The Mom Experience

One More Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:23:00 +0000

Upon hearing the news of the death of former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, suddenly I felt old. He has been an American icon 3/4 of my life, and I am having a hard time accepting he is gone. I never thought his death would impact me this way, that I would feel so sad. But it has.

I grew up in an "Apple" family. We got our first Apple when I was a 'tween, and I knew nothing different when it came to computers, until I married my husband, a "Windows PC" guy. I still owned an Apple when we got married, but he dragged me over to the dark side when it was time for us to get a new computer. Even though I was resistant at first, I eventually accepted Apple's rival device and learned how to use it with very little trouble. But this new Windows computer's operating system was modeled to be like an Apple, so it really wasn't that much harder to learn.

But I always had that longing. Every time I'd see an Apple ad on TV or in a magazine, I'd wish I still had one. Then for a while, when Apple wasn't doing so hot, I figured I was better off knowing how to use a Windows PC.

My parents, however, both still owned Apple computers and pretty much swore they'd never buy anything else (my brother drifted to the dark side well before me). My mom worked for a university and was surrounded by Apple products, so she wouldn't have dreamed of owning anything else.

My dad was more or less the same way. He was loyal to the brand, despite being forced to use Windows products when he was at work. And when the iPod first came out, he was forever hooked. You see, my dad has a ginormous CD collection and so when iTunes and the iPod came along, it was as if they were made just for him. He eventually imported every CD and LP he owned, to his Mac computer. He was able to easily make endless mixed playlists, something he loved to do, and take them with him on his iPod everywhere he went.

Fast forward a few more years. I was using a laptop with Windows software, but getting very frustrated with its constant crashing and other annoying issues. We'd had it a while and I was more than ready for a new one but that was just not in the budget. Knowing this, my mom gave me her aging laptop (she was upgrading and buying a new one) and I got a chance to experience the "new" Apple firsthand. I wasn't sure at first, afraid they would have changed their product so much it would take me months to figure everything out. But using an Apple is like riding a bike - once you learn how, you never forget.

I eventually got another, "newer" Apple laptop (thanks, Mom) and found my way back from "the dark side." Now I work at a local elementary school teaching technology to students in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. My job is to help to integrate the technology with the curriculum the students are learning in their classrooms. And of course, no surprise here. . . the students use iMacs and many of the teachers use iPod touches to teach their students lessons in the classroom. Our school also just got a set of iPads and are slowly, but surely, moving our way to being a "21st century school." I also teach the students about the technology they use and help them become familiar with some of the well known "Tech Wizzes" like Steve Jobs, who passed away just one day after I discussed him with my students. He was my "tech wiz" of the month this past September.

I feel like I've come full circle. I strayed for a bit, but found my way back to Apple products. Not only do I use Apple products at school (my work laptop is also an Apple), but we have a house full of products displaying that now famous logo. My husband was the first in our family of four to get an iPod and now he has an iPod touch. We bought my daughter, Kiki, who is almost 11 years old, an iPod Nano for Christmas last year. I have an iPod, iPad and a Mac Mini, which was a birthday present from my husband for the girls and I (since we all use Macs at work and school). We have an Apple TV, my anniversary gift from my PC guy husband, who also just pre-ordered my very first iPhone (the 4s!!).

Apple products have become part of our everyday lifestyle. I rarely go one day without using something that was once just an idea in Steve Jobs' brain. I am typically not one to spend more than an an hour or two mourning the loss of a celebrity, but this is different. Steve Jobs became famous for helping to create some of the worlds most used and beloved products. He had the idea to create a computer that the average person could use, no matter their skill or knowledge. Whether you use Apple products or not, in some way or some fashion something you use everyday (or quite often) was created to be just like it, or even better, may have even been designed or created on or by a person using an Apple product. Steve Jobs' wasn't just the Apple CEO, he was an innovative genius and I can truly say he changed my life. I have no doubt he changed America. He certainly belongs in the same category as those other famous "game changers" like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Alexander Graham Bell.

I will not spend my days mourning him, but I will honor him the best way I know how - to continue to use the products he loved so much and wanted to share with the world. To continue to teach and hopefully inspire the students I work with everyday, and my own children, to work hard, to learn, and to never give up on their dreams.

Steve Jobs said it best with this now famous quote, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Thank you, Steve Jobs, for never letting anyone "drown out" your inner voice, for believing in yourself even when others did not, and for giving us that "one more thing." RIP, Steve.

Light a Candle

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Like so many others, I was shocked and saddened when I heard the outcome of the Casey Anthony trial. Since I read about the verdict, I've seen all kinds of people wanting to light candles, leave their porch lights on, etc., for Caylee. I've read all of the cries of outrage on Facebook and Twitter. I even expressed my own shock when I first heard the news.

However, I want people to remember that there are thousands of cases of abused and neglected children in this country every year; hundreds more are murdered. Sadly, many of their perpetrators never spend a day behind bars because the laws related to crimes against children just aren't strict enough. And when people are convicted of these crimes, they often receive a slap on the wrist, and are not punished severely enough.

The media coverage of this trial was complete overkill. Hundreds, if not thousands, of others stand trial (or are waiting to) for doing unspeakable things to children, yet their cases never make the news. I don't know if I will ever understand why the media was so fascinated by this particular case, and why people let themselves get sucked right into the coverage of the trial. Sure I read about it, wondering how someone could ever hurt a child this way, yet I know this is just one of so many other cases like this.

So many people fail to see this type of thing happens in their own neighborhood, sometimes practically right in front of their eyes. Maybe the circumstances aren't the same, but that doesn't make any one of those children less important, or any of those perpetrators less evil. I'm not saying that Caylee isn't important, but just hoping people realize she is just one of many children who suffer at the hands of some sick and cruel individuals.

If you want to do something for Caylee, turn off your T.V.'s, computers, and put away your cell phones for a while. But before you do, post a Tweet or Facebook Status, and share this message. Invite your friends to join together and leave a porch light on (or light a candle) not just for Caylee, but for all of the abused, neglected and murdered children who so badly need our attention.

We can best honor Caylee by speaking out against child abuse and other crimes against children, and demand tougher punishments for their perpetrators. The news media can honor Caylee by turning off their microphones and cameras and finally let poor Caylee rest in peace.

Their Feet Were Made for Dancin'

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:00:00 +0000

This is what happens when the girls get together with their Ohio cousins. . .

My Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:56:00 +0000

As many of you know, I am a big supporter of many different causes, most of which pertain to children. You don't have to look far to see those causes, as I list many of them on the sidebar of this page. Those that know me personally, would tell you that I am generally a giving person and that I would gladly give my right arm and left leg if I knew it would save someone's life. I often wish I had more money, not so I could have a bigger house or fancy car, but because I'd love to donate more money to the charities I support.

I may not be rich, but I am not without resources. I may not have millions, or even hundreds of dollars to give, but I do have a voice. I've realized that I can use my knowledge and experience to write about these important causes and share them with others, who in turn may be able to help in some way, either by donating money or by continuing to spread the word.

The main reason I started this blog was to share stories about my life as a Mom. I never expected I would use it as a platform to speak out about my causes, or as my soapbox to preach or rant about anything related to politics. However, I am finding that has very much become one of my main reasons for continuing to write. I may not post as often as I'd like, but that is because I typically post only when I feel inspired or have a story to tell. I've yet to bring myself to write just for the sake of writing, or posting just because I have a blog to update. I have written a few times because I felt I should and either posted something I considered mediocre, or didn't bother to finish the post at all. As I've said before, time is an issue too. Now that I work full time outside of the home, my time to write is more limited. And when I do have time, my brain is fried or I'm simply too exhausted to write.

