Tuesday Debate- Other People's Kids

Tuesday Debate - Other People's Kids

So yesterday afternoon I took my kids to the pool. It's a lovely pool, complete with the slide, play house and lazy river (my fav). My daughter and I were getting out of the lazy river and trying to manage the big inner tube in the midst of a bunch of other inner tubes and people entering the river. It was a mess ! (Seriously- we can put a man on the moon, but have yet to design underwear that stays put and a separate entrance and exit for the Lazy River? C'mon!) Anyway, another young girl who was wanting to get in put both of her hands on my daughter's tube  and pushed her backwards. I was standing right behind Z1 so she didn't go far. But before I could stop myself, I looked her right in the eye and very sternly said."There is NO need to push. (Insert slight head bob here). The words "excuse me" work in all fifty states in this great nation."  Her jaw dropped open and stunned she backed off and said,"Excuse me. . . " and we politely moved over and helped her get in the river.

Now here's the debate. . . when another child does something to your child, do you say something? Let it go? Ignore it and move on? Do you address her parents (which were no where to be seen)?  Was I completely out of line?

Let the comments begin!

Melissa

Monday Minute

Time for the Monday Minute and I only have a minute since I am working (outside of the home) this week.  Can I just vent a little and say how much I despise working outside the home teaching summer camps? I'm missing summer with my kids!  And by the time I take out the sitter's portion, I'm not making near enough to compensate.

So for today's Monday minute, I have decided that I am making another list. Life is too short and you only get so many summers. At the beginning of the summer I made a list of everything the kids and I wanted to do. So far we are making pretty good progress. My new list is going to list all of the things I DON'T want to do next summer. And guess what's going at the top of the list?

Summer is only four weeks under way. . . plenty of time to change it around- do some things you want to do and eliminate the things you don't! (Of course, bathing and laundry should stay). :-)

Happy Monday,

Melissa

Friday Funny!

When I first found out we were having a baby, I had all of these ideas of how everything would be. Of course, it was a picture perfect world. Our children would be so well behaved, geniuses, and be speaking fluent French by the age of five. HA-HA! Life was somewhat idyllic when they were infants. Once they became mobile, it was over. Little by little Z1, and then eventually Z2, completely changed my perspective on how life was shaping up to be. Fluent French? Surely I jest! These days I'm happy to be able to get a complete thought out of my mouth without being interrupted or having the sentence finished for me. In fact, I'm beginning a whole list of thoughts. . . the ones I never knew I would say as a parent. . .

1.) No, honey, your T-Rex does not eat the Baby Jesus or the Wise Men.

2.) Son-of-mine, WHY are you wearing 13 pairs of underwear? (I'm telling you, his underwear area looked like one of those plastic, molded Superman figurines).

3.) Little Bear, what kind of dance is that? (This was after I told him to "Get up and shake it off.")

4.) Hey! Hey! How did you get up to the top shelf in the pantry? (I said THIS when he was about 10 months old. This was the day my reality changed).

5.) No, you may not fluff (Pass gas) on demand.

I'll try to post more as the day goes by and I remember them. Would LOVE to hear YOUR sentences.. . .

Melissa

Thursday Thoughts

It's Thursday, and I'm supposed to post a thought. Something inspirational? Something funny? Something thought provoking?

Well, peeps, I'm thought-less. Not as in inconsiderate, but as in writer's block.  You see, I'm teaching a summer camp for the next three weeks, and the first two weeks of it are, how shall I say it? Less than stellar. Imagine teaching a class of 6-8 year olds, about 1/3 of whom do NOT want to do anything you ask them to although they chose the class. And they're not mine, so discipline is a sticky issue. 

So right now, it's about hunkering down and getting through. Hopefully with a smile and a little bit of finesse. And preferably, being able to stay on long enough to collect that paycheck at the end of camp. 

Feel free to send me some thoughts of your own! Would love to hear how you all make it through moments like these.

Wishing you a pleasant Thursday,

Melissa

Review on No Slip Charlie®

Every time you give your little one a bath, do you start thinking of “Slip Sliding Away” by Paul Simon? I know I did when my boys were infants, times 2! Trying to juggle the shampoo, the washcloth, the soap, AND the baby was just too much sometimes. I’ll admit it, I often thought about duct taping them to the little tub! (Don’t worry, I didn’t ACTUALLY do it!)

