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".