You won't see me post about politics often, because this is not a political blog. There are plenty of those types of blogs out there and mine is not going to be another one. However, that doesn't mean I won't ever mention any political issues, but you will find the topics I write about to be mostly related to children, education or health care, my three biggest "hot buttons."

In the near future, I am looking towards revamping this blog and adding a page (or maybe two) or possibly a separate blog for my "soapbox" issues and causes. Until then, I will post about them right here along with my stories about the girls.

I am hoping to find a way to post more often. I can't commit to every day or even every other day, but I will try to post at least twice a month (who knows, maybe once a week!) even if it is just a picture or two. Sometimes a picture sums up everything I want to share, without ever having to write a word.

If you have any suggestions on possible titles for my new "causes" page/blog, I'd love to hear them - you can email them to me or post them as a comment below. I do have a few ideas I'm kicking around ("Stepping on My Soapbox" is one but I'm sure it has been used before - maybe a variation of that?) but nothing that I really like enough to use.

I have a few posts in the works and will hopefully have them up very soon, including my "too late to be called a birthday post" that I started writing for Kiki more than two months ago.

No matter what, please don't give up on me. I may not post everyday, or even every week (or month *sigh*). But know that I am still here and that I will be back, ready to use my voice the best way I know how.

Girls' Best Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:40:00 +0000

Need I say more?

She Shines Like A Star

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 01:14:00 +0000

Just eight short years ago, on January 4, my little fighter was born. Boo arrived eleven days late, without breath or heartbeat, and fought for her life in the NICU. Even though the doctors gave every worst case scenario (I know, they have to), she proved them wrong, won the fight, and is now a strong (and stubborn!), smart, spunky and healthy child.

I often feel Boo is our miracle baby, and because she had a rough start to her life, shouldn't have to ever fight that hard again in anything she does. Life however, has already been full of challenges for her. I know that many children go through so much worse, but as her mom, I can't help but feel badly for her when she has these experiences. I sometimes feel like she has gotten and continues to get the "short end of the stick."

Her most recent challenge happened this past December, just before Christmas. Boo was part of a local dance company's production of The Nutcracker. Her older sister, Kiki, was in the same production in 2009 and just minutes after Boo watched her perform, she knew she wanted to try out the following year. She almost immediately announced that she wanted to be a Gingersnap, the Nutcracker role this dance company often gives to dancers Boo's age. She talked about being in The Nutcracker off and on from December 2009 until auditions this past August. Boo auditioned, was chosen to be in one of two Gingersnap casts and was simply over the moon with excitement. Nothing (except maybe a pet pig) could have made her happier. Boo cheerfully looked forward to and attended every rehearsal, and like a child anticipating a birthday or Christmas morning, frequently asked how many more weeks/days/hours/minutes/seconds until her performance.

Finally "Nutcracker week" arrived. Boo danced her way through the week, practicing her part in the kitchen, prancing down the hall into school every morning, and asked to listen to "her" Nutcracker music over and over (and over and over) again. Soon the night of dress rehearsal arrived and she was literally dancing for joy before, during, and after it was over. Not even a late night of rehearsal made her tired, and getting her to go to sleep afterward was a challenge. I truly believe she ate, slept and dreamt Nutcracker that whole week.

Finally, performance day arrived. Boo woke up slightly grumpy - I assumed at the time it was due to being up a touch later than normal the night before at a family birthday party. Looking back I wonder if it was a sign of things to come that day.

Even though Boo's call time wasn't until 6:30, I had to get her ready in the morning (Bill is bun-challenged) before taking her sister, who was a mouse in The Nutcracker, to her Saturday afternoon performance. Because Boo's part was double cast, she was only in half of the shows, and her cast was to perform Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. When I left to take Kiki to her call time, Boo was a little disappointed she had to wait until much later to go, but she was otherwise perfectly happy and bouncing off the walls, bubbling with excitement. Little did we know, that was all about to change.

Saturday night finally arrived. After dropping Kiki off for her curtain call time, I waited in the lobby for my husband to bring Boo, who had a much later call time. She arrived on schedule, full of excitement and so happy to finally have her chance to perform.

Fast forward to show time. . . As The Nutcracker opening music started, my heart started pounding with excitement (and a touch of nerves) anticipating watching the girls' performances. I was especially excited to see Boo, whose Nutcracker moment finally arrived. Bill and I sat in the audience with my Dad, who had flown in from North Carolina, and with the majority of Bill's family, who had trekked in from Ohio. All of them made the special trip to see the girls perform. More guests, including my Mom, were due to see the Sunday afternoon performance the next day.

Just as The Nutcracker party scene was ending, my phone (ringer off) started buzzing in my pocket. I ignored it, figuring whomever was calling could wait. A few seconds later, the phone buzzed again, so I pulled it out thinking "Come on! Who doesn't know I am watching my girls dance tonight!" I didn't recognize the number of the "unknown caller, " rejected the call and put the phone back in my pocket, only to have it start buzzing again! I started to worry - what if one of the girls was hurt or sick? Maybe someone backstage was calling?

Sure enough, just as that thought crept through my brain, I got a text message from someone working backstage saying Boo had just thrown up twice. My thought was "Seriously!?" Then they asked us to come and get her. My heart sank. I showed my husband and he shook his head in disbelief. I was so torn: my older daughter, Kiki, was just moments from taking the stage, and I didn't want to miss it, yet I knew either Bill or I had to go take care of Boo. Before either of us could get up, someone came to get us. Bill decided he would just go and leave me to watch Kiki dance. I stayed and watched the rest of the show, but it was really hard to enjoy it when all I could do is think of Boo missing her performance. I cried when her Gingersnap cast took the stage and I saw a different dancer in her place. I was thankful we had tickets for Sunday, hopeful that she would bounce back quickly and be able to make her 2nd performance. Knowing that no matter what happened with Boo, Bill would at least have another chance to see Kiki perform so I prayed hard that she wouldn't get sick too.

Fast forward to Sunday. . .Boo was still horribly sick with a nasty stomach virus, and had to miss both of her performances in The Nutcracker. We were all so heartbroken for Boo, knowing how hard she had practiced, and how badly she had wanted to be in the show. She was too sick to think about it on Saturday, but when she realized on Sunday morning she was going to miss both performances, she was distraught. When she realized she would not get to perform, she wailed, "I did all of that practice and now I don't even get to do the show!" Then she put her head in my lap and just sobbed. To see her that way was so heartbreaking, and I cried right along with her. I tried my best not let her see my tears. While I did want her to know I felt sad for her, I was afraid if she saw me cry, she would be even more upset.

Heartbreak and all, Boo did not let that whole experience get her down for long. After the final performance on Sunday, her sister Kiki brought home a special surprise for her - a Get Well Card signed by the entire Nutcracker cast. Kiki told us how one of the dancers, a 5th grader, had the idea to make the card and have everyone sign it. That same sweet girl wrote this note to Boo, "You will still shine like a star even if you aren't here." I teared up when I read it, and Boo just beamed. Despite knowing she missed her performances, the act of kindness shown by this girl and the rest of the cast made her feel so special. She hugged that card as if it were her most prized possession (at the time, I really think it was).

