Just another Mom

Prevent the Home/School Disconnect

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:06:00 +0000

My husband and I walked into our second grade son's parent/teacher conference expecting to hear nothing but good things. The papers coming home looked good. The spelling tests were refrigerator worthy. Our son loves school, loves to learn and has, of late, been voluntarily spending some of his free time reading. Watching him discover books has brought me to tears, because I know the worlds he'll be entering as he becomes a more proficient (and hopefully, avid) reader.

Imagine our dismay when his teacher told us he's a great kid, but he needs to work harder, because he's a smidge behind. To add insult to injury, his report card showed his work for the quarter to be satisfactory. Satisfactory is one step down from excellent, the highest mark one can receive, at least in our school's grading system for grade 2. Why were we seeing what appeared to be a great report card, but being told he is performing below acceptable levels?

A few weeks later, we received our son's MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test results. We now had another reason to be concerned. His scores were well below the district average. We were perplexed. I called his principal and requested a meeting. We needed to know where the disconnect was happening.

The meeting was only 15 minutes long, but so worth attending. We discovered that our son is a typical, bouncy, funny, smart 8 year old boy with a short attention span. He gets extra help with reading, but shouldn't need it for too much longer. His performance is satisfactory, but he could use a little reinforcement at home. His MAP scores are well within the range of normal, and the fact that reading is still fairly new to him may have hindered his success. He also gets nervous about taking tests, even if he knows the material inside and out.

If something doesn't seem right about what you're seeing at home, versus what you're hearing from teachers, set up a meeting. Teachers, staff and school administrators are there to answer your questions. Most schools have a website listing contact phone numbers and email addresses. Working together as a team, parents and teachers can create a plan to help students feel good about themselves and succeed.

Not Just Spirited: One Mom's Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) by Chynna Laird

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:59:00 +0000

I've been trying to figure out what to say about Not Just Spirited by Chynna Laird. I read it a few months ago, and I had trouble putting it down. It's a VERY personal look into the life of a family with a child who has Sensory Processing Disorder. I have no doubt that other parents will recognize themselves and their children in Chynna's words about her daughter.

Chynna's love for her daughter and her frustration in trying to find out what was wrong is palpable. My heart ached for her through her journey.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about SPD. You can find out more about Chynna and her other books at Lily Wolf Words.

Exercise - the new Valium...

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:46:00 +0000

My two boys (Kent, 12 and Cam, 7) tend to be high energy kids. If they can't get outside, they start to act up. Too much energy, not enough physical activity.

My stepson (Kodey, 18) has signed up with the Marines. He has to finish his Senior year, but if all goes well, he'll start basic training in September. He's been telling his younger brothers all about the exercises he has to do.

Well... this weekend our house was a mini-bootcamp. At any given moment, the boys could be found doing sit-ups, push-ups or jumping jacks. This was an absolute blessing, because none of the boys' friends were around to play with, and the exercise provided an excellent outlet for their energy.

They slept well, ate well and were better behaved all the way around. Hmmmm, could exercise be the new Valium?

Worth Its Salt (How Cam became a speller)

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Our second grader had been having a really hard time learning his spelling words this year. He didn't want to practice them, and even when he did write them, they just weren't sticking with him.

At parent/teacher conference time, his teacher suggested letting him write them with his finger in shaving cream. Uhmmmm, shaving cream is expensive and not reusable. He then suggested flour. All I could see was a huge mess in my living room. We decided to try salt.

I have a dark metal cookie sheet (the kind with the lip around the edges). In salt about 1/3 of an inch deep, Cam wrote his spelling words. He'd write a word, and then slide the pan side to side to clear it. When he was done, we poured the salt into a Ziploc bag, so it could be used again the next night.

By Thursday night he knew his words, and came home Friday with a perfect spelling test. His second test, last week, was a 14 out of 15. YAY, Cam!

The funniest thing is last week he decided to just write them on paper with a pencil for practice. Maybe the salt method was the confidence booster he needed. All I know is it worked!

Cozy Calm

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:43:00 +0000

My youngest son has not slept through the night consistently since he was born. He's gotten better in the last few years, but there are still 3 nights out of 7 when he wakes in the night - usually due to bad dreams.

