Check out the contest!
We're having a "find a cool domain for this blog" contest! Check it out! Make sure you check out the Beautiful Like Me Project!My uncle, lost his brave battle with leukemia this evening.
I have so much to say, a lot of guilt, and a lot of sadness.
We didn’t see this coming, at all. He was responding so well to the treatments. He had a massive heart attack last night, and couldn’t recover. He was bleeding internally, and they think he had a brain bleed as well. He passed in a medically induced coma. They say he felt no pain. I wish, so much that I believed in heaven. It would be so much easier to let him go, if I knew I’d see him again.
Uncle Lodi,
I know you used to read my blog frequently, so I thought my final note to you being on here was appropriate. I love you. I’ll miss you like you won’t believe. I know we hardly saw each other anymore, with you living so far away, but it’s just so hard to think of you not being there anymore. It’s hard to wrap my mind around. I’m proud of you though, for owning your mistakes from your past, for fighting these last months for your life. I’m so, so sorry that I didn’t call you more. I know you weren’t upset about it, but it will always haunt me, I think. I wish, so much that you could see my girls grow up. I wish they could have known you, your smart ass sense of humor, your kindness, your heart. You will live on in our memories, and they will know you through them. I love you, and miss you.
Love,
Jen
Yesterday evening Nana was wrestling with Abel, he was tickling her. She said, “stop stupid”. I calmly asked her what she said. She calmly replied “I told daddy how handsome he is”.
OMG, it took everything I had not to bust out laughing.
I asked her two more times, and warned her if she didn’t tell me the truth that she was going to time out. She wasn’t going to be in trouble for using an inappropriate word, but she was for lying.
Her next two answers? “I said I’m tired”, and “I said you’re pretty”
So, off to time out she went. While in time out, I told Abel, “maybe we should call the Easter Bunny, tell him that Nana is lying. I know he doesn’t like to hide eggs for kids that lie to their mommy and daddy” – she JUMPED up and immediately said, “I said stupid – I SAID IT! I’m so sorry!”.
So, she got out of time out and we talked about inappropriate words and while they are going to slip every once in a while, and that’s ok, it’s never ok to lie to us.
Seriously – how can I raise a kid when I think shit like this is funny?
Just wanted to share my polite little girl.
I was hanging in the kitchen and she marched right past me and opened the pantry.
P: mama, chip?
M: No baby, you can’t have chips right now.
P: mama, cacker?
M: You want goldfish?
P: yes, peas
M: ok, excuse me please
P: *backs up and steps on my foot*
M: Ow!
P: sowy mama! ok? i kiss?
M: I’m ok baby, thanks *hands Pia crackers*
P: YAY! da du mama!
So polite! I love this little bit, so much.
So, last week someone new found my blog. They went through and read probably 30 of my older entries. Seeing that, I read through them as well. I laughed so hard at myself! I also made myself cry a few times, just remembering where I was, and how much has changed. It’s been over 3 years since I started this blogging thing.
I thought it would be fun to re-visit some of my old favorites.
Here they are (in no particular order).
Sex During and After Pregnancy
Just a few, I ran out of time to search for more!
Ok, this week the question we are looking to answer is “Does how we look at ourselves effect how the next generation (your kids, grandkids, stepkids, friends kids, etc.) looks at themselves? Why or Why not?”. I started and stopped this post 100 times. I wrote, erased and wrote again because I couldn’t get a good handle on my feelings on this, and I stray hopelessly from topics.
My answer? Absolutely! How I view myself very much comes through how I act, how I take care of myself and how I feel – which translates into my children on many levels. If I’m unhappy with myself, it shows and kids are very perceptive. I’m very careful not to make negative comments about myself in front of my kids, because I don’t want them to think that they are any less than perfect, their own version of perfect. If they see me examining my cellulite in the mirror, I can guarantee they will be doing the same in short order. Nana is already noticing ways that she differs to me, and I make a point to reinforce that different does not equal bad. Your children want to BE you, so if you hate part of your body, they will too, and think this is normal and acceptable.
