Back to School Pictures

Back to School 2011

Garrett – 6th Grade (middle school!)

Karina  – sophomore

Micaela – First apartment at college!

Southern Tradition That I Love

One tradition that I love is the southern tradition of kids going to Junior Cotillion during their middle school years… We didn’t have Junior Cotillion back in the little town I grew up in. However did I become so socially graceful? Ha ha!

Both of my girls participated in Jr. Cotillion and now it is my son’s turn.

What is Junior Cotillion? In our area it sponsored by the Junior League.

“Junior Cotillion gives middle school age boys and girls instruction and practice in social skills that build confidence and self-assurance. A group setting provides opportunities for reinforcement and practice with peers in a fun, socially safe atmosphere. Joan Snodgrass personally leads each class, following a carefully structured curriculum that addresses manners, etiquette and basic ballroom dancing. The goal of the program is to teach social skills that last a lifetime. A guiding principle is that students learn best when they are having a good time.”

Below is a picture of my less-than-enthusiastic son before going. After the dance, the only information he gave about the event was that “all the girls were hairy”. I bet he won’t be saying that in a few years!

Hostess Ding Dong Ditching

At the risk of sounding like my true self slightly immature, I must tell you about the fun I had with my kids and a few of their friends last Saturday night.

It all started when Doug and Garrett had monopolized the tv with a less than exciting military history show.  I decided to do a little web and blog-surfing.  I happened upon a blog called www.kindnessgirl.com .  On the blog, this woman shows short videos of various “random acts of kindness” activities that she has done.  In one video she puts Starbucks gift certificates in books at the pulic library.  In another she hangs one dollar bills in a tree.  They are just fun little activities that put a smile on the face of the reciever and an even bigger smile on the face of the giver.

My favorite video showed the Kindness Girl lady and a friend delivering Hostess Ding Dongs to doorsteps and then ringing the doorbell and running ….. a kinder, gentler, take on the old (admittedly FUN) Ding Dong Ditch whereby you ring a doorbell and just run (leaving nothing).  Why is this so fun?  No idea.  But it is.  Always has been.  Always will be.

I decided that it would be fun while Micaela was home for the weekend to do this with my kids.  So I bought a bunch of individually wrapped Hostess Ding Dongs and then we wrote on the packages:  “Enjoy your Ding Dongs, you have been Ding Dong ditched”

I wanted to do the ditching early in the evening (like 8 pm) in order not to inconvenience, wake up, or scare anyone.  On the Kindness Girl video they did it it during the day. But then g-man had a 7 pm football game so our ditching got a bit of a late start.  We tried to target people we know who 1)  We thought would think it was cute and fun  and 2) who would probably still be up and about at 10pm.

 

 

 

So we put on black ninja clothes and hats, loaded up the Expedition with my three kids, two friends and myself (Doug for some reason did not want to participate:) and headed out.

IT WAS A BLAST!    I mean Ding Dongs, wild kids running through the streets in black clothes, driving away before everyone was fully buckled … what could possibly go wrong?

I highly recommend HOSTESS DING DONG DITCHING.  Your kids will not remember how many times you drove to Walmart at 11 at night for a poster board for the world cultures project they forgot about.  They will not remember the time you cleaned their vomit off the white-carpet floor right after they had a big dinner of spagetti and red kool-aid.  They will not appreciate how many times you didn’t buy something for yourself because they really wanted a pair of soccer cleats that were higher than what you budgeted.  They won’t know or appreciate that.  But even when they are really old (like 40) they will remember the time their mom took them HOSTESS DING DONG ditching…..

ding dong

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Brilliant Parenting Idea

I have never shared many of my parenting techniques or ideas on my blog because that would assume that I know what I am doing (and I am pretty much feeling my way on that) ….

Now I just can’t help but share this great idea:

Flossing on the way to school!

Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t drive and floss at the same time.  But the way I see it,  if I can read, text, put on makeup and dig in my purse for a piece of gum while driving, then why can’t I floss as well?   (Kidding!)

My kids have probably flossed many more times than I ever did in my childhood, but not nearly as much as they should.  Now Garrett and I have been using these little flossers on the drive to school:

You can get the Walgreens ones on sale — 90 flossups for $1.50.

Do you agree that this is Brilliant?

Try it, you’ll like it!

What’s your brilliant parenting/ living idea?

What Every Husband or Wife Needs to Hear

I recently read this article over at www.betterlifecoaching.wordpress.com  , a great new blog that I recently discovered…

What Every Husband or Wife Needs to Hear

August 31, 2011 in Relationships | Tags: Craig Groeschel, encouragement

We all know that men and women are different.

One of the significant differences is what they need to hear to help them feel secure and valued in their relationships.

In his book, “WEIRD: Because Normal isn’t Working,” Craig Groeschel identifies this difference and outlines how husbands and wives can effectively encourage and build up their spouses.