So, when my friend, Eileen, offered me a Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket™, who was I to say no? Cameron was so excited to try it out this past Friday night. He loved how soft it is (cuddly, anti-pill fleece), and how comfy he felt just lying under it. He wanted to go to bed right then, but considering it was only 3:30 in the afternoon, I told him he had to wait.

He went to bed at 7 pm. He usually watches Mythbusters before he falls asleep. He was down for the count before the episode ended. AND, he slept 9 hours straight! He has slept soundly, and woken up chipper, every night since.

Eileen also gave Cameron a Cozy Calm Weighted School Lap Cozy™. It's sort of like a lap blanket and Cameron uses it when he is sitting at his desk at school. It's amazing! It stops the fidgets and allows him to focus on his schoolwork.

Full disclosure - Eileen has been a friend for the last 17 years, and I also do some writing and editing for her website, CozyCalm.com. If I hadn't seen how well the blanket and lap cozy work with Cameron, I would not be posting about it. As Cameron says "Thank goodness for Eileen!"

Sticker shock, anyone??

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Having raised two children to legal adults and still in the process of raising two more, I am well and goodly acquainted with the image of a sick child on the couch, puke bucket within easy reach and keeping one ear cocked in the dead of night for the sounds of wheezing, crying and/or retching. I am also intensely familiar with the worry of "should I take my child to the doctor or will rest, fluids and love make this better?"

We've been fortunate to have health insurance, but even still, co-pays for ER visits, urgent care visits and prescriptions are money out of pocket for us, and we try not to consult doctors for every little thing. So, when I read this line, "By changing to co-insurance, people are more aware of costs and the hope is that they'll be more careful about how they spend their [health care] dollars," said Schilmeister." in this article, Employees face 'shockingly higher' health costs, I was rather offended.

Our family eats healthy, gets lots of exercise and sleep. We try to be proactive about our health. I use homeopathic methods whenever I can (homemade chicken soup, herbal teas, lots of orange juice and apple cider) to build up our immune systems so that when the germs come knocking, it's not so easy for them to get in. We also go out of our way to play safely. The boys aren't doing things on a daily basis that would land them in the Emergency Room.

Our insurance costs will be going way up, because the HMO we were part of is no longer available. We'll have a deductible for the first time ever. The problem with this is that we most likely won't reach the cost of the deductible, so we'll be paying our healthcare costs out of pocket and a premium on top of that. It seems as though it would be smarter for us to just put the money we would spend on health insurance into a savings account and pay our own health care costs with no middle man involved.

The downside to that is what if, God forbid, I get breast cancer, or one of the kids needs to be hospitalized, or my husband is in a car accident on his drive to or from work? Then we'd meet the deductible for sure. And hospitals aren't keen on treating patients who don't have health insurance.

So, I guess, what it boils down to is we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. I'm off to make more chicken soup, at least that's affordable.

Halloween Costumes... on the cheap

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Halloween is just around the corner. With the economy the way it is, and money being tight for just about everyone, I thought some frugal costume ideas might be in order. You don't have to spend a lot of money for your kids to have cool costumes, but creativity definitely comes into play.

The little boy above is my son, Cameron. Cameron was Harry Potter for three years running. His costume didn't cost me a cent. First off, he reminds me of a young Harry. Second, his older brother donated a flannel shirt. Cameron's costume consisted of too-short jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel shirt over that, a "wand" and the scar and glasses (until he actually needed them) were drawn on with eyeliner and lipliner by yours truly. Everyone who saw him knew who he was dressed up as - some people even addressed him as Harry.

My daughter went as a black kitten when she was little. She had a headband with cat ears attached, and wore a black turtleneck and leggings. Again, eyeliner and lipliner were used for face paint.

Other suggestions I can make are Farmer, Doctor, Chef, Painter - whatever your little ones want to be. Goodwill, thrift shops, friends' closets and yard sales are great resources for pulling together an original costume. If you're crafty when it comes to sewing, shop the clearance racks at textile shops. Or head to Target or Walmart after Halloween to pick up pre-made costumes at 75% off for next year.

What are your kids going to be for Halloween? Any other suggestions for costumes?

Back to school prep

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:34:00 +0000

My boys start school September 8th, so this is the week for back-to-school preparations. Orientations, making sure all school supplies are present and accounted for, sorting out clothes, buying new socks and such. I've already misplaced a box of "fat" markers and a box of fine lines. And we still need to get a pencil sharpener for my 7th grader, but other than that, I think we're good.