Now, all that is good in theory, but in practice, it’s a lot harder. I’m not a fix-my-hair-wear-make-up-daily person. I stay home, and just don’t make it a priority. Is that a mistake? I’m just not sure. On one hand, it’s teaching them beauty does not equal products. I know when I do put forth the effort, my kids get all excited and tell me how pretty I am. Have I done something wrong here? Is it wrong that they think I look nicer with make-up on? Have I done something inadvertantly to encourage this? Maybe when I ask McHusband how I look? Am I planting the evil looks-are-so-important-seed? I’m afraid I might have, so now it’s time to pull some weeds. This is why I joined in this project. My biggest, most important goal in life is to raise good, kind, smart, happy people. Part of being happy and kind is loving yourself. But, do I love myself enough to teach my kids properly?
I think if a parents wants their child to have a healthy body image, the parent has to live it themselves. Our children do as we do, not as we say. So, if you don’t love yourself, look in the mirror and try to find small things that you do love, and focus on those. Everyone has something to love, and let’s make sure our kids figure out how to find and embrace them! And maybe teach ourselves to do the same in the process. I’m already learning here.
Make sure you check out the hosts of this project! Tricia at Shout!, Amy at Five Flower Mom, WickedStepMom. And join us in teaching children that beauty is on the inside.
This comes to the forefront of my mind every few months, and I feel it’s important to blog about – to educate. If you don’t feel like some car seat education, skip this.
Two points I want to make here. One, it’s SO important to rear face as long as you can. Pia is almost two, and still rear faces. In fact, the AAP now recommends rear facing until age two. Read the article here.
I’ve heard all the “reasons” for turning them around, none are good enough.
Now, my other point. Keeping them in a 5 point harness for as long as you can. Most experts recommend no sooner than age 6. I recently read reviews on Walmart.com about a booster, people were buying it for their two-three year olds. If you have the time to write an on-line review, don’t you have the time to research the safest options for your child?
I’d think so.
Please, please don’t put your small children in boosters, and please don’t move them forward facing until they absolutely must be, if you get a good seat (not even expensive, because expensive does not equal good in this case), that can be 35 pounds!.
I try my very best not to be a sanctimommy, but this is one topic I admit to judging people on. It’s wrong, I know that. But, if I can make one person reconsider their choices, it’s worth it.
Please read up on it, do your research, protect your child. Because there is no do-overs for this.
This is a cool site! You create a page for yourself, and pick 5-6 words that you would use to describe yourself. Then, you get a link to your page and give it to your friends. They get to pick 5-6 words that they use to describe you. You get to see how you view yourself, and how others view you. This sort of thing is fascinating to me!
Arena(known to self and others)
independent, loving, self-conscious, silly |
Blind Spot(known only to others)
able, accepting, bold, brave, caring, clever, complex, confident, dependable, extroverted, friendly, giving, helpful, ingenious, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable, mature, modest, observant, organised, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, responsive, searching, self-assertive, sensible, sentimental, sympathetic, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty |
Façade(known only to self)
adaptable |
Unknown(known to nobody)
calm, cheerful, dignified, energetic, happy, idealistic, introverted, logical, nervous, patient, relaxed, religious, shy, spontaneous, tense |
All Percentages
able (20%) accepting (30%) adaptable (0%) bold (25%) brave (10%) calm (0%) caring (40%) cheerful (0%) clever (10%) complex (10%) confident (10%) dependable (10%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (5%) friendly (5%) giving (30%) happy (0%) helpful (15%) idealistic (0%) independent (10%) ingenious (5%) intelligent (40%) introverted (0%) kind (20%) knowledgeable (30%) logical (0%) loving (20%) mature (5%) modest (5%) nervous (0%) observant (5%) organised (10%) patient (0%) powerful (5%) proud (15%) quiet (5%) reflective (5%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (10%) searching (5%) self-assertive (20%) self-conscious (10%) sensible (5%) sentimental (5%) shy (0%) silly (5%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (5%) tense (0%) trustworthy (35%) warm (15%) wise (30%) witty (30%)
You can make your own Johari Window, or view heathenmama’s full data.
