A man recently made news in Centennial, Colorado for intentionally wrecking his car, trying to kill his 2 year old son. His son isn't dead, though. His son is in the hospital in casts, struggling to recover. Confused and in pain, I'm sure. The father claims that he didn't think he could be an appropriate father (a "good dad") so he tried to kill him.
My first and most immediate thought was, "Why didn't he give him up for adoption?" The fact, though, is that sometimes it isn't that simple. Everyone always assumes that there is a "Safe Haven" law in place for situations such as this. In Colorado, the "safe haven" law wouldn't have included this boy. The law says that "you can leave your baby, up to 3 years old, with a hospital staff member who engages in admission, care or treatment of patients at any hospital or with a firefighter at any fire station in Colorado." Clearly, this boy wasn't 3 days old.
If he had family that wanted to adopt the child, he could have done a kinship adoption but there is no word if this was the case. Regardless of what option he chose, he is still fiscally responsible for the child unless and until the adoption is finalized. It's not as simple as the movies make it; drop him off at an orphanage and call it a day.
I don't want to give the impression that I agree with what I did. I blatantly disagree. I think it's despicable. My thought, though, goes to what could be done to prevent situations like this. As sterilization seems like a simple answer, I definitely don't want the government involved in deciding who gets to have kids and who doesn't (though I'd debate that child molestors, etc wouldn't break my heart if they were sterilized). So what's the answer to preventing situations like this?
I don't think the answer is as easy as we'd like to think.
I definitely do think that if a parent is going to harm their child, there should be a safe place to leave him or her. I think that it's got to be an option to have a place to leave a child if they are in danger. Of course, there are ramifications. You have to get counseling/psychological care....period. If you are wanting to harm someone, especially a child, you need help. Another stipulation would be that you can't just leave the child and then come back and decide you want to pick him up again. In short, it's not a day care or a convenience. Once you've done your counseling, if the psychologist determines that you are safe and capable, fantastic. If the psychologist determines you didn't cooperate or that you are unsafe, the child is placed for adoption. The third stipulation is that are still financially responsible unless or until that child is adopted. You don't just get to leave a kid because you're not in the mood to take care of them. You are still responsible for what you've "created."
The point is that I think there should be a system in place AND that it should be a publicized option. There are too many parents leaving their kids in hot cars, abandoning them and such because there aren't available or widely publicized places to leave them. If you are a parent who is thinking about harming your child, PLEASE seek help. Go to DFCS, go to their pediatrician, go to a hospital, go to their school....any of these places will help you to find some sort of help that you may seek. They may not be able to provide the help directly, but they will help you get it! Please do NOT ever do something to harm your child (or any child, for that matter). Please do not EVER think that this is the solution to any problem.
Another thought on this topic is more strict penalties. People do what works for them. In short, parents are less likely to do something like this if they know they're going to jail for years and years. (I AM suggesting there be help for parents if they think they are endangering their child but if they actually go through with it, I do believe there should be serious penalties.) Make the penalties stronger. Make a very serious impression that this is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
My final thought on this is "prevention." If there are strict penalties, it helps to make people stop and think a bit but what else would assist this. This is not just teenagers or early twenty somethings but maybe it starts that young...and younger. People need to know that their sexual behavior does impact their life. If they get pregnant, it isn't a couple of years of work; it's 18+ years. You're a parent for life. Pregnancy needs to stop being such a "meh" thing. It needs to be a big deal. Yes, this dips into the abortion debate, I'm sure. That's a whole different conversation. What could be done to prevent this?
This man's actions are beyond awful. There are no words. My heart goes out to this little boy in his recovery and beyond. If you are a parent thinking of doing something similar, PLEASE get help. I beg you to please look into your heart and make a decision to seek assistance.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Shorts and Hoodies
If you are the parent of a tween or teenage boy, you have probably had the great debate on shorts. You know the one: it's forty degrees outside and your son is wanting to walk around in shorts and a hoodie. Add in the fact that he is fighting like a sabertooth tiger to avoid having to wear a coat of ANY kind (including a light jacket) and strictly wants a hoodie and it's enough to drive you insane. My experience tells me there are 3 moms that deal with this problem....
You're-Doing-It-Because-I-Said-So Mom This is the mom that will get you to wear pants and/or a jacket at all costs. Whether she wrangles you down like a toddler with a tantrum and pins them on you or whether she guilts you into it, you're wearing those pants.
The Compromise Mom This is the mom that will negotiate with you. "Okay I understand it's gonna be 65 later so you can wear the shorts but can you please wear a jacket or, at the very least, a thicker hoodie?"
The Natural Consequence Mom This is the category I fall into. I've given up on fighting a battle that is stressful for everyone involved. If he's cold, he'll learn to wear something warmer. If he's not cold (and it's a possibility being that Colorado kids adapt to climate pretty well...then add in hormones and the fact that they're probably clowning around in the morning keeping the blood flow moving), then it's not worth fighting over anyway.
Whatever category you fall into, know that you're not alone. Most, if not all, tween and teenage boy parents deal with this argument. Keep your chin up.
You're-Doing-It-Because-I-Said-So Mom This is the mom that will get you to wear pants and/or a jacket at all costs. Whether she wrangles you down like a toddler with a tantrum and pins them on you or whether she guilts you into it, you're wearing those pants.
The Compromise Mom This is the mom that will negotiate with you. "Okay I understand it's gonna be 65 later so you can wear the shorts but can you please wear a jacket or, at the very least, a thicker hoodie?"
The Natural Consequence Mom This is the category I fall into. I've given up on fighting a battle that is stressful for everyone involved. If he's cold, he'll learn to wear something warmer. If he's not cold (and it's a possibility being that Colorado kids adapt to climate pretty well...then add in hormones and the fact that they're probably clowning around in the morning keeping the blood flow moving), then it's not worth fighting over anyway.
Whatever category you fall into, know that you're not alone. Most, if not all, tween and teenage boy parents deal with this argument. Keep your chin up.
Monday, August 29, 2016
The Hypocrisy of Most Kaepernick Supporters
Here's a little food for thought for Monday....
If you are supporting Collin Kaepernick in his little escapade and yet condemned the bakery that wouldn't bake a cake for a gay couple, you seem to be exercising a bit of hypocrisy. "But the couple was providing a service." So is he. "But the couple was discriminating against gay people." Their discrimination (albeit one I don't agree with personally) was based on their religious beliefs; Kaepernick's discrimination is based on his personal beliefs. "But the bakers didn't do their job." Well yes they did. They agreed to make a cake, just not one with a gay couple on top, etc. Kaepernick is still playing football but he's choosing not to stand for the national anthem. "But what the bakers did offends all gay people." And what Kaepernick did offends pretty much all Americans.
I can do this all day long.
Here's the thing: I don't agree with the bakery's opinion but it is their right to do so, in my opinion. What I ALSO believe, though, is that they will reap the consequences. What I mean is that I feel that we should say, "Fine, don't bake it" and then watch them deal with the consequences of that choice. Their sales would likely fall and they would have terrible reviews. There might be protests outside of their business.
I don't condemn Collin Kaepernick for his opinion; he has a right to an opinion. I don't have to respect his opinion and I don't any more than he would respect mine. I don't think people should force Kaepernick to do anything he doesn't believe in. However, I fully encourage people to throw away his jerseys. I fully encourage people to voice their protest regarding Kaepernick's choice to sit during the National Anthem. Let him reap the consequences of his choice.
You see, I believe in education over "awareness." You can have all the petty BS ways to "bring awareness" in the world and the fact is that nothing will change until you bring education, as well. Nothing. Awareness is all well and good but it doesn't provide a solution. Protest means nothing if it doesn't move toward a positive resolution.
And those are my final thoughts on the Kaepernick situation.
If you are supporting Collin Kaepernick in his little escapade and yet condemned the bakery that wouldn't bake a cake for a gay couple, you seem to be exercising a bit of hypocrisy. "But the couple was providing a service." So is he. "But the couple was discriminating against gay people." Their discrimination (albeit one I don't agree with personally) was based on their religious beliefs; Kaepernick's discrimination is based on his personal beliefs. "But the bakers didn't do their job." Well yes they did. They agreed to make a cake, just not one with a gay couple on top, etc. Kaepernick is still playing football but he's choosing not to stand for the national anthem. "But what the bakers did offends all gay people." And what Kaepernick did offends pretty much all Americans.
I can do this all day long.
Here's the thing: I don't agree with the bakery's opinion but it is their right to do so, in my opinion. What I ALSO believe, though, is that they will reap the consequences. What I mean is that I feel that we should say, "Fine, don't bake it" and then watch them deal with the consequences of that choice. Their sales would likely fall and they would have terrible reviews. There might be protests outside of their business.
I don't condemn Collin Kaepernick for his opinion; he has a right to an opinion. I don't have to respect his opinion and I don't any more than he would respect mine. I don't think people should force Kaepernick to do anything he doesn't believe in. However, I fully encourage people to throw away his jerseys. I fully encourage people to voice their protest regarding Kaepernick's choice to sit during the National Anthem. Let him reap the consequences of his choice.
You see, I believe in education over "awareness." You can have all the petty BS ways to "bring awareness" in the world and the fact is that nothing will change until you bring education, as well. Nothing. Awareness is all well and good but it doesn't provide a solution. Protest means nothing if it doesn't move toward a positive resolution.
And those are my final thoughts on the Kaepernick situation.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Kaepernick's Media Hijinx
Collin Kaepernick made headlines when he chose to stay seated for the National Anthem. Other players are trying to smooth things over by saying that you have to respect your opinion even if you disagree with it. This is America where we're all allowed to have opinions. Here are my feelings....
1. I respect his opinion. No, actually, I respect his ability to HAVE an opinion. I do not have to, nor do I respect his opinion. I think it's a load of crap and a publicity stunt.
2. If he really has a desire to change the way this country functions, how about he use all the money he makes to try to support race relation education? He is doing absolutely NO good educating on the topic, nor doing a thing to change it by his approach.
3. Sitting for the National Anthem does NOT just disrespect this country. It disrespects all of the men and women that have fought for us and continue to fight for us on a daily basis. It disrespects those that ARE concerned about the state of this country and that fight for you whether you deserve it or not.
4. I sincerely hope that every person that has a Kaepernick jersey will throw it away and wear a shirt supporting the American military instead.
You will not repair the state of this country by bitching and moaning. You won't repair it by sitting out during the National Anthem, burning the flag or any other dumb stunt. You will repair it when you stop standing by and whining and start educating people. If you're really concerned about a cause, start finding ways to educate others and change the world the RIGHT way. Stop acting like a spoiled child who doesn't like the green beans your parents served you for dinner.
1. I respect his opinion. No, actually, I respect his ability to HAVE an opinion. I do not have to, nor do I respect his opinion. I think it's a load of crap and a publicity stunt.
2. If he really has a desire to change the way this country functions, how about he use all the money he makes to try to support race relation education? He is doing absolutely NO good educating on the topic, nor doing a thing to change it by his approach.
3. Sitting for the National Anthem does NOT just disrespect this country. It disrespects all of the men and women that have fought for us and continue to fight for us on a daily basis. It disrespects those that ARE concerned about the state of this country and that fight for you whether you deserve it or not.
4. I sincerely hope that every person that has a Kaepernick jersey will throw it away and wear a shirt supporting the American military instead.
You will not repair the state of this country by bitching and moaning. You won't repair it by sitting out during the National Anthem, burning the flag or any other dumb stunt. You will repair it when you stop standing by and whining and start educating people. If you're really concerned about a cause, start finding ways to educate others and change the world the RIGHT way. Stop acting like a spoiled child who doesn't like the green beans your parents served you for dinner.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Color Run Denver 2016
My friends and I did the Color Run in Denver today and I can honestly say that I would love to do this every year. This is our second year doing it and we've committed to try to do in annually.
