Calling all aspiring Bob-the-Builders and Handy Manny's of Laurens County. Here's your chance to turn off the TV and strap on your tool belts for some real hammerin' hands-on fun. Each Saturday morning at 10 AM your Home Depot store offers wood working classes for kids. This week's project is a model fire truck.
According to store management, the activities are a big hit with kids between ages 4 and 10. "They love wearing free Home Depot aprons and getting to take home a craft that they made themselves." Another great bonus is the price. It's FREE. Perfect for today's economically depressed conditions.
While Home Depot associates are on hand to help with the projects, parents are encouraged to stay with their kids. For more information on Home Depot kids activities, call the store at 272-4869.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Turn off the TV and Turn on Their Imaginations Pt. 2
Okay, Where was I? I don't usually leave blog entries in cliff hangers but I think either something or someone was burning and I had to cut it short.
Oh, I know. After abruptly turning off the TV and exiling my boys to an afternoon of outdoor trauma, I'd just presented the idea of building fairy houses. We'd use leaves, sticks and whatever else our local flora and fauna could contribute. I got the idea from the October issue of FamilyFun Magazine, the most fabulous periodical ever published. Andrew said it was the lamest thing he'd ever heard. But, they both agreed to give fairy house construction a try to keep me from going off on another tangent about how Nickelodeon was stealthily destroying their brain cells.
First I selected an old elm tree with half-buried roots sticking out in all directions, to be our support wall. Then, I said "Andrew, we need some sticks to use for the foundation. Can you gather some?" In reluctant cooperation, he slid sluggishly off the porch swing and began scouting out branches and bringing them over to me. I wondered how long his cooperation would last before he begged to go inside to the reprieve of his PS-2 Lego Starwars game.
Andrew brought the branches over and we began poking them down into the damp soil by the tree to stand as wall structures. To my surprise, he commented "Ya know, Mom, we really need to find sticks that are wishbone shaped at the top so the roof sticks will fit more securely." WOW, great idea. Maybe he's coming around. After getting the foundation built, we had to make walls and a roof.
Jack, who had been paying no attention scampered over with a handful of moss he'd peeled up from the ground boasting "Look, Mama, Rugs!" Oh, Great idea, Jack. That'll keep the faries' feet warm. So, we installed the green shag wall-to-wall carpet.
Not to be outdone by his younger brother, Andrew went foraging again and came back with a handful of acorn caps and short sticks. "Mom, look, outdoor lighting! He began creating a walkway for the fairies lined with acorn pole lights. It appeared that the lights had come on in Andrew's imagination as well. Soon, he scouted out a sizable piece of bark for a table and used the uncapped acorns for stools. He then picked 20 or so magnolia leaves to fit onto the roof.
So far, our humble fairy house was looking charming but still unfinished. With no walls, it still had that open air quality. Soon, Jack had found a solution. He came over with an armful of fern leaves, (off my front porch ferns) saying "Mom, these can be walls and ladders up to the roof." Capital idea, Jack.
When we were satisfied that our fairies would be quite comfortable in their new homemade Habitat house, Andrew remembered one last thing. "Mom, what about beds to sleep in. They have no beds. And what about a toilet. Fairies go to the bathroom, don't they?" Oh goodness, basic fairy needs, not met. For this, we all put our heads together and decided to use soft cushy hydrangea leaves as beds with some blooms for pillows. In the out house, we placed half a walnut as a toilet and a hollow acorn for the sink.
When I was quite positive that we were done with this project, Jack and Andrew both agreed that we'd attract more fairies if they had a pool to swim in. "Oh, good grief. Can't they just join Holly Hills like we did?" There was no arguing with these full-throttle imaginations. They each ran in a different direction and came back with necessary fairy pool building supplies. Andrew brought a shovel and Jack, a round tupperware container for the pool liner. When it was dug and installed, they even landscaped with grass and leaves.
We had to rebuild a few things because the evil wizard, Anakin (our cat) kept running up and ambushing the house. No problem, Andrew and Jack just wrote him into their fairy story, saying that the fairies were always afraid of Evil Anakin and ran and hid when he was around.
I think our outdoor afternoon would have gone on much longer, but I looked at my watch and realized it was time for Andrew to go to youth group and me to begin dinner. As I looked at the fairy house and back at my boys and how proud they were of their creation, I was so happy that I turned off that TV. It seemed that my boys' imaginations hadn't gone AWOL at all. They just needed some coaxing and the right environment to return to the game.
Now, days later, the fairy house is still intact. Andrew and Jack go out and check it at least once a day to see if the fairies have moved in yet. It appears that yesterday a nice family of four began calling it home. Gosh, I love creativity! I'm scheduling more and more TV-less days and not getting any complaints from my two boys.
Oh, I know. After abruptly turning off the TV and exiling my boys to an afternoon of outdoor trauma, I'd just presented the idea of building fairy houses. We'd use leaves, sticks and whatever else our local flora and fauna could contribute. I got the idea from the October issue of FamilyFun Magazine, the most fabulous periodical ever published. Andrew said it was the lamest thing he'd ever heard. But, they both agreed to give fairy house construction a try to keep me from going off on another tangent about how Nickelodeon was stealthily destroying their brain cells.
First I selected an old elm tree with half-buried roots sticking out in all directions, to be our support wall. Then, I said "Andrew, we need some sticks to use for the foundation. Can you gather some?" In reluctant cooperation, he slid sluggishly off the porch swing and began scouting out branches and bringing them over to me. I wondered how long his cooperation would last before he begged to go inside to the reprieve of his PS-2 Lego Starwars game.
Andrew brought the branches over and we began poking them down into the damp soil by the tree to stand as wall structures. To my surprise, he commented "Ya know, Mom, we really need to find sticks that are wishbone shaped at the top so the roof sticks will fit more securely." WOW, great idea. Maybe he's coming around. After getting the foundation built, we had to make walls and a roof.
Jack, who had been paying no attention scampered over with a handful of moss he'd peeled up from the ground boasting "Look, Mama, Rugs!" Oh, Great idea, Jack. That'll keep the faries' feet warm. So, we installed the green shag wall-to-wall carpet.
Not to be outdone by his younger brother, Andrew went foraging again and came back with a handful of acorn caps and short sticks. "Mom, look, outdoor lighting! He began creating a walkway for the fairies lined with acorn pole lights. It appeared that the lights had come on in Andrew's imagination as well. Soon, he scouted out a sizable piece of bark for a table and used the uncapped acorns for stools. He then picked 20 or so magnolia leaves to fit onto the roof.
So far, our humble fairy house was looking charming but still unfinished. With no walls, it still had that open air quality. Soon, Jack had found a solution. He came over with an armful of fern leaves, (off my front porch ferns) saying "Mom, these can be walls and ladders up to the roof." Capital idea, Jack.
When we were satisfied that our fairies would be quite comfortable in their new homemade Habitat house, Andrew remembered one last thing. "Mom, what about beds to sleep in. They have no beds. And what about a toilet. Fairies go to the bathroom, don't they?" Oh goodness, basic fairy needs, not met. For this, we all put our heads together and decided to use soft cushy hydrangea leaves as beds with some blooms for pillows. In the out house, we placed half a walnut as a toilet and a hollow acorn for the sink.
When I was quite positive that we were done with this project, Jack and Andrew both agreed that we'd attract more fairies if they had a pool to swim in. "Oh, good grief. Can't they just join Holly Hills like we did?" There was no arguing with these full-throttle imaginations. They each ran in a different direction and came back with necessary fairy pool building supplies. Andrew brought a shovel and Jack, a round tupperware container for the pool liner. When it was dug and installed, they even landscaped with grass and leaves.