But those of you experiencing this juggling act don’t have to pull out the duct tape! No Slip Charlie® is the perfect answer to your problems. No Slip Charlie® is the baby bath safety product that puts you in control by giving you a great grip on your wet, slippery baby during a bath. These fingerless gloves are made of poly/lycra - just like a woman's swimsuit. They are extremely soft to the touch, yet provide an excellent grip on your squirmy, little soapy one. Your fingertips are free to test the water, touch your baby, and wash their hair but your palms have the friction of the gloves to help you comfortably maneuver the baby and lift them out of the tub. Plus, a detachable terry cloth wash mitt will attach to either glove at the back so you don’t have to struggle with the washcloth.

Since I don’t have infants anymore, I had to get creative on how to test them so I could give my honest opinion. So out we went to the pool. When the boys were lighter, I could pick them up while in the water and throw them to the deep end. But now, they just slide right out of my hands! So I put on No Slip Charlie® and tried to throw them. WOW, it worked! I can’t throw them far because I’m apparently a weakling, but at least they didn’t slide out. I could actually pick them up and out of the water and still have a grip on them. Pretty Cool!

No Slip Charlie® comes in 2 colors: you guessed it! Pink and blue! You can get them here for only $20.00 per pair. You don’t have any little, little ones at home? They make a GREAT baby shower gift!

The folks at No Slip Charlie® are generously offering one as a giveaway and also offering a discount code for Macaroni and Chicken Fingers readers.  Us the code macnchick for 5% off through July 24th.  This discount is IN ADDITION TO their annual July sale.  So be sure to visit the No Slip Charlie® website!

GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away a one package (which includes 2 gloves) to one lucky winner, chosen at random. The contest will end at midnight on July 8, 2009.

HOW TO ENTER:

Primary Entry: Tell me your best/funniest/worst story about giving your baby a bath! (If you don’t have one, I won’t know so make it up!)

*This entry is mandatory to allow additional entries!

Additional Entries (be sure to leave a comment for each entry):

• Subscribe & Follow my blog via email = ONE ENTRY
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway = ONE ENTRY (remember to use @karmelpub when tweeting)
• Follow No Slip Charlie® on Twitter and Tweet about this = ONE ENTRY
• Blog about this giveaway and provide a link back to here = ONE ENTRY
• Grab my button and place on your blog = ONE ENTRY

*Make sure you tell me which color you’d like if you win!

GOOD LUCK!

Karen

A Little Extra Today!

I just wanted to let all of you Mom Entrepreneurs out there know about a teleseminar coming up soon through the MomEntrepreneur.com.  It’s called How to Get Your Product Featured in Top Magazine Holiday Gift Guides, and it’s Thursday, 6/25/09 at 11:30 EST.  AND, if you register by 10:00 EST tonight, you can still get in on the 50% off discount.  That means it’s only $50.00. 

Okay, I know this sounds like an advertisement, but this group of women has helped me so much.  There is a support group, newsletters, advertising opportunities and more.  If you are a Mom Entrepreneur, you need to check them out.  I have learned so much, and gotten a ton of support from these women.

I’m off my soapbox now!  But seriously, take a look at their website.

Karen

Tuesday Debate- Prostitots or NOT!

It's summer time, here in The Lou. It's hotter than heck. When it's this hot, we definitely see a shift in the clothing area. Shorts, halters, swimsuits. Now I'm not into high necks and skirts that graze the ground, but I DO hold my kids to some limits. I'd like them to be decently clothed. For us, that means shorts need to come past where the fingers hang. Tanks need to keep you covered. Shorts need to stay up- no baggin' or saggin'.

What do you think is appropriate? Are you okay with a 2-piece on your young girl? How about boy shorts with writing across the bottom? How about your son's shorts? Baggin'? Showing his underwear?

Let the comments begin! C'mon, don't be afraid to mix it up!

Melissa

Monday Minute – Home Remedy

If your household is anything like mine, viruses make the rounds pretty quickly. Of course, not quickly enough that we’re all sick at the same time. We each get to have our very own few days of feeling badly and being pampered.

(Hee Hee! Oh, that was funny! Of course, I didn’t mean to include moms in that bit about being pampered!)

