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Forums.  There are so many of these around the internet!  It is all I can do to keep from joining them all.  Really–I love reading the advice, debates, and interesting information that is passed along.  People are such a wealth of knowledge, and since I love to learn it is a great fit.  That said, I just don’t have time to sit and respond all the time, so I had to pick …

A while ago, DQ mentioned to me that a girl in her class kept asking for her food, and when she wouldn’t oblige, the little girl got mad.  It got me thinking, so I asked for some information about the girl.
I found out little tidbits here and there; a name, how many siblings she had, that I hadn’t seen her mother at the school because she refused to attend the class parties.
Some of that information awakened a little memory in the recesses of my brain.  Two years ago, a little …

I have always thought that milestones were important.  But, no matter how important I felt they were, I always neglected to do one important thing:  write them down.
Even for my first child.  Her baby book is largely written from my memory three to four months after the fact.
And for my second child, I did the same thing.  All dates are approximate.
I swore up and down that for the boy, it would be different.  I would jot his milestones down as they happened, even if I did so on my calendar. …

This morning, Cub started saying something disturbing.  She repeated over and over, “I HATE!!”
She didn’t mention exactly what she hated, but I didn’t like the direction she was headed in nonetheless.
Coincidentally, she has also been talking about her Bible, The First Step Bible, and bringing it around the house with her wherever she goes.
She had it on the desk while she was saying “I HATE!”  I thought, what is wrong with this picture?
Then I had an AHA! parenting moment.  So I told her that the Bible told us not to …

There is really no rhyme or reason to why I won’t allow my children to watch these cartoons; they are educational and kids generally seem to enjoy them.  But, there are limits to what I will allow to creep into my brain and fester. So, without further ado, here they are:

Caillou–this sets my kids up for disappointment, as his parents are always happy and congenial, and well, I’m not.  A typical scenario on the show:  ”Oh, Caillou, you broke Mommy’s favorite dish?  That’s ok.  That’s why we tell you to …

If you know this, will you please get back to me asap?
One thing I have tried that works sometimes, is counting down from 5. Kind of like the 3-2-1 Magic! method, but since I lost that book a long time ago, I am referencing it from memory.
Sometimes I make a game of whatever I want the child to do (i.e. cleaning the room game). But this is only successful when the kids are in the “mood” for such games.
But I haven’t found a single thing that is consistent …

Saturdays are usually days where we relax and spend time as a family. There may be the dreaded XBox, there will definitely be college football on, we sometimes go outside to play…
…but Saturdays are my favorite because I get to take a longer shower!!
Let me explain.  Most days I am lucky to brush my teeth after a two minute lightning-fast scrub down, because I have a 10-month-old trying to climb up my leg while screaming and mumbling “maaa maaa.”  I could wait for him to nap, but the few …

I read somewhere or saw on a news segment that you can’t teach children to share by taking away a toy they are fighting over.
I never thought of it that way.
I can see where they were coming from, though.  What would that teach a child?  Certainly not to share–maybe just to be quieter when they fight.  One thing I was a little disappointed in is I did not hear a different solution offered for when siblings argue over a toy.
So, in an effort to be Super Mom, I brainstormed some …

My Buddy…

My Buddy….

Wherever I go, heeeeee goes…

My Buddy…

My Buddy….

My Buddy and ME!!

{Does anyone else sing 80′s commercial lyrics to their sons? Or am I just weird?}

Disguised turkey, that is.
DQ settled on Minnie Mouse.  Or, Minnie Turkey, rather.
We waited until the last minute.  The night before.  Thirty minutes before bedtime.
{Why do I always procrastinate?}
However, I think we pulled it out.

Hello, Minnie!
I take credit for drawing the shoes, dress, ears and bow.  DQ takes credit for coloring (I helped her) and cutting (I helped her there too–but just a little!).  She did a great job!
Maybe I’m a little biased.