It's almost summer!

It was super hot today, ok, well super hot for May in Western Washington. It was in the 80's today.

Ellie had her first day of baseball today. They called her the big hitter, and she was the only kid they called a big hitter. Once she made contact with the ball she hit it far!!

After baseball we came home, had lunch, packed some snacks and other stuff and headed out to Kayak Point. Ellie has been begging me for weeks to go to the beach, even when it was raining! She fell asleep in the van on the way with her goggles on, it was so sweet. We didn't even know that she put them on but looked back and saw her sleeping with them on.

At Kayak point there is a super cool play structure there and also the beach (saltwater.) One part is a huge structure of ropes that you can climb way up to the top. Cassie and Ellie both climbed to the top. Ellie did it first, and Cassie couldn't let her little sister beat her so she did it too. Ellie couldn't be outdone, so she did it again.

(Cassie sitting at the top)

(Ellie standing at the top)

Cassie and Ellie played alot in the water. When I went down to the beach with Miss Elyza she tried to eat rocks, everytime I'd pull a rock out of her mouth she would put another in. If you have never felt the water on Washington's coasts, it's COLD, but they loved playing in it anyway.

Miss Elyza and I spent most of the time playing in the shade on a blanket. Here are some sweet pictures of her just because she's beautiful.

We left a little earlier than planned because Miss Elyza turned into a crabby apple. She desperately needed a nap and couldn't nap with all of the activity. But all the kids napped on the way home. (Didn't get Elyza napping because she is still rear facing)

My Hero

Yesterday Ellie told me that she has decided that she no longer wants to be a fire-fighter. She told me with a little apprehension, maybe because I never acted displeased with her choice she thought it was what I wanted.

I told her that this was fine and asked her what she wanted to do.

I think she had been contemplating this for ooohh.... about 5 days.

She said she wants to be a newspaper girl. I asked her if she wanted to deliver newspapers or write for the newspaper, I was hoping for the latter. She said: "I want to to deliver newspapers on my two-wheel bike." She is just so excited about being able to ride her bike without training wheels.

(read the Determination blog post if you haven't already)

She has a whole plan laid out. I will buy a two-wheel bike for myself to ride and she will teach me to ride it without training wheels, now isn't that so sweet? Then we will ride together and deliver newspapers. If the door is far away from the sidewalk she will get off of her bike and walk up to deliver the newspaper on the doorstep and if the door is close she will just throw the newspaper from her bike. When she throws the paper the people in the house will hear the bump and they will run out and get their newspaper. She said she would like to start this career when she's Cassie's age (10.)

She was surprised to hear that when I told her that when I was 10 I delivered newspapers. She wanted to know why I didn't tell her this before, such an important piece of information!

Now I am really her hero, little does she know or even understand, SHE IS MY HERO.

Artichokes

These are my girls! They love artichokes, and so do I.

Ellie begs for them regularly. Lately we have been eating them very often. She can eat an entire artichoke and then some. And she's been getting 1/2 of my heart outta of me too! She scarfs hers down while I am cleaning up mine and then she says, I will share that one with you, as if she had rights to it the entire time and she's being nice sharing with me. Sometimes she even gives me the bigger half!! She's been eating them since she was pretty little, calling them "leaves" for the longest time.

We've been finding huge and nice artichokes at Costco, 4 for $5 which is a great deal. Sometimes I have to make 3 for dinner for the three of us!

Elyza also likes them and she manages to get the meat off by herself with her little teeth. It's so cute watching her eat them. I know at her age she will eat pretty much anything but I hope she continues to love them.

Yep, they are Mama's girls!

Sickies

Yesterday morning before I left for work Elyza started throwing up. She seemed ok otherwise and I went in anyway. I have an hour commute and when I got to work I started to have a knot in my stomach. After 4 hours I had to leave, I felt nauseous and my stomach hurt worse. I am glad I came home because my noon I was throwing up and had a fever, a few hours later I had it coming out the other end, fun stuff. Doug had to leave work 1/2 way through his shift because I could not take care of myself, let alone my babies. I had a fever and was sick all of last night and most of today, although I must say I feel better today, but not great.