Soon after The Nutcracker was over, winter break and Christmas came, providing a great distraction from Boo's sadness. She still did have a few moments when she thought of something else she missed out on, and would say things like "I didn't get my picture taken with Mother Ginger!" and "I didn't get to sign autographs on stage!" But her sadness gradually morphed into determination: Boo says she is definitely going to try out for The Nutcracker again next year and even wants to audition for the spring ballet production of Cinderella. She is not going to let anyone, or anything - not even a stomach virus - keep her for having her chance to shine. What Boo may not yet realize is that she already shines and has for eight years now. She IS a star in our eyes, whether she is on stage or right here with us. We are so proud of her and love her very much. Happy 8th Birthday, Boo!

*I started this blog post on January 4, determined to follow in my annual tradition of writing each girl a birthday post. However, I realized that I won't do those posts any justice if I rush to try to get them written in time for their birthdays. That was the case with this one. I had too much of a story to tell and the perfectionist in me just couldn't get it written and edited in time to put it up on her birthday. My tradition will change a bit from here on out - I will try to post something about each girl sometime around her birthday, in addition to my sporadic posts throughout the year.

The Thanksgiving Pig

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:28:00 +0000

I've always wanted to write a Thanksgiving post, but never have, since we are typically with our extended family. This year we are on our own (first time ever since we've been married I think!), which gives me a little time to write.

I thought about listing all of the things I am grateful for, but thought it would be more fun to share a Thanksgiving story that Boo wrote for a project at school. She is a great storyteller, and has an active imagination. Mix that together with her great sense of humor and the result is some pretty funny stories. One of these days I need to videotape her telling one of her stories - to have me retell her stories by copying her words on to my blog, just doesn't do them justice. You have to hear and see her tell her stories to truly appreciate them!

Boo is a second grader now and her class is currently learning about creative writing, something she really enjoys. For her class Thanksgiving writing project , the teacher sent home a drawing of a turkey. The students were told to decorate the turkey anyway they liked, and then write a story about their turkey. Something to keep in mind while reading her story is that Boo LOVES pigs. She has loved them since she was about 3 years old and if we'd let her, would gladly have a pig for a pet. I also included her original ~~mis~~spellings of words (there weren't many!), including the word "saw", which she spelled s-a-l-l. When I helped her proofread her story and told her she had spelled that wrong, she just didn't believe me. Took showing her the correct word in the dictionary for her to believe me. She had thought all of this time that "saw" was something you cut wood with, and that "sall" was a form of "see." Tee hee! Anyway, now that you know the background, here is her story:

The Thanksgiving Pig

Once opon a time there was a turkey sitting outside on his porch. He sall a pig walking by. He went inside and looked at his calender and sall that Thanksgiving was coming up. The turkey went down to his basement and went over to his table. Then he made a sign that said "Eat Pork." When he was not looking, the pig snuck in and glued a feather on the turkey's sign. The pig made a new sign saying, "Save Our Pigs, " then he snuck back outside. When the turkey turned around, he axedentley grabbed both signs and he went outside. Everybody walking by saw the signs, but they still ate turkey on Thanksgiving. That turkey never lived again.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!

Gone Fishin'

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Always Remember, Never Forget

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:27:00 +0000

I will never forget. . .

the early morning phone call from Bill, telling me to turn on the TV

the horror I felt as I watched a plane hit the second tower

calling my family members to see if they had heard the terrible news

the fear that ran through me when I realized our country was under attack

hearing the panic in the voices of Matt Lauer and Katie Couric, as the towers fell

sobbing as I heard about the attacks on the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania

I will never forget. . .

holding my nine month old baby tight in my arms, not wanting to let go

the sadness I felt and saw in the eyes of everyone that day

the eerie quiet outside with no planes or helicopters in the air

the almost empty streets with few cars on the road

jumping out of my seat at the sound of a sonic boom from fighter jets flying by

sitting with Bill and Cameron on the couch, glued to the TV

I will always honor. . .

police officers, firefighters and rescue workers

the Heroes of Flight 93

the soldiers fighting for our freedom

I will always remember. . .

the men, women and children who lost their lives that day

the families of the ones who died

I will always remember. . .

that I am an American

and live in a free country

Always remember, Never forget

September 11, 2001

Caption Me - Doggy Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:44:00 +0000

I am in need of a caption for this picture. Care to help? Please leave me a comment with your caption. The more creative, the better!

Crazy, Lazy Days of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:40:00 +0000

Summer, as usual, is flying by at great speed. Hard to believe it is already late July! With Indiana's ~~backassward~~ school year calendars, the girls' "summer" break started May 26 and will end on August 11, just when the heat really fires up. In in a little less than three weeks, my girls will be in school all day. You would think I would be thrilled to have some peace and quiet, and while I will find it nice not to have to hear the constant bickering, I will miss our days at the pool, sleeping in and pretty much doing whatever we want with little worry of a schedule.

We have had one crazy busy summer this year! Since I unintentionally put my blog on hiatus from March until just a few days ago, I am way behind on updating everyone on all of our adventures. We enjoyed a nice vacation, dance gala, summer dance camps, and of course frequent trips to the pool. Instead of trying to play "catch up" and trying to write a post about each one those adventures (I may not finish until next summer), I thought I'd just show you. I do think I will have to do a separate post about our vacation because there were so many little adventures during that week, the two pictures I included in this post just don't do it justice. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed experiencing all of the fun!

Crazy, Lazy Summer - 2010

Taylor's High School Graduation

Keeping cool in the pool!

Indy Zoo Trip

Dog days of summer

Vacation in Southport, NC

Vacation pose with Grampa Jack and Grammalene

Yes, We think We Can Dance. . .


Happy Birthday to America and Laci

"Starry Eyed" in the 4th of July Parade

"Little House" on the Conner Prairie

Summer Dance Camps

Playing with our friend, Jack

Organizing My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:32:00 +0000

I haven't written a blog post since March, which is about the longest dry spell I've had since I started my blog. Life has just been way too busy, and at the end of the day, when I typically have time to clear my head and write, I am just way too tired. I've had so much I've wanted to write about. I've practically written whole posts in my head while driving the girls around in the car, but when I actually sit down to write, I can't remember any of it. I swear if there was a way to write my blog by wiring my brain right up to the computer, I would have more frequent posts. But I am actually scared of what those thoughts would look like if they came directly from my brain, as I rarely am able to focus on one subject for more than a few minutes. Let me explain. . .

I was recently diagnosed with Adult ADHD, yet I've suspected for years now that I have this condition. I just never was sure how to go about getting diagnosed. I took several online screenings, and all of those pointed to me likely having ADHD, but again I did nothing. I talked about it with a few friends and family members, and while many of them agreed I had some of the symptoms, no one was as convinced as I was that ADHD was the cause. I kept thinking, "If only they knew what it was like inside my brain, they would understand."

I also was told that my symptoms are classic of anyone my age, with small children, and that I just had too much on my plate. I'd agree with them, except I have ALWAYS had those symptoms, well before I had children, but they've just gotten worse as I've taken on more responsibilities. Again, hard to explain if you don't actually experience it first hand.

The only way for me to even come close to describing how my brain works, is to share this joke someone sent me via email once, called Age Activated ADD:

"I decide to wash my car. As I start toward to the garage, I notice
that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the
mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash
can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the
trash first, but then I think that since I’m going to be near the
mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills
first. I take my checkbook off the table and see that there is only one check
left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my
desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.
I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I
don’t accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye–they need to be watered. I set the Coke down on the counter and I discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning.I decide I’d better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers.I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water, and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight, when we go to watch TV, we will be looking for
the remote, but nobody will remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers.
I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up
the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day; the car isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid,
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren’t
watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook,
I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember
what I did with the car keys. Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day long and I’m really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I’ll check my e-mail."

