Tips 'n Tricks for Moms

Letter for Change in School Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:28:00 +0000

For anyone who cares, this is a letter that I sent to my son's teacher about holiday treats. I know that not everyone shares my views, but, for those who do, here is an idea of something you can try if you'd like. Feel free to copy and make changes.

Dear Mrs. .......,

I really appreciate everything you do for Daniel. He really enjoys your class, and I'm glad he's feeling more comfortable and not getting so tense any more. I do have a concern about the upcoming holidays. Daniel, as well as most children, are greatly affected by the amount of sugar they consume. I really struggle with Daniel when he doesn't eat well. He tends to 'lose it' more often. I'm also trying to teach all my children about good nutrition and how that sugar is bad for our bodies and our minds, and, it seems counterproductive that they are getting it so often at school, the place of learning. I understand that you already have the Halloween party planned out, and I don't expect you to make any changes with that, but, I was wondering if it might be possible to gear the upcoming holidays around more healthy type foods, such as fruits and vegetable trays. The problem is that this is the season for treats, and they are getting it 'everywhere'. I know the children love it, and it's fun to see them smile and be so happy, but the sugar rush kicks in when they get home, and they are no longer able to concentrate on their homework, or be courteous to their siblings and parents. I don't feel like I have any control over the amount they eat, and am really struggling to keep them focused with the increased sugar consumption.

Thank you so much for understanding, and for all you do. My job would be very difficult without teachers like you.

Sincerely,

Natalie ............

Processed People

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:11:00 +0000

http://www.foodincmovie.com/index.php

Thyroid Disease

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:17:00 +0000

feel free to print out this flyer

Did you know that many people have some form of thyroid disease, and don't even know it? Some doctors speculate that 20% of people have it, whereas, others say that 90% of women suffer with mild symptoms of thyroid disease. This may be the result of lack of iodine. 'But, we have iodine in our salt,' you say. Research has found that the iodized salt has a form of iodine that some people's bodies cannot use, and, in fact, can actually harm some people.

About two years ago, I got pregnant with my fifth child. I was in very good health before the pregnancy. Two weeks after learning I was pregnant, I came down with a sinus infection, that put me in bed for two weeks. When I finally recovered from that, I had all sorts of new symptoms that my doctors wouldn't even try to explain. They just said it was a weird pregnancy thing. Well, after I had the baby, the symptoms did not go away, one being depression. I finally met with a therapist, who suggested I might have some form of Thyroid Disease. I had no idea what this was, so I began to research. I found that I had just about every symptom of the disease possible. Some of the symptoms I've had since a teenager, but they were mild so I didn't consider them. I went back to my doctor to be tested, to be told that my thyroid was fine. Well, my research said that if correct tests aren't done, (ft3, ft4, and TSH) the test will not come out right. I decided to buy a natural thyroid healing supplement online (doctors give thyroid replacement, not healing, so you have to be on it forever) and begin my own treatment. It only took a week to see a difference. It has been about 8 months since I've been on it, and I feel like I am very close to a full recovery. (depending on the severity of your condition, will determine how long it takes to recover. Some say that it could take up to two years. But, isn't that better than being on drugs your whole life?)

Here is a list of some of the major symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. (you only have to have one or two to have a thyroid problem)

always hungry
major sugar cravings
always cold (even in the summer, I wore coats indoors when a/c was running)
muscles hurt like you've been working out a lot, all the time
confusion, foggy brain, bad memory (mine was so severe that I couldn't talk on the phone. It was too exhausting to think of the words and answer questions)
headaches
frequent sinus infections
weight gain, or inability to lose weight
sinus infections
increased allergies
eye pain and strain
don't feel rested in morning
insomnia
extreme fatigue (at some points, I was awake for only about 4 hours a day)
depression (especially after eating sugar)
anxiety
panic attacks
complete lack of motivation, forcing self to get through day
stiffness, heavy legs and arms
frequent sore throats
thinning hair
lack of libido (sex drive)
heart palpitations or fluttering
muscle cramps
Sore feet, often painful to walk after waking

(these symptoms can be caused by other things, but, if you're like me, you might as well try supplementing with a more natural form of iodine, as well as some other minerals that the thyroid needs, such as 'selenium' and see what happens. It certainly can't hurt to try. But, if you do have severe symptoms, it's probably best to see a doctor, too, to make sure it isn't something more serious.)