We had to rebuild a few things because the evil wizard, Anakin (our cat) kept running up and ambushing the house. No problem, Andrew and Jack just wrote him into their fairy story, saying that the fairies were always afraid of Evil Anakin and ran and hid when he was around.
I think our outdoor afternoon would have gone on much longer, but I looked at my watch and realized it was time for Andrew to go to youth group and me to begin dinner. As I looked at the fairy house and back at my boys and how proud they were of their creation, I was so happy that I turned off that TV. It seemed that my boys' imaginations hadn't gone AWOL at all. They just needed some coaxing and the right environment to return to the game.
Now, days later, the fairy house is still intact. Andrew and Jack go out and check it at least once a day to see if the fairies have moved in yet. It appears that yesterday a nice family of four began calling it home. Gosh, I love creativity! I'm scheduling more and more TV-less days and not getting any complaints from my two boys.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Turn off the TV and Turn on Their Imaginations
This past Sunday, five minutes after we came in from church. I walked into the living room to find my sons, Andrew and Jack, still in church clothes staring blindly at a repeat of Spongebob that they've seen no less than 39 times. There was no light in their eyes. The only sign of intelligence from either of them was a dull chuckle when Squidward lost his temper. I glanced out the window. The delightful 80 degree day with a light wind, perfect for building tree forts, playing soccer and catching insects was completely lost on them. I could feel my jaw tighten and my face begin to flush. Then, as if mocking Squidward's outburst, I completely lost my temper.
I'll spare you my entire diatribe, but it started out something like this "I WILL NOT HAVE MY KIDS WASTING THEIR LIVES STARING AT THIS EVIL..... LABOTAMIZER" (I'm not sure if labotamizer is really a word, but I think it fit well there. Don't you?) I marched over to the TV, pressed the "off" button and shut the cabinet doors. As Andrew's fingers inched toward the remote control, I dared him to touch it with the seriousness of a rattlesnake and continued my ranting. "Boys, get out of your good clothes, get yourselves outside and just.... be boys. No one going near this TV until I say so!"
My son Andrew is one of the countless kids in America who owns higher end electronics than his parents. When there's nothing on TV, he plays a video game. When he's done with that, he logs into Club Penguin. When we get in the car, he has his PSP in tow. When nothing seems to grab his attention, he utters those words every parent hates. "I'm BOOOOOOOORED" He's become self entertainment impaired. Where's his creativity? The games of hide and seek with neighborhood kids, making mudpies to pelt at his brother, building toy boats to float in the creek behind our house, climbing a tree and looking for things to spit on below, building a dirt bike ramp.
I have to admit the fault lies with my husband and me for providing the mindnumbing entertainment devices that today's generation of zombie kids rely on. TV, video games, and computers are rapidly replacing cigarettes as America's scapegoat (after Bush). In addition to being blamed for childhood obesity, diabetes, violence, materialism, falling grades and depression, too much screen time zaps our kids' imaginations, ingenuity, and ability to entertain themselves. I'm working hard to put a stop to this in my family.
Friends and I have discussed before that when we were kids, things were different. We rode our bikes for hours, built things with sticks and leaves, explored our surroundings, delighting at reachable bird nests, and hollowed out trees. Our Barbies and GI Joes didn't come with log-in codes. We created their actions using our own imaginations. We were told by our parents on Saturdays to "go outside and don't come back in until dark" and it didn't occur to us not to.
After fifteen minutes I went outside to check on my recovering screen addicts. Andrew was sitting miserably on the front porch next to the door, while Jack was peeling bark off a tree.
Not exactly the greatest start to ourdoor fun, but they were indeed outdoors and still alive. I could work with that.
I'd recently gotten my October issue of FamilyFun magazine (the greatest publication for families in the universe. If you don't take it, get it.) In it, a mom had written in to tell about the tradition she and her young son have of building houses for the pretend fairies that come to live in their yard during the fall. They gather sticks, leaves, acorns, moss...pretty much anything provided naturally, and build huts for their imaginary, two-inch high friends. COOL! I thought, a great activity that stimulates their brains and doesn't cost a thing.
"Boys" I said "Let's build fairy houses." And then I read them the article. "That sounds lame." Andrew said, rolling his eyes. After coaxing them into humoring their uncool mother and giving it a try, I was amazed at what began to take place.
Read more about our no TV Sunday experiment in tomorrow's entry. It'll renew your faith in the power of creativity.
I'll spare you my entire diatribe, but it started out something like this "I WILL NOT HAVE MY KIDS WASTING THEIR LIVES STARING AT THIS EVIL..... LABOTAMIZER" (I'm not sure if labotamizer is really a word, but I think it fit well there. Don't you?) I marched over to the TV, pressed the "off" button and shut the cabinet doors. As Andrew's fingers inched toward the remote control, I dared him to touch it with the seriousness of a rattlesnake and continued my ranting. "Boys, get out of your good clothes, get yourselves outside and just.... be boys. No one going near this TV until I say so!"
My son Andrew is one of the countless kids in America who owns higher end electronics than his parents. When there's nothing on TV, he plays a video game. When he's done with that, he logs into Club Penguin. When we get in the car, he has his PSP in tow. When nothing seems to grab his attention, he utters those words every parent hates. "I'm BOOOOOOOORED" He's become self entertainment impaired. Where's his creativity? The games of hide and seek with neighborhood kids, making mudpies to pelt at his brother, building toy boats to float in the creek behind our house, climbing a tree and looking for things to spit on below, building a dirt bike ramp.
I have to admit the fault lies with my husband and me for providing the mindnumbing entertainment devices that today's generation of zombie kids rely on. TV, video games, and computers are rapidly replacing cigarettes as America's scapegoat (after Bush). In addition to being blamed for childhood obesity, diabetes, violence, materialism, falling grades and depression, too much screen time zaps our kids' imaginations, ingenuity, and ability to entertain themselves. I'm working hard to put a stop to this in my family.
Friends and I have discussed before that when we were kids, things were different. We rode our bikes for hours, built things with sticks and leaves, explored our surroundings, delighting at reachable bird nests, and hollowed out trees. Our Barbies and GI Joes didn't come with log-in codes. We created their actions using our own imaginations. We were told by our parents on Saturdays to "go outside and don't come back in until dark" and it didn't occur to us not to.
After fifteen minutes I went outside to check on my recovering screen addicts. Andrew was sitting miserably on the front porch next to the door, while Jack was peeling bark off a tree.
Not exactly the greatest start to ourdoor fun, but they were indeed outdoors and still alive. I could work with that.
I'd recently gotten my October issue of FamilyFun magazine (the greatest publication for families in the universe. If you don't take it, get it.) In it, a mom had written in to tell about the tradition she and her young son have of building houses for the pretend fairies that come to live in their yard during the fall. They gather sticks, leaves, acorns, moss...pretty much anything provided naturally, and build huts for their imaginary, two-inch high friends. COOL! I thought, a great activity that stimulates their brains and doesn't cost a thing.
"Boys" I said "Let's build fairy houses." And then I read them the article. "That sounds lame." Andrew said, rolling his eyes. After coaxing them into humoring their uncool mother and giving it a try, I was amazed at what began to take place.
Read more about our no TV Sunday experiment in tomorrow's entry. It'll renew your faith in the power of creativity.
Monday, September 22, 2008
And the Race is On!... Angela's Guide to Gaining Your Kids' Cooperation
I know as a parent I'm not alone in having to repeat myself a bazillion times just to get my kids to do the simplest things. "Andrew, come get your shoes out of the floor!" Five seconds later...I repeat the page. Ten seconds more go by. "Andrew, get your shoes out of the floor...NOW!" Still....no sign of Andrew, but his shoes lie there at my feet making bets with each other on whether he'll retrieve them or if I'll be the one, yet again, who puts them away.