In the interests of being gentlemanly, let’s start with ladies first.

Wives need to hear, “I love you, because…” – Most husbands would agree that saying, “I love you” to their wives is something that we can never do too often.  Craig suggests that by adding “because…” and giving your wife specific reasons for your affection is even better.

Here are a few examples:

• I love you because you’re my best friend.
• I love you because of the phenomenal contribution that you make to our household.
• I love you because your more beautiful to me every day.
• I love you because you are so supportive of me.

Husbands, I highly recommend this.  Be specific, be creative and continue to find new reasons for your love that you can share with your wife.

Husbands need to hear, “I believe in you.” - Husbands like to hear that they are loved as well, but more than anything, they need to be affirmed by their wives.  Despite our bravado, we’re insecure at heart and like to know that we’re held in high regard and respected by our wives.  Hearing that our wives believe in us, increases our self-belief and gives us more confidence to be the best man we can be.

Craig says it well, “In so many ways, a husband is in the process of becoming what his wife sees in him. Since she knows him better than anyone else, if she says he’s no good, he’s tempted to believe it. If she thinks he’s amazing, he’ll start to believe he can accomplish a lot.”

Wives have a lot of power and when they tell their husbands that they believe in them and their abilities, they are more likely to live up to such expectations.  Sometimes, it can be difficult to find things to affirm, but I would encourage all wives to have a close look and unearth positive attributes that you can acknowledge.

 

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In my experience, this advice is spot on – do you agree or disagree?

Lessons Learned in the Oncology Ward Infusion Room

So lately I have been spending more time than I would like to in the Texas Oncology Infusion Room.  This is not where I would like to be spending my time…. I would much rather be lunching with the ladies in the Nordstrom Cafe.  Heck, I’d rather be home scrubbing toilets to be honest with you!  It’s not that it is such a bad place in and of itself… it is clean, well lit, and full of extremely kind nurses.  But still, it is a soul-sucking place to be.

Have you ever seen those reality TV shows where they take wild teenagers on a visit to a penitentiary and show them where their path is headed?  I think there is a show on tv called “Scared Straight” that does that.  That’s a little of what I have been going through at Texas Oncology – getting a little wake up call.

I guess I should tell you that as far as I know I DO NOT have cancer (thank goodness!)  I am simply anemic.

I have been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia.  This was detected during a wellness check-up and luckily I have no symptoms of sickness or anemia.  Many people that are anemic are lethargic, but not me.  My hope is that after solving the anemia I will have EVEN MORE energy than I already do and can run around like the Ever-ready Energizer Bunny and complete all my half-done projects!

So I truly have entered middle/old age because I am now blogging about my physical ailments…

Initially, I was told that I was very anemic and that perhaps this indicated some internal bleeding such as colon polyps or something.  FREAK OUT!  Like most people and especially moms, I usually take this kind of news a little too far in my head, start updating my will, thinking of all the scrapbooks and journals to my children that I must complete before my demise.  But then I quit researching on-line and flipping out and got a reality check.  The anemia caused me some worry, but because I feel so healthy I couldn’t imagine that I had anything serious.  Still, I underwent an inspection of my intestinal tract from top to bottom (excuse the pun).  I had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy (camera down into the stomach).  No problems there — no ulcers, no polyps, no nothing.  Then I went and drank about a gallon of chalk milkshake and they took x-rays of the stuff as it moved through my stomach – more fun!  Then they wanted to take a look at my small bowel, which involved swallowing a pill-cam.  The pill cam took 60,000 of pictures of my small intestine.  I just swallowed a little camera and wore a computer purse thing around for eight hours.

Good news is that they didn’t ask for the pill camera back, just the computer purse:)

So I created this exciting home video of my small intestine and some lucky technician or nurse got to view it (what a job!).  I hope they were paying attention to my small bowel movie and not eating too much popcorn during the show…..

But anywhooo, the movie review came back two thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert.  No problems…. so I confirmed that I am healthy inside and out, but just low in iron.

Next I was sent to the hematologist (blood doctor) who is also an oncologist (cancer doctor).  That’s how I ended up at Texas Oncology, where my very nice doctor recommended iron IV infusions since iron pills weren’t getting the job done.  So the good news is that I have to get eight infusions and then hopefully they are properly absorbed and my cells have all the iron they need to be at maximum primo working order to carry oxygen and I am good to go for a very long time!

I’m not really good at picking up on the subtleties in life, but these visits to the Oncology Infusion Room have really been a wake up call for me…. it’s not a subtle reminder (more like a brick thrown at the side of your head reminder) that I should never take my health for granted.

In an hour I will drive across town for my 5th of my eight infusions.

I will walk into the building past the Oncology sign and through the waiting room filled with frail elderly people as well as young bald people, most accompanied by worried looking spouses and support people.  This will make me sad.

I will pay a fee and wonder how the “working poor” who aren’t on medicaide and have no insurance possibly do it (they probably don’t).  This will make me sad.