So we are all getting sore throats and fevers. The fabulous nurse practitioners at the Take Care Clinic at Walgreens have given me a home remedy for sore throats. No, it’s not the dreaded warm salt water, it’s something I’d never heard of and wanted to share with you:

• Mix together equal parts of Liquid Benadryl (generic is Diphenhydramine) and Maalox (generic is Aluminum Hydroxide / Magnesium Hydroxide / Simethicone).
• For adults, usually about 1 Tablespoon of each; gargle and spit the solution out.
• For Children, about 1-2 teaspoons of each; gargle and spit the solution out.
• May be done every 4-6 hours as needed for pain.

Now, I must admit that I have not tried this. (Anybody who knows anything about me, knows that I am the biggest BABY when it comes to liquid medicines. Cough syrups, gargles, anything that doesn’t come in pill form!) However, it MUST be better than the salt water gargle, right?

So if anybody tries this, let me know how it is, okay?

Karen

Friday Funny- Indoor Snow Sports

So the other day I was folding laundry (a seemingly endless task) and my daughter, who is the fearless version of me, comes walking in. "Z2, I say, please take this basket down to the laundry room."

"Okay," she says. I return to my task, grateful that there was simple compliance. What I did not see was how she determined how to complete the task. As I am folding the laundry, I hear a whump . . .whump. . . whump-whump-whumpwhumpwhumpwhump-SMASH!

Fearing the absolute worst, I peek my head out of my bedroom door and look down the stairwell. I see the Z2 laying flat out at the bottom of the stairs, laundry basket covering most of her body and a look of pure confusion on her face. Apparently she thought it might be fun to sled the stairs in a laundry basket. (Kudos to her for her fearlessness).

"You okay?" I ask, trying to suppress my giggles. "Yeeaah. . . " she replies. "Gonna do it again?" I ask.

"NOPE."

I walked back into my room, put my face in a pillow and laughed until I nearly wet my pants.

Yours, wishing you unexpected moments of laughter,

M.

By The Book Contest Winners!

Okay, so on our first review, I was a day late announcing the winners. But here they are:

Congratulations to ladytink_534 and Margee for winning eBooks of By The Book: Caring For MY Kids!

We hope you enjoy the book!

Thursday Thoughts

I've begun to notice some rather strong traits in my children. Some I like, and some need some, uhm, restructuring? No, tempering? Maybe. Cultivating. Yeah. That's it.

Today, when you notice things about your child, try to see the positive point about it.  Are they a little bossy? They are probably going to make a good teacher one day. Endlessly arguing and debating with you? Tirelessly closing the loophole? A fantastic lawyer, I say! Can't keep that kid from climbing to the top of everything and being a daredevil? They will probably make a good fireman or rescue worker. Are they black and white in their thought process? Totally good for engineering.

Now if I can just figure out how to take that trait and channel it properly. Oh yeah. . . Leadership through serving. But I'll tackle that next week. ;-)

Yours, looking for the sunshine,

Melissa

Review – Shower Hug

Okay, so let’s be honest. Who’s boobs DIDN’T hurt before, during and after breastfeeding, not to mention pregnancy? I don’t see any hands raised, so I must assume that your experiences were as painful as mine! And for just a few minutes every day, if we were lucky, we could take a nice, warm, relaxing shower. BUT WAIT! Even that warm shower hurt our breasts. That’s just not fair!

Well, the women of Belmama & Cherub have come up with a solution for us, called the Shower Hug. The Shower Hug is made of the softest, most luxurious stretch knit terry velour to provide expectant and new moms with gentle bust line support and to soothe sensitive nipples as it shields the breasts from harsh shower sprays. Moms simply wrap the Shower Hug snugly around their chest and secure with Velcro® in front. Ahhhhh! Soothing comfort, not to mention the best warm compress the breasts ever experienced!

Simply wrap the Shower Hug™ around your chest and back and attach the Velcro® closure. Since your body will change over the next few weeks, they have provided four inches of Velcro® so you can pull the Shower Hug™ as snug or loose as you feel comfortable. After wearing, simply wring out the excess water and hang dry. To wash, attach the Velcro® closure and toss it in with your next load of baby clothes.