Then there's dinner time. "Andrew, Jack, quit playing and eat the rest of your fish and peas and rice." They ignore me, pretending their forks are the Millenium Falcon and the Death Star battling for the safety of the universe. Andrew's fork shoots a garden pea and disables Jack's main tyne gun. "Boys, I said eat your dinner or no dessert" (okay, like we never have dessert. Lets try that again.) "Boys, eat your dinner or Mama's going to start yelling obscenities that'll cause the neighbors to shut their doors and windows in a BIG hurry."
These are just a couple of minor examples of my struggles to be heard by my sons who consider me somewhere on the scale of completely invisible to a mosquito buzzing in their ears when it comes to chores or meeting their obligations. When there's a gumball machine around and I have quarters, my popularity rating shoots up there with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
However, this weekend, quite by accident, I seem to have stumbled onto something that works like a charm in getting my boys to do what I ask. Warning: As we all know, just because it works today, doesn't mean it won't completely backfire tomorrow. So don't sue me if this doesn't turn your home life around.
Are you ready??? Here's the magic! I make chores into a race, not necessarily a race against each other, but a race against time. I pull out the old stop watch and lay down the challenge "Lets see how much of your plate you can get clean in thirty seconds. Ready!....Set!...GO! The scene looks something like five year old Randy showing Mom how the little piggies eat in the movie, A Christmas Story. My husband James and I watch amazed and amused as our little slop monkeys clean every morsel of food off their plates, even licking the china to see their happy reflections. Kelly, our dog, sits below, envious and redundant because they've done her job too and she won't be getting leftovers. My boys bask proudly in our approval. Andrew offers Jack a high five. They've done it. Met the challenge. Eaten the veggies.
***Before you decide to offer up this challenge to your tots at the table tonight, let me first hand out a few warnings and disclaimers.***
1) Base the time limit on how much food is left on their plates. You don't want to give your kids 30 seconds to eat a full rack of ribs. They're not pirhanas, ya know. Use common sense, unless your my sister, who we all know has absolutely none.
2) Brush up on the Heimlick maneuver in case one of your kids begins to gag. We don't want anyone dying because of this silly little plate cleaning game.
3) Running to the bathroom to "chew" up their moutfuls of food is a strict violation of the race and will result in disqualification. Don't fall for that plea. They're just going to spit their food out in the toilet.
4) End the race at the first sign of a food fight. When "Child A" starts shoving handfuls of food onto "Child B'"s plate is a good time to blow the whistle. Oh, yeah, you'll definitely need a whistle. Whistles are great for a number of reasons.
As for the picking up of random belongings (like shoes, Legos, K-nex, Mr. Potato Head body parts) which become strowed from one end of the house to the other and then to the mailbox, the car, the outside refrigerator, and ultimately the moon, here's a good race to put the clutter where it belongs. Set your trusty timer and say something like "whoever puts away the most shoes in 45 seconds gets a piece of candy." I did this last night. Andrew and Jack raced like shoe salesman after store hours, grabbing up random footwear items and tossing them into the shoe basket in our laundryroom. Andrew, actually found nine pairs, two of which, had been missing for weeks and no longer fit. Jack put away three and then began using his Lightning McQueen sandles to shoot at Andrew as he worked. Funny, how any random thing can be used as a gun when you're a boy under 10. I rewarded Andrew with a mini Reese's cup, which provided him with super human energy and two hours of insomnia. Way to Go, Genius Mom!
Warning: I had to learn the hard way that it's a terrible idea to reward your already slightly hyperactive kid with candy 30 minutes before bedtime. BAD IDEA, ANGELA. I'll never do THAT again. Unless I give him the Reese's and then have him put a new roof on the house or straw the flower beds.
Racing against the clock also works with putting groceries away (or it did last night). We returned from WalMart with 21 plastic bags of various and sundry items, most in brightly colored boxes containing the word "artificial" way too many times on the ingredient labels. Usually what happens after grocery shopping is Andrew and Jack go on their merry Nickelodeon way to see what Drake and Josh are doing and I'm left to sort the bounty. Last night, I corraled them in the kitchen with some warm, encouraging words like "nobody leave this room until all groceries are put away or I'll sit on you both." They tried to leave anyway. Then I pulled out the old timer and said "OH NO, BOYS! If we don't get all this put away in two minutes, our food will all explode...Lunchables...Fruit Snacks...Juice Boxes...Everything." I madly began sorting and stocking and they both followed suit. With just ten seconds to go, everything was in its place and I was a happy mom. However, in retrospect, some kids would really go for the idea of seeing a real live grocery explosion in their kitchen. So, if your kid has any pyromaniac leanings, I'd use another tactic.
Well, this is my lesson in child management for the week. Maybe next week, we'll tackle grocery store etiquette, or taking the parental trauma out of bathtime.
Until I have it figured all out,
Angela
Then there's dinner time. "Andrew, Jack, quit playing and eat the rest of your fish and peas and rice." They ignore me, pretending their forks are the Millenium Falcon and the Death Star battling for the safety of the universe. Andrew's fork shoots a garden pea and disables Jack's main tyne gun. "Boys, I said eat your dinner or no dessert" (okay, like we never have dessert. Lets try that again.) "Boys, eat your dinner or Mama's going to start yelling obscenities that'll cause the neighbors to shut their doors and windows in a BIG hurry."
These are just a couple of minor examples of my struggles to be heard by my sons who consider me somewhere on the scale of completely invisible to a mosquito buzzing in their ears when it comes to chores or meeting their obligations. When there's a gumball machine around and I have quarters, my popularity rating shoots up there with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
However, this weekend, quite by accident, I seem to have stumbled onto something that works like a charm in getting my boys to do what I ask. Warning: As we all know, just because it works today, doesn't mean it won't completely backfire tomorrow. So don't sue me if this doesn't turn your home life around.
Are you ready??? Here's the magic! I make chores into a race, not necessarily a race against each other, but a race against time. I pull out the old stop watch and lay down the challenge "Lets see how much of your plate you can get clean in thirty seconds. Ready!....Set!...GO! The scene looks something like five year old Randy showing Mom how the little piggies eat in the movie, A Christmas Story. My husband James and I watch amazed and amused as our little slop monkeys clean every morsel of food off their plates, even licking the china to see their happy reflections. Kelly, our dog, sits below, envious and redundant because they've done her job too and she won't be getting leftovers. My boys bask proudly in our approval. Andrew offers Jack a high five. They've done it. Met the challenge. Eaten the veggies.
***Before you decide to offer up this challenge to your tots at the table tonight, let me first hand out a few warnings and disclaimers.***
1) Base the time limit on how much food is left on their plates. You don't want to give your kids 30 seconds to eat a full rack of ribs. They're not pirhanas, ya know. Use common sense, unless your my sister, who we all know has absolutely none.
2) Brush up on the Heimlick maneuver in case one of your kids begins to gag. We don't want anyone dying because of this silly little plate cleaning game.
3) Running to the bathroom to "chew" up their moutfuls of food is a strict violation of the race and will result in disqualification. Don't fall for that plea. They're just going to spit their food out in the toilet.
4) End the race at the first sign of a food fight. When "Child A" starts shoving handfuls of food onto "Child B'"s plate is a good time to blow the whistle. Oh, yeah, you'll definitely need a whistle. Whistles are great for a number of reasons.