Then a group of us will be called and taken to the Infusion Room where we are assigned our reclining chair, given pillows and headphones for the tv.  The room will already have lots of people reclining in their chairs, loved ones perched next to them offering ice water and idle chit chat.  This will make me sad.

A kind woman with a “Breast Cancer Survivor” nametag pinned on her shirt will come around and offer a warm blanket to me.  I always take one.  This will make me sad.

Then a nurse will come and sometimes she will ask which side my “port” (permanent IV site on the chest) is on.  I will tell her that I am just there for iron and I get a regular IV.  Just thinking about having to have a port will make me sad.

Then I will get my IV full of dark brown liquid, which includes benadryl to prevent allergic reactions.  The benadryl makes me feel tired, which will make me feel sad.

But many times I am thankful to be tired and fall asleep because then I don’t hear the chatter around me, like the nurse asking the tired, thin, 30 year old bald guy next to me how his new baby is doing.  Thinking about him possibly not being there to watch his child grow up will make me sad.

And finally about an hour later I am done —  up and at ‘em and off to pick up kids, get my nails done or whatever.   I am able to walk out into the sunshine and go on with my beautiful, healthy day.   But even this makes me feel some survivor guilt and that will make me sad.

I guess I know how actors must feel after they have played a particularly draining role….. despite the fact that I do not have cancer, walking through the motions of a cancer patient is very draining!  But I am not complaining!  Hell no.  I am just saying that it has taught me a lot, and I am going to take the lessons that this life lesson brick has thrown at me and hopefully never forget them.

Here’s a few things I have learned (or in some cases re-learned because I have forgotten):

1)  There are some really amazingly kind and wonderful people in the medical world.  I think there is an exceptionally higher percentage of angels on earth working in oncology — I bet God’s HR department planned it that way.

2)  Every little contact means a lot.  My friend Sally texted me before my first treatment and said good luck and that she was thinking of me…  my hubby, my Mom and Dad and my Mom-in-law have checked in at every turn and expressed lots of concern.  Micaela keeps me company via text while I am trapped there.  My friend Traci asks how it is going each time she sees me.  My sister Trisha called to check on me.  And my sister Saint Shila called me and even sent me a gift.  It brought tears to my eyes as I opened the package from her.  She is a crazy busy woman and yet she took the time to send me a journal, three beautiful pens and a heartfelt note.  All of these things and others that “my peeps” have done make me feel so loved.    It has been a reminder to me to check in on people, send notes of encouragement, to let them know I am there for them and thinking of them.  Lots of times I don’t ask a friend who’s just had a loved one pass away “How are you holding up?”.  It’s like I don’t want to make them sad.  But I know now that feeling the warm loving thoughts from your friends and family is what is important.  I tend to think “oh, they know I am thinking of them” …. when I should send a little text or pick up the phone.  I am not even really sick and yet my loved ones care that I am going through something.  I can only imagine what a strong framework I will have if something serious ever happens – that gives me lots of strength and comfort.

My new philosophy about this and many things is to copy a quote from neighbor friend Ralph Ott: “I am going to err on the side of Action.”

3)  Being sick (even though I haven’t even been truly sick) is extremely time consuming.   I have spent more time at the doctor in the past 6 months than in all the 43 years before that I think!

I am going to remember how time consuming sickness is every time I think I don’t have time to go work out or I don’t have time to make a healthy dinner for the family, cut up that fruit, take those vitamins, or whatever.

4)  Being sick is expensive!    Even with good health insurance, there are so many things I would have rather spent the thousands of dollars on instead that money went to co-pays, lab fees, percentages due after insurance, prescriptions, etc.  I am going to remember this when I buy more high quality, organic, food, pay for my gym membership, etc.  I would rather spend money on staying healthy than on being sick!

And of course the main lesson that we all know but don’t always remember:

5)  EVERY DAY IS a BLESSING!  Every day in a healthy, pain-free body is a MIRACULOUS GIFT.

Kate Gosselin is so Ridiculous…. I sure feel sorry for those 8 kids!

  Last night’s Final Episode of Kate Plus 8 truly was ridiculous ….  it started off with her taking them white water rafting in the Grand Canyon and not being willing to get even slightly splashed!   I’ve always been fascinated with multiples and it has been fun to watch the occasional episodes and see the sextuplets grow up.  But as they have grown up, Kate seems to have become even more immature than ever.  She has estranged everyone who has ever been close to her or the kids and of course she thinks none of it is her fault!

I am glad the series is ending – those poor children are growing up with such an angry, controlling, OCD, whiny and immature mother…. it has become tougher and tougher to watch her treat her husband (now her ex-), her family (now estranged), her employees (who have all quit) and her children like dogs.

Let me just say that Anderson Cooper is easy on the eyes and now he shows that he also has a great sense of humor!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/anderson-cooper-kate-gosselin-video-231924