When I first saw that joke, I laughed, because it sounded like my typical day. Yet the more I thought about it, the less funny it became. Sure it is funny if you look at it for what it is - a growing old joke. But when that describes how typical my days were even when I was younger, than it isn't so funny, at least not to me. Obviously things weren't quite so obvious when I was a child, but back when I was in school this wasn't even classified as a disorder. The only thing even resembling ADHD back in my youth, was something called "Hyperactivity." I knew kids in my class that just couldn't sit still and would act out, run around like crazy, etc. I was not one of those children. In fact, I rarely got in trouble at school, except for talking during class or interrupting. I could sit in my seat, finish my work, etc.

As I got older, I did get decent grades, but not excellent grades and I always remember having trouble staying focused in class and while doing homework. And the harder school became, the more trouble I had completing my work. If I really liked a class or subject, I excelled. If I didn't, I struggled. And it just got worse in college when I had no parent around to make sure I was doing my homework or go to class. My grades were so poor one semester, I nearly flunked out, ending up on academic probation. I also had trouble with tests, especially the standardized variety. At least with the written tests, I would get partial credit for explanations even when my answer was wrong. I procrastinated when it came to projects, waiting until the last minute to finish, which often resulted in a poor or average grade. Studying was difficult for me, because the littlest noise or interruption distracted me. I could never study anywhere public and often hid in the corner of the library or the stacks in hopes of getting something done.

Things didn't change when I graduated either. I never had success finding a job in my field, education, because I wasn't motivated enough to really look hard. I applied for a few jobs, had a few interviews, but rarely followed up. And when I was turned down for a job or two, I just gave up. I should have applied to every school district I could find, yet I only tried applying to a few and then just decided it wasn't worth it. So I worked at a restaurant, a bar, and eventually found work in a child care center.

I did manage to do well enough in the restaurant to become one of the lead servers, and a floor supervisor. I think I did pretty well waiting tables because it was something that kept me busy. But I wasn't completely symptom free. As good as I could be with my customers and tables, I was constantly forgetting things and getting sidetracked, even when it wasn't busy. Someone would ask for a refill on their water, I'd walk back to the kitchen to get it, and would immediately forget what I was doing, especially if someone interrupted me. Then I'd have one very unhappy, and thirsty customer.

When I worked at the child care center as a supervisor, I was constantly getting sidetracked and had trouble completing work my boss gave me. I was great with the parents and the kids, so I managed to keep my job. However, when an assistant director position became available, a person with less experience than me was offered the job. As upset as I was, I knew why I wasn't the one chosen for the job. My boss even sent me to an "organizational skills" workshop and I tried so hard to be more organized, but was not successful.

I also lost a job once because I got sidetracked and forgot to do something that could have resulted in a really bad situation. I don't really care to go into details because I have never been fired and the thought of what could have happened still upsets me too much.

Becoming a parent has made my symptoms even worse. I LOVE being a parent, but the added responsibilities, especially where the housekeeping is concerned are just overwhelming. My house is a mess. I have clutter everywhere and I just can't seem to get started getting rid of it, as much as I want to. I get the laundry done, but it often sits in a basket unfolded for days. I know I need to get rid of outgrown clothes, but just can't seem to find the time. I do manage to make sure my girls are fed, dressed, where they need to be, etc. I never miss an event at school, have rarely missed getting them to their appointments, etc. I've never forgotten to pick them up or get them off the bus. But I have to make sure everything is on the calendar, and even set alarms to make sure I don't forget. I fear one of these days I will miss something important and I think that alone keeps it from happening.

I have so many other symptoms I haven't described yet, but this post is long enough. I will address some of those in another post later down the road. If I wrote about all of them today, I'd have enough to publish a book. I am not kidding. Finding time to write, and being able to focus long enough to finish (and have what I write make sense) is very challenging. As much as I love to write, I still need a clear head, and that is something I just don't have very often.

I recently started taking medication and I am hoping it helps me clear my mind a bit, and become more focused. Yet, I don't expect things to change overnight. I know that I will not only find the medication/dose that works, but also need to work hard to change some life long habits. I know I have the support of my husband, family, and close friends, which makes all of the difference in the world. I haven't told very many of my diagnosis, even some family members, because I am a little afraid of the reaction I will get. I know that not everyone believes that adults can have this condition, and even if they do, don't completely understand it. Many believe that people like me use this diagnosis as an excuse for their behavior.

I debated writing this post, because anyone who reads this will now know about my ADHD. I really am exposing a part of me that I've kept to myself for most of my 41 years. But I decided I NEEDED to write this post, not just for me, but for anyone else like me that may have this condition but doesn't know what to do about it. Hopefully I will enlighten anyone who believes Adult ADHD doesn't exist. I am working on organizing my life, one step at a time, and am hopeful I can change for the better. Now if I could only remember where I left my keys. . .

The Farthest Star

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:16:00 +0000

One of the my favorite things about the girls' elementary school is the way the teachers and staff involve the parents in the education of the children. The school hosts several events at school throughout the year, and the teachers often invite parents to participate in activities in the classroom and to work on projects at home. The staff also encourages parents to volunteer and visit the classrooms and be an active part of the learning process. I really feel our school is successful because of this type of parent involvement.

Kiki's 3rd grade teacher recently assigned the parents "homework", asking us to write an encouraging letter to our child, to help boost her confidence during the week of ISTEP testing (Indiana's assessment tests for school children). Bill and I took this homework very seriously, as we wanted to help encourage Kiki without making her too nervous. She already tends to be a "Nervous Nellie" when it comes to assessments and tests, so we wanted to do what we could to ease her mind.

I couldn't believe how tough of an assignment this was. I write Kiki and Boo notes all of the time and put them in their lunchboxes. I am forever giving them pep talks and doing what I can to make sure they feel confident in their intellectual ability. I often tell them things like "You will do great" or "I know you can do it" before they have a test or when they are working on a project for school. So why was this so hard? Maybe because we wanted to find just the right words, knowing she would likely read that letter over and over again.

Bill and I talked about what we wanted to convey in our letter, and then I sat down to write it. At first I just sat there and didn't know exactly what to write. But as I thought about my beautiful, smart, 3rd grade daughter, I couldn't believe all she had accomplished in her short nine years! My heart filled with pride, and the words started flowing from my mind with ease.

Here is what we wrote:

"We are so lucky to have you in our lives. We are so proud of all you have accomplished in your 9 years and are especially proud of what a great student you are. You work so hard everyday and are a great example to others, including your sister.

ISTEP is your chance to show off all you’ve learned this year. Relax, take your time, and just do your personal best, just as you do everyday. We know you will do great!

We love you all the way to the false planet Pluto and back a million times!"

Kiki didn't tell me when she read her letter. I knew the teacher would be handing out the letters sometime during the first couple of days of testing week. A couple of nights into testing week, after the girls were in bed, I found an envelope addressed to me in Kiki's handwriting on my bathroom sink. Bill found a similar letter on top of his computer keyboard in his office. We knew that meant she had read our letter.

As you can imagine, those few sentences we wrote meant the world to her. She loved the letter so much, she keeps it in her desk at school where she can read it anytime she needs a little boost to get her through the day. I also keep her letter near my desk, right there and ready for when I am needing my own boost:

"Dear Mommy,

I love you a whole bunch! Thank you for that nice letter. It made me so happy that I cried a little bit. I am so happy that you are in my life. Every morning I read the letter that you and Daddy wrote me. I love you up to the farthest star from home and back to you. "

*sniff*

Nothing to Lose

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:23:00 +0000

My girls love music and art. They are constantly singing, dancing and creating. Boo especially loves art and is constantly crafting. She is forever getting out art supplies and cutting, gluing, drawing - you name it, she loves it. Boo couldn't wait for 1st grade so she could attend "specials," and finally be able to go to art class like her big sister. If you ask her what her favorite thing about school is, she will tell you without blinking an eye, "art." She enjoys music too, and will sing often, but art is definitely her favorite.