As for the picking up of random belongings (like shoes, Legos, K-nex, Mr. Potato Head body parts) which become strowed from one end of the house to the other and then to the mailbox, the car, the outside refrigerator, and ultimately the moon, here's a good race to put the clutter where it belongs. Set your trusty timer and say something like "whoever puts away the most shoes in 45 seconds gets a piece of candy." I did this last night. Andrew and Jack raced like shoe salesman after store hours, grabbing up random footwear items and tossing them into the shoe basket in our laundryroom. Andrew, actually found nine pairs, two of which, had been missing for weeks and no longer fit. Jack put away three and then began using his Lightning McQueen sandles to shoot at Andrew as he worked. Funny, how any random thing can be used as a gun when you're a boy under 10. I rewarded Andrew with a mini Reese's cup, which provided him with super human energy and two hours of insomnia. Way to Go, Genius Mom!
Warning: I had to learn the hard way that it's a terrible idea to reward your already slightly hyperactive kid with candy 30 minutes before bedtime. BAD IDEA, ANGELA. I'll never do THAT again. Unless I give him the Reese's and then have him put a new roof on the house or straw the flower beds.
Racing against the clock also works with putting groceries away (or it did last night). We returned from WalMart with 21 plastic bags of various and sundry items, most in brightly colored boxes containing the word "artificial" way too many times on the ingredient labels. Usually what happens after grocery shopping is Andrew and Jack go on their merry Nickelodeon way to see what Drake and Josh are doing and I'm left to sort the bounty. Last night, I corraled them in the kitchen with some warm, encouraging words like "nobody leave this room until all groceries are put away or I'll sit on you both." They tried to leave anyway. Then I pulled out the old timer and said "OH NO, BOYS! If we don't get all this put away in two minutes, our food will all explode...Lunchables...Fruit Snacks...Juice Boxes...Everything." I madly began sorting and stocking and they both followed suit. With just ten seconds to go, everything was in its place and I was a happy mom. However, in retrospect, some kids would really go for the idea of seeing a real live grocery explosion in their kitchen. So, if your kid has any pyromaniac leanings, I'd use another tactic.
Well, this is my lesson in child management for the week. Maybe next week, we'll tackle grocery store etiquette, or taking the parental trauma out of bathtime.
Until I have it figured all out,
Angela
Friday, September 19, 2008
Halloween Candy Invades My Home A Month Too Soon
Every year, I plan to treat the Halloween candy aisles at Kroger and WalMart with the same caution I would an Afghan mine field. But somewhere around the third week of September, the plan always fails when I innocently decide to browse through the vast cornucopia of sweets to check prices. Inflation, I justify, affects everything and I should go ahead and plan my purchases now. So there'll be no surprises come Halloween week.
In Walmart, after passing by the huge cardboard witch's house, that siren of cavities which lures unsuspecting shoppers into it's deadly grasp, I stop the buggy, make a calculated u-turn, and pull into the forbidden aisle. "What are you doing, mom? I thought we were staying away from the candy," asks my son, Andrew, excited, but a little frightened by the zombie-like stare that's taken over my eyes. "I'm no longer in control, Son. I'm in the grips of a power greater than myself. A power that goes by the name of Hershey. There's no turning back now. "
In front of my eyes was a swirl of kit kats, hershey bars, snickers, nerds, m&m's, runts, goobers, milk duds, lollipops, twizzlers, skittles. The list goes on.
To be honest I don't remember much of anything after that. But I'm glad I stocked up on all this candy so early. I'm quite sure there'll be plenty left for trick-or-treaters. I'll just set aside these 18 bags of Reese's to snack on in the meantime.
In Walmart, after passing by the huge cardboard witch's house, that siren of cavities which lures unsuspecting shoppers into it's deadly grasp, I stop the buggy, make a calculated u-turn, and pull into the forbidden aisle. "What are you doing, mom? I thought we were staying away from the candy," asks my son, Andrew, excited, but a little frightened by the zombie-like stare that's taken over my eyes. "I'm no longer in control, Son. I'm in the grips of a power greater than myself. A power that goes by the name of Hershey. There's no turning back now. "
In front of my eyes was a swirl of kit kats, hershey bars, snickers, nerds, m&m's, runts, goobers, milk duds, lollipops, twizzlers, skittles. The list goes on.
To be honest I don't remember much of anything after that. But I'm glad I stocked up on all this candy so early. I'm quite sure there'll be plenty left for trick-or-treaters. I'll just set aside these 18 bags of Reese's to snack on in the meantime.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Bakugan: Saving the Universe One Toss at a Time
Last week, while doing pick-up at Northwest Laurens, my seven year old son Andrew shot out of his classroom like a lightning bolt to deliver my newest mission. "Mom, we have to go to WalMart right now and buy Bakugan balls!"
"Baku-what?" I asked as I checked my shopping list where I found cotton balls and tennis balls, but none of the mysterious Bakugan variety.
"Mom, we have to go now! All the other boys are playing with them and I'm the
O--N--L--Y one in class who doesn't have any!"
"Poor, deprived child." I mourned. "I sure hope DFACS doesn't find out about
this."
"Mom, we have to go NOW!"
There's no reasoning with a child who has Bakugan on the brain. So I did as I was told and drove straight to WalMart, directly to WalMart. I did not pass GO. I did not collect $200 (for all you Monopoly fans out there.)
As we dashed to the toy department, nearly running over the fabric department clerk, I took note of the expectant g
leam in Andrew's eye...as if he were about to meet Bakugan in person, or warrior, or droid or whatever he is.
Once we found the right aisle, which Andrew went straight to as if he were being directed by some Bakugan powered GPS, I learned all about Bakugan balls, the Bakugan game and how important it was that my son join the ranks of Bakugan players all over Laurens County. I dropped $20.00 on four chunks of plastic and some magnetic cards. Where's the "SUCKER" stamp for my forehead?
For you parents out there, who haven't heard of Bakugan (Lord, hep you) here's a little summary.
Bakugan Battle Brawler balls are small magnetized plastic orbs (about the size of an extra large cherry, or a small plum or my husband's thumb). In the Bakugan battle game, players toss their balls onto magnetized cards which trigger the spring-loaded magnets in the balls to react and morph into action figures. Are you lost? yeah, I figured. This is probably one of those things you have to see for yourself. The player whose Bakugan battle figure (which used to be a ball) scores the highest, gets points. There is math involved. So I guess it can be deemed educational. It's kind of like playing a game of Sci-Fi marbles. Andrew won't explain all the rules so I wind up losing every time.
After doing a good six minutes of research powered by Google and watching a 10 minute anime video, I became fluent in the language of Bakugan (which I will teach at West Laurens High School next year (just kidding!) The Bakugan phenomenon began in Japan as an anime cartoon where everyday, ordinary kids learned that they had special powers to fight the evils of the universe in the form of magnetic game cards. Wild-haired, bug-eyed pre-teens with names like Runo, Marucho, Shun, Alice and Dan battle against other worldly bad guys. The whole concept is strangely similar to Power Rangers, Teen Titans, Ben 10, Star Wars and any other cartoon series where good fights evil with a gimmick.
Yes, your kids have to have them. So run to WalMart NOW. Nothing shows parental love like $5.00 plastic springloaded magnetic balls that will probably break between three and six days after purchase.
One day, I'm going to invent something like Bakugan or Webkinz. It must be a great feeling to laugh all the way to the bank as naive parents are hurredly navigated to WalMart by their obsessed kids in the throes of consumerism. Well, I'll leave that for another blog entry.
To learn more about saving the universe with Bakugan, visit http://www.bakugan.com/. To watch a full length episode, visit http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/.
"Baku-what?" I asked as I checked my shopping list where I found cotton balls and tennis balls, but none of the mysterious Bakugan variety.
