Pre-teens, email, Facebook....

So, I was wondering about everyone's thought on a 12 year old having an email address. I know that I tend to be over-protective of Natalie because it's hard for me to believe that she's almost 12. I'm the secretary for our ward Young Women and I've been compiling their email addresses so that the Pres. can send them weekly calendar reminders. I was shocked to find that all the Beehives (including 12 year olds) have email addresses. I always thought that would be too young of an age. I also found out that there are several 11-12 yr olds in our ward that have Facebook. And these girls are from good families who seem to be up on safety, etc. Am I being a fuddy-duddy if I don't feel comfortable with Natalie having an email address, etc at this age? She is still so innocent and I'm trying to protect that as long as I can. I know she is going to be exposed to things that I don't approve up, but the later that happens, the better. We have talked with her about internet safety and all that, but it still makes me nervous. I mean, I have the strongest filter on my hotmail account, but I still get some porno emails in my junk mail file. This whole "growing up" thing really scares me. Natalie is at that awkward age where she's not quite sure if she wants to be a child or a pre-teen. It's very confusing for her and for us. I know there are a couple of moms here that have older children or who have raised their families already. Do you have any advice for me?

Blender help

I need a new blender and am not good about 'doing homework' on these sort of things. I really covet the Vitamix blender but it's WAY outside my budget. Any good reviews, ideas, or reports to help me find out what blender to buy.

Talk on CD suggestion

We listened to this talk on CD on our road trip and I thought it was really good. Dr. John L. Lund is funny, making me laugh. He is well educated in communication, I learned a lot. It's for couples but I think a lot of the tools can be used for all relationships and having better communication.

Hmm...what do you think?

Dr. Laura - Preschool Bad for Children

Hurricane Gustav

For all of those who have to evacuate, be safe and Godspeed!

Preschool

To help get the juices flowing and to get a good discussion going for all of us...I want to hear you opinon on preschool.

Today I heard on the radio (Dr.laura) say that preschool was a glorified daycare. (she is a strong advocate for SAHMs) I've talked to moms who say they think preschool is important for social development and another strong agruement for preschool is that here in Texas Kinder is all day. I hear a lot of parents say they want to make it an easy transition with preschool.My pediatrician told me last year that preschool is unnessecary because you can teach them all they need to learn at home. And all they'll need to know to start school. I know moms who do preschool as young as maybe two and others who do none at all.

My personal decision was to put my four year old(who starts kinder next fall) into a two day a week program that totals 8 hours a week (4 hours a day). I try to teach her at home but feel I am not consistent. At first I wanted to do more but the cost was too much for us. Now I am glad I didn't because I want her home with me for as long as possible before sending her out into the world to be influenced by others. Another personal belief of mine is that as members of a church that has a primary with classes starting at three we are blessed to have a sturcture to help prepare our little ones follow direction in a class setting by other adults besides their parents. I am in the middle here when it comes to preschool, yes not nessecary, yes good for kids(older in my opinion), yes it's used as a daycare for some, no it won't make you kid smarter than the other kids, so I guess it's a personal parent decision.

What's you take?

All quiet on the home front...

Ok, so maybe not. I guess all of you are as busy as I am! Hope all of you that are getting kids ready and off to school have had a sucessful time doing it. Maybe when things quiet down, we can start to hear from everyone again. Hope all is well!

You could be a winner!

Momville is having a giveaway to win Jack and Jill shoes. Check it out.

And...

Momdot and Simply Susann are joining up for a purse giveaway!!

Something uplifting to read

I read this today and so wanted to share it. I know it totally uplifted me and maybe it will uplift one of you too.

"Do not allow yourselves to be made to feel inadequate or frustrated because you cannot do everything others seem to be accomplishing. Only you and your Father in Heaven know your needs, strengths, and desires. Around this knowledge your personal course must be charted and your choices made."
-Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, May 1984, 9

A little more on preparedness...