This year's theme was "Tropicolor." The event took place at Coors Field and it was every bit as loud and colorful as it was last year. The warm up was taking place and the booths were all set up. They are great at hyping up the crowd and the runners are, for the most part, really excited, happy and friendly. You see a wide variety of apparel from running shorts to tutus and everything in between. The parking is pretty good and free and there is a whole lot of other apparel available there besides the goodie bags you get when you sign up.
What do I love about the Color Run? Well, I love the atmosphere. I also love the fact that the people spraying you with color are great about giving you as much or as little as you want. I love the fact that the music is peppy and fun. I love the volunteers cheering you on. Most of all, though, I love being covered in color, laughing with my friends.
Now, there are a couple of recommendations I would make....
*A sheet or towel to cover the seat of your car. Even if you get "blown off" after, you will likely still have dust or residue. It doesn't stain but it's a pain to clean out of car seats.
*Baggie. Baggie, baggie, baggie. Put your phone in a baggie to protect it. It WILL get dust in it and it WILL be a pain to clean.
*If you don't want to wear a bandanna on your face, always always always try to close your mouth as you're passing through the color dust stations. It's not dangerous but it does taste bad. They don't mean to get your face but the dust does travel.
*If you're attending the after "party", please be prepared for a color dust cloud. If you're asthmatic, it can be a bit irritating to your breathing for some. It's an absolute blast, just be prepared.
Overall, Color Run wins again!
This year's theme was "Tropicolor." The event took place at Coors Field and it was every bit as loud and colorful as it was last year. The warm up was taking place and the booths were all set up. They are great at hyping up the crowd and the runners are, for the most part, really excited, happy and friendly. You see a wide variety of apparel from running shorts to tutus and everything in between. The parking is pretty good and free and there is a whole lot of other apparel available there besides the goodie bags you get when you sign up.
What do I love about the Color Run? Well, I love the atmosphere. I also love the fact that the people spraying you with color are great about giving you as much or as little as you want. I love the fact that the music is peppy and fun. I love the volunteers cheering you on. Most of all, though, I love being covered in color, laughing with my friends.
Now, there are a couple of recommendations I would make....
*A sheet or towel to cover the seat of your car. Even if you get "blown off" after, you will likely still have dust or residue. It doesn't stain but it's a pain to clean out of car seats.
*Baggie. Baggie, baggie, baggie. Put your phone in a baggie to protect it. It WILL get dust in it and it WILL be a pain to clean.
*If you don't want to wear a bandanna on your face, always always always try to close your mouth as you're passing through the color dust stations. It's not dangerous but it does taste bad. They don't mean to get your face but the dust does travel.
*If you're attending the after "party", please be prepared for a color dust cloud. If you're asthmatic, it can be a bit irritating to your breathing for some. It's an absolute blast, just be prepared.
Overall, Color Run wins again!
Friday, August 26, 2016
"Humiliated" Over Sweat Pants
I read an article today about a pre-teen that was "humiliated" because she was asked to change out of the leggings she came to school in. She came into school in a tunic (that was too short in portions of it) and leggings. She was called into the office and given a pair of sweatpants (just gray sweatpants) and told to change clothes or leave school. Against school rules, she called her mom on her cell phone and her mother was furious. Supposedly this girl was "humiliated."
Now first, let's define "humiliate." Webster defines it "make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect, especially publicly"
Second, let's define the school's rules and their conduct. While they didn't specifically only say "leggings", they did speak of what was and wasn't covering private areas including the butt. They describe their conduct if it occurs (change clothes). This is specifically outlined in their handbook.
Third, let's talk about how it was handled by the school. They pulled her into the office. They offered her a piece of clothing that would serve the purpose for the rest of the day. They told her to wear it or leave school and told her that it was not acceptable to call her mom for a change of clothing. Why? Well, because what she did was against school code and it's not their policy to call parents. It's their policy to make an impression without further discipline (detention, etc) to avoid this happening in the future. In short, the sweatpants are a warning.
Let's review how the "victim" handled the situation. Going against school dress code, she wore leggings. She was pulled in and given a change of clothes. In her little tantrummy fit, she asked to have her mom bring clothes and was told no. Instead of respecting the office, she snuck and AGAIN broke the school's rules to call her mom on her cell phone. Mommy comes to fight her battle.
Now let's clear up a little confusion as people forget to read before they just jump all over the school. 1-This was against dress code, even if it wasn't directly specified. 2- It's against the school's code to use her cell phone in school. 3-They did not try to prohibit her from calling her mom for a reason. They simply explained the policy. 4-They did not offer her raggedy, worn down clothes. They offered her gray sweatpants.
Now, my opinion:
My opinion is that she was acting like a spoiled little turd because she didn't like what the school told her to do. She thought that the rules should be bent to fit her situation. She doesn't like the dress code (and even I roll my eyes at them sometimes, honestly). Her mom may even think the dress code is dumb and okayed her wearing this. Then, she went against school rules to call her mom ON HER CELL. Why? Because she was pissed and wanted Mommy to come fight her battles. Her mom enabled her instead of trying to handle this in a civilized manner with the school which is likely where she learned the spoiled behavior to begin with. She was not "humiliated"...she was pissed and wanted attention. She still wants it. That's why she went to the news.
Seriously, at what point do you parents stop to think that the rules are there for a reason? You may not like them. You may think they're dumb or that you have a better solution. If that's the case, handle it RIGHT. Join the PTA, present a motion and try to change things. Go to the school board to try to change the dress code. Do not take it upon yourself to allow your child to break the rules and then expect the school not to react. Maybe if more parents SUPPORTED the school, we wouldn't have a generation of spoiled, entitled brats that think they're above the law coming into their own as we speak.
Look, I agree that the leggings rule may be dumb just like a yoga pants rule is dumb or a pj pant rule is dumb but a rule is a rule. I don't have to understand why it is the way it is...I just have to teach my children to obey it. You see, it's my job to teach my children to be productive adults who know how to follow laws. I know, strange concept. If children don't learn to follow the school's rules, they don't think they need to as adults. Teach children to question things in life but teach them to do it respectfully and change it in the right way, not by blatantly breaking rules and expecting no consequences.
Now first, let's define "humiliate." Webster defines it "make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and self-respect, especially publicly"
Second, let's define the school's rules and their conduct. While they didn't specifically only say "leggings", they did speak of what was and wasn't covering private areas including the butt. They describe their conduct if it occurs (change clothes). This is specifically outlined in their handbook.
Third, let's talk about how it was handled by the school. They pulled her into the office. They offered her a piece of clothing that would serve the purpose for the rest of the day. They told her to wear it or leave school and told her that it was not acceptable to call her mom for a change of clothing. Why? Well, because what she did was against school code and it's not their policy to call parents. It's their policy to make an impression without further discipline (detention, etc) to avoid this happening in the future. In short, the sweatpants are a warning.
Let's review how the "victim" handled the situation. Going against school dress code, she wore leggings. She was pulled in and given a change of clothes. In her little tantrummy fit, she asked to have her mom bring clothes and was told no. Instead of respecting the office, she snuck and AGAIN broke the school's rules to call her mom on her cell phone. Mommy comes to fight her battle.
Now let's clear up a little confusion as people forget to read before they just jump all over the school. 1-This was against dress code, even if it wasn't directly specified. 2- It's against the school's code to use her cell phone in school. 3-They did not try to prohibit her from calling her mom for a reason. They simply explained the policy. 4-They did not offer her raggedy, worn down clothes. They offered her gray sweatpants.
Now, my opinion:
My opinion is that she was acting like a spoiled little turd because she didn't like what the school told her to do. She thought that the rules should be bent to fit her situation. She doesn't like the dress code (and even I roll my eyes at them sometimes, honestly). Her mom may even think the dress code is dumb and okayed her wearing this. Then, she went against school rules to call her mom ON HER CELL. Why? Because she was pissed and wanted Mommy to come fight her battles. Her mom enabled her instead of trying to handle this in a civilized manner with the school which is likely where she learned the spoiled behavior to begin with. She was not "humiliated"...she was pissed and wanted attention. She still wants it. That's why she went to the news.
Seriously, at what point do you parents stop to think that the rules are there for a reason? You may not like them. You may think they're dumb or that you have a better solution. If that's the case, handle it RIGHT. Join the PTA, present a motion and try to change things. Go to the school board to try to change the dress code. Do not take it upon yourself to allow your child to break the rules and then expect the school not to react. Maybe if more parents SUPPORTED the school, we wouldn't have a generation of spoiled, entitled brats that think they're above the law coming into their own as we speak.
Look, I agree that the leggings rule may be dumb just like a yoga pants rule is dumb or a pj pant rule is dumb but a rule is a rule. I don't have to understand why it is the way it is...I just have to teach my children to obey it. You see, it's my job to teach my children to be productive adults who know how to follow laws. I know, strange concept. If children don't learn to follow the school's rules, they don't think they need to as adults. Teach children to question things in life but teach them to do it respectfully and change it in the right way, not by blatantly breaking rules and expecting no consequences.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
A Note to Young Sports' Parents
To every parent that has enrolled their child in an extra curricular activity:
This little memo is to give you some nuggets to think on before you start attacking and complaining about your coach. The rules exist for a reason. You may think that you're 2 year old is "ready" to be on a team with 3 and 4 year olds. You may think that your child is too advanced. You may push and bully your coach but a good organization will not back down.
Why?
Your child is not ready. This is particularly important with toddlers and preschoolers. In order to achieve a safe environment, children have to be at a certain developmental level to participate in their age group's team. Your child may be mature in a whole lot of ways but that doesn't make them ready to be in a whole different level of team work needed for the next age level. The rules were designed to protect your child, not to hinder them.
So what should you do?
Respect the system. Understand that it's in place in order to keep not only your child safe but other children safe as well. It's designed to make sure that your child achieves certain skills both physically and socially BEFORE they move on to the next level. It's designed to make sure that the coach has an appropriate amount of players with plenty of help, as needed. It's designed to make things cut and dry. Your 2 year old will do just fine if he's the best player, even if he's three or four months from turning 3. Your 3 year old will do just fine if she's in the beginner class, even if she's only having to work on perfecting her intermediate skills. It's better for your child to learn to work their way up than to get something for nothing.
Signed,
A Mom that Watches Coaches Get Stepped on Too Much
This little memo is to give you some nuggets to think on before you start attacking and complaining about your coach. The rules exist for a reason. You may think that you're 2 year old is "ready" to be on a team with 3 and 4 year olds. You may think that your child is too advanced. You may push and bully your coach but a good organization will not back down.
Why?
Your child is not ready. This is particularly important with toddlers and preschoolers. In order to achieve a safe environment, children have to be at a certain developmental level to participate in their age group's team. Your child may be mature in a whole lot of ways but that doesn't make them ready to be in a whole different level of team work needed for the next age level. The rules were designed to protect your child, not to hinder them.
So what should you do?
Respect the system. Understand that it's in place in order to keep not only your child safe but other children safe as well. It's designed to make sure that your child achieves certain skills both physically and socially BEFORE they move on to the next level. It's designed to make sure that the coach has an appropriate amount of players with plenty of help, as needed. It's designed to make things cut and dry. Your 2 year old will do just fine if he's the best player, even if he's three or four months from turning 3. Your 3 year old will do just fine if she's in the beginner class, even if she's only having to work on perfecting her intermediate skills. It's better for your child to learn to work their way up than to get something for nothing.
Signed,
A Mom that Watches Coaches Get Stepped on Too Much
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Lazy Parenting
At what point did lazy parenting become acceptable? No, I'm not referring to having a pj day. I'm not referring to wearing yoga pants to pick up your kids at school. I'm not referring to sleeping in on the weekends. I'm not referring to having a lazy DAY. I'm referring to having a lazy parenting life. Allow me to elaborate:
I'm curious when our society became okay with parents deciding that 11 years old was "grown." I'm curious when we officially gave up playing with our kids to sit them in front of the TV nonstop for the sake of convenience. When did we decide that we would rather just "have the school take care of it for us?" When did we decide that we needed three day weekends "off" once a month and two week vacations without the kids every year? When did we decide that we could half-ass this parenting thing?