I bought a few extra boxes of crayons and a multipack of glue sticks. I have a basket where I store pencils, crayons, markers, scissors and glue so that when the kids come home with assignments, but forget the "art supplies", they have no excuse for not completing their homework.

The other thing I'm doing this week is checking the fit of their light jackets and winter coats. Once I know which ones we're keeping, I'm washing them and hanging them on child specific hooks in our stairwell. I live in the upper Midwest, one never knows when it'll snow. Next on the list is hats, mittens and boots. Ugh.

When a child goes missing...

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Last week, one of my youngest son's friends (8 years old) went missing. Her grandmother had no idea where she was and hadn't seen her in hours. A police officer showed up on our street to ask if anyone had seen her, and what time.

All of the parents on our side of the street spoke with the officer. We all look out for each other's kids, and we were all scared. If one kid is missing, or God forbid taken, what does that mean for our children?!

All's well that ends well in this case. The little girl was playing inside at another friend's house a block and a half away. The officer was impressed with our collective response to a missing child. Every parent used whatever resources were available to track her down. He said it made his job much easier.

Some important info came out of this experience...

Ask/tell your kids to let you know where they will be playing, and keep you updated if they change location
Introduce yourself to your kids' friends' parents
Know where your kids' friends live
Get phone numbers!
If a child goes missing, understand that your child will most likely be anxious and/or scared. Be honest and reassuring when explaining what's going on. And give lots of hugs and kisses.

Boys and (dis)Organization

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:46:00 +0000

I'm so proud of my middle school son! He handed me his mid-term report today and he's doing SUPER well. That was not the case eight weeks ago. What changed?

Kent has always had a hard time with organization. It's not necessarily a skill people are born with. It can be taught, though.

When it became clear he was having a hard time keeping track of his completed assignments - which meant they might have been completed, but not handed in - I put together a 3-ring binder for him. In the binder, I included pocket folders corresponding to each class. When he finishes an assignment, he puts it in the folder. The binder goes with him to every class.

Last quarter he was practically failing his classes. Now, he has all As and Bs, and NO missing assignments! It worked and I'm proud of him, but more importantly he is feeling better about himself and enjoying school again.

Spring in Minnesota

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:59:00 +0000

My husband and two youngest boys went hiking at the nearby State Park yesterday evening. They had a great time, but both boys came home with a tick attached. My 7 year old was actually bitten, the 12 year old had one burrowed into his sock.

The two ticks that are commonly found in Minnesota are the Blacklegged Tick (formerly known as the Deer Tick) and the American Dog Tick. There are 13 kinds of ticks, but these are the two that feed on humans.

The Blacklegged Tick carries Lyme Disease. According to the CDC - "Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system."

For a list of ways to avoid being bitten, click here.

So this is Christmas...

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:47:00 +0000

My husband and stepson should be arriving at Grandpa's place at any moment, to drop off goodies for dinner and visit for a little bit. They'll be home in an hour or so.

Meantime, our 6 year old (darn close to 7, as his birthday is December 30) is crashed out in the recliner in the living room. He has a stomach bug that kept him up until 1:30 this morning. We thought he was okay today. He was up and wide awake at 5 a.m. He kept fluids and food down - until about an hour ago. So, he and I opted to stay home and rest.

My 19 year old daughter is in Maine having Christmas with my parents, sister and brother. My 11 year old son is with his father for the holidays. Such is the life of a blended family. But, no matter where everybody is, we are all connected by love, light and hope.

From our houses, to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!

Too Funny!

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:32:00 +0000

My six year old son loves music and dancing. Now that the weather isn't conducive to playing outside in the evening, he's been dancing for an hour or so before bed. Last night, my husband headed upstairs to tell him to shut the music down and get ready for bed.

With a whine, on the edge of sobbing, my son said "But I'm not even SWEATING yet!"

Messed Up Mashed Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Last week I made a venison roast for dinner. And, I wanted real homemade mashed potatoes to go with it.

I peeled three pounds of "B" size reds, put them in a pan and boiled them until they were soft enough to mash. My step-son wanted to help, so I asked him to splash some milk into the pan. I neglected to specify how much milk. The mashed potatoes ended up the consistency of Elmers glue.

