Parent Blogs

I'm about to officially become a Soccer Mom.

Granted, I've been an unofficial soccer mom now for some time. I live in the suburbs. I drive a minivan. I keep pacifiers and crayons in my purse. There's even a soccer ball in the back of the minivan already.

But now I'm actually going to have a child who plays soccer. Real soccer. Not just shuffle-around-in-the-backyard-soccer. I've got the YMCA league form all filled out with my son's information. I just need to drop it off and pay the fee, and voila! Soccer Mom. I'm actually kind of excited about it. I'm silly like that.

On the other hand, my son is, shall we say, rather lukewarm on the whole idea of becoming a Soccer Kid. In fact, saying that he's lukewarm might be a generous statement. Ambivalent might even be too strong a word.

No, he's downright nervous. He's one of those kids who doesn't really like to try new things if he doesn't think that he's going to be good at it right off the bat. (Er, sorry for mixing bats and soccer balls there. I'll try to keep my sports equipment properly separated.) If he's good at something, he likes it. If he isn't, not so much.

I wasn't like that as a child. I was rarely good at anything, so I was accustomed to always looking a little silly. It didn't bother me to not be great at something the first time I did it. I figured that there was nowhere to go but up. (And I was right.)

But my son likes to be good, preferably great. And often, he is. So when he's not--or more accurately, when he thinks he won't be good or great---that's when things get tricky. But I really want him to give soccer a chance. For one thing, I think he really will have fun. For another, I'd like him to have the experience of playing on a team. This particular league is pretty well-known for being a fun league without the pressure of a higher-stakes league. So I think it will be a good fit, and it will be a good learning experience for him.

So until practices start in late February, I'm going to be playing the role of Cheerleader, in addition to Soccer Mom. I think he'll be fine once he gets out on the field and starts to have fun. I  just have to get him to that point.

"Honey, it's going to be so much fun," I've told him. "You love kicking the soccer ball around."

No response.

"Everyone's going to be learning how to play together," I've tried.

He made a face.

"You get to eat orange slices and drink juice boxes afterward," I might have suggested.

Who's not above a little bribery? That actually might have worked.

I'll let you know after the first practice.

 

 

I don’t have a lot of TV shows that I watch on a regular basis, but “Parenthood” is fast becoming my favorite, because of the way they portray parenting teenage daughters, and other family issues. Sometimes I think the writers must have lived in my house and spied on my family to get ideas for the show. In a recent episode, single (divorced) mom Sarah had a heart to heart with her teenage daughter Amber. Amber had signed up to play guitar and sing at a local bar for their “open mic” night, and reluctantly played a little of the song she was working on for her mom. Sarah’s well-intended advice was not taken very well, and Amber completely shut down and refused to play anything else for her mom, announcing that she was no longer going to perform at the open mic night. Later in the episode, Sarah sat down with Amber, and their conversation went something like this…

Sarah: “I’m sorry you’re not playing at the open mic thing. I feel really bad about that.”

Amber: Rolls her eyes and twists her mouth.

Sarah: “You know, one day, when you have kids…if you have kids…there’s something you should know. This confusing thing they don’t tell you about. You see so much of yourself in them…your ironic take on the world, your smile, your sense of humor, your walk…and you think they’re you…but they’re not. And they shouldn’t have all your baggage, your fears, your insecurities and your life experience. They have their own.”

Then she went on to tell her that her song was beautiful…haunting, moving, and so…her. She told her she was so proud of her and that was what she should have said in the first place.

It’s ironic that I watched this episode this afternoon, after I had a long conversation with my daughter. It was an incredibly open and emotional conversation, and one in which she got angry with me for the second time in 24 hours for assuming I knew how she felt.

She was telling me about a social situation she’d been going through, and the dilemma she had been facing regarding how to handle it, and I immediately jumped in to tell her how I would handle it. My gut reaction was based on my own experiences in high school, combined with a lifetime of lessons learned and disappointments faced. The problem with that is, she hasn’t gone through any of that yet. She doesn’t have the hesitations based on disappointment. She doesn’t have fear based on memories of failure. She is bright eyed, optimistic, and of course, a little nervous about things she hasn’t faced yet.

Why should I do anything to dampen that spirit of hers? Why should I add even one more thing for her to worry about…something that hasn’t happened to her yet? She has to go through these things on her own, form her own opinions and let her own experiences shape her future. I should be here to listen, to cheer her on, and yes, to guide her gently when I feel she is making a dangerous or life-changing mistake. But this young woman of mine makes some pretty great decisions without my input. She does need me… she needs me to listen when she wants to talk, she needs me to bounce ideas off of, and she needs me to provide advice when asked. She knows I’m the life boat that will keep her from veering too far off course, but at this point I have to let her drive.

Sarah ended her conversation with Amber by saying, “…I’m in awe of you. And I want you to just go out there and fly. You can fly.” The happy ending was that Meghan DID do the open mic, and did it beautifully.

I’ve said it before, but watching my little girl fly is one of the best parts of being her mom.