"Mom, we have to go now! All the other boys are playing with them and I'm the
O--N--L--Y one in class who doesn't have any!""Poor, deprived child." I mourned. "I sure hope DFACS doesn't find out about
this.""Mom, we have to go NOW!"
There's no reasoning with a child who has Bakugan on the brain. So I did as I was told and drove straight to WalMart, directly to WalMart. I did not pass GO. I did not collect $200 (for all you Monopoly fans out there.)
As we dashed to the toy department, nearly running over the fabric department clerk, I took note of the expectant g
leam in Andrew's eye...as if he were about to meet Bakugan in person, or warrior, or droid or whatever he is.Once we found the right aisle, which Andrew went straight to as if he were being directed by some Bakugan powered GPS, I learned all about Bakugan balls, the Bakugan game and how important it was that my son join the ranks of Bakugan players all over Laurens County. I dropped $20.00 on four chunks of plastic and some magnetic cards. Where's the "SUCKER" stamp for my forehead?
For you parents out there, who haven't heard of Bakugan (Lord, hep you) here's a little summary.
Bakugan Battle Brawler balls are small magnetized plastic orbs (about the size of an extra large cherry, or a small plum or my husband's thumb). In the Bakugan battle game, players toss their balls onto magnetized cards which trigger the spring-loaded magnets in the balls to react and morph into action figures. Are you lost? yeah, I figured. This is probably one of those things you have to see for yourself. The player whose Bakugan battle figure (which used to be a ball) scores the highest, gets points. There is math involved. So I guess it can be deemed educational. It's kind of like playing a game of Sci-Fi marbles. Andrew won't explain all the rules so I wind up losing every time.
After doing a good six minutes of research powered by Google and watching a 10 minute anime video, I became fluent in the language of Bakugan (which I will teach at West Laurens High School next year (just kidding!) The Bakugan phenomenon began in Japan as an anime cartoon where everyday, ordinary kids learned that they had special powers to fight the evils of the universe in the form of magnetic game cards. Wild-haired, bug-eyed pre-teens with names like Runo, Marucho, Shun, Alice and Dan battle against other worldly bad guys. The whole concept is strangely similar to Power Rangers, Teen Titans, Ben 10, Star Wars and any other cartoon series where good fights evil with a gimmick.
Yes, your kids have to have them. So run to WalMart NOW. Nothing shows parental love like $5.00 plastic springloaded magnetic balls that will probably break between three and six days after purchase.
One day, I'm going to invent something like Bakugan or Webkinz. It must be a great feeling to laugh all the way to the bank as naive parents are hurredly navigated to WalMart by their obsessed kids in the throes of consumerism. Well, I'll leave that for another blog entry.
To learn more about saving the universe with Bakugan, visit http://www.bakugan.com/. To watch a full length episode, visit http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11 Remembrance...What Were YOU Doing on That Unforgettable Day?
I turned on the news this morning and was hit in the face by the pain and grief we all faced seven years ago today from the 9/11 tragedies. Even though years have passed, it's still so unbelieveable. I'll never forget that day.
We were living in California. My son Andrew was four months old and September 11th was the day we were planning to move into a new house. We were having trouble finding people to help us move because it was a week day. Early that morning, I remember staring in shock and horror at the TV at the footage of the planes crashing into the WTC towers. A few hours later, we drove our U-Haul truck to the new house to begin the labor of moving furniture. Slowly friends and relatives began to show up to help us because their places of employment were closing. I remember rummaging in our new garage through items that were left from the previous owners. It was there that I found an old, tattered American flag. I placed it into the holder on the front of the house and stood there crying, staring at the symbol of our wounded country.
----Angela
My parents were flying over to Europe for the very first time to see my sister in Holland. They flew right out of the JFK airport and were actually in the air when the attacks happened. My hubby and I were in the Azores, Islands on an US Air Force base in Portugal watching helplessly as the world stopped. I remember that first day, and over and over news kept repeating, "As of right now, we do not know if the airplanes were heading to Europe or to the West Coast. We do know they were full of fuel and obviously heading long distances." Never had an eight hour flight lasted so long for me. When I heard my Mom and Daddy's voices on the phone I cried like I have never cried before. A week later we flew to Holland and met them there. Life was too short to worry about saving the money for something more practical.
In Holland and in Germany the grounds of US Embassy's were littered with thousands upon thousands of floral bouquets and prayers and notes. At least waist high. It was the coolest thing I think I have ever seen. We were heroes everywhere we went. People wanted to know how we felt and everyone told us how much they loved Americans and were praying for them. But most of them where just as scared and as shaken up as we were. I can't begin to tell you how many Europeans said to me these exact words. "Wow! If it can happen to America, no one is safe." And then right after, this sentence or something similar always followed: "You will do something to protect us, won't you?"
Jenni James --Military Wife
It was a regular morning in the office when a customer called to tell us that a plane had hit the world trade center. I assumed it had been a tragic accident. A few minutes later they called back to say that the other tower had been hit by a plane. I remember holding the phone in disbelief. My secretary went home and brought back a TV so that we could see for ourselves what was happening in NY and Washington. I was shocked and hurt and in a way, I still am seven years later. It was one of those events that you never forget, like when John Kennedy was assasinated.
---Susie
I was at work and watched in horror as the whole thing unfolded on national TV. I remember having an overwhelming feeling of wanting to go get the kids and my husband, Rob and get in our house. It was an awful day. It didn’t seem real. It seemed like we were watching a movie (a horrible one).
---Kelly
I was living on the west coast at the time in a forestry cabin that had noTV and no internet access. I didn't know about the attacks until I got into work. I walked in all happy and chipper and looked around to seeeveryone's sad faces. They thought I was horrible for being in a good moodbut then they realized that I didn't even know yet. I just remember feelingso disconnected from the world because I couldn't turn on the TV or mycomputer and find out what was happening. My husband was away at the timeso I just went home and held my dog and cried.I've since moved back east...closer to home and family.
--Jenn
I was living in Germany on September 11, 2001. It was the middle of the afternoon (they're six hours ahead) and I was standing in the lobby of the lecture hall at the George C. Marshall Center looking at the TV screen puzzled at the sight of one of the twin towers with smoke pouring out of it. The TV's didn't have the sound on so we weren't sure what was happening. The sound was switched on and the reporter said they thought a small plane had just struck one of the towers. In the next moment we saw the second airliner hit the tower - everyone gasped. There was a second TV carrying a different network and as we glaced at that TV we saw that the Pentagon had smoke pouring out of it and the newscaster stated that an airliner crashed into the Pentagon and that the U.S. was under terrorist attack. It was the most horrifying thing I'd ever witnessed and I immediately started crying. Within moments, cell phones and pagers started buzzing and ringing as co-workers and families called to give word of the news. In the days following, there was a tremendous outpouring of support and love from the German community, as well as from the students at the Marshall Center. While it was very difficult to be away from home when this happened, I was comforted by the overwhelming show of compassion by the local people.
--Catherine
It was about 6:30 in the morning and my 8-month old baby had just woken up. I staggered to the couch with sleep still in my eyes and feeding my baby boy when I turned on the TV to see the horrifying news. At first my thought was, how strange that a plane could "accidently" fly into such a tall building. And then as I kept watching and saw that another plane hit the second tower I knew that this was no accident. I sat there stunned all morning holding my baby boy and wondering what his future would entail. Were we being attacked? Was life as we know it coming to an end? Will my baby grow up to be a man, or is this it? Are we safe? I feared for the lives of the people in the towers. I feared for the lives of the rescuers. Then I watched as another plane went down at the Pentagon. It was horrifying. When the towers finally came crashing down I cried. Just sat there holding my little 8-month old son and cried. What has this world come to I wondered. Who would do such a thing?
