Parenting

December 2009 Can Suck It

12.31.09

I am so happy to be saying goodbye to December tonight. Here’s to a MUCH better January and joyous 2010!

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Eleven Things I Love About You

11.26.09

Eleven years ago today, as my family sat waiting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I was giving birth to my son. I couldn’t have been happier or more thankful.

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The Mom In The Mirror

11.18.09

I think a lot about how my children are a mirror of myself. I think this is one of the most profound things about being a parent. I have stood, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, looking at my son and thinking, “I do that. How can I help him NOT to act a certain way when I act that way all the time?” And I am at a loss.

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Peeling Back Emotional Layers With Onionhead

11.17.09

Onionhead offers tools to help kids and adults make friends with their feelings. Their goal is help everyone learn to “name, claim, tame and aim” their feelings. We’ve been trying out the Onionhead A-Z Magnet Set for the past few weeks and it’s been an enlightening experience.

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The Ten-Day Kick-It-Into-High-Gear Fitness Program

11.16.09

I know from experience that results are motivating, so today I’m starting a ten-day intense diet and exercise program. I need to feel more energetic and see some pounds drop off.

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Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins

9.15.09

I was leery of the new “Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins” movie because the previous live-action movies were horrible. But I sat down with the kids to watch and was pleasantly surprised.

Along with the movie release, there’s a new video game, Scooby-Doo! First Frights, and I’ve got three copies for the Wii to give away.

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Fresh Beat Band: Music, Action and Fun for Preschoolers

8.22.09

The Fresh Beat Band is Nickelodeon’s first live action show for preschoolers, meaning there are no puppets, no animation — just humans. “Our strategy was to launch them as a band first and get kids excited about the music,” said Teri Weiss, Senior Vice President of Production & Development for Nickelodeon Preschool Television. Nick started airing music videos by the band months ago, with no mention of a series. As the launch date got closer, the series was introduced.

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Don't Beat Down The Fresh Beat Band

8.1.09

A couple months ago I started seeing commercials on Noggin for a kids’ band called “The JumpArounds.” The music was catchy, and the message seemed innocuous: music is awesome, so get up on your feet and be happy.

The commercials disappeared for awhile, but now The JumpArounds are back under a new name, The Fresh Beat Band, with a new show premiering in August. I was curious why they changed the show’s name, so I Googled it. What I found has me perplexed and a little incredulous.

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What I Learned From Preschool

6.23.09

Preschool was fun. Playtime, with some education and social etiquette thrown in. It was a good experience for our whole family and it actually taught me to more fully embrace homeschooling. I learned that, as much as I yearn for more “me” time, I like being with my kids and sharing their learning and growing process.

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Today I am 40

3.13.09

It’s my 40th birthday (as if I haven’t talked enough about that on this blog) and I feel fantastic.

Taking a look over my 40 years of life, I feel so amazingly lucky. I grew up in a good family, never wanted for anything, and never had anything horribly tragic happen. I married a wonderful man and we live happily in a beautiful home with our two awesome children. I’ve never been seriously injured or ill. Except for bouts of depression (that are well-managed with medication, exercise and “me time”), I have a fairy tale life. I am happy.

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Homeschool Science: Capillary Action in Plants

2.25.09

My son is studying biology this session in his homeschool co-op science class. I’m really not a science person and particularly not a biology person. Hated it in high school and had to take it twice to pass in college. Luckily, my husband loves science and has this baffling ability to remember everything he learned [...]

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Our Kids Are So Seriously Clones Of Us

1.30.09

I had a parent-teacher conference today at the girl’s preschool. Summary: She’s doing great socially, needs a little work on fine motor skills. Also had Parent Observation Day at gymnastics, with essentially the same report. It was funny to watch her talk, talk, talk to the instructor while on the balance beam and the bar, [...]

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NJ Unemployment Funds Dried Up?

12.8.08

Amber over at New Jersey Moms Blog talks about her battle with the NJ unemployment system. Seems the Department of Labor in our state is so understaffed (due to budget cuts) that they are not able to process claims or even answer the phones. Now if only the Division of Taxation could suffer such a [...]

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Election Results: Sadness and Apprehension

11.5.08

This morning, my insides are in a knot. I expected Obama to win. What I did not expect was the immense sadness and apprehension I would feel as a result. If I didn’t have to take care of my kids and function as a mom, I might be in my closet, curled up in the [...]

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Preschool and Panic Attacks

9.20.08

This week we started our new fall schedule that includes preschool, gymnastics, ballet and swimming. And my usually-social daughter has suddenly turned into a whining, clinging, crying-and-deathgripping-my-neck child. I’ve been completely blindsided by her behavior. And stressed to the point of a panic attack.

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The Lemonade Stand: Sell What People Want

7.2.08

A few people wandered back to the garage for our sale. When they did, L would come back to see if they had any questions about his toys. But in the end, it was the lemonade stand that got most of the attention – and the profit.

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Happy Birthday Nana

6.25.08

Today my Nana turns 91 years old. Her mind is mostly gone to dementia. Her body is frail, but generally healthy. As I think of her today, so many memories come to me.

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