 

This time of year, we're gearing up for Valentine's Day.  Parents are making plan for yet another classroom party, getting the names of all the classmates and hoping they remember to have everything done by the big day.

But what do you do at home?  Just for your own family?  Do want to do a little something fun (and EASY) that children will LOVE?

How about Valentine's pizza?

My friend Brittney of One Charming Party shares this simple idea for your Valentine's meal.

All you need is a small heart shaped cookie cutter and pepperoni.  Cut the pepperoni into heart shapes and add to homemade or even store bought pizza.  Done!

Add red food coloring to milk to bring additional color to the meal!

A house with three boys gets messy fast, and keeping it clean isn't a one-woman job. The kids have got to help or we'd drown in Legos and granola bar wrappers. Here are four simple ways I encourage the children to help:

1. Use a "Serve One Another Chart." Ten dollars will get you a lovely dry-erase board at Target. Our 10-year-old and 8-year-old have interchangeable jobs, so every week I simply erase and switch the names beside their lists. One list says: napkins, dry table, gather trash on Wednesday. The other list says: utensils, wipe table, move outdoor trash can on Wednesday. The five-year-old's list says: place mats, feed dog. Then when it's time to set and clear the table, everyone knows what to do.

2. Have a 10 minute quick clean before bed every night. All hands are on deck for this. No one is allowed to say, "I didn't make this mess." We're a family; we're a team; everyone picks up everything he or she can. Go!

3. Teach little ones to contribute. You can put socks on toddlers' hands and let them help dust. Okay, it doesn't really help, but they think it's fun and enjoy being part of the team. Three-year-olds can sort non-pointy silverware. They can also wipe the seats of chairs. They can water the plants. Even younger children can help put away toys.

4. Don't take "no" for an answer. Anyone who grumbles gets to do a little extra cleaning, just for fun.

What works in your home? If you leave a comment, we can help one another.  I'd love to hear your ideas.

 

 

There are great moments in time during my life as a Mom that make all of the bad moments disappear.  I had one of those moments on Thursday night.  My 9 year old performed in both his first choral and violin concerts.  I was so proud of him!  He walked right into the Sanctuary of his school, stood straight and tall and sang with a smile on his face.  I looked for signs of nervousness, those pesky butterflies that seem to flutter around when we are faced with a crowd of people waiting for us to do something wonderful.  Thankfully I did not see them.  After the choral performance the children collected their instruments for the 3rd grade orchestral portion of the evening.  Again, all smiles and confidence all around.

How did he come to this place?  In previous school performances - mainly the annual class play - he had seemed so nervous and unsure of his place barely getting out the words.  Now here he stood tall and straight and seemingly thrilled to be there.  Earlier that morning over a sausage omelette he had confessed to be slightly nervous.  Once he arrived at school his class would immediately go to a dress rehearsal before the entire school as well as parents and friends who would not be able to make the evening performance.

I fretted all morning.  Should I go to the rehearsal?  Will he be okay without us there?  Will something horrible happen to him?  Will he forget the words to the songs or drop his violin?  No.  I have another child whose speech therapist would be none to pleased if we just didn't show up and I know he is in good hands.  I realized at that moment that all of the fears that I carried around as a child surfaced as I sent him off to school packed in Dad's car with his backpack, lunch and violin.

That's what we do as parents, isn't it?  We fret and fear and hope that none of our own past failures will be passed on to our children.  Hmmm... they won't you know.  They will have their own triumphs and yes, failures to be sure, but like us, they continue to live.

That evening as I sat watching this handsome confident kid, I realized that it is all okay.  He told me at pick up after school that once he began performing, all of the nervousness disappeared and he had a great time.   I don't know when I have been more proud but hope there are many more moments like that in our lives as a family.

It may be January, but you can still get a flu vaccine.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu is widespread in 11 states right now. Guess which state is included on that roll? Yup. The good old Volunteer State. The CDC also reports that eight children have died from influenza this year so far. And sadly, that number is going to increase because flu season is far from over.

So if you haven't gotten your flu shot yet--or you haven't had your child vaccinated yet, don't fret. Call your doctor and ask for a good time to come in. Or go to the health department. They'll be more than happy to help you out.

I'm very passionate about this issue, in case you're curious. You see, last year, my husband came down with a severe case of H1N1 flu. Like many other people afflicted with the flu, he developed a serious secondary infection: pneumonia. A chest x-ray showed a pleural effusion (a build-up of excess fluid) in his left lung, which explained in part why he was having so much trouble breathing. I have never seen him so sick in his entire life. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever been around anyone that sick in my entire life.

It was frightening.

My husband got sick before the H1N1 vaccine was widely available. And because I was pregnant with our second child, we worried a great deal about what could happen to our baby if I contracted the flu. Added to our worries was the fact that our then-three-year-old son had asthma. We were all high-risk cases waiting to happen. We were generally very healthy people; we ate a healthy diet, we practiced good hygiene, and so on. But still. I've written about health care as a professional journalist for more than a decade. I was well aware of what could happen. Every time one of us coughed, I fretted anew. What if we got sick, I worried. We might not get a serious case, and it might be okay. But it might not. That--and my husband's coughing--kept me up at night.