Elyza has the same thing, she's been fussy and just generally unhappy since yesterday. I wish she could talk and tell me how she feels!! Oh wait, don't want her to talk, Ellie talks enough for both of them. I also have her in disposable diapers right now because she pooed on all of her covers for her cloth which are now in the wash. We've been doing laundry all day because Elyza threw up several times yesterday and we went through lots of sheets and towels.

Doug has been sick today too, but went to work anyway, I told him to come home but he said he's stay. He tends not to get as sick as the rest of us though, so I hope that it what happens.

Ellie started saying she had a tummy ache last night but Doug thought she was copying me. Then today she said it over and over again, she pooed a bunch of times and then started throwing up. Poor baby.

Sharp-Tooth

That is what Ellie nicknamed Elyza a few weeks ago . . .and a Sharp-tooth she is. She has 7 teeth, 6 are in all the way, the 7th is 3/4 of the way in. And she's working on number 8.

Yesterday morning she bit me so hard while nursing she drew blood and left tooth marks at the base of my nipple.

She's doing it when she decides she wants to turn her head to look at something, but she wants to keep nursing. She clamps down and turns her head trying to keep the nipple in her mouth.

It hurts really bad, I only tried to nurse her once on that side after that yesterday and it hurt bad. Then today I was so full and I was sore from my wound that it hurt more, so I let her nurse this afternoon.

Don't put your fingers in her mouth, she clamps down immediately. She has reflexes like a crocodile. And it's hard to pry that little mouth open! If you feed her with your fingers you must be F-A-S-T!

Ellie bit me maybe a total of three times. Elyza bites me 10+ times a day. Stinker.

Mother's Day

It's been an ok day. I have been quite crabby all weekend. I had to quit taking my happy medicine when I quit all meds because of my spots. Ugh, I've had enough.

Doug and Ellie got me an umbrella for the table on our deck. It's exactly what I wanted. Ellie picked out the color, Red, because it's my favorite color. Kinda glad there was no rainbow umbrella, because for the past few times she's wanted to get me gifts she has wanted to get me "rainbow" whatever it was... like a rainbow nightgown, rainbow sling for Elyza, etc. Rainbow isn't exactly my thing, too bright and rainbow-ey.

Well after my mom left (she was here all weekend) Doug and I finished the playroom floor! What a relief. And would you believe that we used every single last board. We actually needed one more board because we did not have a top peice to fit in, but we modified it since it was the corner and we will just use some filler. It looks ok. Now we just need to finish the painting (ceiling and mural) and put the moulding back up and then the toys can go it - YAY - the kids have a playroom. We are also not putting on the closet doors, we are going to make the whole closet a toy box, it will be super cool. I will eventually post before and after pictures.

Now we are off to go out for dinner for Mother's Day.

Determination

Ellie has always been a very determined child with an I can and I will attitude. When she was three she decided she wanted to learn to blow bubbles with gum. . .she practiced until she learned, which didn't take long.

She did the same thing with whistling. . .

She got heeley's for her birthday and she practiced until she got it perfect.




Well today she decided she was going to learn something new... and she learned it in a matter of 10 minutes...







She had told me that the neighbor girl who is 5 months older than her could now ride a bike with only two wheels. I told her she could to, so when we came home, I took off the training wheels and she was riding like pro in about 10 minutes! She thought she wanted to at the end of the summer last year but when we took the training wheels off she would barely try. This time once she learned that M could do it she was dertermined not to be out done.

She's ONLY 5!!

And don't you just love her outfits?

My sweet Ellie

Ellie has mentioned a few times that she misses cuddling with me. I try to find time to cuddle with her, but with Doug gone at nights and Elyza hooked to the boob it is hard. Last night I was able to pull Elyza off and keep her asleep so I rolled over to cuddle Ellie and when I did she told me again that she missed cuddling with me. It made me sad. She is not complaining, just commenting. She is such a sweet little peach.


Last night I told her a story about one night when she was about 3 years old and I could not sleep. I was tossing and turning and could not rest. Finally after hours of this I snuggled up to her (she sleeps in my bed) and fell right to sleep. She really enjoyed this story, she likes to hear stories about things that happened "a long time ago."



Lately I have been telling her little stories about my childhood or past stories and she is really enjoying them and it is really helping us relate and connect.

My sweet Ellie.

