$1 Flip Flops at Old Navy

$1 Flip Flops at Old Navy

Are you an iPhone Mom?

What a great concept for a blog!

 THE iPHONE MOM

I just came  across this fun blog.    I'm always looking for useful apps on my iPhone.  Not only for me..but to keep my kids amused when we end up waiting or going to someplace that is totally boring for them.
Now- I know there are still iPhone doubters out there....Why do I need all that...I just need a phone that's all.  But Once you've joined the multitudes of iPhone Mommies...you get it.

Whining in the grocery cart...Here..why don't you play on mommies phone while I shop a few more minutes.  AMAZING- get the shopping done...kids are happy.
  Waiting at the dentist office, doctor office, post office whatever...you've got built in boredom buster right in your handy dandy always with you iPhone.

Let alone all the cool apps that can make our life easier as a Mom...useful, convenient, time savers!!  
 I encourage you to check The iPHONE MOM website for ideas.  As she shares on her site...you can miss some awesome apps that tend to get buried in the itunes app store.  There's tons of cool stuff out there..and iPHONE MOM's mission is to HOOK YOU UP.....with the best Mommie apps....:)

If you enjoy her site..tell her I sent you!! :)   Have fun...and I'd love to hear what apps you've found useful for you or your kiddos!!

Happy iPhoning? (is that even a word...guess it is now!)



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Bullies- Momma Bear

Since I was too little to really even fend for myself....I have had a ZERO tolerance for bullies....short fuse.   Even shorter now that I'm a Mom.  

When I was a little squirt, I was swinging on the swings at a local school, on a weeknight,  when these 2 big kids came over to me and my cousin and tried to yank us off the swings.  There were about 7 or 8 of us at the playground together so not for one second did I hesitate to tell these bullies they had to wait their turn!!!

Then I looked around ....and I was all alone.

everyone else had cleared the playground...long gone...no one in sight.

Now ......

there were plenty of swings for me and the 2 big ole bullies.  But they didn't want those swings....OH NO...they wanted the one I was on.

There I was...on the playground...all alone...with 2 bullies more than twice my size...and I just didn't have it in me to let them have the swing I was on.

I'd like to say that my standing up to them..made them leave me alone.  But..that is not the case.

They proceeded to drag me off the swing.  One grabbed my hands and held them behind my back while the other got me in a head lock.  They then showed me the brick wall that they were going to bash my head into because I didn't willingly give them the swing I was on.

I was so scared...I really thought  they were going to kill me.

Once they got me within inches of the brick wall...

The one who had me in a headlock...stood directly in front of me...laughing hysterically at how much fun it was going to be to see blood squirt from my head.  The other one standing behind me laughing just as hard and telling me I should have just given them the swing and I could have lived.

And in a flash...

I kicked em...

right between the legs...

with all the power, adrenaline and fear flowing through my veins...I sent them both to their knees.  I took off running so fast I should have won an olympic medal, world record and whatever other prize for speed is out there.


I made it to my front door ....I was safe...for now.

And then...as soon as my Dad found out...he was out that door on their trail.

He went to the boys house...(I lived in a small town)...my Dad found that boy on the front porch...and the boy started taunting my Dad.."you can't get me...nannana..." as he backed off his porch into his house.     my Dad said...(with the little boys Dad standing in the background not really caring about what just took place...)  "Let me tell you something lil boy... You EVER lay a hand on my daughter again...I don't care who's house you're in, if your Dad's there or not...I will come get you!  If you so much as look at my daughter again...you will be sorry you did!"

And with that...when I walked down the halls at school...neither one of the boys would ever make eye contact.

As a mommy... how horrifying to find your child is a bully ...or being bullied.

Parents-  it's not cute when they are 2 or 10 or 16 for a child..to use fear, manipulation, sarcasm, physical or verbal power to get their way...

Additionally...if you see bullying ...anywhere...as adults...we have an obligation to step in..whether your child is involved or not.  To just walk away because you don't know the parties involved is shameful.  Bullying can be physical or verbal...both of which are very damaging.

As parents..we can't be everywhere. ...we can't prevent kids from being mean to each other.  My goodness, sometimes adults are worse than kids in this regard.   What we can do, is talk to our kids about what bullying is...what to do if they or anyone they come in contact with is being bullied.  We don't want our kids to put themselves in harms way by becoming involved in a potentially physical situation...but we need to teach them what to do.

TEACH THEM WHAT TO DO...we spend a lot of time saying DON'T do this or that...when we need to probably focus our attention more on teaching them what TO DO..TO SAY and How to act.

Here are some links on bullying...that will help you initiate conversation with your child....

 

Bullying.org

Stop Bullyng Now

Bully Basics

Bullyng is a Big Problem

What causes bullying?

Intervention/Prevention

Coping with bullies: Tips for Parents

I have and will continue to have conversation with my children concerning bullying and being bullied.   I want them to know what to do and have the necessary tools to deal with situations like this when I am not present.

From childhood...I have always been a confident person for the most part.  I have encountered "bullies" in many varying degrees from Childhood and even in my adult life.  Although it is extremely unpleasant, inconvenient, hurtful and downright painful at times...I can deal with it and move on for the most part unaffected other than the inconvenience and irritation of having to deal with the ridiculous person.

However...this is Mommy speaking...and I am much like my father in regard to bullies.