I'm seriously curious, here.
It is not your job to parent your child when it is convenient for you. It is your job to parent your child ALWAYS. Does that mean you can't have a night out? Of course not. Does that mean you can't order pizza because you're too tired to cook? Of course not. There's just a vast difference between having a lazy moment or a lazy day and making it your daily regimen.
It is not the school's job to teach your child to be a civilized, polite, kind human being; it is yours. It is not the baseball coach's job to teach your child to take turns, be a friend or not to be a bully; it is yours. Those people are support people in your life. It may take a village but good kids start at home.
Maybe your child was unplanned and maybe they were planned for years before you conceived. Maybe you're a no-spanking parent and maybe you believe in spanking when needed. Maybe you're a breastfeeding mom and maybe you're not. There are a million issues that separate HOW we parent but there is one that should unite us....THAT we parent. You chose to have your child and having a child means making sacrifices for their well-being. It doesn't end when they hit double digits and they are not grown at 10 or 11 years old. Hell, they aren't even really "grown" when they're 18 but the country's laws say they are so you better make a real impact on who they are well before they hit legal age.
Look, I don't care about what methods you use to raise your child. Only you know what's best for them. What I DO care about is whether or not you're making the choice to leave the rest of us to do your job simply because you choose not to. We are here to support you but there is only so much we can do when we don't have constant access. If you're a lazy parent, it's not too late. Step up and start doing what's right. We are all here to help you out if you'll take the first step.
I'm curious when our society became okay with parents deciding that 11 years old was "grown." I'm curious when we officially gave up playing with our kids to sit them in front of the TV nonstop for the sake of convenience. When did we decide that we would rather just "have the school take care of it for us?" When did we decide that we needed three day weekends "off" once a month and two week vacations without the kids every year? When did we decide that we could half-ass this parenting thing?
I'm seriously curious, here.
It is not your job to parent your child when it is convenient for you. It is your job to parent your child ALWAYS. Does that mean you can't have a night out? Of course not. Does that mean you can't order pizza because you're too tired to cook? Of course not. There's just a vast difference between having a lazy moment or a lazy day and making it your daily regimen.
It is not the school's job to teach your child to be a civilized, polite, kind human being; it is yours. It is not the baseball coach's job to teach your child to take turns, be a friend or not to be a bully; it is yours. Those people are support people in your life. It may take a village but good kids start at home.
Maybe your child was unplanned and maybe they were planned for years before you conceived. Maybe you're a no-spanking parent and maybe you believe in spanking when needed. Maybe you're a breastfeeding mom and maybe you're not. There are a million issues that separate HOW we parent but there is one that should unite us....THAT we parent. You chose to have your child and having a child means making sacrifices for their well-being. It doesn't end when they hit double digits and they are not grown at 10 or 11 years old. Hell, they aren't even really "grown" when they're 18 but the country's laws say they are so you better make a real impact on who they are well before they hit legal age.
Look, I don't care about what methods you use to raise your child. Only you know what's best for them. What I DO care about is whether or not you're making the choice to leave the rest of us to do your job simply because you choose not to. We are here to support you but there is only so much we can do when we don't have constant access. If you're a lazy parent, it's not too late. Step up and start doing what's right. We are all here to help you out if you'll take the first step.
Dear Mom With the Baby in the NICU
Dear Mom With the Baby in the NICU,
First of all, I would like to send you a hug. If I was there, I would be giving you one in person. You are stronger than you realize, Mama. You have permission to be weak once in awhile. You have permission to cry if you need to. You are loved. You are prayed for.
Your baby is strong too. In fact, he is stronger than anyone can imagine on the inside. His will power stands strong even if his body needs a little help right now. He's a warrior and he doesn't even know it yet. Even right now his lungs and his stomach are learning how to be as strong as he is. Every beat of his heart is teaching his body that he will not be tamed. He is fierce. He is a fighter.
Though everything seems uncertain right now, believe. Believe in your heart that his body is healing every second. Your positivity will become the fuel to his fire...and he will be unstoppable.
I love you,
A Mom Watching From Afar
First of all, I would like to send you a hug. If I was there, I would be giving you one in person. You are stronger than you realize, Mama. You have permission to be weak once in awhile. You have permission to cry if you need to. You are loved. You are prayed for.
Your baby is strong too. In fact, he is stronger than anyone can imagine on the inside. His will power stands strong even if his body needs a little help right now. He's a warrior and he doesn't even know it yet. Even right now his lungs and his stomach are learning how to be as strong as he is. Every beat of his heart is teaching his body that he will not be tamed. He is fierce. He is a fighter.
Though everything seems uncertain right now, believe. Believe in your heart that his body is healing every second. Your positivity will become the fuel to his fire...and he will be unstoppable.
I love you,
A Mom Watching From Afar
Monday, August 22, 2016
5 Reasons You're Not Sleeping At Night
5. Your bladder. Let's face it, after having a baby play "stress ball" with your bladder for nine months, maybe multiple times, your bladder is just never the same....ever. Not to mention, with age, you end up having to go more often. Try as you may, you will probably not find a good balance between depriving yourself of essential fluids (water) and avoiding the potty break in the middle of the night. The secret to getting back to sleep easier is NOT to look at the clock, not turn on the TV and try to limit the lights you have to turn on.
4. Your Neighbors. In my case, my neighbors are loud as hell. It's ridiculous. Maybe they yell. Maybe they watch TV or listen to music loudly. Maybe they allow their kids to scream nonstop (in some cases, that can't be helped such as sensory issues, etc). Maybe their dog barks non stop. There's not really a great solution for this except maybe earplugs if your household allows.
3. Your Stress Level. If your stress level is high, you're more likely to suffer from insomnia like symptoms. Aside from the obvious (reduce your stress....which is always a funny suggestion to me. I mean who INTENTIONALLY has a lot of stress in their life?), there aren't a ton of solutions that work for every single person. Limit your screen time, try melatonin, don't eat too close to bedtime, and try something relaxing like yoga before you lay down. The best you can do is the best you can do.
2. Pet vomit/hairballs. You know that feeling...you hear your cat start hacking and you just know it's running straight to a rug to puke on. You get up to go to the bathroom and step right into a pile of dog puke. Yeah there's no preventing this. It's just gross....and it sucks.
1. Your kids. Maybe your kids sleep with you and you're waking up to a kick in the face. Maybe you're a new mom checking on your baby as he sleeps. Maybe you're dealing with the dreaded "vomit sound" coming from your kids instead. Hang in there. They grow up really quickly and pretty soon you'll be begging them to "Just get up" so they aren't late for school when they're teenagers.
4. Your Neighbors. In my case, my neighbors are loud as hell. It's ridiculous. Maybe they yell. Maybe they watch TV or listen to music loudly. Maybe they allow their kids to scream nonstop (in some cases, that can't be helped such as sensory issues, etc). Maybe their dog barks non stop. There's not really a great solution for this except maybe earplugs if your household allows.
3. Your Stress Level. If your stress level is high, you're more likely to suffer from insomnia like symptoms. Aside from the obvious (reduce your stress....which is always a funny suggestion to me. I mean who INTENTIONALLY has a lot of stress in their life?), there aren't a ton of solutions that work for every single person. Limit your screen time, try melatonin, don't eat too close to bedtime, and try something relaxing like yoga before you lay down. The best you can do is the best you can do.
2. Pet vomit/hairballs. You know that feeling...you hear your cat start hacking and you just know it's running straight to a rug to puke on. You get up to go to the bathroom and step right into a pile of dog puke. Yeah there's no preventing this. It's just gross....and it sucks.
1. Your kids. Maybe your kids sleep with you and you're waking up to a kick in the face. Maybe you're a new mom checking on your baby as he sleeps. Maybe you're dealing with the dreaded "vomit sound" coming from your kids instead. Hang in there. They grow up really quickly and pretty soon you'll be begging them to "Just get up" so they aren't late for school when they're teenagers.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
KBPI Rock N Roll Car Show 2016
This is not my first trip to the KBPI Rock N Roll Car Show but it was my best. They never seem to disappoint. Though the gates opened at 7:00, I didn't roll in until about 9:15. Admittedly, I was trying to avoid just a little of the baking heat and get a decent parking spot. I succeeded. My parking spot was not fantastic but it was pretty good. The parking attendant I dealt with wasn't exactly a ball of f***ing sunshine but she was okay and the other parking attendants I spoke with were very nice. I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt that she was having a shit morning and that's not her usual demeanor.
Having scored a $3 off coupon, I spent only $7 to get in. The lines moved quickly at the box office and they gave you an information sheet/map. The bag check went quickly and the staff, as always, was very polite, kind and efficient. I did visit a concession stand to get a water today but didn't indulge in food. I did check pricing as I went around, though, and the prices were not outrageous for some pretty decent eats. They had a pretty wide variety and you could easily stay on a budget and eat there. You can also bring in coolers (no larger than 12x12 I think), as well.
I started on the lower lot which may have been a mistake. With my somewhat early arrival, some of the cars weren't there yet and weren't set up and by the time I got done with the upper lot, I didn't feel like trekking back down to the lower lot to look at a couple of rows that I hadn't seen. That said, it didn't disappoint. There were some gorgeous cars and the owners were like proud papas.
The upper lot was my favorite though. I walked every row from my least favorites (the Subaru's) to some of my favorites including the movie cars, the Corvette Club, and the jeeps because, let's face it, I'm a jeep girl at heart. I explored some, but not all, of the booths and was impressed, as always, at the layout and the efficiency in planning for the show. If you can't find a car you love at that show, you're not looking.
Then there was the grudge races. Oh sweet Lord, the grudge races. I can't see how anyone could NOT want to watch these. The burnout contests, the performances from School of Rock and Lola Black (I missed the last act that closed things out). I mean, if you think that you can find better entertainment for $7, I challenge you to tell me what that is!?!
Once again, I will be giving the Rock N Roll Car Show a HUGE thumbs up and promising that I'll be back next year. Maybe I'll get there sooner and walk it a little different but I'll be back.
**Words to the wise: 1) Hydration, hydration, hydration 2) Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
Having scored a $3 off coupon, I spent only $7 to get in. The lines moved quickly at the box office and they gave you an information sheet/map. The bag check went quickly and the staff, as always, was very polite, kind and efficient. I did visit a concession stand to get a water today but didn't indulge in food. I did check pricing as I went around, though, and the prices were not outrageous for some pretty decent eats. They had a pretty wide variety and you could easily stay on a budget and eat there. You can also bring in coolers (no larger than 12x12 I think), as well.
I started on the lower lot which may have been a mistake. With my somewhat early arrival, some of the cars weren't there yet and weren't set up and by the time I got done with the upper lot, I didn't feel like trekking back down to the lower lot to look at a couple of rows that I hadn't seen. That said, it didn't disappoint. There were some gorgeous cars and the owners were like proud papas.
The upper lot was my favorite though. I walked every row from my least favorites (the Subaru's) to some of my favorites including the movie cars, the Corvette Club, and the jeeps because, let's face it, I'm a jeep girl at heart. I explored some, but not all, of the booths and was impressed, as always, at the layout and the efficiency in planning for the show. If you can't find a car you love at that show, you're not looking.
Then there was the grudge races. Oh sweet Lord, the grudge races. I can't see how anyone could NOT want to watch these. The burnout contests, the performances from School of Rock and Lola Black (I missed the last act that closed things out). I mean, if you think that you can find better entertainment for $7, I challenge you to tell me what that is!?!
Once again, I will be giving the Rock N Roll Car Show a HUGE thumbs up and promising that I'll be back next year. Maybe I'll get there sooner and walk it a little different but I'll be back.