We just made it through Tropical Storm Edouard, and no major damage. On the last post I mentioned Mom and Dad's generator, and thank goodness they live next door! Our electricity was out for about 12 hours, but Mom and Dad have the generator that will power the entire house, so it felt like we had electricity...it was really nice. I think I want to move that up a little on my "wish list." We did not have to use any emergency items, but it was nice to know they were there. I think it opened my eyes a little, though, because it would be really nice to be more organized. This situation was a little different, since I could go back and forth to my house if I needed to, but if their generator had not worked for some reason, I would have probably had to pack up the kids and go somewhere else. I still had to get clothes and such together, so I think I will work on that.

Preparedness

With the tropical storm in the Gulf, and everyone in a panic, it has made me stop and think about how nice it is to be prepared for situations like this. We have been working on our food storage, and I have now added food to my 72-hour kits, which I am sorry to say are not quite all the way complete, yet. So, I want anyone who feels like they have a handle on their perparedness for emergencies, give the rest of us some good tips~

1. I bought a plastic accordion style folder thing (that is a horrible description, I know) but I have all of our important papers in there. In case of a fire, evac, or any other emergency, Michael and I know to go for the folder...after the kids, of course!
-insurance papers, social security cards, birth certificates, immunization records and many more.

2. We drink a lot of juice, so when we finish a container (clear plastic ones, I fill it with either tap water or water out of the frig filter) and label it with date and what type of water.

3. I have gallon jugs of water next to the toilets for emergency flushing!

4. My parents have a generator. While this is not something we are looking into purchasing right now, it would be really nice to have in the case that the electricity is out for a while.

5. I keep the gas tank above half...preferably full. I like to do this all the time, but especially during hurricane season. This is nice just in case we cannot get to any, we know we have at least half a tank.

6. If you need a good checklist for a 72 hour kit, I have one, feel free to email me!

Can a family of four eat off $100 a week?

I read this on a friends blog, thought I'd share since Amy just posted about saving money at the Grocery store.

Can a family eat on $100 a week?

Erin's Comment

Thanks, Erin!!! I haven't even made it to the other 2 blogs, but Mommies with Cents is the coolest thing ever! If you want to make posts, just email me (address at the side) and I will send you an invite. We would love to hear from you! I know you are not a mommy, yet, but if you have more great ideas like this, that would be great!!

Another blog...

Ok, so I somehow keep coming across these blogs, call them depressing if you want, but they can also be inspirational. This one is actually a woman named Alisa who is dealing with melanoma. Currently, she just got off her meds because it was making her too sick, but they are not sure how much time she has left. She is married, has 3 sons, is absolutely gorgeous, and is trying to make the most of what may not be much time left on earth. You can check it out if you want, but be prepared to cry. joshandalisa.blogspot.com

This is kinda silly...

Michael had his Fantasy Football draft tonight, so that left me with the kids from this morning until whenever he gets home tonight. I put a movie on for the kids, and I had this idea to put together a "wish" book. Basically, I get catalogs in the mail constantly (especially Victoria's Secret), and I always see things that I want, but when I have a little extra "spending money" I can't ever think of what those things were! So, I went through the catalogs and cut out pictures of the things I liked. This also allowed me to throw away a stack of magazines! I think I am going to share it with Michael, and on my birthday and Christmas, he can just look through the "wish" book, pick something out, and get it for me! We have not actually bought each other gifts in years, because we never know what the other person wants. The funny thing is, it actually satisfied my urge to shop! I love shopping, and with 2 kids, it is not always possible to do so, so I tend to end up on the internet, and will occasionally buy myself something. So, looking through catalogs, I felt like I was shopping, maybe because I cut out the pictures (who knows), and I don't feel that craving! So, I thought I would share it with all of you. It may sound a little silly, but I thought it was fun! Oh-- I think I will broaden it to a family thing, too. There are some things that I would like to get that aren't really in the budget now, but this way, I can have a goal and something to remind me of it!

Grocery shopping

I was wondering if any of you had any good tips on how to save money on groceries?!? It seems that the ridiculous rise in gas prices has affected just about everything, including groceries. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would love to save some money on food. It seems like I'm spending at least $15.00 more per visit to the store than I used to. Does anyone know of any websites with coupons that the stores actually accept? Any tips would be great!