You mess with my child...you have most certainly messed with me.  Not just my child though...I see bullying...I see unconcerned nonreactive parent....You will most definitely see...MOMMA BEAR.
  I am a kind person, a great friend, a loving daughter and a MOMMA BEAR!!
If your child acts up..handle it..or...someone else might....  just saying.

Complete guide to Dallas-area farmers markets | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Cooking tips | Food | Dallas Morning News

Complete guide to Dallas-area farmers markets | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Cooking tips | Food | Dallas Morning News

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No Laundry Fairy Here!

Ah isn't she special!  

SHE DOES NOT LIVE AT MY HOUSE.   

Yes, I tried to say that loud enough for my children to hear. :)  For some time now, my kiddos have helped out in some aspect of our laundry process.   We're talking since the age they were learning colors...they would help me sort for as long as their attention span could handle.   One of their favorite activities..still to this day..is getting to put the laundry in the washing machine or switching it from the washer to the dryer. (yes that's right...the fun never stops at our house!)

Everyone's LEAST favorite task (including mine) is putting laundry away!  That is where a laundry fairy would be super nice really.  But alas, it is not a reality for us.   So, due to the fact that it has always been my least favorite part of doing laundry...to fold and put it up that is...my kids have always "helped" me put clothes away in their room.  When they were 2...it looked like this...

Me-  Ok punkin lets go put laundry away in your room

they would follow me to their room and stand by me while I put it away or I would hand them something and tell them exactly where to put it.

As they got older...I would go to their room with them..and make sure they put  things in the proper place and show them HOW to put things away.  Like, not tossing the clothes I just folded into the bottom of the closet or shoving it in a drawer and calling it done!

Now that they are 6 and 8 9 ( ugh..he just turned 9..boohoo)  ...I put their laundry in their respective baskets and they are able to do it, for the most part, unsupervised.

I grew up with a laundry fairy Mom. (I love her..she's my hero)   But what I realized...when reality hit me and I was out of college and married and had no laundry fairy in my life was, it was a lot of work to do laundry even for just one person!!     (Did I say my Mom is awesome!)   

I'm not like my Mom in the laundry fairy department...my kids clothes have never magically appeared fresh and clean in their drawers..they have, from a very early age had a hand in the process.   Sometimes...it took twice as long to do the laundry because they were "helping".  I'm hoping that by having them involved..they will be well aware, when they are on their own or married ...that it's a lot of work..and their help is needed...and that it's not really too considerate to leave all the laundry duties to one person in the family.  I hope their spouses will thank me later....

And as far as spouses go...

my husband rocks- 

He helps with laundry a lot...and keeps it going when weeks are hectic and crazy.  

As for my Mom-  thanks..for being my laundry fairy...if you miss that role in my life..you are welcome to visit and resume those responsibilities anytime!!  heheheheh...Love you Mom....

Some of you are laundry fairies 

(don't feel bad..there is nothing wrong with it...just not my thing) 

Maybe you are a Laundry fairy because: you want it done a certain way, folded, put in drawers a specific way or you just love doing laundry etc...If it makes you happier to just do it yourself then by all means...wear your wings with pride.

I am controlling about some things..laundry...is just not one of them, I will engage and encourage all the help I can get to make it go away quickly. :)

Ready for Summer - Sun and Sand

I'm so ready for relaxing, sunny days .  Lounging by the pool, reading a good book.   Going to the beach whenever possible...and at the end of the summer...for all of you who are with me...
on the beach scene...our cars may just look like

THIS

Embracing Your Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke

A BOOK REVIEW:

What's this book about anyway???

It says it's about finding Passion in the 2nd part of your life...(aka midlife).  Are your kids grown? Is the nest empty?  OR are you simply at the adult moment when you are ready to redirect and reevaluate some or all of your goals, your purpose, your significance?  

EMBRACING YOUR SECOND CALLING by Dale Hanson Bourke is a self proclaimed "Women's Guide" to the time of life that brings us to a place of reconsidering what our priorities and wants and goals really are and how we want them to play out now, that we aren't feeling invincible any longer.

This book actually started out gloomy to me.  The referral to kids being grown and everything sagging and coming to terms with the fact that maybe that's how God wants us to be now really was off putting to me.  I mean..come on, it sounded sorta depressing.  But   I read on.  

As I continued to read it was unfolding as more of a story about her experience.  One in which she was very presumptuous as to imply that her motives were every other woman's  motive.  This really irritated me for some reason.  She said, " WE worked because...we had been well educated and encouraged not to "waste" our education, and because the lifestyle we wanted to live required the income from two careers."  Now, it's not that this is not true in some cases, but to say as a whole, that is why WE work is frustrating. I know many women who simply enjoy their careers. Their motivation isn't their lifestyle..but they enjoy a nice lifestyle as a result of their success in a career they enjoy.  I'm just saying, I had to comment on that particular thing.  :)

I really wanted to like this book.  I just didn't care for it though.   Quite simply I disagree with what she says on success and significance.    To me..it's not about raising kids, having a career and THEN in your second calling doing something of significance.  Why wait?  I'm not supporting the concept of drive your self insane trying to do everything RIGHT NOW.  I just  really think that they do not have to be at odds with each other and can co exist in your life...  For me...this just wasn't a book that applied to where I'm at in life...and I didn't really get it.  I didn't Get it...could have summed up the whole book....  It seems this book, instead of being billed as a GUIDE BOOK for women would have better been classified as a story about her life, a memoir or something of that nature.  It guides us through her life..generalizing her journey as every woman's journey...just didn't get it.

To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must post that Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review.