--Danielle
My husband Jim called at 6:30 am, waking me up to say turn on the TV. He was already at work at Franklin Templeton in San Mateo, CA. We stayed on the phone while I turned on the TV just in time to watch the 2nd plane crash into WTC. It was terrifying and completely surreal to watch it replayed over and over again like a movie scene. Jim's company had offices in one of the towers and he spent a week there once a year or so. He had some San Mateo colleagues there for training. We weren't sure what would happen. At the same time I had 3 kids who needed to get up and going for school. Lindsay had just started 6th grade, Connor 4th and Jameson 1st.At 7:30 am I got a call from my good friend Laura Yorke. She was panicked because she had been in an airplane with her husband flying home from Toronto when their plane was turned around. They had landed but didn't know what was going on and she couldn't get her mother to answer the phone while she was caring for her 3 boys. I told her what I had seen on TV about WTC and the Pentagon and how all flights were told to land. At that point the media wasn't sure what was happening either.Watching the WTC crumbled was heartwrenching. I knew there still had to be hundreds of people in the buildings who were losing their lives at that moment. The buildings had been on fire and smoking for the entire time so how could anyone above impact survive?It was odd dropping off my kids at the school parking lots where the teachers and staff were trying to carry on a normal day for our children all the while not knowing if what would be next. I actually went and worked out at the gym and watched the TV the entire time while talking to my friends there. Then I made several trips to the elementary school to bring the latest news during the day.Jim called several times reporting of his co-workers who we guessed had been caught in the collapse of the buildings. It turned out that a friend from Danville had been killed, leaving behind a wife and 4 children. Also, Tom Burnett, one of the heros on Flight 93 was from San Ramon so that story dominated our local news.It was a very difficult day and time spent explaining to and reassuring my children about what they saw and heard. Never in my lifetime had I feared being attacked until that morning.
--Penny
I was home with my 3 month old baby, sleeping next to me in her bassinet (we had been up many times during the night, so we were both sleeping). My husband called me from work and told me to turn on the T.V, because two planes had hit the World Trade Center. I watched the rest of the day with horror and greif as the events unfolded.
--Laurie
I was at work at about 5:30am. I was listening to KGO 810 radio in the office when about 8:45am, they broke into the news and announced that a small plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. The initial reaction by the newscasters was of confusion and a bit understated. Afterall, it was a 'small plane'.
Soon thereafter, the 2nd plane hit the other World Trade Center Tower. I then knew something was not right. We had offices in the World Trade Center through an acquisition made in April 2001. I called the head of our facilities team and he was already watching the events being broadcast on local TV.
My company lost approximately 90 employees in 9/11. What I do remember most is a good friend of mine was having breakfast in a restaurant across from WTC, with fellow employees and they would all be heading into our offices in the WTC shortly thereafter. They were fortunate to become part of the mass scene that was running away from WTC, in the dust and smoke and debris. He eventually made it back home to the Bay Area in a rented car along with a several other employees. But for an extra cup of coffee, he, along with the others, might have been one of the names read in today's ceremony.
I had just been in our office in the WTC the prior week. If you have never visited Ground Zero, you'll never gain the proper perspective of the events that occurred on 9/11. I believe the memorial currently under construction will properly remember those who perished that day.
---Jim
I was in family and consumer science class doing a teacher observation. My ass't principal called me on the class phone and informed that a plane had hit the World Trade. Center. My first thought was a small. Single engine plane accidentally hit the WTC. Then he told me it was a jet. I went ack to my office to watch the news. By that time the second plane had hit. I remember feeling stunned that something like that could happen in the USA. I made an announcement to the students and teachers concerning the events. There was a strange empty feeling throughtout the school. Students questioning and discussing the possible consequences. There was a great deal of conversation among students and teachers.I tried to imagine the feelings of those on the planes and those in the buildings as well as their families. The preciousness of life became a reality and how suddenly it could be taken away. The immensity of the loss of life was mind boggling.
--Tryon
I was at home with my first child, who was exactly a month old. We had a bigscreen tv in our living room (not that we could afford it) and my friendphoned me to say "turn on the tv". I sat on the couch for hours, justholding my son, watching. Crying when the towers fell. Hoping it somehowwasn't real, hoping that it wasn't true that there were people in that building.
--Heather
We were living in California. My son Andrew was four months old and September 11th was the day we were planning to move into a new house. We were having trouble finding people to help us move because it was a week day. Early that morning, I remember staring in shock and horror at the TV at the footage of the planes crashing into the WTC towers. A few hours later, we drove our U-Haul truck to the new house to begin the labor of moving furniture. Slowly friends and relatives began to show up to help us because their places of employment were closing. I remember rummaging in our new garage through items that were left from the previous owners. It was there that I found an old, tattered American flag. I placed it into the holder on the front of the house and stood there crying, staring at the symbol of our wounded country.
----Angela
My parents were flying over to Europe for the very first time to see my sister in Holland. They flew right out of the JFK airport and were actually in the air when the attacks happened. My hubby and I were in the Azores, Islands on an US Air Force base in Portugal watching helplessly as the world stopped. I remember that first day, and over and over news kept repeating, "As of right now, we do not know if the airplanes were heading to Europe or to the West Coast. We do know they were full of fuel and obviously heading long distances." Never had an eight hour flight lasted so long for me. When I heard my Mom and Daddy's voices on the phone I cried like I have never cried before. A week later we flew to Holland and met them there. Life was too short to worry about saving the money for something more practical.
In Holland and in Germany the grounds of US Embassy's were littered with thousands upon thousands of floral bouquets and prayers and notes. At least waist high. It was the coolest thing I think I have ever seen. We were heroes everywhere we went. People wanted to know how we felt and everyone told us how much they loved Americans and were praying for them. But most of them where just as scared and as shaken up as we were. I can't begin to tell you how many Europeans said to me these exact words. "Wow! If it can happen to America, no one is safe." And then right after, this sentence or something similar always followed: "You will do something to protect us, won't you?"
Jenni James --Military Wife
It was a regular morning in the office when a customer called to tell us that a plane had hit the world trade center. I assumed it had been a tragic accident. A few minutes later they called back to say that the other tower had been hit by a plane. I remember holding the phone in disbelief. My secretary went home and brought back a TV so that we could see for ourselves what was happening in NY and Washington. I was shocked and hurt and in a way, I still am seven years later. It was one of those events that you never forget, like when John Kennedy was assasinated.
---Susie
I was at work and watched in horror as the whole thing unfolded on national TV. I remember having an overwhelming feeling of wanting to go get the kids and my husband, Rob and get in our house. It was an awful day. It didn’t seem real. It seemed like we were watching a movie (a horrible one).
---Kelly
I was living on the west coast at the time in a forestry cabin that had noTV and no internet access. I didn't know about the attacks until I got into work. I walked in all happy and chipper and looked around to seeeveryone's sad faces. They thought I was horrible for being in a good moodbut then they realized that I didn't even know yet. I just remember feelingso disconnected from the world because I couldn't turn on the TV or mycomputer and find out what was happening. My husband was away at the timeso I just went home and held my dog and cried.I've since moved back east...closer to home and family.