Luckily, my obstetrician prescribed a round of antiviral medication for me to take. My son's pediatrician did the same for him. And a week or so later, when the health department in downtown Nashville announced that it had a shipment of H1N1 vaccines for young children and pregnant women and parents of young children, we sped down there (literally--I got a speeding ticket en route) and got in line.

My son and I did not get H1N1 influenza. My husband slowly got well. We were very fortunate. And this year, we got our flu vaccines as early as we could. And we're doing great so far. Of course, I still have hand sanitizer stashed in every nook and corner of our house and cars. Why take chances, right? 

So when a a friend of mine mentioned that she hadn't gotten her children's flu shots yet, I told her, "It's not too late!"

(Want to learn more about this year's flu vaccine or stats about influenza activity--or learn more about why health experts recommend that children and parents of young children get a flu vaccine (either a shot or FluMist, depending on your specific situation) each year? Visit www.flu.gov.)

During this time of year, people are frequently discussing cold and flu prevention.  Despite the fact that my entire family came down with what I believe was the swine flu in 2009, people still consider me to be somewhat of an expert in this department.  I have been asked for advice on how to keep one's family members healthy during cold and flu season.  This year I can proudly say that, other than a small cold that Ronin and Drayken had during the beginning of November, my family has stayed well this entire season. And this is a very good thing because when you have a child who is having a bone marrow transplant and is depending upon his sister to stay well enough to undergo surgery for a bone marrow harvest, then staying well is crucial and a life depends upon it.  Literally.

But even if you don't have a child with leukemia, my guess is that you probably would prefer to avoid catching a cold or the flu.  And if you are anything like me, you might want to use as many natural/chemical free preventative measures as possible.

Here are some things that I recommend:

1.  Stay at home. This is the number one reason, I believe, that we have stayed well this year.  I believe that we caught the flu from the library last year... from the kids playing with their community computers.  I can honestly say that I will never let my children play on those computers again... especially now that I have a leukemia survivor in my home. 

2.  Disinfect your surroundings. If you must go out of the house, take along something with which you can sanitize anything that you or child touches.  I will talk later about my suggestions for what to use as a disinfectant. 

3.  Thieves Oil. I have been using the Young Living brand but when I run out, I plan to make my own.  You can put a couple of drops in a carrier oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed, almond, etc) and then rub it onto your kids' feet.  Or your own feet.  Then put a sock over it.  Put it in a diffuser and and clean the air with it.  Young Living also has a surface cleaner that I have been relying on since Hunter's diagnosis.  The best part is that it smells amazing.  Like Christmas in fact.

3.  Supplements. Take your vitamins and probiotics.  These will boost the immune system and make your body function better.  You can find great vitamins and probiotics for children at Vitacost so you can just stay at home and not worry about even leaving the house when you decide to buy them. Make sure to include a high dose of Vitamins D and C. 

4.  Yucky things. When the going gets tough, there are a few disgusting things that you can give to your children or take yourself that are SURE to do the trick... grapefruit seed extract, raw apple cider vinegar, cod liver oil. They may taste nasty but they really work.

5.  My ACV tonic. 1 tblsp raw apple cider vinegar, 1 tblsp local honey, 8 oz boiling water, a dash of cayenne, stir and enjoy.  I drink this often, especially whenever I wake up with a sore throat or feeling sluggish.

6.  Clean your surfaces. If you have people over, even if they haven't been ill, please clean your surfaces after they leave.  If you share my disdain for chemicals, I would suggest a blend of white vinegar, tea tree oil, and filtered water in a spray bottle.  I keep at least four spray bottles all over my home full of this cleaner at all times.  I have also been enjoying the Seventh Generation Surface Disinfecting Wipes.  My intention, as soon as we start going out into the world again, is to put a few of these babies in a ziplock baggie and keeping them in my purse for wiping down tables and chairs that Hunter might touch.  During this time of the year, it's not a bad idea for you to begin this practice as well.  You may notice that the wipes are powered by Clean Well, a company's who's hand sanitizer we've been using for years.  Now more than ever.  I'm crazy about their product and I was thrilled that the two companies had joined forces.  Which bring me to... 

7.  Wash hands. If you don't want to use the industrial soaps found in most public restrooms then by all means, buy a small squeeze bottle, fill it with an acceptable soap, and put that in your purse too.  And have some Clean Well hand sanitizer on hand (ha ha, like my pun?) always.  It comes in a big bottle and in small ones.  Buy several and put them in your car, your bags, your kitchen.  My kids love it when I squirt Clean Well in their hands.  They think it smells great.

8.  Eat well. Make sure you are getting enough fruits, veggies, and fiber.  Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.  And lay off the sweets.  Some people say that sugar actually lowers the immune system and while the jury is still out on that, I know it affects my blood sugar and if my body is constantly trying to stabilize my sugar level then there isn't a lot of anything left over for fighting viruses. 