**Words to the wise: 1) Hydration, hydration, hydration 2) Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
The Quarterback Conundrum Continues
And so the quarterback conundrum continues. Siemian started off strong but with an interception that was ran in for a touchdown, his performance left a bad taste in my mouth. 10/14 with 75 yards and an interception. Not a stand-out performance, in the least. Does he have the skills needed? I think he has the potential to. With that said, I'm not entirely certain if he's the unshakeable quarterback that we are going to need in a rebuilding year.
And then there's Sanchez. Oh Lord, Mark Sanchez. 10/14 for 120 yards would actually be a pretty damn nice stat if he hadn't fumbled the ball TWICE in the last three minutes, leaving us in a sketchy situation at the half that could have been resolved. Sanchez is NOT a rookie and Sanchez should NOT be (pardon my french) fucking up that badly. If Siemian left a bad taste in my mouth, Sanchez's performance last night made me throw up in my mouth a little. Look, I'm the first one to say that we need to stop with the "butt fumble" stuff and attempt to support who Elway chose for us. That being said, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck. Step it up Sanchez. Don't let your past decide your future, man.
And finally, there's Paxton Lynch. I will preface by saying the following: 1) I lovelovelove the fact that we have Lynch and I think he has incredible potential 2) I'm sketchy on putting our draft pick in as our starting quarterback because...well because he lacks the experience. Would that stop me from supporting him? Absolutely not. Would that have my butthole puckering until I saw his performance stand true a few games in a row. Yes...yes it would. That said, Paxton went 15/26 for 113 yards with 2 (count them 2) touchdowns. That's the kind of QB spirit I'd like to see. Am I happy that he had an interception? No but at least he was attempting to move them down the field. Yes, the ball was a badly executed pass BUT he was trying to get them down the field to score. It's a forgivable offense for me.
So what's the answer to our problem? It's hard to say. One good week does not a starting quarterback make. I think that Paxton Lynch deserves the starting position next week. Let's see how that boy does with a starting role and give him a chance to prove himself. He may surprise those of us that our doubtful. In the end, though, we have to trust Kubiak and, more than that, we have to trust in Elway. He has made some decisions in the past that have left me in a heap of nervous tension but the man knows what he's doing, even when it doesn't seem to make sense at first.
And then there's Sanchez. Oh Lord, Mark Sanchez. 10/14 for 120 yards would actually be a pretty damn nice stat if he hadn't fumbled the ball TWICE in the last three minutes, leaving us in a sketchy situation at the half that could have been resolved. Sanchez is NOT a rookie and Sanchez should NOT be (pardon my french) fucking up that badly. If Siemian left a bad taste in my mouth, Sanchez's performance last night made me throw up in my mouth a little. Look, I'm the first one to say that we need to stop with the "butt fumble" stuff and attempt to support who Elway chose for us. That being said, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck. Step it up Sanchez. Don't let your past decide your future, man.
And finally, there's Paxton Lynch. I will preface by saying the following: 1) I lovelovelove the fact that we have Lynch and I think he has incredible potential 2) I'm sketchy on putting our draft pick in as our starting quarterback because...well because he lacks the experience. Would that stop me from supporting him? Absolutely not. Would that have my butthole puckering until I saw his performance stand true a few games in a row. Yes...yes it would. That said, Paxton went 15/26 for 113 yards with 2 (count them 2) touchdowns. That's the kind of QB spirit I'd like to see. Am I happy that he had an interception? No but at least he was attempting to move them down the field. Yes, the ball was a badly executed pass BUT he was trying to get them down the field to score. It's a forgivable offense for me.
So what's the answer to our problem? It's hard to say. One good week does not a starting quarterback make. I think that Paxton Lynch deserves the starting position next week. Let's see how that boy does with a starting role and give him a chance to prove himself. He may surprise those of us that our doubtful. In the end, though, we have to trust Kubiak and, more than that, we have to trust in Elway. He has made some decisions in the past that have left me in a heap of nervous tension but the man knows what he's doing, even when it doesn't seem to make sense at first.
Friday, August 19, 2016
It's Never Too Late
Today I'd like to talk to the 30 and 40 something women that are looking at their lives and saying, "I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life." Maybe you've been a mom for a long time. Maybe you've been working non stop because you didn't want to waste money on a degree that you would not even use down the road. There are thousands of reasons you may be at this juncture. You're unsure and nervous about what's next for you.
The best way I could describe the feeling for me was this: For years, I had been riding around in a boat. Now, the boat was a nice sturdy boat and it had taken me on many adventures but many years ago, I began to notice a tiny leak in the boat. I'm talking ridiculously small. The leak was letting just a small amount of water in but it was barely noticeable and I was too busy handling life on the boat to pay attention to such a tiny leak. After many years, though, the leak had let in enough water to splash my feet in and it occurred to me that maybe I needed to start bailing out the water. Eventually, if I let that leak go, no matter how teeny it was, it would take down the boat. The leak hadn't changed size and it hadn't been letting in any more water than it was at first but, now it was more noticeable. I had to make a change.
Using that metaphor, though, I want to say the following: it's never too late. The leak isn't big enough that it will drown you for many, many more years. You have a long time to decide what you need to do. Now, you may have to use a bigger bucket the longer you wait, but there will still be time to bail down the road. The difference? You'll be able to use a smaller bucket and chip away at it instead of over-the-top changes. You can always start bailing. You can always do something new.
If you've always wanted to go to school, go back. Start small if you're not sure what you want to do. Maybe, as you take classes, you'll realize what it is that you want to do. If you've always wanted to train for a new job, do it. If you've wanted to travel, start planning how to make that happen. If you have always wanted to learn to paint, do it. The sky is the limit and you can start anytime.
My point is this: Don't feel like you've passed a point where you can start something new. Don't feel like this is your life and this is what you must deal with. There's always time to turn things around and live the life you've always wanted.
The best way I could describe the feeling for me was this: For years, I had been riding around in a boat. Now, the boat was a nice sturdy boat and it had taken me on many adventures but many years ago, I began to notice a tiny leak in the boat. I'm talking ridiculously small. The leak was letting just a small amount of water in but it was barely noticeable and I was too busy handling life on the boat to pay attention to such a tiny leak. After many years, though, the leak had let in enough water to splash my feet in and it occurred to me that maybe I needed to start bailing out the water. Eventually, if I let that leak go, no matter how teeny it was, it would take down the boat. The leak hadn't changed size and it hadn't been letting in any more water than it was at first but, now it was more noticeable. I had to make a change.
Using that metaphor, though, I want to say the following: it's never too late. The leak isn't big enough that it will drown you for many, many more years. You have a long time to decide what you need to do. Now, you may have to use a bigger bucket the longer you wait, but there will still be time to bail down the road. The difference? You'll be able to use a smaller bucket and chip away at it instead of over-the-top changes. You can always start bailing. You can always do something new.
If you've always wanted to go to school, go back. Start small if you're not sure what you want to do. Maybe, as you take classes, you'll realize what it is that you want to do. If you've always wanted to train for a new job, do it. If you've wanted to travel, start planning how to make that happen. If you have always wanted to learn to paint, do it. The sky is the limit and you can start anytime.
My point is this: Don't feel like you've passed a point where you can start something new. Don't feel like this is your life and this is what you must deal with. There's always time to turn things around and live the life you've always wanted.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
The Start of the School Year
Ah the sounds of morning during the school year. Allow me to paint you a pictures:
"Time to get up."
"Ugggggh leave me alone."
"Time to get up." (shakes leg to rouse) "Time to get up"
"Stop it!"
"You have to get up for school"
"Ugh I don't even CARE!"
Meanwhile, I'm dancing through the house singing, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with school year modifications. Here is my short list of recommendations to make your mornings easier with a teenager during the school year....
1-Duck and cover to avoid flying objects
2-Shield yourself from hurt feelings because they're gonna be buttheads about having to wake up
3-Be glad that they graduate and go on to college in a few years.
Happy School Year 2016
"Time to get up."
"Ugggggh leave me alone."
"Time to get up." (shakes leg to rouse) "Time to get up"
"Stop it!"
"You have to get up for school"
"Ugh I don't even CARE!"
Meanwhile, I'm dancing through the house singing, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with school year modifications. Here is my short list of recommendations to make your mornings easier with a teenager during the school year....
1-Duck and cover to avoid flying objects
2-Shield yourself from hurt feelings because they're gonna be buttheads about having to wake up
3-Be glad that they graduate and go on to college in a few years.
Happy School Year 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Wrong is Still Wrong
Okay I'm not trying to be a butthead here so bear with me. I'm going to preface by saying that I think we, as parents, are often very judgmental of other parents. Hell, before we have kids, we are the first to say, "Well my kid will never." We tend to criticize in others what we fear most in ourselves. Deep, huh?
That brings me to the topic of my post today: Wrong is still wrong and no it's not judgmental to say it sometimes.
What brings me to this? Babies being left in cars and dying. Allow me to explain.
Here is a short list of things that I consider to be accidents as a parent:
1-Leaving your kid alone with a sharpie and realizing they drew on your white sofa
2-Owning a white sofa with kids in the house
3-Hitting your kid in the face with the ball you're trying to toss gently in his open baseball glove
4-Giving your kid the sippy cup without the spillproof valve and watching it spill all over him
5-Letting him jump off the curb and watching helplessly as he somehow takes a header and breaks his collarbone
6-Not realizing that your little one has a diarrhea diaper for fifteen minutes and then nearly crying when you see the diaper rash they get from that short period of time.
.....you get the idea, right?
Here is a short list of things that are NOT accidents....
1. Leaving your kid in the car....
I'm sorry, it's not an accident. Accidents happen when you're doing the very best you can and you slip up. Leaving your kid in the car is unacceptable. I don't care what it's for. I really don't. The minute you turn your car off and leave your infant in the backseat alone while you go in ANYWHERE, you are making an active choice. It's not an accident. That brings me to my next point.....
WRONG IS STILL WRONG.
Yes, I said it. Call me judgmental. I'm okay with it. It is WRONG to leave your baby in a hot car while you go inside and shop. It just is. It's not just my opinion. It's fact....it's against the law!
"Well they get the worst punishment on the planet when their baby dies." You're absolutely right but you wanna know something? That emotional torture does not negate their crime and they should absolutely be punished for it. Sorry, not sorry.
So before you start in on a kumbayah-let's-all-just-accept-anything-that-anyone-does blog post, remember that wrong is not right simply because it's accepted by bystanders. Accidents are accidents and we all make them. Murder is not an accident.
That brings me to the topic of my post today: Wrong is still wrong and no it's not judgmental to say it sometimes.
What brings me to this? Babies being left in cars and dying. Allow me to explain.
Here is a short list of things that I consider to be accidents as a parent:
1-Leaving your kid alone with a sharpie and realizing they drew on your white sofa
2-Owning a white sofa with kids in the house
3-Hitting your kid in the face with the ball you're trying to toss gently in his open baseball glove
4-Giving your kid the sippy cup without the spillproof valve and watching it spill all over him
5-Letting him jump off the curb and watching helplessly as he somehow takes a header and breaks his collarbone
6-Not realizing that your little one has a diarrhea diaper for fifteen minutes and then nearly crying when you see the diaper rash they get from that short period of time.
.....you get the idea, right?
Here is a short list of things that are NOT accidents....
1. Leaving your kid in the car....
I'm sorry, it's not an accident. Accidents happen when you're doing the very best you can and you slip up. Leaving your kid in the car is unacceptable. I don't care what it's for. I really don't. The minute you turn your car off and leave your infant in the backseat alone while you go in ANYWHERE, you are making an active choice. It's not an accident. That brings me to my next point.....
WRONG IS STILL WRONG.
Yes, I said it. Call me judgmental. I'm okay with it. It is WRONG to leave your baby in a hot car while you go inside and shop. It just is. It's not just my opinion. It's fact....it's against the law!