And Tango Makes Three

The article is posted below that prompted this entry in my blog. Have you ever read "And Tango Makes Three?" It is a wonderful, wonderful, story and I bought it for Ellie for her birthday this year.

This article I read today annoyed me. One quote from the article: "The complaints are that young children will believe that homosexuality is a lifestyle that is acceptable. The people complaining, of course, don't agree with that,"

That would be EXACTLY why I bought the book, to teach my child that homosexuality is a lifestyle that is acceptable. And the people who don't agree with that don't need to read the book. There are many many books that I don't agree with so I don't read them.

Article: Penguin tale tops list of `challenged' books

For the love of . . .

FISH.

Did G'Damn the fish HAVE to die? That is TWO fish this week. We had a goldfish for about 5 months, but for the last 3 months he floated upside down. He would try to get right side up but would eventually end up upside down. It really bothered us, we found out the probable cause was Swim Bladder Disease. Well Jasmine, the gofdfish died last Friday. It was ok because she was clearly miserable and we couldn't help her. We had tried treatments but none worked.

Ellie wanted another fish so I took her to the pet store and we picked out a Beta. Her name was Rainbow (we all know that the betas they sell are males, but she wanted him to be a girl.) She was lively, cute, she ate well, looked at us, etc. And last night we fed her, she interacted with us a bit, then a few hours later she was dead. I couldn't believe it. I was nursing Elyza and I asked Ellie was she was doing. She said "looking at my fish." I said "Ok, well do you want to come to bed?" She said "I think he died." I said "no, he can't be dead honey, we just got him." So then she said "Well he's floating up-side-up." Then she explained that he was floating with his butt up and his face down. I told her ot lightly tap on the glass, she did, nothing, then I told her to move the bowl a little (I was still nursing Elyza and couldn't see) she said he flopped to the side but didn't swim. I was shocked, so I pulled Elyza off and went and looked and sure enough she was D-E-A-D !! What the heck?

The first day we got her she watched her for a long time and then came and told me that Rainbow talked to her (made a little fish face) and said she could understand fish. She told me Rainbow told her "Thank you for the yummy food and the pretty bowl and rock, I love you." She put a special rock in her bowl too. She was so sweet and innocent and seemed to have really bonded with Rainbow.

When she died she was so brave, and at first it seemed that she was taking it ok, but we only had Rainbow for three stinking days but she loved that fish. I could tell she was choking back the tears and trying to be grown up about it, so I told her that she could cry if she needed to. She immediately started bawling, I held her and she talked about how she missed her and wanted to know why she died. So I offered some suggestions that Rainbow was probably old, we could get another Beta, one of Rainbow's kids etc. She wrote a letter to Rainbow and put it by her bowl near where her face was down so she could see it. Then I told her some stories about pets I had when I was a kid or younger to cheer her up while I rubbed her back, then she fell asleep.

Doug took care of Rainbow when he came home from work.

I just don't know if we should try another fish, apparently we are NOT good fish owners.

I don't even have a picture of Rainbow because we had just gotten her!

10 Things to Recycle That You Never Thought You Could

I was looking at the weather today and saw a link to this. I found it interesting and because I am a firm believer in the 3 R's, reusing, reducing and recycling I thought I would share this great and informative article. . .

10 Things to Recycle That You Never Thought You Could

From PDAs to packing peanuts, new ways to keep old things out of the trash

Kelly ReganThursday, February 14, 2008

How full is your trash can? If you're like most people in the U.S., it's much fuller than it could be. Americans recycled just 33 percent of the 250 million tons of garbage they created in 2006, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In comparison to a country such as Sweden, which recycles more than 85 percent of its waste every year, it's clear we can and should do better by moving beyond recycling mainstays like newspapers, cans and bottles. So before you toss something in the trash, think about how it could find new life as another product -- or with another owner.

A few general guidelines:
You can probably recycle more than you think. Visit Earth 911 for the rules in your area -- what can be left curbside, and what your local agency will accept at designated drop-off sites.
Even your most worn-out household items can find new homes. Sell used items on eBay or Craigslist, or give them away through your local freecycle.