I put the pan on the back burner, until after dinner. I didn't want to waste three pounds of potatoes, so I decided to try to make a corrupt version of a soup I love. The original recipe calls for one cup of heavy whipping cream, but the potatoes were already criminally creamy.

What I did was essentially the same as the recipe, but the result was a much lower calorie, more mellow and savory soup. I was fully prepared to dump the entire concoction in the trash, but as it turns out, it was delicious and I had it for lunch the next day and even shared it with a friend.

Messed Up Mashed Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 tbls butter or margarine
1/2 c onions; chopped
1/2 c carrots; chopped
1/2 c celery; chopped
2 cloves garlic; finely chopped
2 tbls all-purpose flour
4 c chicken stock
1/4 cup dill weed
1/4 ts black pepper
1 cup whole milk
3 lbs. "B" red potatoes; peeled and diced
2 tbls cider vinegar; (2 to 3)

Instructions

Boil the potatoes in a large Dutch Oven pan until soft enough to mash. Drain water from potatoes in a collander, and return potatoes to pan. Whip potatoes with the 1 cup of milk. Consistency should be like Elmer's Glue

Melt the butter and saute in a large frying pan the onions,
carrots, celery, and garlic on medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or
until the vegetables are tender, but not browned. Reduce heat to medium.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. (Do not
brown.)

Stir chicken stock into the potatoes and whisk. Add sauteed vegetables, vinegar, black pepper and dillweed. Stir well and let simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

The Pantry Is Bare...

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:31:00 +0000

...of pre-processed foods that is.

My 11 year old son (and I) have a terrible adverse reaction to MSG - mono sodium glutemate. Within hours of ingesting it, we both experience excruciating migraine headaches, vomiting and then the need to sleep for hours. We've become avid label readers in this household. Neither of us can afford to lose from 24 - 48 hours of our lives each time we eat something that includes MSG in the ingredients.

MSG is found in many canned and boxed foods. It is a neuro-transmitter. It tricks your brain into thinking food tastes better than it actually does, and encourages you to eat more. For more information about its side effects, you can find it here -
MSG is a DRUG and NEURO-TRANSMITTER.

So, needless to say, most of the food eaten in this house is made from scratch. The pantry is full of spices, herbs, MSG free stock, and baking goods. I can honestly say my family eats healthy and well.

Happy Halloween and a pumpkin carving tip

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:13:00 +0000

First off, Happy Halloween! Have fun and be safe. We'll be having a quick dinner and then heading out to Trick or Treat. My youngest is going as Darth Vader, and my older son is dressing as a deer hunter.

Now, if you're like my neighbor, you LOVE Halloween. She goes all out with her decorating. Me, I like carving pumpkins. Each of the kids gets a pumpkin of their own, and I get one, all for me.

This year, we had some templates. One was a ghost. I bought a white pumpkin (which, by the way, are absolutely edible) and decided to carve my pumpkin so that some of the flesh was left between the candlelight and the design. Trying to cut a pumpkin this way with a knife is tough, so I asked my husband to bring me his woodcarving chisels. Very, very, very carefully, I made small shallow cuts to remove the skin, and then slowly peeled away layers of the flesh, until the light from a flashlight glowed through.

The ghost turned out so well, that my husband requested a pentacle pumpkin. I can't wait to try out some new designs next year.

His poor little hands

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:27:00 +0000

My youngest son really suffers when the weather turns cold. He has fine Irish skin, like a porcelain doll, but his knuckles dry out and crack every single winter. We use Vaseline on them, mostly because it doesn't sting. Vaseline isn't the best thing for him to be putting on his hands in his first grade class.

Yesterday, I discovered Vaseline® Intensive Rescue™ Healing Hand Cream. This stuff is fantastic! It isn't too wet or too sticky and dries quickly. It has virtually no scent and it doesn't sting raw skin. He rubbed some into his cracked knuckles yesterday, and they are at least 50% better today.

Family First

noreply@blogger.com (VirtualWordsmith) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:20:00 +0000

There are a ton of "mom-blogs" in the blogosphere, but there have been many things happening that I'd like to share about my family and my life. I blog about writing and books at Virtual Wordsmith, if you'd like to check that out, as well.

I'll be writing about the cute (and sometimes not so cute) things my kids do and say, reviews of things that work for us, books that are relevant to children and family, ways to cut corners on costs and cooking from scratch.

Hang around, you might be highly entertained.