So, there you have it... the things that I do and will continue to do in order to help keep my family healthy over the coming years.  If you have anything to add to the list, feel free to comment!

Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy winter. 

I'm going away this weekend with some girlfriends, traveling to Austin, TX for a few days of rest and relaxation (and wine and a massage).   My husband is more than capable of handling our 8 month old and 2.5 year old, and if all goes to plan with the weather, his parents will come up to help for some of the time.

I know a lot of mothers out there will think I'm "bad" for leaving them like this for even a few days.  I guess I shouldn't tell those mothers that until our financial situation recently changed, we had planned to leave them both next month for 10 days to go to Africa.  CAN YOU IMAGINE?

We leave our kids a lot.  Both sets of grandparents are readily available and eager to take on as much time as they can get with the girls (although potty training time seems to be putting their eagerness to the test).  My oldest doesn't seem to bat an eye when we come back. Just a simple, "hey mom. hey dad." as she goes back to playing with whatever fabulous toys the grandparents have lavished on them during our escapes.

Because that's what they are for us: escapes.  Not from our kids, because as much as I do get frazzled and fried by the challenges of parenting, I never really want to get away from them.  I do want to get away for a few days, though, to recharge.  I need to escape the 24/7 demands that come with being a mother, and sometimes a wife.  I don't want to take care of anyone else but me.

When my husband and I are able to go away by ourselves, we actually talk about things other than private versus public schools, how much Dinosaur Train is too much, or if the girls are going to start tearing each other's hair out when sibling rivalry kicks in any day now.   We can be "us" again.  Not "mommy and daddy".

I know everyone is different, but we're lucky enough to have the support system in place that allows us to get away every now and then.  And I especially know how lucky I am to have such an amazing partner that not only supports my girls weekends, but is so beyond good at the Daddy thing that I never FOR ONE SECOND worry about what's going on back at home.  This, I know for a fact, is rare.

Do you take trips with your spouse/partner when you have or had young kids? Why or why not?

It finally came ... another good snow in our area. A chance for us to get out there and make memories with our families. A chance to harvest that friendship between your child and her best friend, the family dog.

Little did we know — as we were out frolicking about in the snow, chasing Scooby (our bouncy pup), taking pictures and having fun — that our family dog would take that chance to make a great escape. He was much too excited about the snow.

I took my 4-year-old daughter inside and had her stay there with her granny, who was here watching our 7-month-old, while I ran back out to try to get him to come back in. But, he was GONE! I followed his tracks in the snow and they ended abruptly at the street (which was still covered in plenty of snow and should he have decided to cross, I would have seen tracks).

We are heart broken ... miss him terribly. My daughter cries for him every day. She continues about her day playing — until she does something that would have required Scooby to come running through the house, pulling the blanket off her and licking her in the face — then she realizes he has still not returned to us. She slowly stands up and just simply states, "Oh .... yeah .... he ran away. I just really worry about him. I want my real Scooby back!!!!"

He is her best friend and we already miss those loud days of the two of them running through the house having a blast with each other. We have put up flyers, contacted vets offices, went to the pound ... what else is there to do? Just waiting.

We contacted the pound and they gave me some info in trying to find him. We also searched their facility to see if he had been turned in ... no such luck.

They told me to visit the site petharbor.com. It is a great site for families trying to find their pets, those wanting to adopt a pet or post photos of pets the public has found. They told me it is updated hourly ... so I check it often.

We have started thinking about what we are going to do should he not return to us. My daughter's companionship with her doggie was the best I had ever seen with children. We don't want her to miss that feeling, but we don't want a replacement just yet.

There are many families out there that are possibly thinking about getting a dog for to add to their family. If you think it is the right time to have a pet in your family, take a moment to read this article by Myrna Beth Haskell: Cultivating Companionship Between Kids and Dogs

greetings all!  my name is rowena and i'm thrilled to join the nashville parent bloggers.

as homeschoolers, we have learned a few tricks about making our together time fun and non-stressful. lots of kids are out of school due to snow this week so i thought i'd share some ideas on ways to keep your kids occupied and happy.  these ideas will work on any day when you can't get out--after all, even in the summer it rains. : )

1--gather up all the change under the couch cushions, from the jar in the laundry room, and from the bottom of your purse.  the little ones can sort coins and the older ones can count and roll them. you can let the children estimate how many of each coin you have, or estimate how much the total comes to for each type of coin or for the whole lot.  whoever gets closest to the correct figure gets the honor of handing the rolls to the teller at the bank.

2--pull out all your board games, then let the kids mix and match the pieces to make up a new game.  if your children are really little, they might be just fine playing the games they know but with pieces from a different set--if you have older kids you will be surprised at how inventive they can be when they are set loose to make the rules.  the winner gets to prepare a treat of his/her choice for the other players.