--Jenn
I was living in Germany on September 11, 2001. It was the middle of the afternoon (they're six hours ahead) and I was standing in the lobby of the lecture hall at the George C. Marshall Center looking at the TV screen puzzled at the sight of one of the twin towers with smoke pouring out of it. The TV's didn't have the sound on so we weren't sure what was happening. The sound was switched on and the reporter said they thought a small plane had just struck one of the towers. In the next moment we saw the second airliner hit the tower - everyone gasped. There was a second TV carrying a different network and as we glaced at that TV we saw that the Pentagon had smoke pouring out of it and the newscaster stated that an airliner crashed into the Pentagon and that the U.S. was under terrorist attack. It was the most horrifying thing I'd ever witnessed and I immediately started crying. Within moments, cell phones and pagers started buzzing and ringing as co-workers and families called to give word of the news. In the days following, there was a tremendous outpouring of support and love from the German community, as well as from the students at the Marshall Center. While it was very difficult to be away from home when this happened, I was comforted by the overwhelming show of compassion by the local people.
--Catherine
It was about 6:30 in the morning and my 8-month old baby had just woken up. I staggered to the couch with sleep still in my eyes and feeding my baby boy when I turned on the TV to see the horrifying news. At first my thought was, how strange that a plane could "accidently" fly into such a tall building. And then as I kept watching and saw that another plane hit the second tower I knew that this was no accident. I sat there stunned all morning holding my baby boy and wondering what his future would entail. Were we being attacked? Was life as we know it coming to an end? Will my baby grow up to be a man, or is this it? Are we safe? I feared for the lives of the people in the towers. I feared for the lives of the rescuers. Then I watched as another plane went down at the Pentagon. It was horrifying. When the towers finally came crashing down I cried. Just sat there holding my little 8-month old son and cried. What has this world come to I wondered. Who would do such a thing?
--Danielle
My husband Jim called at 6:30 am, waking me up to say turn on the TV. He was already at work at Franklin Templeton in San Mateo, CA. We stayed on the phone while I turned on the TV just in time to watch the 2nd plane crash into WTC. It was terrifying and completely surreal to watch it replayed over and over again like a movie scene. Jim's company had offices in one of the towers and he spent a week there once a year or so. He had some San Mateo colleagues there for training. We weren't sure what would happen. At the same time I had 3 kids who needed to get up and going for school. Lindsay had just started 6th grade, Connor 4th and Jameson 1st.At 7:30 am I got a call from my good friend Laura Yorke. She was panicked because she had been in an airplane with her husband flying home from Toronto when their plane was turned around. They had landed but didn't know what was going on and she couldn't get her mother to answer the phone while she was caring for her 3 boys. I told her what I had seen on TV about WTC and the Pentagon and how all flights were told to land. At that point the media wasn't sure what was happening either.Watching the WTC crumbled was heartwrenching. I knew there still had to be hundreds of people in the buildings who were losing their lives at that moment. The buildings had been on fire and smoking for the entire time so how could anyone above impact survive?It was odd dropping off my kids at the school parking lots where the teachers and staff were trying to carry on a normal day for our children all the while not knowing if what would be next. I actually went and worked out at the gym and watched the TV the entire time while talking to my friends there. Then I made several trips to the elementary school to bring the latest news during the day.Jim called several times reporting of his co-workers who we guessed had been caught in the collapse of the buildings. It turned out that a friend from Danville had been killed, leaving behind a wife and 4 children. Also, Tom Burnett, one of the heros on Flight 93 was from San Ramon so that story dominated our local news.It was a very difficult day and time spent explaining to and reassuring my children about what they saw and heard. Never in my lifetime had I feared being attacked until that morning.
--Penny
I was home with my 3 month old baby, sleeping next to me in her bassinet (we had been up many times during the night, so we were both sleeping). My husband called me from work and told me to turn on the T.V, because two planes had hit the World Trade Center. I watched the rest of the day with horror and greif as the events unfolded.
--Laurie
I was at work at about 5:30am. I was listening to KGO 810 radio in the office when about 8:45am, they broke into the news and announced that a small plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. The initial reaction by the newscasters was of confusion and a bit understated. Afterall, it was a 'small plane'.
Soon thereafter, the 2nd plane hit the other World Trade Center Tower. I then knew something was not right. We had offices in the World Trade Center through an acquisition made in April 2001. I called the head of our facilities team and he was already watching the events being broadcast on local TV.
My company lost approximately 90 employees in 9/11. What I do remember most is a good friend of mine was having breakfast in a restaurant across from WTC, with fellow employees and they would all be heading into our offices in the WTC shortly thereafter. They were fortunate to become part of the mass scene that was running away from WTC, in the dust and smoke and debris. He eventually made it back home to the Bay Area in a rented car along with a several other employees. But for an extra cup of coffee, he, along with the others, might have been one of the names read in today's ceremony.
I had just been in our office in the WTC the prior week. If you have never visited Ground Zero, you'll never gain the proper perspective of the events that occurred on 9/11. I believe the memorial currently under construction will properly remember those who perished that day.
---Jim
I was in family and consumer science class doing a teacher observation. My ass't principal called me on the class phone and informed that a plane had hit the World Trade. Center. My first thought was a small. Single engine plane accidentally hit the WTC. Then he told me it was a jet. I went ack to my office to watch the news. By that time the second plane had hit. I remember feeling stunned that something like that could happen in the USA. I made an announcement to the students and teachers concerning the events. There was a strange empty feeling throughtout the school. Students questioning and discussing the possible consequences. There was a great deal of conversation among students and teachers.I tried to imagine the feelings of those on the planes and those in the buildings as well as their families. The preciousness of life became a reality and how suddenly it could be taken away. The immensity of the loss of life was mind boggling.
--Tryon
I was at home with my first child, who was exactly a month old. We had a bigscreen tv in our living room (not that we could afford it) and my friendphoned me to say "turn on the tv". I sat on the couch for hours, justholding my son, watching. Crying when the towers fell. Hoping it somehowwasn't real, hoping that it wasn't true that there were people in that building.
--Heather
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Choosing a Family Dog
So you’re getting a family dog. Congratulations! Dogs are some of the smartest, most lovable companions on Earth; hence, the “man’s best friend” billing. Just the thought of tail wags and slobbery face licks is enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Whether you’re looking for a yard guard, something to keep your feet warm at night, a playmate for the kids, or all three, finding the right canine for your family is not always easy. With hundreds of breeds in various sizes, shapes, colors and temperaments, the selection process can be mind boggling.
Before setting foot into the local pound or pet shop, do a little research. Start by taking an honest inventory of your family’s lifestyle, time commitments, available space and energy levels.
Ask your spouse and kids a few questions, like:
1) How much time do we really have to commit to a dog?
2) Who will feed, walk, bathe, brush and give potty breaks to Fido or Princess?
3) Where will he/she stay? Indoors? Outdoors? Both?
4) Do we have adequate yard space?
5) Can we afford the financial responsibility of dog food, vet visits, vaccinations and boarding, if necessary?
It’s very important to have a realistic idea of where your new pooch fits into your family picture, so there won’t be any surprises like “Who’s going to scoop that poop? The number one reason people return pets after purchasing them is because they didn’t bother to do a reality check on their time, space and finances before shopping and brought home more than they could handle.
Assuming you have all the pet care logistics in order, let’s now consider what type of dog breed best fits the personality of your family. If you have young children, look for a patient pooch. One that won’t get irritated while your five-year-old decorates him with Spiderman Band Aids and your three-year-old plays “Ride-A-Horsey” is a pet to be cherished. If you love to exercise and spend time outdoors, choose one with energy levels that match. Here are five of the most popular breeds for families in the U.S.
1) Golden Retriever: These beauties love playing outdoors, are generally patient, loyal and will often fetch a ball or Frisbee. They do have long hair and lots of energy, so keep a brush handy and make sure your Golden has a good sized yard and/or regular exercise.
2) Pembroke Welsh Corgi: These low to the ground, lightweights enjoy frolicking with kids, make good house pets and are generally very tolerant. However, they can sometimes be possessive of their family members, which can lead to aggression around strangers.