"Well they get the worst punishment on the planet when their baby dies." You're absolutely right but you wanna know something? That emotional torture does not negate their crime and they should absolutely be punished for it. Sorry, not sorry.
So before you start in on a kumbayah-let's-all-just-accept-anything-that-anyone-does blog post, remember that wrong is not right simply because it's accepted by bystanders. Accidents are accidents and we all make them. Murder is not an accident.
A Quick Snippet on Participation Medals
I saw an awesome meme today that said, "I haven't seen one medal given, yet, in the Olympics for participation." All I could think was "YES YES YES!" If there was EVER a great example of hard work paying off, the Olympics is it. If there's EVER a doubt in your heart that it's better to teach kids to work their asses off in order to achieve greatness, watch the medal ceremony. My God, to see these athletes who have put years, often a decade or more, into rigorous workouts, special diets, limiting time off with friends and so much sacrifice, win something incredible that they deserve so much is amazing.
We must stop teaching our kids that mediocrity is a goal. Mediocrity is a means to an end and that end is greatness. We cannot keep awarding mediocrity in the same way that we award greatness. Greatness requires work, sacrifice and concentration. Giving a child a different colored medal because they participated is still giving them a medal so stop it...no seriously stop it.
Teach your kids that you love them right where they're at but you love them too much to not continue to help them achieve greatness. Maybe that greatness is at a sport or maybe it's writing or art or video game design or something else. Maybe that greatness is simply having the courage to overcome incredible shyness and join a new club and make friends. Greatness comes in many forms.
When they achieve THAT greatness, it's time to start stretching for the next great goal. Maybe it's in the same line of thinking, maybe another. Nevertheless, greatness is something that must be worked for and greatness is what we should award.
We must stop teaching our kids that mediocrity is a goal. Mediocrity is a means to an end and that end is greatness. We cannot keep awarding mediocrity in the same way that we award greatness. Greatness requires work, sacrifice and concentration. Giving a child a different colored medal because they participated is still giving them a medal so stop it...no seriously stop it.
Teach your kids that you love them right where they're at but you love them too much to not continue to help them achieve greatness. Maybe that greatness is at a sport or maybe it's writing or art or video game design or something else. Maybe that greatness is simply having the courage to overcome incredible shyness and join a new club and make friends. Greatness comes in many forms.
When they achieve THAT greatness, it's time to start stretching for the next great goal. Maybe it's in the same line of thinking, maybe another. Nevertheless, greatness is something that must be worked for and greatness is what we should award.
Review of Broncos Training Camp
I'd previously been to Broncos training camp at Sports Authority Field (when Dove Valley's was being worked on) but I got to attend training camp at CSUHealth Training Center at Dove Valley this week. Here's what I thought.....
Cons: Seriously, my ONLY con was that there were virtually no autographs at the end. They had us go through this whole protocol of sitting still as they moved back the rope, moving slowly and waiting. Only a few players actually came out and signed and they literally signed for about two minutes. This sucked. None of us expected an hour but at least coming over and doing a few would have been nice. With that being said, if I'd have spent 2.5 hours practicing in the blazing sun, I would not have felt like signing autographs either. If THIS is the only con, it's not bad.
Pros: The facility was beautiful. Bathrooms were clean. Concessions (aka soda and water) were only $1 each, which is unheard of. There was a place to refill water. Free rally towels and flags. You really couldn't pick a bad seat on the hill. The staff was incredibly nice. Parking wasn't bad at all. Oh and BRONCOS PRACTICING! Yes! Seeing them up close and personal, running drills. Awesome.
Recommendations: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! Don't forget a blanket or something to sit on. Don't forget that bag policy (clear bags, etc). Bring water or cash to purchase water. No video allowed and no professional lenses. ENJOY it! Don't spend your whole time looking through a little viewpiece. Take it all in instead of shooting pictures the ENTIRE time.
Cons: Seriously, my ONLY con was that there were virtually no autographs at the end. They had us go through this whole protocol of sitting still as they moved back the rope, moving slowly and waiting. Only a few players actually came out and signed and they literally signed for about two minutes. This sucked. None of us expected an hour but at least coming over and doing a few would have been nice. With that being said, if I'd have spent 2.5 hours practicing in the blazing sun, I would not have felt like signing autographs either. If THIS is the only con, it's not bad.
Pros: The facility was beautiful. Bathrooms were clean. Concessions (aka soda and water) were only $1 each, which is unheard of. There was a place to refill water. Free rally towels and flags. You really couldn't pick a bad seat on the hill. The staff was incredibly nice. Parking wasn't bad at all. Oh and BRONCOS PRACTICING! Yes! Seeing them up close and personal, running drills. Awesome.
Recommendations: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! Don't forget a blanket or something to sit on. Don't forget that bag policy (clear bags, etc). Bring water or cash to purchase water. No video allowed and no professional lenses. ENJOY it! Don't spend your whole time looking through a little viewpiece. Take it all in instead of shooting pictures the ENTIRE time.
Stop Complaining About These 3 Things in Elementary School
As the school year begins for a slew of elementary school students, let me be "that" parent. Let me be the parent that tells other parents to stop whining about how unfair their school is. Let me be the parent that tells other parents to appreciate that your school has rules the way that they do for a reason. Here are my top three for elementary school....
Allergy Limitations Seriously, just STOP complaining about this. My kids have no food allergies. Is it always convenient to avoid allergen foods in your kid's lunch? No. But guess what? Your kid may not like any sandwiches except PBJ but you can pack pasta or a bagel or some other option in that cute little sandwich box and it won't kill your kid. Pack a peanut butter sandwich and a child with severe allergy that is even in the same ROOM can go into anaphylactic shock. Seriously, deal with it. There are other options and sometimes you need to suck it up for the sake of another child. It takes a village, my friend.
4 boxes of tissue Okay, I get it. No, really, I do. I have four kids. I've been the mom that has to buy 30 boxes of tissue. It's perfectly acceptable to tell a teacher, "Hey, when you run out of tissue, PLEASE let me know and I'll bring you more then." Teachers don't always want to store it, either. That said, teachers aren't given much money to buy supplies. I'm sorry that you don't like supplying tissue for the classroom but you must remember that you send your little snotty-nose kid to school during cold and flu season when "they're not sick." Everyone does. They're at the end of that cold and they're healthy enough to go to school so you send them. Their nose is still running. Do you send them with their own tissue....how about hand sanitizer. Mm kay then. Suck it up.
Cutting around in the carpool lane Okay this is my pet peeve. It is perfectly acceptable to go up and knock on the window of a mom that decides she wants to take a phone call and just SIT for more than 4 minutes in the carpool lane. What is NOT acceptable is cutting around . Seriously, if 1-3 minutes is the difference between you getting to work on time or not, then you need to change YOUR schedule. You are putting other kids and parents at risk when you cut around traffic unnecessarily. So stop it. Either pull into a parking spot and let your kids out or deal with the extra couple of minutes in the carpool lane. Don't be that guy.
Instead of bitching about what's wrong with your kids' school, how about you praise the things that are right and know that the staff and volunteers are doing their best. Suck up your pride and know that they're kicking ass for YOUR kid too.
Allergy Limitations Seriously, just STOP complaining about this. My kids have no food allergies. Is it always convenient to avoid allergen foods in your kid's lunch? No. But guess what? Your kid may not like any sandwiches except PBJ but you can pack pasta or a bagel or some other option in that cute little sandwich box and it won't kill your kid. Pack a peanut butter sandwich and a child with severe allergy that is even in the same ROOM can go into anaphylactic shock. Seriously, deal with it. There are other options and sometimes you need to suck it up for the sake of another child. It takes a village, my friend.
4 boxes of tissue Okay, I get it. No, really, I do. I have four kids. I've been the mom that has to buy 30 boxes of tissue. It's perfectly acceptable to tell a teacher, "Hey, when you run out of tissue, PLEASE let me know and I'll bring you more then." Teachers don't always want to store it, either. That said, teachers aren't given much money to buy supplies. I'm sorry that you don't like supplying tissue for the classroom but you must remember that you send your little snotty-nose kid to school during cold and flu season when "they're not sick." Everyone does. They're at the end of that cold and they're healthy enough to go to school so you send them. Their nose is still running. Do you send them with their own tissue....how about hand sanitizer. Mm kay then. Suck it up.
Cutting around in the carpool lane Okay this is my pet peeve. It is perfectly acceptable to go up and knock on the window of a mom that decides she wants to take a phone call and just SIT for more than 4 minutes in the carpool lane. What is NOT acceptable is cutting around . Seriously, if 1-3 minutes is the difference between you getting to work on time or not, then you need to change YOUR schedule. You are putting other kids and parents at risk when you cut around traffic unnecessarily. So stop it. Either pull into a parking spot and let your kids out or deal with the extra couple of minutes in the carpool lane. Don't be that guy.
Instead of bitching about what's wrong with your kids' school, how about you praise the things that are right and know that the staff and volunteers are doing their best. Suck up your pride and know that they're kicking ass for YOUR kid too.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Quick Saturday message
Quick and simple.....
Being humble isn't weak
Being abandoned isn't your fault
Being sad isn't wrong
Being angry isn't bad
but....
Being happy, despite your troubles is the most wonderful thing you can do for yourself.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Who Cares About the Preseason? I Do!
All I heard last night while watching the preseason Broncos vs Bears game is "It's only preseason. Who cares?" The answer is ME! I care! Does the game matter overall to our season's averages? No. Do most of our starters even play any real amount of time? No. So why does it matter?
For this particular year, we are really debating who's going to be the starting quarterback for our team. While Lynch is almost completely guaranteed (barring no fluke of nature miracle that makes him jump out in front of the rest) to not be the starter, we are still kind of flip flopping between Sanchez and Siemian. While they tied for #1 depth chart-wise, Sanchez has actual real experience playing in the NFL. I am definitely not against giving the new guy a chance so this doesn't write off Siemian for me. However, experience taking snaps in a real game does actually mean that Sanchez might be the better choice, at least for now.
What you DO get to see in preseason games is the second and, in some cases, third string depth. Yes, I want to know that my starters can kick ass and take names. What I also want to know, though, is that my backup guys can step up and still provide what's needed for their position. What I want to see is that my second string is capable of coming in and not changing the dynamic of the game for the negative.
This year, as well, I feel like it's a redemption year for Sanchez. He's been known as "Butt Fumble" for so long but what if this is his year for redemption? What if this is his year to blow everyone away and have everyone look at him differently? I have faith in Elway's decision to bring him here and I have faith that he's eager to prove himself on a whole different level here. He's got a whole mess of talent surrounding him here and a chance to really change the course of his career for the positive.
So who cares about preseason football? I do. I care about more than just the names. I care about more than just the starters. I care about seeing what our up and comers are made of. Food for thought, sports fans.
For this particular year, we are really debating who's going to be the starting quarterback for our team. While Lynch is almost completely guaranteed (barring no fluke of nature miracle that makes him jump out in front of the rest) to not be the starter, we are still kind of flip flopping between Sanchez and Siemian. While they tied for #1 depth chart-wise, Sanchez has actual real experience playing in the NFL. I am definitely not against giving the new guy a chance so this doesn't write off Siemian for me. However, experience taking snaps in a real game does actually mean that Sanchez might be the better choice, at least for now.
What you DO get to see in preseason games is the second and, in some cases, third string depth. Yes, I want to know that my starters can kick ass and take names. What I also want to know, though, is that my backup guys can step up and still provide what's needed for their position. What I want to see is that my second string is capable of coming in and not changing the dynamic of the game for the negative.
This year, as well, I feel like it's a redemption year for Sanchez. He's been known as "Butt Fumble" for so long but what if this is his year for redemption? What if this is his year to blow everyone away and have everyone look at him differently? I have faith in Elway's decision to bring him here and I have faith that he's eager to prove himself on a whole different level here. He's got a whole mess of talent surrounding him here and a chance to really change the course of his career for the positive.