3--chill.  :)  one of the great gifts of being homeschoolers is that we have a lot of down time, and on snow days you and your kids can have that too.  get a pile of pillows, some blankets, some hot cocoa, and sit by the window.  watch birds.  count the number of cars that pass by.  make up a family tree for someone walking down the street.  invent a new ending to a fairy tale.  daydream.  of all the things you could be doing on a free day, this might be the one that produces the most lasting memories.

how are you spending your snow days?

Like you, I'm struggling with new ideas for my home-bound brood during all this snowy weather.  One thing I've learned is sometimes you have to breakdown, give into the fun and not worry so much about the house ...

1.  Indoor soccer:  Yes, really!  Use a nerf ball or, like my 12-year-old created, wrap several soft socks into a ball and secure with rubber bands.  In your bonus room or family room, use the cushions from your sofa to block off your “arena” and station kids at different points.  My kids play with up to five kids at a time, in socks, sometimes on their knees.  The soft ball won’t hurt your house’s walls or leave marks.

2. Board Games? Or should we say BORED games?  Try some new ones.  Borrow from neighbors or give the new ones you got for Christmas a whirl.  Hot right now worth asking your friends about in case they have: Quelf and Ticket to Ride.

3.  Indoor Snow Play: Empty out one of those large plastic tubs you use for out-grown clothing and have the kids fill it outside with as much snow as possible.  Then bring it inside and place on a large space covered with plastic bags.  Give the kids plastic spoons, cups, washable paint, and more.  Little tots like this especially.

4. Enjoy the snow WITH THE KIDS: Dress warmly in at least three layers and explore your neighborhood. Check out animal tracks, make snow angels, build a snowman and go sledding … YES, YOU too!

5.  Hold a Relay Game with Kids’ Books: Tell your kids to bring you 20 kids’ books a piece.  Have them write the names of the books down in a list in any order.  Now, while they wait, YOU make a trail of the books going through your home, placing them right on the floor. When you’re done with that, sit at the front end of the book trail and give each child a book to search for, then say “1, 2, 3, GO!”  as they find the book, they bring it back to you to scratch off your list then give them a new book to find.  This fun game works with old record albums and CDs too, and kids love it while reading and searching.

YES!  Spring Consignment Season is right around the corner and now is the time to start preparing.  Here are some tips to help get you ready!

1.  Register for sales early!  Each sale states when they open registration on their sale website.  Make a note of registration dates and plan to register early.  Many sales will fill up in the first day due to limited space and then go to a waiting list.  Go to www.ConsigningTime.com to find out when all of the local sales are being held and directly link to the sale websites.

2.  Sign Up for a New Sale!  If you have only done one sale before, why not sign up for a second sale later in the season?  This is a great way to sell more of your items and an opportunity to see how different sales are run.  Ask your friends what sales they participate in or see if there is a new sale being held in your area. 

3.  Sign Up to Volunteer!  The best way to find the best items is to be a volunteer.  Each sale offers perks for consignors who voluinteer to help with the sale.  The shifts range from 4 to 8 hours depending on the sale.  In exchange for your time, you will get to shop before the sale opens to the public in addition to other perks that vary with each sale.  Shopping early is particularly helpful if you are looking for a specific in demand item - like outdoor play items etc.

4.  Begin Gathering Your Sale Items!    Grab a rubbermaid bin and start to gather items to sell.  It really helps to get your children involved and have them "buy in" to the process.  I ask my children what toys they would like to sell.  If they do not produce enough toys, I then hold up two items and tell them they have to choose which one to keep.  The trick with this is that I rig the choices so one item is one I know they will never want to sell so they have to choose the item that I want to go.  It hasn't backfired on me yet!

5.  Create a Consignment Box!  I like to keep all of my supplies together in a plastic school box.  Inside I keep - White Index Cards, Sharpies (Black and Red), Scissors, Safety Pins, Rubber Bands, Hole Puncher, Plastic Ties, Ribbon and clear packing tape. 

6.  Gather Your Supplies!  I always think it is funny that before consignment season I become obsessed with wire hangers.  "Where are my wire hangers?  I need more wire hangers?  Does anyone have any wire hangers?"  The first thing I do is scour the closets and exchange wire hangers for plastic ones.  (You can buy the plastic ones at Dollar Tree to replace any wire ones you have.)  If I don't find enough I begin to beg.  I beg my friends and local dry cleaners.  This usually brings forth a bounty of wire hangers and all is right with the world.  After the hangers are taken care of - I move on to safety pins.  Dollar Tree is a great source for these but many people know that so they sell out right before sales begin so you need to pick them up early or you will end up paying $4 at Walgreens - Ugh!

7.  Prepare Your Shoppping Lists!  Walking into a consignment sale can be quite overwhelming.  There is so much stuff that all of the sudden you forget what you need and end up searching through all of the great books for hours.  Trust me -been there and done that.  The best way to fight against this is to prepare a list.  Keep it short and simple.  I usually do it on an index card so I can keep it in my pocket.  (I do not carry a purse when I shop at consignment sales).  Write down the items AND SIZES for each of your children.  Organize your list by sex because that is how sales are organized.  On one side write the "Needs" and the other side write your "Wants".  If you start your list now you should have a really comprehensive list by the time the sales begin.