Moms not only love to wear the Shower Hug in the shower, but outside of the shower as well! Shower Hug patrons wear their Hugs for overnight support and around the house as a comfortable alternative to the traditional nursing bra. And the Shower Hug provides hands-free comfort to hold cool or heat packs and is oh-so-soft.

This is one of those things that makes me say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Now, I will come clean (no pun intended) and tell you that I have not personally tried this product. When I had my twins 8 years ago, I knew I was done! But just reading about it and seeing the pictures makes me wish I had had this during those VERY painful months.

So how can you get this amazing product? Just go to http://www.showerhug.com/ and order. They are available in three different sizes and color options: White with Petal Pink trim, White with Slate Blue Trim or Earth Friendly Natural with Sage Green Trim. Coordinating burp cloths and wash cloths are also available. This is a GREAT gift idea!

Karen

Tuesday Debate-How many is too many?

We've all seen the headlines. As a culture, a lot of people are fascinated with families of multiples and large families. The Jolie-Pitts. The Octomom. John and Kate Gosselein. And how about that family with EIGHTEEN children? Wow. It's hard for me to teach a class of eighteen kids, let alone be on duty 24/7. What happens when one of them gets sick and infects the whole family?

So the question today is: how many is too many? And in the case of invitro fertilization, should and at what point should the doctor be held accountable (as in the case with Octomom who has 14 kids, raising them as a single parent).

Let the debate begin!

Melissa

Monday Minute

It's raining again. Buckets. Cats and dogs. Torrential downpour. And it's also summer break. So you know what that means. . . .

We have a kind of rainy day tradition at our house. When it's this wet and rainy, what is there to do? Yes, I'll pull out the puzzles and games. That's a given. But right now, they are building a mega fort downstairs that I'm sure will probably take even longer to clean up than it did to build.

Uh, oh- they've just surfaced with the words,"Mom, where are the flashlights?"

Next thing on the list, cookies- the homemade kind. And at some point, we will become crazy people and go puddle jumping and dance in the rain. Just for the heck of it.

What are your rainy day traditions? Would love to hear 'em. It's always good to get some new ideas!

Rain on,

Melissa

Thursday Thought – Gratitude

I know that the word Gratitude has been overused lately, but I just can’t think of another word to describe how thankful we should be. Life isn’t perfect, of course, and in our darkest moments, it can be difficult to find something to be grateful for. But there’s always something, we just need to dig a little deeper. And if you think you’ve dug as deep as you can, and nothing presents itself, then take Oprah’s advice and be thankful that you are breathing.

As I am waiting to hear the news that a dear friend of mine has passed away, which should be any day now, I find things to be grateful for:

• I’m grateful that my friend and I reconnected this past year before her death.
• I’m grateful that I can spend the summer with my kids and not have to work a full time job (outside the home).
• That being said, I’m grateful that they are in cub scout camp this week!
• I’m SO grateful for all the wonderful people I have met in Cyber World.
• I’m grateful for my life!

You know , I feel better! What are you grateful for?

Karen

Review - Strosgirl's Blog Design

We have just had a makeover. Of our blog, of course! Like it? We LOVE it, and we owe it all to Angie at Strosgirl’s Blog Design. Not only is she incredibly reasonable (I’ll get to more of that later), but she’s full of ideas and is SO QUICK, which I love. (Because, of course, Melissa and I may take quite a while to decide what we want, but once we decide, we want it NOW! Doesn’t everyone? )

Angie loves to make designs and loves digital scrapbooking, so along came her blog design business. At this time, she can only work with Blogger/Blogspot, but she’s looking to expand her knowledge into other areas.

The cool thing about our redesign is that we gave her an idea of what we were looking for, she gave us some suggestions on how to get it, and then she just ran with it. After just a few VERY minor changes, we had a finished product. So she can design a one-of-a-kind template for you from scratch, or you can pick a premade template from her website, and she even promises not to sell more than 5 of any of these premade templates. (Seeing your design on somebody else’s blog is kind-of like wearing the same dress as a friend at a party. GASP!)

In all of her premade templates you will find a background, corresponding sidebars and post area, and a header that you can customize by putting your own title and an image if room is available. Also included in premade templates, you will find a post divider, icons next to your post title, or a signature. So even if 4 other blogs out there dare to have your same template, at least you know it won’t be EXACTLY the same!