Items donated to qualified charitable organizations can be taken as a tax deduction.
Here are some specific ways to recycle 10 surprising items:

1. Vintage doorknobs, radiators, windows and mantels: Donate or sell classic architectural elements to salvage firms or restoration projects. SalvageWeb is an online ad space that links buyers and sellers all over the world; here you can buy an Art Deco church chandelier, or unload a clawfoot tub after renovating your bathroom. Baltimore-based Second Chance Inc. accepts salvage donations and trains low-income people in the art of "deconstructing" buildings.

2. Toothbrushes: Recycline manufacturers its Preserve toothbrush from Stonyfield Farm yogurt containers; return each worn-out brush in a postage-paid envelope and it will be repurposed into plastic lumber. The Radius Original Toothbrush has a handle made of cellulose, an organic fiber. (Radius also recycles the handles of its battery-operated model once the battery runs out.) Or try Eco-Dent's TerrAdenT toothbrush, which has a replaceable head, so the handle can be reused.

3. Foam packaging: Lightweight "peanuts" made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) contain 25 to 100 percent recycled material. The Plastic Loose Fill Council has a "Peanut Hotline" (800-828-2214) you can call to find local recycling centers, including chain-store shippers such as Pak Mail and The UPS Store. To recycle large, molded chunks of EPS used to cushion televisions, air conditioners and such, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.

4. Sneakers: Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program turns used athletic footwear (no cleats) into a material called Nike Grind, used to surface playgrounds, running tracks and outdoor courts. Or send your still-wearable athletic shoes to Shoe4Africa, which forwards them to athletes in developing countries.

5. Toys: Ask your local shelter for homeless families or battered women if they accept gently used toys. The Salvation Army and Vietnam Veterans of America also take used toys. Adult-appropriate items such as board games can be sent to troops overseas through AnySoldier.com.

6. Wine corks: Yemm & Hart, which produces recycled building materials, turns used corks into floor and wall tiles. In Canada, the Bag-a-Cork program collects wine corks for recycling.

7. Motor oil: Recycled motor oil can find new life as a lubricant or fuel. The American Petroleum Institute estimates the electricity created with just 2 gallons of reused motor oil would power the average home for nearly a day. Preserve used oil in a clean container with a secure, leakproof lid. You can recycle the used oil filter, too. Earth 911 has a list of motor oil recycling centers that's searchable by ZIP code.

8. Formal dresses: Charities like Chicago's Glass Slipper Project and New York City's Operation Fairy Dust accept donated gowns, shoes and purses to provide free prom wear to low-income teens. Books such as "Always a Bridesmaid: 89 Ways to Recycle That Bridesmaid Dress" offer tongue-in-cheek recycling advice to every woman who has a hideous gown buried at the back of her closet.

9. Eyeglasses, frames and cases: The Lions Club and Give the Gift of Sight Foundation collect used eyeglasses for needy people around the world. Donate your glasses at one of 17 Lions Clubs recycling centers, or at chains such as Pearle Vision Center, LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut.

10. Computers, cell phones and other e-waste: The EPA maintains a list of charities that accept used electronic equipment. Staples, Office Depot and Best Buy offer in-store e-waste recycling -- Best Buy also recycles used appliances. Dell, Toshiba and Sony lead the way in recycling computer products. Donate cell phones to organizations like The Wireless Foundation or Collective Good. Ship old videotapes and DVDs to Ecodisk or Greendisk. And mygreenelectronics.org connects you with e-waste recyclers in your area.

(I did not take the photograph or make the posted image with this blog post)

Fiber

A few of us from our homeschool group met at Jen's house for a sheep shearing party per say. We showed up a little late but got to see the last one get sheared. And wow, that's alot of wool!!

I have no idea how much yarn this will make, I do have an appreciation for yarn, although I can not knit. I am knitting and crocheting challenged, but I love handmade knitted items for sure!

The kids ran & played and they have a zip line thing that Ellie loved... man she would be on that all the time if it were at our house. It was right up her alley. She did not want to leave but we had to go to the tulips for the last weekend.

Tulip pictures to come. . .

Ellie's Beau

One day Doug and I were on the phone and something was said about the neighbor girl M and Doug said "Well she is Ellie's best friend." I said "No she's not" and turned around and asked Ellie who her best friend was. She promptly said "Gavin." We didn't talk about it after that.