So who cares about preseason football? I do. I care about more than just the names. I care about more than just the starters. I care about seeing what our up and comers are made of. Food for thought, sports fans.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Review of Taco Bell Triple Double Crunch Wrap
Okay I know this is a casual post but it's my money-saving post for the week....
If you're a Taco Bell fan, just go ahead and skip out on the new triple double crunchwrap. It's not that great. Being a huge fan of my guilty pleasure Taco Bell food, I was so excited to try it. Not.....even.....worth....it.
Why?
5. The Crunchwrap doesn't even fully close. The ingredients come spilling out the top. This used to be something I could eat in the car. No more. If you don't hold it level, you're gonna make a mess.
4. You lose the "crunch" of the crunchwrap when they try to cram too much in there. Yes there are more tostada shells in there but the crunch kind of gets lost in translation.
3. That's not the only thing you lose. The only thing you REALLY taste in there is the meat....it tastes like a really meaty taco, essentially.
2. Maybe my expectations were high but I was expecting a new kick of flavor and it sort of kicked the bucket instead. Blah.
1. Nacho cheese. Okay, I admit, that's my favorite part of a standard crunch wrap.... nacho cheese throughout and ESPECIALLY a nice big pocket at the end of your crunch journey. In this new one, you scarcely taste the nacho cheese.
Huge disappointment for me BUT that won't deter me from my occasional Taco Bell trek.... I'll just eat the traditional crunch wrap instead.
If you're a Taco Bell fan, just go ahead and skip out on the new triple double crunchwrap. It's not that great. Being a huge fan of my guilty pleasure Taco Bell food, I was so excited to try it. Not.....even.....worth....it.
Why?
5. The Crunchwrap doesn't even fully close. The ingredients come spilling out the top. This used to be something I could eat in the car. No more. If you don't hold it level, you're gonna make a mess.
4. You lose the "crunch" of the crunchwrap when they try to cram too much in there. Yes there are more tostada shells in there but the crunch kind of gets lost in translation.
3. That's not the only thing you lose. The only thing you REALLY taste in there is the meat....it tastes like a really meaty taco, essentially.
2. Maybe my expectations were high but I was expecting a new kick of flavor and it sort of kicked the bucket instead. Blah.
1. Nacho cheese. Okay, I admit, that's my favorite part of a standard crunch wrap.... nacho cheese throughout and ESPECIALLY a nice big pocket at the end of your crunch journey. In this new one, you scarcely taste the nacho cheese.
Huge disappointment for me BUT that won't deter me from my occasional Taco Bell trek.... I'll just eat the traditional crunch wrap instead.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Love to Learn
I, often, have people ask me how I managed to get my kids to like homework. The short answer is that they don't. They do, however, like LEARNING. Just because they're little geeks like their mama doesn't mean that they don't still have "kid issues."
In answering the real question here, though (how did I get them to like learning), the answer is simple. I encouraged their curiosity from the time they could talk. I encouraged them to wonder. I encouraged them to ask questions. I encouraged them to answer their own questions by learning how to look up information. If they couldn't find the answer in an encyclopedia, maybe they could find it in a non-fiction book or online (from a reputable site). Maybe their answer required them to try an experiment. Every answer they got sparked a new question and the cycle began again.
But how do I do it with my own child?
Well, I'll use the Olympics as an example. Find an activity that your child might enjoy in the Olympics. Maybe it's gymnastics or swimming or diving but maybe it's archery or some other sport. Whichever one it is, get it ready on the TV and then get some supplies together: a map (or IPad/Tablet with a world map pulled up), some paper and writing supplies, and a printoff OR tablet/laptop with the current medal count pulled up. As the athlete's come up, help your child find the country on the map, check out how many medals they have and watch the magic happen. Your child's imagination and natural curiosity will start in. Why do they only have one medal but other countries have 7? Maybe it's the size of the country and the population. How long have they been competing, as opposed to other countries? In the small countries, how many sports do they compete in? The list of questions will go on and on. You'll have an opportunity to teach your kids all sorts of neat information just from sitting and watching the Olympics.
This is just one example, though! There are so many opportunities to let your kids learn. When they start doing this, their natural curiosity is sparked and they want to learn even more. I didn't teach my kids to love homework; I taught them to love to LEARN!
In answering the real question here, though (how did I get them to like learning), the answer is simple. I encouraged their curiosity from the time they could talk. I encouraged them to wonder. I encouraged them to ask questions. I encouraged them to answer their own questions by learning how to look up information. If they couldn't find the answer in an encyclopedia, maybe they could find it in a non-fiction book or online (from a reputable site). Maybe their answer required them to try an experiment. Every answer they got sparked a new question and the cycle began again.
But how do I do it with my own child?
Well, I'll use the Olympics as an example. Find an activity that your child might enjoy in the Olympics. Maybe it's gymnastics or swimming or diving but maybe it's archery or some other sport. Whichever one it is, get it ready on the TV and then get some supplies together: a map (or IPad/Tablet with a world map pulled up), some paper and writing supplies, and a printoff OR tablet/laptop with the current medal count pulled up. As the athlete's come up, help your child find the country on the map, check out how many medals they have and watch the magic happen. Your child's imagination and natural curiosity will start in. Why do they only have one medal but other countries have 7? Maybe it's the size of the country and the population. How long have they been competing, as opposed to other countries? In the small countries, how many sports do they compete in? The list of questions will go on and on. You'll have an opportunity to teach your kids all sorts of neat information just from sitting and watching the Olympics.
This is just one example, though! There are so many opportunities to let your kids learn. When they start doing this, their natural curiosity is sparked and they want to learn even more. I didn't teach my kids to love homework; I taught them to love to LEARN!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Food for Thought: Let Kids be Kids
Tuesday Food for Thought: I am a big promoter of letting kids be kids for as long as they can. I mean, the world is a messed up place and the longer they get to just run and play, the better. With that said, what I am NOT a promoter of is the extreme ends of this; balance is key.
On the one end is the helicopter parent. I cannot promote this lifestyle. No, I am not talking about vigilant parents. No, I am not talking about parents that make their teens check in when they get somewhere after walking by themselves. I'm talking about parents who obsessively hover over their children from birth. No, they can't eat that Cheerio off the floor. No, they can't do the slide by themselves..what if they slip? No, they can't walk down four houses (on the sidewalk) without me walking with them. No they can't walk around the mall themselves at 15. I cannot promote this behavior because it's not allowing children to experience the real world. Our job, as parents, is to prepare our kids for the world while still letting them know that they have a safe place to land. Obsessively freaking out over every independent step they take does not benefit them; it teaches them to be afraid. It teaches them that they can't do anything without you.
On the other end is the I-Never-Say-No parent. I can't promote this either. Children need to have boundaries. How strict you set your boundaries is your decision but remember that the rest of the world has to live with your child once you're done raising him. What I mean by this statement is that it may work for you (in your house) to never make him clean up after himself, to allow him to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way, and to let him get things that are well beyond his age level at an earlier age because "all the cool kids have it." When Junior gets out into the real world, though, he's not going to get his way with tantrums. When he's out in the real world, he'll get arrested for underage drinking even if "all the cool kids are doing it." No one's going to clean up after him unless you're paying for a cleaning lady to follow him everywhere he goes. I can't and won't promote this behavior either.
Somewhere in between is a balance between letting your kids be kids and still teaching them responsibility. There's a pretty broad area that allows you to walk down the street safely without holding your hand but still teach them about stranger danger. There's a broad area that lets you not curse at your children but still allow them to hear those words out and about and learn their appropriateness. There's a broad area that allows your children to learn natural consequences for their behavior. There's a broad area that allows "yes day" but doesn't allow every day to be a "yes day." There's a broad area for "Mom's too tired to deal with this right now" but still making sure that most of the time, little Susie acts like a normal human being.
The phrase "Let kids be kids" does not mean "Let them be little assholes" and it also doesn't mean "Let them play but only if they're within arm's length." Just Food for Thought.
On the one end is the helicopter parent. I cannot promote this lifestyle. No, I am not talking about vigilant parents. No, I am not talking about parents that make their teens check in when they get somewhere after walking by themselves. I'm talking about parents who obsessively hover over their children from birth. No, they can't eat that Cheerio off the floor. No, they can't do the slide by themselves..what if they slip? No, they can't walk down four houses (on the sidewalk) without me walking with them. No they can't walk around the mall themselves at 15. I cannot promote this behavior because it's not allowing children to experience the real world. Our job, as parents, is to prepare our kids for the world while still letting them know that they have a safe place to land. Obsessively freaking out over every independent step they take does not benefit them; it teaches them to be afraid. It teaches them that they can't do anything without you.
On the other end is the I-Never-Say-No parent. I can't promote this either. Children need to have boundaries. How strict you set your boundaries is your decision but remember that the rest of the world has to live with your child once you're done raising him. What I mean by this statement is that it may work for you (in your house) to never make him clean up after himself, to allow him to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way, and to let him get things that are well beyond his age level at an earlier age because "all the cool kids have it." When Junior gets out into the real world, though, he's not going to get his way with tantrums. When he's out in the real world, he'll get arrested for underage drinking even if "all the cool kids are doing it." No one's going to clean up after him unless you're paying for a cleaning lady to follow him everywhere he goes. I can't and won't promote this behavior either.
Somewhere in between is a balance between letting your kids be kids and still teaching them responsibility. There's a pretty broad area that allows you to walk down the street safely without holding your hand but still teach them about stranger danger. There's a broad area that lets you not curse at your children but still allow them to hear those words out and about and learn their appropriateness. There's a broad area that allows your children to learn natural consequences for their behavior. There's a broad area that allows "yes day" but doesn't allow every day to be a "yes day." There's a broad area for "Mom's too tired to deal with this right now" but still making sure that most of the time, little Susie acts like a normal human being.
The phrase "Let kids be kids" does not mean "Let them be little assholes" and it also doesn't mean "Let them play but only if they're within arm's length." Just Food for Thought.
Monday, August 8, 2016
5 Ways to Help Kids Stay Safe When They Go Back to School
The world is a crazy place nowadays and it's hard to know what to do with your kids. The fine line of balance between being overprotective and cautious is teetered daily. You want to make sure that you're allowing them to be kids but also want to make sure that they are safe from the nut bars that walk our streets on the regular. Back to school does not help. Here are 5 tips for attempting to keep your kids safe as the school year begins....
1. Phone Vigilance. This doesn't apply to everyone but here's the deal: Your kids playing Pokemon Go while they're walking to school are not paying attention. They aren't looking for cars coming at them but they're also not keep an eye out for the people around them. Yes, it's unlikely that they could get abducted in the twenty feet from your car at drop off to the playground but child predators are crafty and you don't want them to not be paying attention. Period. Teach them to keep the phones in their backpacks (on silent or off) from the minute they get to school. No game is more important than their safety and well-being. This also goes for checking your children's phones for chats and inappropriate pictures. Sext blackmail is a very real thing that predators use.
2. Be On Your Toes and Travel in Groups (when possible): I don't care if you live in the most ritzy neighborhood in the country, abductions are real. You may walk your kids to and from school and that's great but there are still field trips and other occasions where the kids are out and about. Make sure they are paying attention to their surroundings. Try to make sure that they're always traveling with others, as abductions are less likely when a child is with a group.
3. Talk to them about stranger danger. This sounds incredibly simple but it is lacking in a whole lot of families. Parents don't want to scare their kids. Parents want to keep their children in their safe little bubble. Unfortunately, though, it's a necessary evil to let your kids know that there are bad people in the world and they don't always look like they do in the movies. In fact, a whole lot of them look like very normal people. I like to recommend the video that was made by the creator of Baby Einstein and John Walsh. It's simple terminology but very clear. Teach your kids that strangers will say ANYTHING from lost puppies to you being hurt.