Need Your Advice

Hello, happy mommys! This mommy isn't very happy right now. You know how we get when our child has been hurt, especially through the hands of a BULLY. The kids get over it much more quickly than us moms do.
Well, my middle son, Andrew (he will turn 7 next month) has a friend he loves to play with. Unfortunately, whenever he goes over to his house to play, there is not much supervision. Evidently, this kid's house is the gathering spot for all the neighborhood kids (they have a pool). One little boy that goes there to play always seems to cause my sweet, adorable son to come home in tears. Once, he pushed a kid twice his size on him in a jumping thing at a party. The other day, he tried to CHOKE him while they were swimming. I don't mean just a little hands on the neck, either. Andrew couldn't breath. When I came to get him, Andrew was playing video games inside by himself (it had happened about thirty minutes prior to the time I was scheduled to pick him up). No call from the mom in charge (she has problems of her own).
Let me make a few things clear, here. Andrew wouldn't hurt a fly. He is my sweet child, the one who notices if I am down and says, "Don't worry, Mommy," and thanks me for all I do around the house. So I know he isn't doing anything to provoke these attacks. In fact he said his friend blamed him for doing something, and that is what set the boy off. Also, I tutor this little boy (the friend whose house they were at) and have for years.
What should I do? Should I call the boy's mom who tried to choke Andrew and tell her, or should I leave it alone? I don't want this kid to bully Andrew anymore. I know all the other kids made him feel horrible for what he did to Andrew, and the mom in charge said she did say that was wrong. Please help this unhappy mommy find happiness again...

When a toddler's jealousy is out of control...

I believe Nikia brought this up before, but I know that there is at least one other person dealing with this, so if anyone has any tips, they would be greatly appreciated!

When a new baby is born, the toddler loses all sense of reason. He acts out, and often resorts back to his "baby" ways. How do you show the toddler that you love him just as much as before, and he is still important to you??

Tested, but did I pass? I usually don't.

Today, I was tested. I don't like to be tested because I usually fail miserably.

My 5 year old son had is Kindergarten test this morning at the elementary school he will be attending this year. He got to meet his teacher, see his classroom, and show her how smart he is. When the test was finished, he had to sign some papers. One of them being the computer policy from the school board. In this policy it says that the signer will not go to any unapproved websites, namely pornographic websites. Now I'm thinking "He doesn't even know how to start a computer much less get on the Internet." But, because of the way this world is going and the lack of parental involvement in some children's life, this necessary.

Now on to the part where I was tested.

At work today I was discussing this with my co-workers and my boss. The boss says that it is a shame that we have come to this. I agreed with him, as did my co-workers. Now one of my co-workers lives an alternative lifestyle and said that because of pornography she could never have a boy. In her eyes, all boys grow up to be men addicted to pornography. This is where the real test began. I felt like she was attacking my son. If she would have said "some boys" or "most boys" it might not have upset me as much. Usually, when someone makes a comment that upsets me like this one did I automatically make a comment to upset them. But this one time I didn't. Here is what I told her:
"Not all boys grow up that way. When parents be parents and teach their sons to respect women there is great possibility that they will respect us. My son will open the door for his Momma because his Daddy taught him the importance of respect. I grew up in a home where my parents always told me that if I needed to talk to them about anything I always could. And I always did. I am teaching my children this. When my son reaches puberty and things start happening that he doesn't understand I want him to know that his daddy or myself will be there to explain to him what his body is going through."
My boss and other co-worker seemed to agree with me but the one to whom I was addressing didn't say a word. You see, she doesn't know what our Jesus did for us and she doesn't understand that she can be loved unconditionally. I pray for her daily.
So, did I pass? I hope so. I think I did because I didn't get angry nor did I speak before I had time to think. I have been praying about my opinionated mouth and I think that I might be getting the hang of it. The scripture that I have been using to help with this is Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips."

a daily scoop

Check out her new post...it's lullaby they recorded for Camille, it's beautiful.

A comforting quote...

I read this quote on a blog, the Kunz Family, and thought it was very inspirational. She recently lost her son in a tragic accident where the window blinds were wrapped around his neck while in his crib for a nap.

"Each of us will have our own Fridays (referencing that darkest of Friday's when the Savior was humiliated, bruised, and lifted upon the cross) —those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come." Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 28–30

Aahhhhhhhhhh.........