The next time we were at Gavin's house (about a week later) I asked Ellie again, in front of Gavin's mom (but not in front of Gavin) and she again said "Gavin." A few days after that Gavin's mom casually asked Gavin who his best friend was, and without hesitation he said "Ellie." No one told either of them to say that or think that.

When it was Ellie's birthday Gavin went to pick her out a present. The only thing he wanted to get her was a frisbee. His mom asked him if he was sure he didn't want to get something else and he said "No, that is what Ellie wants." The funny part was it really WAS something Ellie wanted. She had been asking for a frisbee, but she said she didn't tell Gavin that.

So there is it, Ellie's best friend is Gavin. He is almost 5, they are 4 months apart, she likes younger men I guess.

The photo above was taken in the Tulip fields in LaConnor WA a few weeks ago.

Addicted

Hello, my name is Angie and I am a Webkinz addict.

Ellie wants me to earn her enough money to buy three pools, so each of her Webkinz can swim at the same time (because only one can swim in a pool at a time.) They cost $1500 Webkinz dollars. Her Cat Neko loves to swim (this is what it told us when she got her) and she knows that dogs love to swim too, she has a German Shepherd and a Husky Webkinz.

So why not, I love some of those games! I have earned her enough now to buy two pools and all the clothes and accessories her little heart desires, just need to play another day or so for her to get another pool. She's lucky that her Mama is addicted to Quizzys Word Challenge along with a few other games.. but with Quizzy's I can earn her the most money!

Clouds

"The clouds are really cool again today Mama!" This is what I heard on the way home again today. So we found more shapes in the clouds. How could you not love her?

This one is an elephant, do you see it?

Chugging right along

This week is a good week on the homeschooling trail. Sometimes I feel lost, I like the "unschooling" approach, but sometimes I get scared and feel like we need some more structure. This week so far has made me feel good about what we do.

Yesterday Doug took Ellie (and Elyza) to a storybook theater play Cinderella, then they went to the park and played for an hour or so. After I picked up the kids from Doug, and on our way home Ellie told me: "Mama, this is a great day to find picturess in the clouds!" This was her idea so we found pictures in clouds, we found a boat, a heart, cat ears, a marshmallow, a duck and a bird. We then stopped at the grocery store where Ellie had her own little coin purse and she bought two items and paid for them herself. We stopped and picked up my dad and Rosie. When we got home Ellie played on the computer a little bit. Then we ate artichokes and she kept saying how healthy they were for you, she loves them! Then we played Hi-Ho-Cherry-O with her and then my dad helped her build her land sail wooden toy from the workshop at Lowes, we skipped it on Saturday, but Doug picked one up while he was there. Right before we left to bring my dad back to his truck Ellie said "I want to draw a map for us to get there." So she sat down and drew a map for us... then she read it all the way there. Then we talked about her making a map of the inside of our house and she loved the idea, so she will work on that soon. When we got home she played with Rosie and then cuddled with her.

Today Doug is taking Ellie to a class at the Padilla Bay Estuary.
High Tide-Low Tide for Mini Explorers
Minis are the 3 to 5 year old learners. – When the tide goes out, plants and animals have lots of tricks for staying wet.

That should be nice and fun and educational!

I am not sure what the rest of the week holds for us but today I feel good about what we are doing.

She's baaaack!

When I went to pick up Rosie (and my dad for dinner) Rosie was out of the truck and when I walked towards them she started barking her I am going to eat you bark. I said "Rosie!" in a stern voice and she ran up to me and rolled onto her back to get a belly rub. She was very very excited to see me and the girls. We all got kisses (yuck) and she came into the house like she lived there. She was very confused when she did not leave with my dad. And when he put his jacket on because he was cold before we left she thought she was going out with him. That made me sad. Ellie played ball with her and layed on the floor with her after we dropped off Grandpa, I think that made Rosie feel better, she does love her kids.

She'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes

March 10th my dad took Rosie out on the truck with him, with the intention that he would keep her. She adjusted and they got quite attached to eachother. She was good for him, she made him walk and get exercise, and she was a companion. He was good for her, she needed someone to love, just one someone who did not have any other pets. It was a perfect match.

But then his company changed policy and said that all pets had to be off trucks by April 1st of 2009. In the few weeks they spent together they were already attached, he did not think it was fair to her or to him that she stay on the truck for another year and then have to leave.

