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I don't know her. I don't know her family. I do, however, know heartache and pain. I am, after all, human. I don't understand this type of violence and what provokes someone to commit such acts. I've never seen, "Dreamgirls," nor have I watched "American Idol," since its first season. I am, however, profoundly affected by the past few days and the news coverage surrounding Jennifer Hudson's family. I am a mother and this is a mother's worst nightmare.
Discipline is never easy, especially when it comes to toddlers and preschoolers. You want to give them the best guidance and direction, but it can be frustrating, at times. Perhaps everyone else knows about this technique and maybe I'm just "new," but I'm having some success that I want to share with you. You may have been in my shoes before and I'd love your input."The Naughty Step" is something my Nanny uses with the kids if they're acting up. It's the very first stair going up to my second floor. I decided to give it a try yesterday. Jack, of course, was the first one to get a time-out on the Naughty Step. And he most definitely did NOT want to be there. However, it was easier to talk to him about what he did wrong and how he could avoid having to sit on the Naughty Step in the future. And that is a big deal around here, since his job lately is to push everyone's buttons and his own limits until the whole house is in an uproar because of him. He wasn't happy about being on the Naughty Step, but at least I got him to think about what he did to get there, which is a huge step toward keeping him from throwing things in a fit of anger (that's what he did to get there in the first place). I even asked him to repeat back to me what he wasn't going to do so that he didn't have to sit on what. And he did! And he never had another problem after that. Amazing!
I am on a mission and I need your help. I’ve never felt so passionate about something so important before, but I know how many families will benefit from our help. For me, this hits home hard.
I was reading yesterday's paper and saw some very sad news. The place where Jack and Livie went for Jack's developmental playgroup last year, Vital Rehabilitation, burned down Friday morning. His former developmental therapist just happened to be there with a patient and a physical therapist in the pool when the fire broke out. They had to leave with just their bathing suits. It happened at about 8:30am, just before the place filled up with children for playgroup.
And now it's ashes.
Has anyone taken a look at the speedos the men are wearing on the U.S. Olympic team? How could you possibly miss them? They're a good six inches below the navel, which should be considered a crime, no matter how beautiful their bodies are. Honestly, I'm a bit freaked out by it. I've seen more coverage on men on Venice Beach and that says a lot.
The Chicago Tribune had an article the other day about the speedos and it intrigued me to write about it. I feel like I should be waiting for some sort of wardrobe malfunction; I wouldn't want to miss that, right? I'm finding that I'm paying less attention to the accomplishments of the U.S. men's swim team and more attention to their beautiful bodies and nether-regions, if you know what I'm saying. And that's not what I want, so I've shut the games off for now. I just can't stay focused! However, I do feel it's a bit much that the swimsuits keep getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller every time the summer Olympic games come around. Even the volleyball athletes seem to be wearing less and less each time. What's going on here?
I never knew how common a miscarriage was until I had one myself. Currently in the process of miscarrying my own baby, I am well aware of my need to grieve. Emotionally, it feels like the time when I came home from the hospital after having Jack and he was still in the special care nursery.
Empty.
I realize I do have two wonderful, beautiful children that I made with my own body. Their hands, their toes, their sparkle...all created by me. My body does not fail to do what it was destined to do and that includes what it's doing right now.
Do I wish things had been different? Hell, yeah. Am I going to be okay? Probably. Will I ever forget? Never.
I am a mess right now. I'm twelve weeks pregnant, but I don't know where this is going now. Last week, I saw my OB and he could not find the baby's heartbeat. This week, I've started spotting light brown. I don't know what to make of any of this, so I'm trying really, really hard to keep it together for the sake of my two young children. I am very, very fortunate to have two great kids considering how difficult their emergency deliveries were. I am truly blessed to be able to be pregnant again. However, I am beside myself with anxiety and fear right now at the possibility that something may be wrong. Could this be a sign that I should be listening to? Or am I just freaking out?
I'm rattled to my very core. This kind of situation has never happened to me before. Originally, my ultrasound was scheduled for this coming Friday. My OB has pushed it up to Tuesday afternoon. I'm very scared at what I might see.
I just came back from a "vacation" with my family the other day and it was hard work.
Vacations used to be so easy when my kids were in strollers and didn't have much to say. My son is just over three years old and my daughter is just over two years old and I don't remember going on vacation as being this hard before. It was easy in previous years because they were easily pleased. Now, forget it. They can only handle 2-3 hours maximum of any one activity at a time (e.g. water park, going to town, wildlife park, etc.). And they demand entertainment since they don't have their normal toys surrounding them. And they have opinions. Oh, the horror!
Well, I took both kids to work with me yesterday. I had students for one hour and then cleaned up a bit afterward. We wound up leaving the school at around 12:30pm and by then, I was frazzled.
Handling both kids is by no means an easy job. Having Jack is like having two children rolled up into one. Livie is, well, Livie. She's absolutely perfect and delightful, right down to the "nice to meet you" phrase. Jack, on the other hand, did not want to listen at all, refused to eat anything, and was fixated on all the fans in everybody's classrooms. It was nerve-wracking! I chased him everywhere, dragging poor Livie behind me.
Just a few short hours ago, I took a pregnancy test that confirmed what I thought all along. I am pregnant with my third child, conceived only two weeks ago. It amazes me that the tests are so sensitive nowadays that they can detect hCg the day you miss your period. I remember the good ole' days of mixing your urine in the tube, putting it in first cup, then the second cup. And waiting...and waiting...and waiting for the ambiguous results. Now, pregnancy tests are so accurate.
Oh, I'm sure I'm pregnant, all right. My boobs and bladder are already telling me. And it's not like I have anything better to do this summer. Yeesh.
It's going to be a busy summer at my house this year. I have a three-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter and I have a plan they may or may not embrace. You can help.
Have any of you ever tried potty learning (I don't like to call it "training") two children at the same time? Well, I'm going to attempt it. I'm also going to transition them both to toddler beds AND try to get them to give up their nummies (pacifiers). Now, I am no idiot. I know I can't throw my kids into a whirlwind of change all at the same time. I plan on it being gradual, even making them think these are their own ideas. I may just be asking for trouble, but a Mom has to try, right?
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