4. Establish a code word. Again, this may make you roll your eyes but can you guarantee that if your 5 year old would know what to do in a stranger situation, "Hey Katie. Mommy was in a terrible accident. Your dad asked me to come get you and take you to the hospital."...Guess what; research shows that a whole lot of "Katie's" are going to get in the car. Predators know how to play on the kids' emotions. Establish a word that ONLY you, your safe person (in case you're hurt or otherwise unavailable) and your kids know. Make sure they know not to tell ANYONE and to NEVER go with ANYONE unless they can tell you that word.
5. Don't put their names on things. I can't stress this enough. STOP PUTTING YOUR KIDS' NAMES ON BACKPACKS AND CLOTHES. It's cute and "easy to identify" when they're all in a pile but it's also easy for child predators to say, "Hey Brandon, come here." Kids assume that adults that know their names know THEM. If you REALLY feel the need to put their name on their backpack for identification, put it on the area where the straps go. This makes certain that their name is not showing when they are out and about. Better yet, if you really need that outside "name", simply put their initials. It still allows easy identification but gives added protection from a predator being able to single them out.
It sucks that we have to worry about these things but we must be vigilant to attempt to protect our kids. Please share this info with your friends and make sure to practice it yourself to help in the fight to keep your little ones safe and sound.
1. Phone Vigilance. This doesn't apply to everyone but here's the deal: Your kids playing Pokemon Go while they're walking to school are not paying attention. They aren't looking for cars coming at them but they're also not keep an eye out for the people around them. Yes, it's unlikely that they could get abducted in the twenty feet from your car at drop off to the playground but child predators are crafty and you don't want them to not be paying attention. Period. Teach them to keep the phones in their backpacks (on silent or off) from the minute they get to school. No game is more important than their safety and well-being. This also goes for checking your children's phones for chats and inappropriate pictures. Sext blackmail is a very real thing that predators use.
2. Be On Your Toes and Travel in Groups (when possible): I don't care if you live in the most ritzy neighborhood in the country, abductions are real. You may walk your kids to and from school and that's great but there are still field trips and other occasions where the kids are out and about. Make sure they are paying attention to their surroundings. Try to make sure that they're always traveling with others, as abductions are less likely when a child is with a group.
3. Talk to them about stranger danger. This sounds incredibly simple but it is lacking in a whole lot of families. Parents don't want to scare their kids. Parents want to keep their children in their safe little bubble. Unfortunately, though, it's a necessary evil to let your kids know that there are bad people in the world and they don't always look like they do in the movies. In fact, a whole lot of them look like very normal people. I like to recommend the video that was made by the creator of Baby Einstein and John Walsh. It's simple terminology but very clear. Teach your kids that strangers will say ANYTHING from lost puppies to you being hurt.
4. Establish a code word. Again, this may make you roll your eyes but can you guarantee that if your 5 year old would know what to do in a stranger situation, "Hey Katie. Mommy was in a terrible accident. Your dad asked me to come get you and take you to the hospital."...Guess what; research shows that a whole lot of "Katie's" are going to get in the car. Predators know how to play on the kids' emotions. Establish a word that ONLY you, your safe person (in case you're hurt or otherwise unavailable) and your kids know. Make sure they know not to tell ANYONE and to NEVER go with ANYONE unless they can tell you that word.
5. Don't put their names on things. I can't stress this enough. STOP PUTTING YOUR KIDS' NAMES ON BACKPACKS AND CLOTHES. It's cute and "easy to identify" when they're all in a pile but it's also easy for child predators to say, "Hey Brandon, come here." Kids assume that adults that know their names know THEM. If you REALLY feel the need to put their name on their backpack for identification, put it on the area where the straps go. This makes certain that their name is not showing when they are out and about. Better yet, if you really need that outside "name", simply put their initials. It still allows easy identification but gives added protection from a predator being able to single them out.
It sucks that we have to worry about these things but we must be vigilant to attempt to protect our kids. Please share this info with your friends and make sure to practice it yourself to help in the fight to keep your little ones safe and sound.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
5 Ways You Can Fit in More as a Denver Transplant
5. Learn to use "north, south, east and west" instead of "left and right". Seriously, if you want to blend in here, it's a necessity. For people from a WHOLE lot of other states, it's a real challenge. In places like Denver, it's relatively easy....the mountains are west. Elsewhere in the state, not as simple.
Suck it up and learn it.
4. Learn to love hiking. Seriously, why WOULDN'T you want to be out in the great outdoors here!?! Just don't be the asshole that litters. Don't be that guy.
3. Realize that there's more to Colorado than just the mountains.... a lot more. Contrary to what outsiders think, it's not always cold either. However if you ARE going to the mountains, realize that it's gonna be colder there.
2. Sunscreen! Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
1. Moisturizer. Seriously, ESPECIALLY if you're a transplant, your skin is gonna be dry all the time. Moisturize!
Suck it up and learn it.
4. Learn to love hiking. Seriously, why WOULDN'T you want to be out in the great outdoors here!?! Just don't be the asshole that litters. Don't be that guy.
3. Realize that there's more to Colorado than just the mountains.... a lot more. Contrary to what outsiders think, it's not always cold either. However if you ARE going to the mountains, realize that it's gonna be colder there.
2. Sunscreen! Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
1. Moisturizer. Seriously, ESPECIALLY if you're a transplant, your skin is gonna be dry all the time. Moisturize!
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Appreciate Your PTSA
I am just as guilty as the next mom of rolling my eyes when confronted by particular members of my PTSA. I've posted before about the annoying PTA moms. You know who you are and you're proud of it. You actually take great pleasure in guilting the single parents who can't make it to your meetings. You take great joy in belittling the working parents that are just too exhausted to make it there. You feel as if you're better than everyone else because you make it to each and every meeting, event and party. You're a better parent, right? No. You're giving a bad name to REAL PTSA moms that are judgmental asses. You're the bad apple that gives a bad name to the whole tree. So today, I'm not going to focus the majority of my post on the rotten fruit. I'm going to focus it on the hundreds of good apples out there.
With that ugliness out of the way, we should be thankful for our PTSA. I know, I know, I'm dodging the rotten tomatoes of those that have the aforementioned butthead PTA parents at their school. Hang in there, they aren't all like that. We should be taking a look at the good PTA parents. Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more that are focused on making the school a better place. We should be taking a look at the teachers that work all day and then make time to come to the meetings and make their voices heard because they, too, care and want their schools to succeed. We should be looking at the the community members that are trying to contribute to making our school an amazing place. These are the people we should be thankful for.
Maybe you don't know what the PTSA at the majority of schools does. Let me give you a brief list of what it can include: dinners for teachers during conferences, school dances, pep club for sports events, spaghetti dinners, donuts for dads, muffins for moms, science fairs, talent shows, funding for teachers to have new equipment and/or necessary supplies, funding for kids that can't afford to do special events, and more. There are so many arms attached to the PTSA octopus that we don't even see. We don't necessarily realize that it's as important as it is. The PTSA is our school's voice. It's the way that our community can speak out to better the next generation.
For every aggravating PTSA parent, there are 20 great ones that just want you to be involved. Some are better than others at knowing how to make that happen. Be patient with the new ones because they're doing the best they can and better than most of it could hope to. The seasoned ones know exactly how to promote growth. They know what the needs of the parents are and how to boost volunteerism within the community. They spend countless hours of their own time working on PTSA events. They spend hours on the phone trying to arrange volunteers. They spend hours in their garage building props for the book fair. They spend hours cleaning up afterwards when the parents who volunteer forget and don't show up. They know what they need to do and they learn what they don't know. They are the champions of our schools' needs.
So take a moment and join your local PTSA for your school. If you can attend the meetings, try to. If you can't, try to keep up to date on what's going on. Shake the hand of the people that are fighting to make your school a better place and know that they are a great asset to your children's school experience.
With that ugliness out of the way, we should be thankful for our PTSA. I know, I know, I'm dodging the rotten tomatoes of those that have the aforementioned butthead PTA parents at their school. Hang in there, they aren't all like that. We should be taking a look at the good PTA parents. Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and more that are focused on making the school a better place. We should be taking a look at the teachers that work all day and then make time to come to the meetings and make their voices heard because they, too, care and want their schools to succeed. We should be looking at the the community members that are trying to contribute to making our school an amazing place. These are the people we should be thankful for.
Maybe you don't know what the PTSA at the majority of schools does. Let me give you a brief list of what it can include: dinners for teachers during conferences, school dances, pep club for sports events, spaghetti dinners, donuts for dads, muffins for moms, science fairs, talent shows, funding for teachers to have new equipment and/or necessary supplies, funding for kids that can't afford to do special events, and more. There are so many arms attached to the PTSA octopus that we don't even see. We don't necessarily realize that it's as important as it is. The PTSA is our school's voice. It's the way that our community can speak out to better the next generation.
For every aggravating PTSA parent, there are 20 great ones that just want you to be involved. Some are better than others at knowing how to make that happen. Be patient with the new ones because they're doing the best they can and better than most of it could hope to. The seasoned ones know exactly how to promote growth. They know what the needs of the parents are and how to boost volunteerism within the community. They spend countless hours of their own time working on PTSA events. They spend hours on the phone trying to arrange volunteers. They spend hours in their garage building props for the book fair. They spend hours cleaning up afterwards when the parents who volunteer forget and don't show up. They know what they need to do and they learn what they don't know. They are the champions of our schools' needs.
So take a moment and join your local PTSA for your school. If you can attend the meetings, try to. If you can't, try to keep up to date on what's going on. Shake the hand of the people that are fighting to make your school a better place and know that they are a great asset to your children's school experience.
Friday, August 5, 2016
I Don't Want to Re-Live High School
I know a whole mess of people that love to say, "I wish I could go back to high school. It was so much easier back then." For those people, I have to assume that high school was a fun time. I have to assume that they have parents that didn't make them work or, at the very least, allowed them to spend the money they earned on fun things. I have to assume that they were the popular kids or, at the very least, had a crowd of people they loved to be with at school functions. I have to assume that their high school experience was very different.
For me, high school was not a time I would wish to re-live.....ever.......or anything like it.
Did I have good times? Of course I did. Did I have great friends? Of course. Some of those friends I still talk to. I also had to change schools multiple times and move between states. I also had to live through the popular girls teasing me. I lived through anxiety-driven shyness and inability to feel good in my own skin. I would not want to re-live that.
Oh, don't get me wrong. Realistically, there are a whole lot of people that don't change at all from high school on behaviorally or socially. There are plenty of people who go on to get jobs and still practice the same mean girl tactics. There are plenty of people who view cheating on their spouses the same way that they viewed cheating on their steady girlfriend back then. There are plenty of people who will still play the "I'm more popular than you" game and there are plenty of girls that are still sleeping around looking for attention. I guess those 20 something years that are meant to "find yourself" weren't very productive for those. These are the girls that were relentless to pick on you back then and now want to "friend" you on Facebook. Bite me, B, you were awful to me and I'm pretty sure you're just as awful now so unless you're "friending" me to apologize, don't waste your time.
For the people that have grown up and changed, that's wonderful. The way I feel, though, is that some people are friends for a reason and some for a season. The ones that were just meant to be high school friends? Well, we grew apart after high school and I'm okay with that. We had a lot of fond memories to share and I'm so grateful for those. However, we moved on with our lives...and I'm not sad. I wish them the best.
The real friends, the ones that I've kept in touch with, grew with me. They didn't necessarily make the exact same decisions or do the exact same things but they grew with me. We were all branches on the same tree; no matter how far apart we grew, we all shared the same trunk. Do we have funny high school memories? Yes! Do we share even better memories since then? Abso-friggin-lutely.
Remember the next time that you tell a high schooler, "Oh you'll miss this," that not all of them will. Some of them just need to hear "Enjoy it as much as you can and muscle through because it only gets better from here."