My daughter is 13 months old. She has found her voice or scream that is. I am not exaggerating she screams. She screams because she wants food, because she wants to be pick up, because she tired, because she doesn't know what she wants....now I want to scream.

$$$

Money. I am not sure how to bring this up but I felt that I have wanted to for a while. Talking about it for myself and for helping others. I am a stay at home mom. Therefore we rely on my husband to "bring home the bacon". Which he does very willingly and as far as I know he(we) wouldn't have it any other way.
I know I am not the only women who likes to shop and spend money. But it's very often that my husband and I argue about the money I spend. What I spend it on. This doesn't happen all the time but often enough that my husband feels very frustrated with me. (I know I am not the only one, many friends of ours have the same problem)
I admit that there are times I know I have bought something we didn't need. Or have just spent too much money for the month. Gone overboard.
We talk about it, ague, if I know I am at fault I say I will do better, and I mean it full heartedly. I make a conscience effort. It always comes up again. Maybe not right away but it does.
It's hard because this is just one of those things that men and women differ from. Men want to save, save, save. Maybe buy a cool computer or TV screen along the way. While women go out and buy a pair of shoes here, a book there, and Oooo...look at that adorable kids outfit...each month.
What do you do?
Our (experimental)solution(not yet in effect but will be soon) Separate accounts(sorry I know some think this is just wrong)...we are not doing this in the traditional way...not his/her...we are going to have a family account that is for saving and bill paying only. And I will have an account that is my play money(rule no asking for more money.). I know a wife on an allowance, I don't swallow that well either. But I have thought and thought about this. I need the help, it's that simple. I don't budget well or save as best as I could when it's all in one big pot to pull from. I also look at it this way, I am helping my family save. My family will benefit in the long run.
I know this solution isn't for everyone and some of you may be budget wizards, unlike me. I just thought I'd share and put it out there. For those that have this same problem. Know many of us do. And maybe you just need a little like me.

Playing With My Kids

Summertime is here. Along with long, hot, lazy days comes restless, irritable and discontent kids. Put a daddy that is recovering from neck surgery on top of that and you have lots of inside time. My children would love to sit in front of the T.V. all day, but when I turn it off and encourage them to play, I am amazed each time at where their imaginations take them. I love to sit and watch them, basking in their togetherness, forgetting about their all too often bickers. One of my favorite games to play with them is mimicking. My daughter might start it at bath time, repeating every word I say and motion I make. We always end up laughing at our ape-like shenanigans. Or my son might start copying his younger brother in the car. Last night it happened with my daughter and I began saying "I will listen to you when I'm a teenager." She repeated me and we ended up laughing, knowing that time is not too far away. Suddenly I realized that this silly game might have some significance. Maybe if we repeat those words over and over they will become a mantra for what's to come. Until then I'll just continue to play with my kids and hope for the best. Thanks for letting me share on this wonderful blog.

Computer Language

PIR, POS, ASL, T2MD...

Any of you know what these stand for? If not, you may be missing some key things you children are typing on the internet. I read about computer language in one of Glenn Beck's newsletters. When asked what these stood for, he didn't know, either. My kids are still very young, but with the advancement of technology, I cannot be naive to think that my kids may be exposed to the world of the internet sooner than I would prefer. We agree that our kids will not have computers in their rooms, but it would be ridiculous to think that I can actually monitor every second they are on the internet...it could happen elsewhere, as well as under my nose. While I still do not know all the texting lingo, and really do not care to, I think as moms we may need to check out some of these things so that we can be aware of some key terms in conversations. It is crazy to think that the internet was barely around when I graduated high school. I remember my freshman year at college talking about buying those sites like nike.com etc, just in case the internet got big, and those companies wanted them. I cannot believe how big it actually got! We cannot live without the internet, now. Just thought I would share that with you, just in case some of you have "computer age" kids, and for the rest of us who will be there sooner than later.

Oh--
PIR: parents in room
POS: parents over shoulder
ASL: age, sex location
T2MD: talk to me dirty (if I ever see this one, my child may never see a computer screen again!)