3) West Highland White Terrier: The lap-sized “Westie” can be a perfect companion to those without a lot of space. He’s also a good watchdog who needs regular exercise and regular brushing. Westies are better for families with older kids, since they’re not quite as forgiving of rough pats and ear pulling as other breeds.
4) Collie: Ah, who can forget Lassie rescuing Grandpa from the well? Keenly intelligent, playful and gentle, the Collie is a favorite of families across the country. Although very tolerant of children, Collies need lots of maintenance to keep their elegant coats shiny and clean.
5) Beagle: These compact, high-energy hounds are perfect for active families. They like playing games and running laps. With short hair that doesn’t shed badly, Beagles are safer to wear black around than the aforementioned Collie.
This is just a sampling of the variety of dog breeds to choose from. There are hundreds more. Surely one is bound to be the right fit for your family’s needs. Remember this, though, no matter what kind you choose, each and every dog has his own unique personality. There are nice dogs and not so nice dogs in every breed. Until you really get to know your new family friend, it’s best not to leave him alone with the kids.
For more information on dog breeds and characteristics, visit the American Kennel Club at www.akc.org.
Whether you’re looking for a yard guard, something to keep your feet warm at night, a playmate for the kids, or all three, finding the right canine for your family is not always easy. With hundreds of breeds in various sizes, shapes, colors and temperaments, the selection process can be mind boggling.
Before setting foot into the local pound or pet shop, do a little research. Start by taking an honest inventory of your family’s lifestyle, time commitments, available space and energy levels.
Ask your spouse and kids a few questions, like:
1) How much time do we really have to commit to a dog?
2) Who will feed, walk, bathe, brush and give potty breaks to Fido or Princess?
3) Where will he/she stay? Indoors? Outdoors? Both?
4) Do we have adequate yard space?
5) Can we afford the financial responsibility of dog food, vet visits, vaccinations and boarding, if necessary?
It’s very important to have a realistic idea of where your new pooch fits into your family picture, so there won’t be any surprises like “Who’s going to scoop that poop? The number one reason people return pets after purchasing them is because they didn’t bother to do a reality check on their time, space and finances before shopping and brought home more than they could handle.
Assuming you have all the pet care logistics in order, let’s now consider what type of dog breed best fits the personality of your family. If you have young children, look for a patient pooch. One that won’t get irritated while your five-year-old decorates him with Spiderman Band Aids and your three-year-old plays “Ride-A-Horsey” is a pet to be cherished. If you love to exercise and spend time outdoors, choose one with energy levels that match. Here are five of the most popular breeds for families in the U.S.
1) Golden Retriever: These beauties love playing outdoors, are generally patient, loyal and will often fetch a ball or Frisbee. They do have long hair and lots of energy, so keep a brush handy and make sure your Golden has a good sized yard and/or regular exercise.
2) Pembroke Welsh Corgi: These low to the ground, lightweights enjoy frolicking with kids, make good house pets and are generally very tolerant. However, they can sometimes be possessive of their family members, which can lead to aggression around strangers.
3) West Highland White Terrier: The lap-sized “Westie” can be a perfect companion to those without a lot of space. He’s also a good watchdog who needs regular exercise and regular brushing. Westies are better for families with older kids, since they’re not quite as forgiving of rough pats and ear pulling as other breeds.
4) Collie: Ah, who can forget Lassie rescuing Grandpa from the well? Keenly intelligent, playful and gentle, the Collie is a favorite of families across the country. Although very tolerant of children, Collies need lots of maintenance to keep their elegant coats shiny and clean.
5) Beagle: These compact, high-energy hounds are perfect for active families. They like playing games and running laps. With short hair that doesn’t shed badly, Beagles are safer to wear black around than the aforementioned Collie.
This is just a sampling of the variety of dog breeds to choose from. There are hundreds more. Surely one is bound to be the right fit for your family’s needs. Remember this, though, no matter what kind you choose, each and every dog has his own unique personality. There are nice dogs and not so nice dogs in every breed. Until you really get to know your new family friend, it’s best not to leave him alone with the kids.
For more information on dog breeds and characteristics, visit the American Kennel Club at www.akc.org.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Taking the Grief out of Preschool Goodbyes
We've all gone through it. We moms and dads who've endured the agony of taking our kids to preschool or kindergarten: the crying, screaming, flailing, throwing themselves on the floor and wrapping their bodies around our legs. Only to be assured by their teachers, at pickup time, that "little Jackie was just fine three minutes after you left." Just fine right after I left? How can that be? He was threatening to drown himself in his sippy cup, or jump off the building ledge (thank God it was only the first floor). Now you tell me he had a great time? I worried and fretted and paced and felt like a terrible mother all morning and you tell me that he was happy singing songs and playing with play dough by 8:40?Well, that's just great. Okay, I guess it IS great. He doesn't need me that much after all. But, why all the separation theatrics? Why can't we do with a simple goodbye? It's now day three of the preschool drop off anguish. Can't we find an easier way? I am willing to stay and take a tiny seat at the munchkin sized table if it'll make Jack happier. But, Keila, the teacher, gives me an exasperated, yet patient smile as if saying with her eyes "I've got to start class here and you're not part of the lesson plan?"
What's the best solution here? Become a preschooler again myself? Lord knows, I could use more practice with those safety scissors. Or should I make a mad dash through the door, squealing tires in the parking lot like a mom on the lam.
So, being the researcher that I am, I pulled his preschool director, Lyn Hobbs (who is one of the greatest women on the planet, in case you were wondering) into her office for a quick interview on the subject.
Angela - "So, Lyn, is it really true that a quick and simple goodbye is the best way to separate from your hysterical preschooler?"
Lyn - "Yep, keep it short and sweet. Say 'I love you, Jack, and I'll be back."
Angela - "Hey, that rhymed. And it's easier said than done. I'd feel terribly guilty doing that."
Lyn - "You have to know that he's just fine as soon as you're gone. Lots of parents communicate their own separation anxiety onto their kids, making the child's reaction to saying goodbye that much worse. Be upbeat and confident like you're so glad he gets to come to preschool and assure him that you'll be back. Honestly, over 95% of the time children are happy and playing five minutes after their parent leaves."
Angela - "At what age do preschoolers put up the biggest resistance to separation?"
Lyn - "Our two year old class is definitely the worst, even worse than the one year olds. At two, kids are more emotional and clingy. Plus they take longer to make transitions that may not affect a child even one year older."
Angela - (wiping the fresh tears off her pants leg) "Yeah, Jack seems to fit the description perfectly. Other than not lingering at your child's side and making a clean getaway, do you have any other advice for parents helping their preschoolers transition into a happy, healthy classroom students?"
Lyn - "Yes. Any child starting preschool is happier when they have a routine. When it becomes predictable and the child knows what's going to happen and when, they'll be much more at ease. We do everything we can to make our preschoolers comfortable and get them into a good routine. It's often the parents who provide unwelcome distractions with frequent early pick-ups and late drop-offs. Once in a while, this can't be avoided, but parents should respect their child's school structure and routine. There's a tendency to think, this is just preschool, but it's a big deal to the child. When one parent comes to pick up a child early, a chain reaction begins of other kids asking 'where's MY mom.' Then classroom structure becomes difficult to maintain."
Angela - "Lyn, thank you for your time. I'll be practicing my line for Monday... 'I love you, Jack. And I'll be back.'
Parents, if you're struggling with goodbye grief from your preschooler, repeat the mantra above. Just take out Jack's name and insert your child's, unless your child really is named Jack or you always wanted him or her to be.
For more developing wisdom from a mom in the trenches, check back to "Your Family Matters."
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