For me, high school was not a time I would wish to re-live.....ever.......or anything like it.
Did I have good times? Of course I did. Did I have great friends? Of course. Some of those friends I still talk to. I also had to change schools multiple times and move between states. I also had to live through the popular girls teasing me. I lived through anxiety-driven shyness and inability to feel good in my own skin. I would not want to re-live that.
Oh, don't get me wrong. Realistically, there are a whole lot of people that don't change at all from high school on behaviorally or socially. There are plenty of people who go on to get jobs and still practice the same mean girl tactics. There are plenty of people who view cheating on their spouses the same way that they viewed cheating on their steady girlfriend back then. There are plenty of people who will still play the "I'm more popular than you" game and there are plenty of girls that are still sleeping around looking for attention. I guess those 20 something years that are meant to "find yourself" weren't very productive for those. These are the girls that were relentless to pick on you back then and now want to "friend" you on Facebook. Bite me, B, you were awful to me and I'm pretty sure you're just as awful now so unless you're "friending" me to apologize, don't waste your time.
For the people that have grown up and changed, that's wonderful. The way I feel, though, is that some people are friends for a reason and some for a season. The ones that were just meant to be high school friends? Well, we grew apart after high school and I'm okay with that. We had a lot of fond memories to share and I'm so grateful for those. However, we moved on with our lives...and I'm not sad. I wish them the best.
The real friends, the ones that I've kept in touch with, grew with me. They didn't necessarily make the exact same decisions or do the exact same things but they grew with me. We were all branches on the same tree; no matter how far apart we grew, we all shared the same trunk. Do we have funny high school memories? Yes! Do we share even better memories since then? Abso-friggin-lutely.
Remember the next time that you tell a high schooler, "Oh you'll miss this," that not all of them will. Some of them just need to hear "Enjoy it as much as you can and muscle through because it only gets better from here."
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Thursday inspiration
A little Thursday inspiration.....
Be kind, even when people don't deserve it.
Be compassionate, even when you want to criticize. Look at it from another angle and understand that they might be going through something.
Be patient, even when you're in a hurry.
Be silly as often as you can. Laughter is good for the soul.
Be the change you want to see for while you are changing the life of others, you are also changing your own.
Be kind, even when people don't deserve it.
Be compassionate, even when you want to criticize. Look at it from another angle and understand that they might be going through something.
Be patient, even when you're in a hurry.
Be silly as often as you can. Laughter is good for the soul.
Be the change you want to see for while you are changing the life of others, you are also changing your own.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Appreciate Your School's Staff
With school starting up again soon (though in some places it's already begun), I want to take this opportunity to remind you to appreciate your school's staff. Now, before you suffer the slap in the back of the head for saying, "But there's Teacher Appreciation Day for that," let me go ahead and remind you that the teachers and staff at your children's school are largely responsible for molding your child's awesome personality and habits. Today, though, I'm focusing on the non-teaching staff of the schools.....
Appreciate Your Principal/Vice Principal: Whether you've had a flawless school year and scarcely encountered the principal in the past or you've been in his or her office constantly, they truly do represent a big part of your school's overall experience. You can agree or disagree with them and that's okay but remember that they have the best interests of the school at heart and they have a very difficult job.
Appreciate Your Superintendent: I have had the opportunity to personally speak to ours and cannot compliment him enough on how well he's handled our schools. They have a tough job to try and represent everyone while making sure that the needs of the ones that need it most are met in the best way that they can be.
Appreciate Your School Nurse: You may roll your eyes when she calls to ask if your child can have a Tylonel but appreciate her job. She is there for every belly ache, headache, earache but she's also there for every asthma attack, insulin shot, broken bone and more.
Appreciate Your Office Staff: I seriously love the office staff at all of my kids' schools. They are so completely friendly and wonderful. Your office staff might know you by name (like mine does) or they might be overwhelmed with the amount of people but remember that these people are doing the job of many, many people all combined into one nice, messy package.
Appreciate Your Janitorial Staff: I cannot say this enough. Teach your child to be respectful and clean up after themselves and teach them to always show appreciation to the janitorial staff. They keep your child's school clean and have to deal with everything from muddy feet to vomit.
Appreciate Your Bus Driver: Lord, have mercy, they do a job I couldn't do. I love kids but being on a bus with a whole slew of them moving around and being silly...yeah, I couldn't. Appreciate their job and the stuff they put up with.
Appreciate Your Volunteers: I cannot preach this to enough people. Appreciate the moms, dads, grandmas, aunts, uncles, nannies or whoever else is volunteering at your child's school. They might be doing something seemingly "simple" by reading a book to a kindergarten class but they are taking time out of THEIR day to do something awesome. Sometimes it's as simple as making copies and sometimes it's wrangling a crew of kindergarten students. Regardless, it's awesome.
This may not cover the whole crew but hopefully this gives you a start. Say a big "thank you" when you register your kids. Then continue that throughout the year. They truly are wonderful!
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
"Bad Kids"
One of my biggest "grrr" moments, of late, has been hearing people comment about the "bad kids" that are influencing their own kids. Why is this a "grrrr" thing for me? It's pretty simple. I don't think there are "bad kids." I think there are good kids that make bad choices sometimes. I think that "bad kids" are really kids whose parents aren't able (for whatever reason) to guide them through the recovery process from bad decisions. That's NOT to say that every "bad kid" has parents that neglect them or that they are crap parents. In fact, it's nothing like that. What is it like? Allow me to explain....
Kids do not have the part of their brain that aids with impulse control fully developed. In fact, it isn't fully developed until their 20s. This part of the brain, the frontal lobe, controls so much. Included in this list (but not the list in its entirety) is problem-solving, judgment, social behavior and sexual behavior. Just let that sink in for a moment. Essentially, the part that controls everything that will affect their social lives is not working in a conducive environment in their brain. They can't rush it. They can't fake it. It's anatomically underdeveloped until they reach their 20s.
Now think about every "bad kid" and what is being claimed about them. Most of those problems stem from some issue covered by what their frontal lobe does. Drug use starts with an impulsive decision. Risque sexual behavior starts with impulsive decisions. Negative social behavior starts with bad judgment and no problem-solving skills. The list goes on and on but it always comes back to the frontal lobe behaviors.
Let me ask you this: would you be upset if you gave a newly diagnosed diabetic a pixie stick and their blood sugar went bonkers? Of course you wouldn't. Maybe you'd be upset that they didn't tell you that they were diabetic. Maybe you'd be upset that they weren't keeping an eye on their blood sugar and you didn't know that they would react that way. You, likely, wouldn't be mad at them, though. Why? Because they can't adequately control their blood sugar. Anatomically speaking, their body can't adequately process it. If they're newly diagnosed, they are still new to learning the ins and outs of what they can and can't do.
Now apply that to kids. In the same way, kids are still learning the ins and outs of making good decisions, controlling their impulses, and so on. While parents are there to guide them, ultimately the kids have to learn the lessons.
That is not to say that kids shouldn't be disciplined and receive consequences. Of course they should. That's HOW they learn. Parents are supposed to put a system of rules and consequences (both good and bad) in place to help their child through their learning process. It's not a foolproof system and they will still make mistakes. That's why you have to be there to guide them through it and learn how to manage the situation the next time they face it. It's a skill that seems to be lacking among parents in this generation. I'm not blaming parents for a child's bad decision but I will, surely, say that the parents are responsible for providing the system of consequences that come with it. Your child's bad decisions don't make you a bad parent; your choice to not provide adequate consequences leaves some room for improvement.
Nonetheless, let me close with this. Bad decisions do not a "bad kid" make. "Bad kids" do not a bad parent make. Do your best to provide a network of positive and negative (as needed) consequences for behaviors that your child chooses. Start early and be consistent. Take a moment and be patient with the "bad kids" you're dealing with. Remember that not every parent will take on the concerned, responsible role that they should. Sometimes it takes a village and sometimes just being there for that "bad kid" and letting them know that YOU care enough to try to help them through this process will turn their behavior around. It's not a guarantee but it's definitely food for thought.
Kids do not have the part of their brain that aids with impulse control fully developed. In fact, it isn't fully developed until their 20s. This part of the brain, the frontal lobe, controls so much. Included in this list (but not the list in its entirety) is problem-solving, judgment, social behavior and sexual behavior. Just let that sink in for a moment. Essentially, the part that controls everything that will affect their social lives is not working in a conducive environment in their brain. They can't rush it. They can't fake it. It's anatomically underdeveloped until they reach their 20s.
Now think about every "bad kid" and what is being claimed about them. Most of those problems stem from some issue covered by what their frontal lobe does. Drug use starts with an impulsive decision. Risque sexual behavior starts with impulsive decisions. Negative social behavior starts with bad judgment and no problem-solving skills. The list goes on and on but it always comes back to the frontal lobe behaviors.
Let me ask you this: would you be upset if you gave a newly diagnosed diabetic a pixie stick and their blood sugar went bonkers? Of course you wouldn't. Maybe you'd be upset that they didn't tell you that they were diabetic. Maybe you'd be upset that they weren't keeping an eye on their blood sugar and you didn't know that they would react that way. You, likely, wouldn't be mad at them, though. Why? Because they can't adequately control their blood sugar. Anatomically speaking, their body can't adequately process it. If they're newly diagnosed, they are still new to learning the ins and outs of what they can and can't do.
Now apply that to kids. In the same way, kids are still learning the ins and outs of making good decisions, controlling their impulses, and so on. While parents are there to guide them, ultimately the kids have to learn the lessons.
That is not to say that kids shouldn't be disciplined and receive consequences. Of course they should. That's HOW they learn. Parents are supposed to put a system of rules and consequences (both good and bad) in place to help their child through their learning process. It's not a foolproof system and they will still make mistakes. That's why you have to be there to guide them through it and learn how to manage the situation the next time they face it. It's a skill that seems to be lacking among parents in this generation. I'm not blaming parents for a child's bad decision but I will, surely, say that the parents are responsible for providing the system of consequences that come with it. Your child's bad decisions don't make you a bad parent; your choice to not provide adequate consequences leaves some room for improvement.
Nonetheless, let me close with this. Bad decisions do not a "bad kid" make. "Bad kids" do not a bad parent make. Do your best to provide a network of positive and negative (as needed) consequences for behaviors that your child chooses. Start early and be consistent. Take a moment and be patient with the "bad kids" you're dealing with. Remember that not every parent will take on the concerned, responsible role that they should. Sometimes it takes a village and sometimes just being there for that "bad kid" and letting them know that YOU care enough to try to help them through this process will turn their behavior around. It's not a guarantee but it's definitely food for thought.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Monday Motivation Speech
That moment when your goal has been accomplished......you know the moment. It's the moment when you can breathe again after months or years of working so hard to achieve something great. It's the moment when you realize that your hard work has paid off. The moment when you feel as if the weight of a thousand pounds has been taken off your shoulders. The moment that you finally feel free....
That's the moment you're working toward.
If you're in the midst of dealing with something right now, you might be feeling like there is no end to the hassles. You might be feeling like there isn't going to be a happy ending. You may be feeling discouraged, downtrodden and frustrated. Just know that this isn't the end of the story. You're about to get to that moment. It may be minutes or hours. It may be days or even weeks but you're going to get there. You're about to accomplish your goals. You're about to do something great.
Hang in there, friend. Good things are just around the corner!
That's the moment you're working toward.
If you're in the midst of dealing with something right now, you might be feeling like there is no end to the hassles. You might be feeling like there isn't going to be a happy ending. You may be feeling discouraged, downtrodden and frustrated. Just know that this isn't the end of the story. You're about to get to that moment. It may be minutes or hours. It may be days or even weeks but you're going to get there. You're about to accomplish your goals. You're about to do something great.
Hang in there, friend. Good things are just around the corner!
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