I said she was reasonably priced, right? Get this – her packages start at only $20.00. That’s for the walk, then it goes up to the single and all the way to the homerun. (Did I mention that Angie is a HUGE baseball fan?) Or you can customize your own package, as we did, by purchasing a basic package and adding specific elements from the Dugout.

One last thing about working with Strosgirl’s Blog Design. Angie is TOTALLY customer service oriented. She communicated with us on everything, even giving us suggestions we hadn’t thought of, and just made it a terrific experience. I’d give her an A+, and coming from me, that’s incredible! (Just ask Melissa!)

Angie has very generously offered a 25% discount to anyone for the next 30 days. Just be sure to mention Macaroni and Chicken Fingers when filling out the order form on her website.

Karen

Tuesday Debate- It's Time for Summer Camp!

I don't know about you, but by about mid-February, the area I live in starts planning for and advertising- SUMMER CAMP. I'm not even remotely close to being thawed from Winter's Chill, and they want to know what I'm going to do with my kid every day for those precious 11 weeks.  For us, summer is freedom to do whatever, whenever, however and with whomever we choose.  If we want to go to camp, so be it. But I cannot process all of that in the middle of February. There are, however, some parents who have their child's summer planned by the end of March. Wow! I marvel at their organizational skills.  But camp every week? 

So here's the debate: Summer camp- how much is too much? What are you doing with your kids for the summer?

Let the comments begin!

Melissa

Monday Minute

We've been having a little issue around the house lately. Seems that Z2 is prone to embroidering the truth lately. Aw, heck. She flat out lied to me the other day. Looked me right in the eye and told me,"Nope, I didn't eat that after you told me not to."

Funny, why are there crumbs all over your face and the cookie count is much lower than it was ten minutes ago?

Now, this would not be a big deal if it was not becoming a habit. So I had to do something to make the punishment fit the crime. Quickly.

"Z2," I said,"I want to be able to trust you. I want you to keep your integrity- that's the fact that you always make the right choice and always tell the truth- clean. Every time we lie or do the wrong thing, it gets harder for other people to believe or trust us. So, I'm going to have you clean the kitchen floor."

"With a mop?" she says excitedly.

"No, baby, with a scrub brush."

"Oh. Why?" she asked.

"Well, while you are cleaning the kitchen floor, you can think of ways to keep your integrity clean."

"Okay," she says nonchalantly. "Sounds like fun to me. Where's the bucket?"

I get her set up. The first four tiles, great fun. The second four, well, okay. By the third set it was,"Mom, the WHOLE kitchen floor?"

"Yep, baby. The whole kitchen floor. That's how hard we have to work to clean out integrity once we get it dirty by lying or making bad choices."

Needless to say, it's been awfully honest around here the last few days. Whew.

Yours,

Melissa

Friday Funny!

The difference between little boys and little girls is so huge. Think Grand Canyon. No, that's not an exaggeration. 

My little guy is so literal. As a writer, I tend to speak with a lot of metaphors and other figures of speech. When Z1 was younger, I had to really watch myself because he would take me at my word.

Case in point: One night when Z1 was about 4, I put him to bed. We read a book, I tucked him in, said prayers and kissed him goodnight. At that point, you know what I'm thinking,"Yes! Freedom!" And then comes the call,"Mommy, can you come here?"

"What do you need?" I reply.

"Just come here."

So I go in and say,"What is it, son?" And he looks at me with those angelic blue eyes, smiles and says,"Uhm, I forgot." 

Now, this is fine the first time. Even the second. But after about ten minutes of this game, with increased pleading and increased denial and many utterances of,"Just tell me in the morning. Go to sleep now," I finally gave in and walked into his room.

I open the door and sit down on his bed, ready to have a little talk. "Can you tell me what you need, my love?"  He stammers and stutters for about 15 seconds and I say,"What is it son? Just spit it out!" 

For a brief second he gets a confused look on his face. Then he promptly clears his throat, hacks up some snot and hocks a loogie at his bedroom door.

I am not even lying.

With questioning eyes he looks back at me and says,"Did  do that right, mom?"

How can I be upset at that? It's my own fault. He did exactly what I told him to do.