So today she's coming home. Ellie is estatic, me, I am not so sure how I feel. I love Rosie, I really do, she is the one I favor over the other two, but having two dogs was so much easier than three.

There is nothing better than. . .

. . .a box full of packing peanuts.

I took these video of Ellie on her 5th Birthday (almost 2 months ago.) I just rewatched them today.... gotta love this kid.

The playroom halt

We started painting the playroom today. Well, since it was painted bright/dark colors we decided to use a coat of tinted primer first. So that coat is down, we are crossing our fingers that it only takes one coat of paint to cover it now. So we taped and put on the primer. That was a job itself.

We were also planning on laying laminate down, we have 4 boxes from Costco, so over $100 in laminate, and they freaking discontinud that color and now the new stuff has padding attached and I don't think we can use it with it. Since it's the playroom even if it was a close match it would work. I am so irritated. So we might just put down some foam pads instead of laminate... decisions, decisions.

It's coming along great, but with this little interruption I am not sure when we will get it done, I WAS hoping by next weekend, I don't think it will happen that soon now.

Feeling Accomplished

but now the house is a MESS.

We started three projects today. One was finishing the playroom, or the room that will be the playroom. Doug actually had been working on it, tearing out the carpet (the only room that needed laminate still.) Today we painted the ceiling, it was nasty, apparently the people who lived under the stairs (our old roommate) threw food or something on it, because it was gross. So that is painted, then we will prime and paint the walls tomorrow. They are painted really dark/bright colors right now, we are going to do a theme in there, but that's a secret for now. On the way to getting done, but not completed.

The first completed project
A few months ago I had an idea, to build a shelf in the kitchen window, but we are really not that handy with tools -- we are learning, especially since we laid laminate in our entire house last summer. Anyway, I wanted a shelf in the window so I could have more plants (love my plants) and take down the nasty mini blinds. Then one day we decided to get rid of some box springs that were in the garage (we bought platform bed) they were torn up and not really donatable so we started to disassemble then, not an easy task. I saw that some of the wood could be reused and was the perfect size to build the shelf I wanted to build in the kitchen.So today Doug built me my shelf out of the wood from the box springs -- $0 The board taken apart from the box spring



The window before the shelf



The window after the shelf. We will probably paint the shelf or at least stain it, but for now it works and I LOVE IT. Thank You Doug!




The second completed project for today My clothes line -- $10

It’s nothing fancy, but I can dry the diapers on it and some clothes and save some energy while I am at it! We put it on the deck, because in order to get to the backyard we have to go out on the deck and down a flight of stairs. It was in the yard we would not use it as much, so it's on the deck.

A quick glimpse into the mind of Ellie

I think Ellie's brain, like mine, works overtime. Sometimes she can't sleep, she's being restless and she says that her brain won't stop going. Here are some of the the things she thinks about.

Last September we were visiting my mom. I was in the bedroom nursing Elyza and Ellie was in the living room with my Nana (my mom.) My mom told Ellie to go put on her pajamas. Ellie said "I can't" When Nana asked why Ellie said: "All of my pajamas are going around in my brain like this." And she made a fast circular motion abovc her head with her hand. "And it hasn't stopped yet so I don't know what pajamas I want to wear." WOW... this was coming from a 4 1/2 year old. It was amazing she was able to communicate how her brain was working. And if you stop to think about it, this is how your brain works. You decide that you want to put on pajamas, so you think about what pair you may want to wear, your brain quickly scans your pajama inventory without you actually looking at them. And Ellie was able to put that into words.

Almost a year ago Ellie decided that when she grew up she wanted to be a firegirl. After visiting some firemen and going onto the firetruck, she decided that was the job for her. Last night we were talking about it and she still wants to be a firegirl, but she is a little worried about it. The part she is worried about is having to spend the night at the firehouse instead of at home with me. She's not worried about having to fight fires, about getting hurt, she wants to help save people and animals she said... but she is afraid of spending the night away from me.

Another night Ellie and I were talking and I told her that I hoped that when her and Elyza were older that they would be really good friends and be close to eachother. She told me "We will be close Mama, I will sleep in my bunkbed and Elyza will sleep right there with you." (Her bunkbed is in my bedroom next to my bed.) Mind you she doesn't sleep in her bunkbed, but in my bed, but it is comforting to know that when she grows up she won't be sleeping with me anymore, but in her bunkbed.