8.  Invite Your Friends To Participate!  Part of the fun of consignment is sharing your great finds with a friend.  I rely on my friends to give me the appropriate "oohs and aahs" about items like the Little Tykes playset in mint condition that I found for $30.  My hubby just does not seem to provide me the level of excitement I require at such an accomplishment so I rely on my girlfriends.  It is also wise to have another set of eyes with you when you shop so they will tell you the truth "No, your sweet girl will not look good in the orange and purple polka dotted, ruffled shirt with bows all over it".  That's what friends are for so ask a friend to sign up for a sale with you so you can enjoy the experience together.

My name is Julie King and I am a consignaholic.  I also own the website Consigning Time - THE Place To Find Consignment Sales in Middle Tennessee (www.consigningtime.com).

The snow is here. Schools are closed. Now what? Instead of turning on the TV and other electronics for entertainment, check out these ideas. No batteries required.

1.  Read.  Stay in your jammies and curl up under a blanket with your children. Read for as long as they will let you. Younger children may enjoy a stack of their favorites. Start a chapter book with your school-age children and see how far you get. Bonus: Enriching your children’s lives while still wearing pajamas.

2.  Bake.  Children of all ages love to bake. Preschoolers can help measure and pour ingredients.  Many younger children will be entertained with a large bowl and a handful of flour. Bonus: Eating your creations when you are finished and warming the kitchen with the oven.

3.  Write.  Spend some time around the kitchen table writing letters or drawing pictures to send to grandparents or friends. Bonus: Keeping the lost art of letter writing alive and brightening the day of the recipient.

4.  Create.  Invite your children to join you on a hunt for items that can be used on a collage. Older children can make a vision board. Younger children can cut and glue to their hearts’ content. Bonus: Using your old magazines.

5.  Play.  Get bundled up and build a snowman. Grab an extra scarf and hat and dress it up. Or stay inside and get silly with your children. Turn the music up and play freeze dance. Masking tape a hopscotch course to your floor.  Bonus: Laughing is good for all of us.

6.  Rest. After a day filled with reading, baking, writing, creating and playing, everyone will need a rest. An hour of quiet time can recharge everyone and make the evening much more peaceful. Bonus: Closing your eyes for a nap. You’ve earned it!

No worries if you tried a few today and didn’t get to them all. You may very well get to try again tomorrow.

All three of my big kids have an iPod or an iTouch now but my 8-year-old has a radio.  And guess which one I like the most?  Yup.  This morning my youngest came padding out of his room in his jammies carrying the small, black transistor his uncle sent him for Christmas. Its old-fashioned sound in my kitchen was startling, because there's no other sound like that of the radio.  It conjures up another era ... of sitting around the kitchen table ... or in deep, overstuffed, worn chairs ... listening together in the olden days.  My dad talked sometimes about how he'd listen to the ballgame on the radio when he was a little boy ... and how much fun it was to sit around with a bunch of family and friends and ... listen!  Who listens anymore?!  What I like about the radio is you can dial the tuner away from any station you want instantly and get another station instantly.  It's somehow more convenient and easy than all the high-tech sophistication in the iMachines.  You know, if there had have been iPods and iTouches and iPads and iPhones FIRST and radios were the 2011 fad-of-the-moment, then we'd all be in love with the radio right now and we'd all be sitting around our living rooms listening to radio dramas and ballgames.  And it would be cheap! Very cheap!  We'd listen to "American Idol" and "Spider-Man" dramatizations and state-of-the-union addresses.  We'd listen to the Superbowl and the Academy Awards and ... oh well. Just another attempt on my part to keep solid traditions in my home as all of the technologies keep trying to take my kids away.  Here's to radio love.  Now go ahead and give that tuner dial a spin.

When I was a little girl, I remember finding a baby bird under the tree in our back yard. I was so worried about it, because it couldn’t fly yet. My dad wouldn’t let me keep it…told me we needed to leave it alone. It seemed so tiny and defenseless, out in the yard, exposed to numerous predators. My dad explained that when the babies get bigger, it’s hard for them to stay in the nest, so they often just flop out and land on the ground. He grabbed a kitchen towel, and very gently picked up the baby and put it into the shrubs next to our house.

The mama bird must have been watching, because she immediately swooped in and started bringing food to the baby in its new home. As it got stronger, we caught a glimpse or two of a parent with the baby out in the yard, drinking out of the birdbath, or poking around for food. A few weeks later, they were gone, and we assumed the baby had learned to find its own food and flew away to live on its own.

I was reminded of that experience yesterday, as we dropped our 17-year-old daughter off at the airport at 5 a.m. to catch a flight to New York. She’s a junior at a high school that has a wonderful three-week program in January called “Winterim”. Juniors and seniors spend those three weeks off campus at internships or service projects. My daughter, along with 17 other girls, is spending her winterim in NYC, staying at a hotel in midtown, and taking the subway (by herself) to her internship, where she will work from 9-5 at a talent agency. The girls have internships all over the city, and it’s an incredible experience for them.