Yours, hoping your weekend is happy,

Melissa

By The Book: Caring For MY Kids

REVIEW:

I was sitting in the publisher’s office, nervously wading through the questions. Six hours from home, away for the third day, and my cell phone starts to ring. I check the ID. “I’m sorry, I need to take this. It’s home.”

“Dance clothes? Yes, it’s in the book. Directions to class? In there, too. And YES you have to wait for her. Check the DAILY ROUTINE Section.”

***************************************************************************

I had just put my feet into the hot, swirling bath. I had waited for a long time for this pedicure and not much was going to spoil it, except a phone call from my sitter. Thinking the worst, I answer the call.

“How do you get the DVD player to work? Remember, it’s in the book. Look under HOUSEHOLD ODDS AND ENDS.”

***************************************************************************

I had fifteen minutes before our big date. In those fifteen minutes, I had to pull up my hair, throw on some make-up and leave notes for the sitter. “One down,” I thought. “I finished updating the book yesterday. Now on to hair and make-up.”

***************************************************************************

Some days it seems like I’m the only one who knows what’s going on with my kids. Don’t get me wrong. I love them beyond all reason, but 24/7 for 365 days a year? I don’t know that even Mother Theresa could do that! I need that time away. And sometimes I’m working outside the home and just can’t be reached. So where is that “Lost Manual” that never came with our kids the day they were born?

I finally found it! By The Book: Caring for MY Kids is the instruction book that YOU fill out about YOUR kids. It has EVERYTHING. Fill out all the information about your kids and you won’t need to be bothered for a thing. It’s win-win for you, the caregiver and the kids! The book is divided into five sections and takes only minutes to fill out. There is a place for the kids’ routines, school information, important phone numbers, household rules and whatnot, emergency contact and procedures and even a place to organize all of your sitter information. My most used section is the Sitter Notes. Every time I use a sitter, I pull out a page from sitter notes. The nice thing is she knows exactly what to look for when she lets herself and the kids into the house.

This book has made organizing my kids’ information a snap. Now I can do what I need to do without worrying about leaving the sitter or significant other all the information they need. After all, it’s in the book!


GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away an eBook of By The Book: Caring For MY Kids to TWO lucky winners, chosen at random. The contest will end at midnight on June 17, 2009.

HOW TO ENTER:

Primary Entry: Go to http://bythebookkids.com/insidethebook.aspx to view the different sections of the book, then come back here and tell me what part of By The Book would be most useful to you and why.

*This entry is mandatory to allow additional entries!

Additional Entries (be sure to leave a comment for each entry):

• Subscribe & Follow my blog via email = ONE ENTRY
• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway = ONE ENTRY (remember to use @karmelpub when tweeting)
• Blog about this giveaway and provide a link back to here = ONE ENTRY
• Grab our button and place on your blog = ONE ENTRY

GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday Debate- a day late!

I'm late. I know. I'm sorry. I'd like to say it won't ever happen again, but then we all know that would be a huge lie. Believe me, Karen will give me enough heck for all of you! :-)

So today's debate centers around drugs. Yes, I said it.  But what I'm talking about here is the kind that (at least for me) brought some semblance of sanity to the birthing process. Say it with me now . . .  epidural.

There are many women who will and many women who won't.  I made it perfectly clear to my husband and doctor that I WOULD be having the epidural despite my queasiness with needles. And then I heard it from all sides . . . why I should, why I shouldn't, what's going to happen to my baby if I do, what will happen to me if I don't. . . 

S0, pool's open, gang. Let the debate begin. . . to epidural or not?

Monday Minute- At the Library!

Summer is here! Our kids are out of school and with us full time. Sometimes that can be bliss, sometimes, well, it's an unending string of commands like,"Stop that! Don't bug your sister! Why are you always antagonizing him? AAARRRGGHH! Alright. That's it! Personal Safety Day!" (See previous blog for definition of Personal Safety Day).

Now that my kids are readers (one at 3rd grade, one at 1st grade level), I have come up with a little incentive for them. Don't know about you, but my kids love screen time. It is the first thing they ask for every day. AHA Moment- it's totally their currency. So, kids, want to earn some screen time (video games, TV or computer)? guess what- for every minute you read, you get a minute of screen time.

They were more than eager to get to the library today.

Happy Summer!

Melissa