Kiki is definitely the more musical child. She sings nonstop and just about anywhere and everywhere. I am not exaggerating when I say everywhere - the child sings while using the bathroom! Her new favorite place to sing right now? In the shower! She loves music class at school and I can always tell you what they are doing in music because she will come home singing the songs she's learned in class. When they have a special event they learning songs for, such as the Veteran's Day assembly, she rehearses every chance she gets. By the time the event comes, I could practically sing the songs in my sleep, I've heard them so much. While Kiki enjoys art, she would tell you music is her favorite.

The art and music teachers at their school are wonderful. Both of them really know how to make their subject fun, but also teach the students valuable skills that relate to what they are learning in the regular classroom. They don't just sing and draw, but the learn all about technique, patterns, reading notes, art mediums, composers and artists. I could go on and on. Just recently Kiki told me her favorite classical music song was Beethoven's 5th Symphony and she knew and could pronounce the composer's name of The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky, in case you didn't know). And she's only in third grade.

I can't imagine school without art and music class. These subjects, while enjoyable, also help make our children well rounded. They learn that math can be found in a song or a painting and not just in a textbook. Music makes learning those subjects more fun too - anyone learning to count or spell with a song can tell you that. And for a child who may struggle in math or reading, excelling at something such as art or music can really boost self esteem, which goes along way to helping them succeed in school.

Due to slowing economy and budget cuts, our school district, and many others across the state, may have to cut art and music in grades K-6. We may also lose our media specialists, nurses and clerical staff. Class sizes may increase from and average of 25 to 44 students. When I first heard of this last week, my heart sank. I felt sick to my stomach. And I am not even one of the teachers that may be affected by those cuts. Just the thought of my girls and all of the students missing out on such important education, makes me sad. I want to cry when I think of losing the loving and dedicated art, music and media teachers.

I have a college degree in Education. I've never been fortunate enough to have my own classroom, but I've subbed, was a teacher's aide for a student with special needs, and I now volunteer regularly in my daughters' classrooms. I know how hard these teachers work every day and that they often go above and beyond for their students. I see the passion these teachers have at our school for educating our youth. Despite the fact that they have 25-30 kids in their classrooms, they manage to help each student the best that they can. They do what they can to make sure students who are struggling get extra help, and challenge everyone to do their personal best.

I can't imagine how difficult teaching will be if there are 44 students to a classroom. How are they are going to be able to focus on making sure kids can read, write and add and also find time to teach art and music? If they manage to find a way to the media center, they will likely only be checking out books. There won't be anyone to teach them lessons on the computer or involve them in an author study.

I am not a politician and I don't particularly like politics. Part of my disdain is that politicians of all shapes and sizes say they are going to make education a priority in this country. Yet every single one of them seems to put it on the back burner the second they are elected into office. Our schools are losing money by the day and no one seems to care. Everything else takes a priority, and I just don't get it. When are people going to realize education is our future? That none of the rest of it would happen if we didn't have teachers and schools to help educate our children. Sure we could all home school. I know there are some really great parents who have had great experiences homeschooling their children. But not everyone has the means or ability to home school. Even with my background, I am not so confident that I could do so and be as successful as the classroom teachers are.

Our country is failing when it comes to education, and something has got to change. Education is becoming for the privileged, and everyone else is left to get by on whatever they can afford. Which for most means no special classes, no opportunities to learn about music, art and technology.

I hear so many people say they don't want tax increases, that they can't afford to spend money on schools and education. And of course not nearly enough people want to devote time to figuring out a solution. Politicians are too busy campaigning to really come up with a good education plan that they will implement past election day. I keep hearing "we can't afford it." My question is, can we afford to continue this way? Can we neglect our children and schools to the point that our country falls apart? By devoting our money and resources to improving education, we have everything to gain. As a country, we could only get better. Seriously, what is there to lose?

Go Clots?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

In honor of my favorite Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I'd share what my Kiki wrote at school on Friday:

In case you can't read it, this is what she wrote:

"I think the Clots will win! If the Clots don't win my mom will fell happy for a person how (who) is on the Saints that useds to be on Purdue."

Well, spelling may not be her strength, but she sure knows me well! Go Colts, or should I say, Clots?

The Brave Nine

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000

Kiki was born nine years ago today on a cold, January day. She didn't want to come into this world, or at least tried her best to stay in the womb. Which meant seventy-two hours of labor for me. Yeah, you read that right. SEVENTY-TWO. And from the minute she was born, she wanted to be held, and as you would expect, found the most comfort in my arms.

Nine years have passed now, and I find Kiki is very much the same way today. Each year she gets a little more self-sufficient and seems to need me less and less. Yet there are times (mostly at night) she turns back into my baby again, and wants to cling and be held. I can't even count how many times I've heard her say "Mommy, I want you." I go to school to help out and her teacher is amused at how the independent, confident child he sees everyday, suddenly attaches herself to me minutes after I enter the classroom.

That same child didn't blink an eye this past August when she auditioned for a local production of the Nutcracker. Kiki walked right into the audition like it was just another day at school, with only a "Bye, Mommy." Didn't seem bothered at all that I couldn't go back with her, or watch, despite the fact that it was a completely strange, new place around a bunch of people she'd never met before.

That same, (almost) nine year old child, bravely danced on stage five times in a matter of three days. FIVE TIMES. Kiki danced in front of an auditorium full of (mostly) strangers, and enjoyed every single minute of it. During one of those performances, a fellow dancer accidentally stepped on her dress, causing her to trip and fall, just when she was to leap across the stage. Despite the fact that this was her turn in the spotlight, that very brave child did not stop. She did not shed a tear, nor bat an eye. She never once cried, "I want my Mommy!" That soon-to-be nine year old stood right back up, and continued dancing, never missing a beat, with a big smile on her face. My child. *Heart swells*

I have never been more proud of Kiki in all of her nine years. I truly don't think that as a grown adult, I could have handled myself as well as she did. She is so brave but fortunately for me she is still a Mommy's girl. The night she fell on stage, Kiki came home, curled up in my arms, just as she has done so many times before. I heard the all too familiar words, "Mommy, I want you." She may be nine, but she is still my baby.

Happy Birthday, brave girl! I love you and am so proud to be your mom!

A Hair Raising Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Kiki has had long hair since I can remember. Last time it was short she looked like this:

Kiki - 18 months old

Her hair made it past the shoulders when she was about two years old and just kept on growing. Sure we would take her for haircuts, but they were mostly just "trims" and the most she'd ever get cut was 2-3 inches. Part of the reason we never cut it any shorter is that I was enjoying all of the things we could do with it; learning to braid it, put it in a bun, etc. The other reason is that her daddy loves the long hair on his girls, and he really wanted her to keep it that way. She looked so darn pretty with it, who could argue with that!?

In Kindergarten, Kiki had a friend with the condition, Alopecia areata, a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair. When I learned of this, I mentioned to Kiki that maybe she could someday get a big haircut and donate her hair for some little girl who couldn't grow her own, or who had lost her hair due to an illness. Of course Kiki was only five at the time and was a bit horrified at the idea of someone else "wearing my hair, " so I let it drop.

