my own findings.

Last week I had a coupon to purchase the new Bounce Dryer Bar. I am a big fan of their dryer sheets, and I have always loved the smell of my laundry when I use them. It actually took me a while to track down the bar because it isn't available yet at most of the places I shop (HEB, Dollar General) in my small town. Then we were in the city last week, and I was able to use my coupon. It was worth it to buy the bar at a big discount.

I read the directions and peeled off the paper backing to affix it to inside of my dryer on the smooth panel according to directions. It has worked well through approximately eight loads. I love how my clothes have smelled coming out of the dryer...I swear it is like a drug, I can't wait to have a fresh t-shirt under my nose as soon as my dryer cycle is done. Then today I emptied my dryer, and it came out with the clothes.

Broken
No longer stuck to the side (the adhesive did not work) and looking really sad with lint stuck to it.


First of all I am really disappointed that this did not work like it is designed to. Secondly, I am contemplating keeping the chunks and throwing them in my dryer anyway because they make my clothes smell so good. I hate it when a product doesn't work out like you hoped.

Anyone else having problems with the Bounce Dryer Bar?

This Week in Reflection

This week I was so determined to be more consistent now that summer is over, but I ended up being at my girls school every day but Wednesday this week. Hence, that day all of a sudden got two posts, and everything else seems lacking. I am hoping this weekend to catch back up on my work, but in the meantime enjoy my fun week as I re-cap.

• Regan is still in her wheel chair after getting scraped up on the track last week because the scabs reopen on her knees when she is to active in her walker. It is frustrating to me that she is inactive right now....she on the other hand loves being lazy.
• Rebecca's friend that all the drama was with of course called to apologize and she had really meant to play what she thought was a funny joke. She has been grounded for many weeks, and had all online and media social interaction taken away until further notice by her parents. They are friends again though (isn't it funny how that happens).
• I subbed as a teacher's aide this week for three days and found out four year old boys will point at my chest and yell "boobies" and then laugh hysterically. It really is helping me understand my husband more
• I have been at school so much that I feel like maybe I should pack up a few cardboard moving boxes and take over the storage space. Hook me up with a laptop that is not connected to the school satellite (no blogging or social sites can be accessed through school site) and I am good to camp out for a while.
• Monday and Tuesday I am back with the school gifted and talented program. The 1-4th graders are working on a theme of American Indians, and the 5-8th graders the Roman empire. It came as no surprise when we brainstormed ideas that the boys all want to build war machines and gadgets, and the girls all want to research fashion and social lives of the Romans.
• Thanks to the invaluable help of my friend Shannon who you can find at mylastshredsofsanity.blogspot.com . Now if you click on my links (except one I am still working with)...they all connect to something. She also helped me clean up my tabs, and was so very patient with me. Click on a link and check for yourself!!!!

Look for several more posts over the weekend...and all links working. I am starting to get through my goals just like I wanted to.

Junior High and the Start of Drama Season

Well a new school year has started and with the advent of football/volleyball and fall, comes the most important season to Junior High Girls....Drama Season. It breaks my heart that girls everywhere have to go through this very trying time of growth and development. The maturing difficulties, gossip, bullying, and just plain mean.

Last year Rebecca had some very hard lessons to learn about being on the other side of the table and what it meant when a "mean girl" gets rehabilitated. This year she starts off being a recipient, and learning a new lesson.

She has liked a boy from a neighboring town for a few months now. She has seen him sometimes at the home of mutual friends, and then last Friday at a football game. They have talked a bit and she thought that over the next few months maybe he would ask her to be his girlfriend. Imagine her excitement on Monday then when he texted her on my telephone that he liked her and would love to have her as his girlfriend.

She was so excited!
She couldn't wait to share the news with all of her best friends who are her support system. Many of them who knew that she had a crush on him. She spent the evening, and the next day calling and telling her friends from school. She also tried to get ahold of on her best friends "C" from the boy's town to let her know.

Yesterday at the gym when her "C" came in for class Rebecca nearly tackled her in excitement to let her know....but "C" brought with her the news that the young man had changed his mind, and did not want to do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing after all. Well Rebecca was disappointed but an hour later she was ready to move on and didn't give it to much thought.

"C" left the gym to head home for the evening and then texted Rebecca on my phone a little while later with a confession. It had been her all along, pretending to be the boy Rebecca liked the day before. She had thought it would be a funny prank to play, and that she was sorry.

Now Rebecca is angry because one of her best friends played such a mean trick on her. She is embarrassed that she told so many people and now has to go back and correct the situation. She is worried the young man will find out, and never want anything to do with her again. She is heartbroken because the trust that she thought she had in a loyal friend was not really there.

This morning I called the girl's mother to tell her about the situation and she is handling it. I am sad that a joke went bad at the expense of my child, but I understand the lessons that have to be learned with it. Rebecca learned to not trust blindly things that come from text/Internet. She learned that her friends make bad choices, just like she has made in the past. She has learned that friendship and trust are treasures to not be abused. She has learned not every joke or prank is funny especially if you are the victim.

What lessons did you come away with in Junior High?

Lysol Review and Giveaway

I am not usually nervous about Cold and Flu season, the reason being as that as a rule we are really a healthy family. We are rarely sick, maybe the random child with a cold and slight fever once a year, but nothing unmanageable. This year though I must admit to being a little more apprehensive.

A neighboring community has an outbreak of Swine flu at the school, and it has made me step back and make sure I am taking better precautions. Including sanitizing and disinfecting the girls things. We interact with a lot of kids from neighboring communites when we are at the gym in the evenings for gymnastics and cheer. I have to be more careful to wash hands more, and have hand sanitizer in my purse for in between times. I was fortunate that the nice people at Lysol sent me disinfecting spray, and wipes to make my job much easier.

The Lysol brand has teamed up with Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician, mother of three school aged-children and owner of an educational daycare center. She would like to share her back to school checklist with moms to help them prepare their children for a healthy and happy school year. Her tips include:

The Health administration is predicting a very serious cold and flu season, so teach your children about healthy hygiene habits before they go back to school and get exposed to classroom germs, like MRSA or H1N1 virus. Check out the new educational Web Site for kids, developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at www.oopkids.com. This kid-friendly Web site is designed to educate children about healthy hygiene habits and safety routines.

– This Web site is an expansion from an existing health campaign with the CDC – Ounce of prevention.

Send school germs packing by encouraging your children to drop their book bags, take off their shoes and leave their coats at the door when they walk in. Send them straight to the sink to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds (long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice!) while you spray their bags with Lysol Disinfectant Spray to help kill bacteria they may have picked up from the school bus, the playground or the classroom.

– Lysol Disinfectant Spray effectively kills 99.9% of bacteria on soft surfaces, including the family couch! (Press release available upon request)

– For more information, check out the Lysol Back to School Information Center at send germs packing

GIVEAWAY: In order to help my readers’ homes and families stay healthy this school year, Lysol has generously offered two readers the chance to win a 12.5 oz Lysol Disinfectant Spray and two 40 ct. canisters of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes – one for home and one to send to the classroom! This giveaway open to United States residents only. It will close at 12:00 pm CST on September 10, 2009. If you enter Anonymously please leave your email address to get in touch with you.

Enter Now
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