She’s been away from home before, but always in controlled situations such as summer camp, where her meals were provided, her laundry was done, and her activities were planned. When we attended the meeting for parents of the girls doing travel internships, we had all sorts of questions. Where will they do laundry? Where will they get their meals? What if they oversleep? Basically, the answers were…they’ll figure it out.

Yesterday, the girls were taught the intricacies of the subway system, did a little shopping, unpacked, and by dinner were taking the subway downtown to have dinner at a restaurant near NYU that someone had told them about. They didn’t get lost, mugged, or any of the other things that parents worry about…they were back in time for curfew. This morning my daughter got up on time, worked out in the gym, caught her train and made it to work with time to spare.

It’s like when the baby birds fall out of the nest. Whether they fell, or flopped out on their own, they became “fledglings” and had to start learning to do things for themselves. They had grown wings and were almost capable of surviving outside the nest, and that is what they were learning. The parents were still there, prodding them to try new things, but they were always watching.

My daughter and her classmates are like fledglings. It’s important for them to learn how to survive on their own. It seems like yesterday she was here, with me, in her little “nest”. I was responsible for all the things she couldn’t do herself…nurturing, feeding, bathing, educating, chauffeuring, comforting, and protecting. We’ve had a lot of little moments of her finding her independence, but something tells me this is a huge turning point.

She still has a lot of learning to do. But unless she falls (or jumps!) out of the nest, she won’t have the opportunity to really learn it. It won’t be long until she flies off on her own, and it will be an incredible, exciting, heart wrenching moment. It truly is bittersweet, as a parent, to watch your child take these steps. I am so very proud of her, and as it has always been since she was a little girl, my heart sings when she’s happy. But it is hard to let go.

I know I will miss doing the things I’ve done for her for the last 17 years. I know I still have a little time, but when the time comes, I will cheer her on. But I will always be watching.

 

One of the things that they don't tell you when you take your precious new bundle of joy home from the hospital is that you will always find new things to feel guilty about.

You'd think I'd be able to predict these guilt-making opportunities by now and head them off, but no.

For example, let's take today. It began to rain lightly as we all were sitting in the minivan in the carpool lane at my son's school. As he gathered up his corduroy jacket, his school bag and his lunchbox, my son said, "I think I'm going to leave my hat in the car. I don't want it to get wet." So he left his baseball hat in his carseat and clamored out of the van.  

On my way home, it began to snow. The temperature dropped ten degrees on the drive between his school and our home in Bellevue. I was the mom who sent my kid off to school in a lightweight coat, no hat and no gloves in the snow. There were all those other better-prepared moms with their children bundled into down coats, with wooly mittens and fleece hats. And then there was my child, who didn't even have his little blue cotton baseball cap to keep his head warm.

Yes, I've been sitting here feeling guilty about this, but at this point, what can I do? I've decided that I'm just going to hope that his teachers didn't take his class out on the playground this morning. Maybe I'll insist that he at least stick his hat in his school bag each morning, instead of leaving it in the car. Maybe I'll also go buy a couple of extra pairs of gloves or mittens and stash them there, too.

Live and learn. And feel guilty. That's just what we do as parents, right?

From Nashville, the Tennessee Aquarium is only a little more than 2 hours away.  And let me tell you, it is worth the trip!  The Tennessee Aquarium is a great outing for couples or families.   I recently went with my nephew who was turning 13, my mother, and my own little ones (3 and 5 years old) and we all enjoyed the trip tremendously!

First I would like to say that if you have not been to Chattanooga, TN before, you will be impressed because it really is a very pretty city on the river.   In fact, you can even take a riverboat cruise in conjunction with your aquarium visit.  If you would like to make a weekend trip out of it there is lots more to see in Chattanooga, like the Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga Zoo, Ruby Falls, Rock City, and the Tennessee Railroad.

The Tennessee Aquarium was all we had time for on our day trip because it is full of things to see.  We got there around 10 AM and left around 3 PM without doing any of the extra options like the IMAX or Riverboat Cruise.  The Tennessee Aquarium is rated #1 for guest satisfaction and I can see why after our visit.  The Tennessee Aquarium has so much to see and so much more than just fish!  They feature over 10.000 animals including amphibians, reptiles, mammals, invertabrates, butterflys, birds, and of course fish!  Plus they have some really fantastic and unusual plants.  The Tennessee Aquarium is organized by habitiat such as "Rivers of the World," "Delta Swamp," and "Tropical Cove."  This is a really great feature that helps you explain to your children about animals, their habitats and areas of the world.

Besides being an educational and entertaining experience for the whole family, your children can also learn about conservation while they are at the Tennessee Aquarium!  Get ready for some fun!

Anyone have any suggestions for other Nashville day trips or weekend getaways with the family? I'd love to hear them!

Amongst my 7-month-old's burst of anger as I was preparing his dinner, he uttered the words ... Da-Da!