Flash forward to second grade, year 2008. That same Kindergarten buddy was in her class again and the whole topic of donating hair came up again, but this time it was Kiki who came up with the idea. She told me how her friend was "better" and now had all of her hair back. But she knew there were other little girls and boys who had lost their hair due to similar circumstances, namely one little boy with cancer. This boy was the son of a childhood friend of mine, and Kiki had seen enough pictures of him to know he had lost his hair during cancer treatments. She also realized there were many other children like him and she wanted to do something to help. "Maybe I can cut my hair short and give it to someone who needs it, since I can always grow mine again and little kids shouldn't have to go without hair." *Mom's heart melts*

However, while Kiki's hair was quite long, it wasn't long enough to meet the requirements of the different hair charities that accept hair for donation. So Bill and I told her to wait. Take some time to really grow it long, and then maybe get it cut before third grade. Finally that time came and it still wasn't quite long enough. There was probably the minimum ten inches to donate, but Kiki wanted a certain style and we knew that she would not be able to if she had her haircut then. So, once again, we talked her into waiting. I told her that she should easily have enough hair by Christmas vacation.

Flash forward once more to December 2009, just before Christmas. I measured Kiki's hair and, lo and behold, it was finally long enough. So I scheduled an appointment and just a few days shy of 2010, she finally got her big haircut. Let me just tell you, I've never seen a child so excited about a haircut. Kiki was so excited she practically skipped into the beauty salon. This was the same child who I used to have to hold on my lap while someone trimmed her hair. The same child that loved braids, buns, curls, bows, and ponytails. I kept asking her if she was nervous about cutting so much off (I know I would have been) but she insisted she was not. After the haircut was finished, she kept admiring herself in the mirror and swinging her head around, enjoying the way it felt to have her hair bounce around at her shoulders. I can't imagine how much lighter her head felt. I've had long hair before, but nothing close to as long as hers was.

I think what I loved most about this whole experience for Kiki, was how excited she was to do something for someone else. She wanted to do this all on her own. Every time we talked about getting her haircut, she'd mention how she couldn't wait donate her hair. She said she didn't have money to donate, but she had a lot of hair, and she knew that would make some other little girl happy. Kiki asked if she would get to see who got her hair, and was disappointed when I told her "no", but she understood.

We mailed her hair off to Locks of Love on New Year's Eve. Kiki chose that one because she knew the charity specifically helped children, and while she understood adults sometimes lose their hair too, she wanted to help someone closer to her age.

I am so incredibly proud of my daughter. Kiki already has said she is going to grow her hair out again, and donate more when she has enough. She's inspired her little sister, Boo, to want to do the same. Who knows, maybe I will follow suit. . .

Kiki before the big cut

Anticipation. . .

Here we go. . .

Boo can't watch!

Halfway there

Long gone. . .

Kiki checks it out. . .

View from the back

Kiki's new "do"

All ready for the mail

Wordless Wednesday - Caption Me

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:43:00 +0000

I've never done a "Caption Me" post, but I really didn't know how to describe this picture. So please help me by leaving a comment below with your caption.

Seven Things I Love About You

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:22:00 +0000

Sweet, smart, silly
Energetic
Vivacious
Enthusiastic
Nurturing

A year ago I wrote a post saying, "I can't believe my baby is six years old." I feel like a broken record because I can't believe Boo turned seven today. I might as well get used to it, because I know I will be repeating myself annually on both of my girls' birthdays.

Because of Boo's difficult start to her life, I really treasure each year we have with her. There are too many days I know I take her for granted. She has gone through some tough phases recently which have really tested my patience. She is strong-willed and there are days I am just emotionally spent by the time she goes to bed. I sometimes lie awake at night wondering what the next day will hold for us, and just praying it will be a better day, that I will be more patient and hoping for a better day. Sure enough, nine times out of ten, she wakes up bubbly, full of energy, all ready for the day, and I quickly forget whatever trouble we had the day before.

Boo is unbelievably smart and she doesn't let anyone forget that. She rarely lets anyone make a mistake and will be the first one to tell you when you are wrong. Boo is full of attitude and spunk, yet one of the most sweet natured, happy children you will ever meet. Most of the time, she just goes with the flow and does what she can to make others happy. She can be so stubborn, yet will be the first one to meet you halfway. She will gladly compromise just because she knows when she does, she's made someone else happy. Boo has the best laugh which is so unbelievably infectious and can really light up a room. She loves art and is crafting or drawing whenever she can, even when it isn't the most convenient time. The walls and tabletops in my house are proof of her constant creations.

I know I may sound like a broken record by repeating some of these words I've said about her in the past. However, I feel it is important to write about these things every year, if not every week or every day. I know someday Boo will read the posts I've written, good ones and bad. I'm hopeful though that no matter how she feels about herself at that moment, she will know how much she is loved. And I also know that writing them down just makes me appreciate her even more than I already do, so that I never, ever, take her for granted. Happy Birthday, Boo! I love you more every day!

I'm Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:18:00 +0000

I haven't written a post in over a month and I just wanted to let the few readers I have know that I am still here! I am alive and well but extremely busy and too tired to find time to write. I have plenty of ideas but every. single. time I sit down in front of the computer, I just can't seem to get the juices going. My brain is fried.

So much has happened since I last posted: Thanksgiving, Kiki's appearance in a local production of the Nutcracker (and her very brave performance - story to come later), Christmas, and my "I'm not 41" birthday. I really hope to be back. If not in the little bit of time left in 2009, then definitely in 2010. So please check back again from time to time. I will be back. Soonish.

Meanwhile enjoy a few pictures from the last six weeks. . .

Kiki as an Angel in the Nutcracker

On Stage

Boo "fishing" at the Children's Museum

Parent Day at dance class

A visit with Santa

Christmas 2009

JumpStart Wii Review: Learning is fun! Seriously.

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:38:00 +0000

The kind people of Knowledge Adventure recently sent me two of their new Wii games for my girls to play and for me to give my honest review. The first one they sent is JumpStart Pet Rescue, an educational game specifically designed for 3-6 year olds.

JumpStart Pet Rescue is very similar in design to the JumpStart Virtual 3D World games, having some of the same features you would find on the web, such as the ability to create a Jumpee and earning stars and coins for games you play. The game also takes place in Adventureland, which is one of the worlds from the online games. However, with Pet Rescue, a Wii Remote is used to navigate your way around, making the games much more interactive. If your children are already familiar with a Wii, they will have no problems learning to use the remote to play on the Wii. If playing on a Wii is all new to your child, JumpStart makes learning to use the remote a snap - the cursor is big and easy to see, and direction reminders are given frequently (orally) during the game in case your child isn't sure what to do next. The child also has the option of using just the Wii remote to navigate, or adding the Wii Nunchuck, which more experienced Wii users tend to enjoy.

At ages 6 and 8, both of my girls found Pet Rescue quite enjoyable, even if it was a bit below their level. They loved creating their "Jumpee" (which is similar to a Mii) and loved exploring and trying to find the "lost pets." There are two modes of play, story mode and explore mode. Story mode is mission based - you have to complete mini missions in order to unlock different worlds and "find" the missing pets. My girls love this type of play and couldn't wait to see which pet they would find next.

Even though the game was easy for them, they didn't care because there was so much to do to entertain them along the way. One of their favorite parts of the game is a big slide, which they could do over and over (and over and over) and laugh every. single. time. They also loved finding and caring for the different pets.

If your child has a shorter attention span, then explore mode is the place to be. The mode allows you to go to the different worlds, without having to unlock them first, and explore to your heart's content, play games, play with the pets, etc. My girls never even wanted to try this mode, they enjoyed story mode so much!