Think of the Child First

I came across a neat website today and wanted to share. It is how I try to be a parent and it's nice seeing it in official words.

Think of the child first

Small encouragements can make a big difference in the life of a child. Here are some examples of everyday things you can do to put a child first. We hope they will inspire you to put down the laundry and go to the park or take the phone off the hook and read their favorite story. A little time goes a long way.

Encourage Children, Nurture their dreams, it builds self-confidence.

Kids have big ambitions. And even though sometimes they may seem a bit lofty, there’s no harm in supporting them. Saying no to a child’s dreams can cause resentment. It’s best to support their goals rather than to laugh at them and discourage the behavior. For instance, if a child says they want to go to the moon or be the President, buy them a book or take them to a museum to learn more. Often, children grow out of their childhood dreams and develop new ones. But in the mean time, they will feel your love and support.

Here are a few ways to support a child’s big dreams:

• Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up. They will begin exploring occupations.
• Observe sports or activities a child likes, then look into lessons and clubs.
• Take them to the library or museum to find out more about the things that interest them.
• Give them a book, or read them a story to show them you support their interests.

Praise a child when they make a kind gesture. They'll grow up to be kind.

Encourage your child to make a difference in the world and always help him recognize the positive effect the gesture had on the recipient. The goal is for kids to become less dependent on adult guidance by incorporating moral principles in their lives and making them their own.

One of the easiest ways to help kids learn new behaviors is to reinforce them when they happen. This is why you should purposely catch your child when they act morally and acknowledge good behavior by describing what she did right and why you appreciate it.

How to encourage kindness:

• Be kind yourself. Say please and thank when speaking to a child.
• Point out when another child does something nice for someone.
• Teach a child to be kind to animals.
• Open the door for others. A child will model your behavior.

Remove doubt from a child's mind. They will achieve so much more.

Remember to tell a child often that you love them. Tell them when they do a good job and use positive reinforcement every chance you get. Let a child overhear the nice things you say about them to others. This will help them believe in themselves and cause them to practice these positive traits.

Ways to help a child to succeed:

• Build confidence in a child’s abilities. If they ask you to “do something for them,” reply that you’d love to see them do it instead.
• Encourage independence. Most often kids will rise to the occasion.
• When a child makes a mistake, let them know we all make mistakes – it helps us grow.
• Urge children to work on skills they are pretty good at, so they gain confidence and refine their talent.

Feed a child's imagination. It allows their mind to grow.
A child’s mind is a magical place - one of innocence and unlimited possibilities. Giving a child room to explore will foster their emotional, physical and creative development. Children find pleasure in stretching their imaginations. Give them the opportunity to draw and write or tell stories. And don’t forget that a child’s artwork doesn’t need to look like an adult’s. Unique styles should be valued. The sky does not always need to be blue. Give them the freedom to be a kid. They won’t be one forever.

How to set their imagination free:

• Celebrate a child’s creativity by displaying their art.
• When a child is bored, give them fun suggestions like flying a kite or building a snowman.
• Urge children to use trial and error to see what happens when they use their imaginations.
• Create a special art center that allows kids to creatively express themselves.

Spend time with a child, it makes them feel important

There are many things you can give a child. But what they will remember and appreciate most is your time. Learn to listen. It is easy to tune out the talk of our children. But one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to take them seriously and truly listen to them. Ask a child about their day. It’s important to know what’s going on at school. If possible, try to sit down to dinner together and take time to catch up. It’s not the quantity, but the quality that matters.

Make a child feel like a V.I.P:

• Limit television and computer games. Instead choose something productive you can continue working on together like a puzzle or a scrapbook that they can be proud of.
• Plan family outings or vacations such as hiking or swimming.
• Discourage homework immediately after school. Instead give them a break and go for a walk outside.
• Create family traditions that will make a child feel special. Pick apples together in the fall or put them in charge of choosing the Christmas tree.

Feeding the babe

I am glad that I decided NOT to use jarred baby food with Elyza. She has had baby cereal -- I feed her Earth's Best baby Cereal -- Not ONE single drop of jarred baby food, I am so proud of myself, it's really not as hard at it seems.