How did this happen? I could clearly see his frustration with being so hungry, seeing me getting everything out — making his bottle, getting the baby food and what-not — all while his 4-year-old sister danced around him trying to soothe him. Little did she know that he was actually not amused by her ballerina steps and giggles.

I had not the heart to tell her that she was annoying her little brother. But what could I have done?

I let her continue her performance while he grumbled. Now, this was not a very lengthy amount of time ... I will not let my little guy go hungry for very long.

Then, there it was. In the middle of his murmurs. Da-Da!

Now, many mothers may get upset that your baby didn't say Ma-Ma, but it was so super cute that I almost cried with joy!

Wow! He is growing up so fast!

When I was in kindergarten, I loved art class for the most part.  I loved it on the days when we could get messy with finger paints or mush our fingers through a clump of clay to create some sort of animal.  As long as it was free form creative exploration, I dug it.  I hated, however, the days when Mrs. Geninetti took the easy way out and passed out coloring sheets.  It wasn’t that I loathed coloring — I enjoyed it if given a blank sheet of paper.  But I couldn’t stand the expected conformity of being told by the teacher to “stay inside the lines if you want to make a pretty picture.”

Any genuine creative art experience — whether it’s painting, sculpting, acting, singing, dancing, you name it — means risks must be taken.  Envelopes need to be pushed, because being a genuine artist means doing something unique that’s never been done before and blazing a trail to inspire others along the way.  I mean, who wants to be a copy cat?  It’s much more fun to be the “first” to do something, especially in the art arena.

I finally had the chance to stop by the Frist Center for the Visual Arts recently to see the exquisite exhibit, "The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Museé D’Orsay."  Marvelling at the works of the avant-garde artists in the late 19th century, I imagined how exciting it must have been to be a part of a new movement that forever changed the art world with new techniques, fluid brush strokes and play of light.  Works by pioneers like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas are on display, and seeing the exhibit is succinctly awe-inspiring for any age.  It makes for a great educational opportunity for your kids to experience the emotion-invoking power of art that stands the test of time.  It’s amazing to stand in front of paintings that are more than 130 years old and be drawn in and captivated.  And it’s a great way for kids to engage themselves with something organic in this age of so much computer-generated stuff.  And who knows, maybe it might just inspire them to dabble around with painting and unveil an artistic passion they might not otherwise know is hidden within them.

And hey, it’s A-OK to go outside the lines! 

For a while now, I've been following the ups and downs of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," the hopeful Broadway musical based on everyone's favorite wall-crawling web-slinger.  Unfortunately for Director Julie Taymor, the show has encountered many more downs than ups -- the original, official opening on Broadway was supposed to happen a year ago and keeps getting bumped due to an incredible amount of problems in one of Broadway's most expensive shows ($65 million). 

With the recent news that actress Natalie Mendoza (villainess Arachne) has quit the show after being injured during a recent preview performance (she was hit on the head by a falling rope and suffered a concusion), and considering she's one of four actors who have sustained injuries, I'm beginning to wonder if the show is cursed somehow. 

I'm not really a superstitous type, but I'm starting to wonder.  Before Mendoza's misfortune, aerialist Kevin Aubin suffered two broken wrists during a performance, and another guy broke one of his feet.  The worst one, though, is Chris Tierney who fell 30 foot into the orchestra pit when a flying cable snapped, and his injury required back surgery.

On top of that, several rewrites are happening with the book and Bono and The Edge from U2 (who penned the entire score) are returning to New York to revamp that as well.  Comments from preview audiences have been extremely mixed, but most concur that the music "doesn't make sense."

Previews opened on November 28, and the new official opening on Broadway was supposed to happen in early January 2011.  Now it's been pushed to March.  I'm wondering if the show will ever get off the ground.  And I hope it does.  Spider-Man is my favorite superhero.  The idea of a Broadway musical about him is just freakin' cool.  But it's only cool if it's done right and truly gives Stan Lee's brilliant creation the absolute wow factor it commands.

On one hand, I think, "Poor Julie Taymor; the foibles in this production must give her a new definition to the phrase, 'much to my chagrin.'"  On the other hand, I wonder, "What the heck was she thinking to open the show to preview audiences when there were actors getting injured during rehearsals when there are obvious kinks in the flying apparatus?"  Not to mention the fact that she didn't realize on her own that the script had holes in it or the music didn't exactly fit.  After all, she IS the brilliant mastermind who brought "The Lion King" to life on Broadway.

I do hope she gets the bugs worked out, because I'd hate for her to wind up the proverbial fly stuck in the middle of the spider's web, flailing about, helplessly on the verge of being devoured...And I really do want to see the show succeed, and I want to see it.

I was planning to fly to New York for New Year's to catch one of the preview performances, but between all the disasters with the show happening right now, and the flight problems in NY, looks like I'm spending the last stretch of the holiday season here at home with friends and family here hitting the movie theater. 

In the meantime, I'm glad I have the original Spider-Man cartoon series from the '60s on DVD... That's a classic!