The second game we received was a pre-release copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island, which is geared towards children ages 5-9. The game is more of an adventure, which the girls really liked. The mission of the game is to fix a balloon that crashes on the island. In order to "escape" your child needs to play learning games, and earn sand dollars, which will in turn help her to buy helium tanks to fix the balloon. The games are fun, yet challenging, and while playing, your child can practice math, reading and critical thinking skills.

As in Pet Rescue, you start the game designing a Jumpee, and the girls spent quite a bit of time doing this. They couldn't wait to have their turn to design their own. They also liked designing a tree house, and then exploring around it. Kiki and Boo are both have active imaginations so this type of play is right up their alley.

I love that there is a wide range of age appropriate games for them to play. Boo, who is in first grade, can practice her addition and subtraction, while Kiki, a third grader, can also start working on her multiplication and division, skills she will be learning in school this year.

Escape from Adventure Island also has two modes - story mode and practice mode. Once again, Kiki and Boo spent much of their time in story mode. Because this game is more on their level, I do like that there is practice mode, so they can play the learning games, which is certainly a fun and interesting way of reinforcing the skills they are learning at school. The game is similar to Pet Rescue in that the child has to complete missions to advance, but the learning games were much more age appropriate and even difficult at times for them to complete.

The girls liked Escape from Adventure Island the best, because it was more age appropriate and challenging for them. Their favorite part of the game was exploring the underwater world known as the Scuba Hub and playing The Fashion Show game. They loved picking out the different outfits and following the directions to move their Jumpee around the stage.

I only have a few negative things to say about either of these games. At times the navigation with the Wii remote is tricky, and if your child has never played Wii before this can take some getting used to. The games sometimes are slow to load, but they do have characters pop onto the screen during loading time which helps to entertain even the most impatient child. There is also one game in the Escape from Adventure Island game called Foot Frenzy that my girls got particularly frustrated with. The game is similar to a Dance Dance Revolution type game, except instead of moving feet you are moving the remote which often times didn't seem to respond to the motions the girls were making. I even tried it and had a difficult time with it.

The only other downside to the games is that they are one-player games. My girls love to play games together and were a little disappointed they couldn't do that with these games. However, they still had fun watching and interacting with the child that was playing the game and were surprisingly patient waiting their turn. The advantage to this is there is no competition between the two of them, thus less frustration for me everyone involved.

All in all both games are great. I love that Pet Rescue is geared towards preschoolers since there are so few Wii games that are suited for this age. So many families play Wii together but often times the little ones are left out. This game uses very basic Wii motions, which allows a child to get familiar with the game without having to master remote skills as well. Escape from Adventure Island is more challenging and suited for older children, but is simple enough to navigate that it doesn't matter if your child is a Wii novice or expert.

A few facts about each game: JumpStart Pet Rescue is rated Early Childhood by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board), and is appropriate for 3-6 year olds. The game was released on September 1st and retails for $39.99

JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island is Rated E for "Everyone" and is appropriate for children ages 5-9. It retails for $29.99, and is slated to be released on November 17, 2009. The wonderful people at JumpStart are having a contest with the release of this game. Check out the details of this fantastic giveaway:

Contest Details

The contest is live now through 11/16/09.
Each person will be allowed two entries into the contest (details on contest page)

The theme of the contest is “Time to Escape!”

We want to hear how your family uses imagination to escape the everyday and turn life into an adventure! Tell us your story for a chance to win.

Prizes

50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over $1000 value)!

1 Nintendo Wii Console
1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
$250 in spa gift certificates
1 JumpStart branded flip camera
3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)
500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com
4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

If you'd like to find out more and enter this fantastic giveaway click HERE. Good luck!

Thanks to the fantastic people at Knowledge Adventure for supplying me with copies of these games to review. All opinions of this game are my own (and Kiki and Boo's too).

Fall Traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Three of the four members of my family love fall. Bill loves the cooler weather (and of course, football), both girls love playing in the leaves, eating fresh apples and pumpkin muffins, etc. I like some of those things too, but knowing that the cold winter weather is just around the corner makes me not really LOVE fall like the other three do. I could do without the rain, cold blustery wind, and the bare trees. I do, however, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, pumpkin flavored everything, and football. Most of all, I look forward to some of the traditions fall brings to our house.

In the past we've always visited the local pumpkin patch, and the haunted house at the Children's Museum, but this year we tried some new activities we hadn't yet experienced in our town before - apple picking and Zoo Boo at the Indianapolis Zoo. While I missed going to our favorite fall festival and picking pumpkins, I liked that we did something new and different, and am hoping we can add these activities to our yearly traditions. And who knows, maybe we will change it up a little bit and find a new activity or two every year.

What are your fall traditions?

Baby Reef

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:44:00 +0000

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and as a way to help raise awareness, I wanted to share a story of at least one child affected by this horrible disease. I've written before about my friend's child, Braeden, who recently passed away from Neuroblastoma. Now I want to introduce you to Baby Reef, a baby with Acute Lymphoblastic (sometimes known as Lymphocytic) Leukemia, which is a cancer of the white blood cells.

I could tell you what I know, but I thought it would be best if someone close to Reef told his story in their own words. Here is what Reef's grandmother wrote, in her own words:

"Baby Reef was diagnosed with ALL at the age of 5 months. A seemingly normal, healthy baby, who, at his 6 monthly checkup was diagnosed and sent immediately to the pediatric oncology unit. I cannot begin to explain the complete and utter devastation to our family. Reef is our only grandchild and a joy to anyone who has met him. He has smiled his way through 7 months of grueling chemotherapy and now, at the age of 11 months is in total isolation having his bone marrow killed off in readiness for a bone marrow transplant (this took place on 8th September, 2009).

This precious little baby has been through renal failure and dialysis, seizures, infections, port insertion and now Hickman and central line insertion. He has been admitted to I.C.U. three times in his short life and this has been the worst emotional roller coaster any family could go through.

All the brave little cancer victims we have made contact with through the many hospitals Reef has been in have touched our very souls. All the parents having the same expression of hope, misery, hurt and expectation in their eyes, all understanding just what the other is going through.

Please pray for this little angel."

I also wanted to share the letter Reef's Uncle and Godfather wrote about him:

“Faith in the face of adversity” was the first thing I had inked into my flesh. It popped into my head, whilst doodling. And I thought nothing of it but I knew I needed to make it a part of myself. I don’t think I had fully appreciated the full extent of the commitment I was making to myself, to God, to you.

I stand here on the precipice of tragedy clinging to hope, holding strong to my faith.

Nothing has touched my soul more then the feeling of holding you in my arms and seeing you smile at me. It is something etched into the core of my being.

But the words that crept from behind a pair of tight cold lips, one normal Friday afternoon in a badly lit hospital ward, have forever changed me. 33 days ago I was locked out of your life with only images of you smiling at me behind the glass of my cell phone. Days ran into days, and as they did the images I received transformed, as one by one the pipes and tubes were removed to reveal the child I saw enter that isolated dark place.

A week ago, I got to hold you. You smile at me. You laugh and hide your head under that little blanket, pulling it off, smiling thumping your feet, but there is lead that runs through my veins and into my already heavy heart. That behind that beautiful smile rests something I cant fix, something I cant change.

I can’t let them see I am affected. I am told I need to be strong. The sound of your mobile brings me to my knees. The soft chimes echo in my head coupled with the thought of my big brother singing happy birthday to a boy I love, as he turns 6 months old, behind the closed door of a ward. You are wheeled off to have marrow extracted from your already scarred tiny body. One day when the other children ask you where you got the marks from, they won’t know what it took to get there.