She still likes her food pretty pureed up, but I don't even steam her vegetables... raw veggies are the best for you, right? So....I just put them in the blender raw with some water and waaalaa, baby food.

Today I made her carrots mixed with peaches, frozen, not canned... (YUM! ok not really, but she thought it was YUM!) She loved it!

I cross my fingers-and-my-toes everyday that I end up with another great eater like Ellie is.

Spots, spots and more spots

March 10th the guy noticed that I had a rash on my back. I gave Nattie (our German Shepherd) a bath in the tub with a soap I had never used before so I presumed it was from this as I have very sensitive skin.

Over the next month I broke out with new spots continuously. They appears everywhere except my neck, my face, my palms and the soles of my feet. It started to itch and burn primarily on my legs. I saw 3 doctors and even ask the girls pediatrician while they were in for a check-up and all of them basically said "yep, spots, let's take some blood" No one really knew what was going on with me.

The third doctor was just at the walk-in-clinic who promised me that he would get me to a dermatologist the next day (since I was having a hard time getting into one, I was told anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months.) The next morning his nurse call me at 8:20am and they had me an appointment THAT DAY to see a dermatologist (ironically it was the office that told me 3 months.)

The dermatologist was on March 25 who immediately said vasculitis, but did a skin biopsy. The biopsy came back as vasculitis a week later, which is about as helpful as slug. I did my own research and the type it appears I had can be caused by anything from a medication I am on -- to an environmental factor. But no one was telling me WHAT I should do next. I went back to my regular doctor a week later (April 8th.) Apparently vasculitis is not something that general practitioners know much about. She called a Rheumatologist who said to give me prednisone - yuck. So I stopped all medications I was taking and went on prednisone.


If you know nothing about prednisone you don't want to. It makes you irritable and makes you feel like you are on sensory overload. I was on it for 8 days, I had night sweats, I was a complete grouch, I wasn't sleeping well. The medications I was taken off of were a blood pressure medication and an anti-depressant. Prednisone makes you grouchy and makes your blood pressure elevate, two things I do just fine on my own thank-you-very-much and now I was taken off the two medications I take to help with those and put on one that will make it worse. Fun times.

And it was to a point that if one-more-person told me "my husband had a rash like that and xxx helped..." or I was going to throw them off a bridge. These were the same people who did not recognize the rash when I first got it, I told them it was vacuities and they had never heard of vacuities, THEY HAD NO IDEA what I was going through.

Yesterday I finally saw the Rheumatologist, who had not much to say that I didn't already learn on my own. At least now I am not a new patient so if it happens again I hope I can get it sooner than 2 1/2 weeks. He took more blood... this time was by far the most blood I have had taken at once, 14 vials. I have had so much blood taken and so far the only things that come back as 'abnormal' are that I have a slightly elevated white blood count and another came back as I had inflammation in my body, yeah thanks, I had inflation of my blood vessels!

I have not gotten new spots since April 7th. I have old spots that are fading, I have some that are scabbed and/or irritated, but overall it looks good. Still really no answers about why I had them, ideas, but not answers. At this point I just hope I never get them again.



What is Vasculitis? Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels, arteries, veins or capillaries. When such inflammation occurs, it causes changes in the walls of blood vessels, such as weakening and narrowing that can progress to the point of blood vessel blockage.





Kids for the most part were very curious about my spots.

C (5 1/2) who I don't see often as she lives across the state and does not ask strangers questions, sweetly asked me what happened to my legs.

Because at first we did not know if it was contagious I had not been seeing my friends... when I finally saw some of them G (4 1/2) started crying and said: "Why did you let Angie come over, now we are all going to get spots."

The neighbor girl said "where did you get those spots?" I told her "The store" and then asked her if she wanted me to pick up some for her.

Adults usually cringed and they were glad that they were on me, not them.

Want to see pictures of my spots? I bet you do!

One more shot?

I have been thinking this over for a few days... I didn't want to make a hasty decision... I decided to give blogging another shot. I have all these thoughts and ideas in my head and I need a place to put them and maybe even get some feedback from my friends, family and maybe even a stranger or two!

I am constantly thinking and rethinking everything, my brain works overtime. Sometimes it's very specific thoughts, sometimes they are very random thoughts.