Here’s my link.
Just some funnies I wanted to share.
Nana and I were having a very serious talk the other night about appropriate touching. She refers to her vagina as her “china”. I told her that only mommy, daddy and dr’s can touch her vagina, and if anyone else does, she is to tell them NO and come and tell us.
She’s very sober during this conversation, letting it all sink in.
Then, very seriously she asks, “mama, who is allowed to touch YOUR china?”.
I’m usually a quick wit, but had nothing for this one. Absolutely nothing!
Nana’s 4th birthday was on the 21st. A few days prior, we were watching TV together and a commercial for a Tinkerbell house came on. She’s just getting into the “I want that!” phase. She promptly declared that she wanted it. I told her we could absolutely get it, if she picked out two toys to give to children that didn’t have any. She thought about it for a minute, and the bargaining started.
N: “How about two small ponies?”
M: “Nope, we need to do the bigger toys, because this is a pretty big toy, that comes with lots of neat stuff!”
N: “How about just ONE big toy?”
M: “Well, we really need to do two honey, that way some little girl out there with no toys will get TWO and be sooo happy”
N: *doing toy inventory in her head* – “That’s ok mama, I think I just won’t get it”
Jaw drops.
I still can’t believe she didn’t go for it. I told my mom this story, and Nana got the Tinkerbell house for her birthday. Foiled again by grandma!
Friday night, I was prepping for my shower, buck naked, brushing my teeth. Pia comes barging in the bathroom and starts staring at my nether regions. Intently. Like, I feel a little violated. Then she declares, “EWWWWWWWWWWW, you grrrrrroooooooossssssssss mama!”. Nice. Real nice.
Last night, we were watching a re-run of the Kids Choice Awards. They mention the Jonas Brothers, and Nana gets SO excited. I had NO idea she even knew who they were. She usually just watches movies, not much TV at all (doesn’t sound like it in this post though, haha!). I say, “do you even know what the Jonas Brothers do honey?”, to which she promptly replied (more than a little exasperated), “Yes MOM, they ROCK!!”. Indeed they do honey.
During dinner recently, Nana declared the food to be leccable. Took me a minute. She was trying to say delectable. Where she got that, I’ll never know.
She told me this morning, “Mama, you’re really good at cooking things”. If I succeed in nothing else in life, I’m good at cooking things. *laughsoblaugh*
I’d love to bottle their innocence right now. Everything is so black and white and literal at both of their ages, it’s something I wish I’d never forget. It’s refreshing and funny, and I love it.
A bloggy project! Fun! And what a good cause!
Wicked Step Mom, Five Flower Mom, and Shout are all co-hosting this project. The point if it is to make a real effort to teach our children to love themselves for what they are, not what they are “supposed” to be. I’ve been off in la-la-bloggy land, but this is worth coming back for.
Here’s the bottom line:
I am not beautiful like you, I am beautiful like me.
Teach the next generation about true beauty and self confidence.
Help girls and boys to have a better self image and to stand up for beauty in all forms.
So, if you’re in, grab this beautiful button:
And commit to a bi-weekly exercise, beginning April 6th.
Let’s teach our children what REAL beauty is!
Check out the page dedicated to this project here.
For a while now, I’ve been thinking of purchasing a domain and moving my blog so I can have more control over features and colors and stuffs.
But, all the good ones are taken (*pout*), so I thought maybe I’d tap you guys, my lovely readers and see what you come up with.
I’ve used The Story of Us since I first started blogging, way back when. My link has always been mymommyhood. Both are either taken or REALLY more than I’m willing to spend.
So, enter the contest.
Give me your ideas. I’ll pick my favorite.
If you’re the one who came up with the winning one, you get this:
Not the baby. Or…probably not the baby. That’s my nephew Daniel. Cute, right?
How CUTE is it?
My sister made it. All by herself.
It’s 18 month size, and pretty gender neutral.
All you have to do is leave a comment with your URL idea (please make sure it’s open!), AND (this is important) your e-mail addy.
And if you really love me, post about this contest. You won’t get anything but my undying love. It’s worth it, right?