This is not the end, I wish I could put my hand on you tell you the pain will stop, that all will be ok. But I cant. The road is long and you have taught me so much without being able to say a word.

As i write this i know, remission is only the beginning, you are almost there if not there already. But it means the doors will close again and I will see you through the glass of my phone for years to come. Will you remember me when this is done? Will I be a person you would want to know? Will you still smile? I don’t know if I will be able to keep the promise I made you when that needle cut the commitment into my skin but I know now that when I did it, I did it for you, even though you were not yet with me.

Reef I Love You. I will see you again a long time from now, not as just a beautiful face behind a tiny piece of glass. I will be able to give you my hand and I will show you all you could not see from the room you will have spent so many days in and that is one promise I will keep."

There are so many other children like Reef and Braeden. 36 more kids will be diagnosed with cancer today, 36 more tomorrow...and the next day, and the next, and the next. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

**If you want an easy way to help, go to Chili's Bar and Grill today, September 28, for lunch, dinner or even just a snack. 100% of the profits will go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital to help fun childhood cancer research.****

Get Your Gold On

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:36:00 +0000

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and today, September 12, 2009, is Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. I wanted to have a post written and up this morning, but life is just crazy busy right now and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write anything.

If you've read my blog before, you already know that cancer is one of my biggest causes, especially when it comes to children. You also probably know that one of my closest friends from childhood recently lost her 3 year old son to Neuroblastoma. This is a friend I just reconnected with last October, just about two weeks after I wrote a post about Childhood Cancer Awareness month. I thought it only appropriate to repost it today, updating it with some current information and some pictures. I didn't include any pictures when I wrote that blog, because I didn't personally know anyone who had a child with cancer. Sadly, that is no longer true.

Here is what I wrote last September:

*****
Last week I posted some thoughts about cancer, just after watching the Stand up 2 Cancer special on t.v. When I posted my thoughts, I didn't realize that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Since so much attention is often given to adults with cancer, I feel it is important that we not forget there are children fighting this disease as well.

Here are some childhood cancer statistics:

On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.
Each school day, 36 children are diagnosed with cancer.
One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children - more than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined.
In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.
Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.
As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on childhood cancer Research each year.
There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.
Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.
Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

Updated for 2009:

There is a great way for people to get involved that don't otherwise know how to help. On September 28, Chili's Grill and Bar is donating 100% of their sales to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Take a night off from cooking and cleaning dishes and go to Chili's for dinner. You will be helping a great cause and getting a good meal too!

You can also visit Chili's any day during September and can contribute to St. Jude in multiple ways:

Make a donation to St. Jude and receive a Create-A-Pepper chili pepper coloring sheet. Decorated sheets will be displayed in restaurants nationwide throughout September.
Purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts that can be customized with permanent marker.
Buy a customized Create-A-Pepper key that can be cut for use at home or the office..
Visit www.createapepper.com to make an online donation.

******
There are so many other ways you can help. Give up a little bit of your lunch money and donate to Lunch for Life, which raises money for the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation. Help to spread cheer by volunteering at a local children's hospital. Prepare meals or help provide childcare for families who have children in the hospital or sick at home. Donate blood or bone marrow. Or just simply take the time to help raise awareness. For starters, get your gold on this month. If you don't own any gold clothing, go to your local fabric store and buy some gold ribbon. Spread the word on Twitter or Facebook. Write about cancer on your blog. Just taking the time to do something so simple can help more than you can possibly know. DO IT.

I am hoping to share some stories about children with cancer this month to help raise awareness and put a face to this horrible disease. I already have a couple of stories in the works. If you know anyone who would like to share their story, please send me an email. I am more than willing to talk about these cancer warriors and give them the spotlight they deserve. I only wish I could do more.

**Other sites to visit:

www.nbhope.org
www.superbub.org
www.curesearch.org
www.teamunite.net

Meanies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Photo by Derek Jensen (Tysto), 2004-September-11

For years I've sheltered my girls from seeing the news, typically because there is just one bad story after another. I didn't want them to know that the world wasn't all unicorns and princesses, and that life generally isn't a fairy tale. However, they are becoming old enough to know better, that the world isn't always so nice.

My need to shelter them from the news started when I had the TV on during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Kiki was four and had been playing in the next room. I didn't think much of what was on TV because after all, they were just talking about weather, and she never seemed to pay attention when the news was on anyway. Kiki had been singing and playing and then all of the sudden she was quiet. When a normally not so quiet child becomes quiet, that usually means trouble, so I looked over to see what she was doing. She had walked into the family room and was standing just staring at the TV. Before I could turn the TV off or do anything, she asked "why are people standing on their houses, Mommy?" I found the remote and quickly turned it off, and told her not to worry about it, that it was just a TV show. She wasn't buying it. "Mommy, what's a hurricane? Can a hurricane come to our house? Are we going to lose our house too?" Obviously she picked up on more than I had realized. All of that time she was playing and singing she was also listening.

I decided then that I would never have the news on in the house when the girls were awake. To me it just wasn't worth the risk. However, I knew that I couldn't do this forever, that eventually they would go to school and would hear other kids talking about events on the news. So I've slowly and selectively allowed them to see some news stories I thought they could handle, with me sitting with them and explaining it to them. There is only one topic I've completely avoided: September 11, 2001.

I have really grappled with how to explain this day to them. First of all, on September 11, you can't really turn the news on without media showing the images over and over (and over and over and over), and that is definitely something I am not sure I want them to see just yet. But I know they are going to hear about it eventually, and it could very well be on the school bus. I know the school celebrates Patriot Day and the children are encouraged to wear red, white and blue that day. Last year I know they were not told the purpose behind Patriot Day; Boo was just a Kindergartener, and Kiki was in second grade. I asked the teachers and found the kids were not told anything about 9-11 specifically, but that the focus was more on celebrating our country's heroes - police officers, fire fighters, rescue workers, and of course, our soldiers. The girls decorated flags, sang patriotic songs, etc., but not much else.

I know the time is coming though, especially for Kiki, who is now in third grade. If I don't tell her about it, she is going to learn about it on the school bus, the playground or in the cafeteria. Or it may be that she learns about it from her teacher, which would be better than hearing about it from another child. I know her teacher would tell about the events less dramatically, and much more factually, than a nine year old child. I worry some, because Kiki tends to internalize these types of things. She often shows empathy and even cries when she hears about people who suffer. She thinks about stuff like this for days, and wants to know as much detail about it as we will tell her. I also know that she would worry this type of thing could happen again.

How do you tell your children about something like this? Eventually all children know that there are "bad guys." This is evident whenever you visit any playground and spend some time watching children playing games like cops and robbers. Our girls know first hand about some of those "bad guys" since some of those very types of hooligans broke into their cousins' house and stole their electronic toys and Halloween candy. I've warned them about the dangers of strangers and how important it is to stick close to Mommy and Daddy when out in public. They even know the sadness of stuff like kids who are sick and even sometimes die from cancer.

But how do you explain the events of September 11, 2001? How do you tell them there are people so mean in our world that they wanted to kill thousands of people in one day? That they wanted to blow up buildings and airplanes, and take away lots of mommies and daddies, all because they hate us so much? I can't even begin to think of how to tell them.

I do know I want to tell them the gentlest way I can, and focus more on the heroism of that day, than the horror. Teach them that we should always honor and respect our soldiers, police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, and everyone else who puts themselves before others. After all, isn't that what we should all remember about this day? That in the face of adversity, our country stood UNITED and refused to let the meanies win.