Here are some links that can further help you understand about the thryoid. I pulled a lot of my information from these sites.

http://www.endocrineweb.com/hypo1.html
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
http://thyroidtreatmentreviews.net/285/thyroid-natural-remedies/
http://www.wellnessresources.com/products/thyroid_helper.php?source=google&group=Thyroid_Helper_Supp&gclid=COLw2qD7mKQCFRD75wod5Qt0EQ
http://www.ihealthtube.com/aspx/search.aspx?s=thyroid (lots and lots of videos about thyroid and how it affects us)
http://www.ihealthtube.com/aspx/viewvideo.aspx?v=ca9b11c371287c25 (fibromyalgia symptoms - suggests supplementing with Vitamin D and Calcium)
http://www.ihealthtube.com/aspx/viewvideo.aspx?v=28374b8e5f477690

This site is interesting in that it implies that you can have both hypo and hyperthyroidism.
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hypothyroidism/a/hypoandhyper.htm

So, like I said earlier, you may have a mild form of thyroidism and not even know it. My symptoms didn't escalate until my fifth pregnancy, but, looking back, I had more mild symptoms during my third pregnancy, and had even more mild symptoms since I was a teen. When I started taking the supplements, even those symptoms went away. In case you are interested in exactly what I take, it's called "Thyroid Energy" and it's made by NOW Foods. I buy it from Amazon.com. There are other similar products, actually lots of them. But, this is the only one I've tried. It has a vitamin B complex, selenium, iodine, and some thyroid healing herbs. I don't know if there are any repercussions to taking it for a long period of time. I hope not, but I am getting to the point where I don't have to take it every day any more. I will probably switch over to some supplements for vitamins and minerals I need, without the herbs, since I know that generally, healing herbs are not meant to be taken long term.

To sum up, it is my opinion that everyone could benefit from supplementing their diets with a natural form of iodine, as well as selenium and vitamin B12. Those seem like things that we can easily become deficient in, and the thyroid affects so many different aspects of our health, we really don't want it to fail. I only know from experience.

I Got My Dishes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Whoo hooo!!! I'm so excited! I got my dishes back! Where'd they go, you ask? They got lost under a layer of mineral deposits. Every time I emptied the dishwasher, more dishes had bit the dust. In the past, I'd soak them in CLR, which worked, but is awfully expensive and chemically (if that's a word). I tried soaking in vinegar before, but it didn't do near as good a job. I tried pouring CLR in the dishwasher - DON'T DO IT. It foams all up and is impossible to rinse. I tried using a defoaming agent, which did work, but, I guess I still didn't put enough of the precious stuff in there to make a difference. I even tried a a dishwasher cleaner, also expensive, which did clean the dishwasher, but you can't use with the dishes. Well, yesterday I got fed up and dumped about a quart of vinegar in, after it had filled and was washing, and, voila, this morning when I went to empty the washer, WOW! was I surprised! The knives were silver again, instead of chalky white. The plastic dishes were restored to their original color, and the correll was smooth again. Again, Whoo hoooooo!!! Cheap, and Easy. Both words that I love.

Exercising at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Okay, so I've never been a big fan of aerobic videos, but, in my attempt to save money, I decided to try so home workouts. I had never even considered looking for exercise videos on the internet. I thought I would have to buy something, and then be disappointed. Well, now that I've discovered this new wonder, I've been trying out a few different things. This is one that I tried today. I look really silly doing it, and am out of shape enough that I can't do most of the jumping parts. Instead I just bounce. But, it really helped me release the tension in my body. Sadly, just about every muscle in my body is tense. I got a professional massage on Wednesday, and realized just how bad my muscles were. Well, I can't really do a massage every week, so, hopefully this workout will help me loosen up, without having to fork out a ton of money. And, I exercise at the same time, so I kill two birds with one stone.

So, here are a few tips, for us moms.

1. Get the kids involved. It just didn't seem right to have my children sitting on the couch 'watching' me exercise. So, I told them that I would give them a *quarter to do it with me. (a lot cheaper than the gym) That lasted about five minutes, but, it got them off the couch, and after they lost interest, they went in the other room to play. Win/win. *(find a motivation that will actually work for 'your' child)

2. Don't forget your water bottle. Water is so important, especially while exercising. And, in the winter when the air is dry, you lose even more water, so it's even more important.

3. Don't have a full hour to spend exercising? That's what I love about internet viewing. You can do the warmup, drag the bar to the other end, and do the cool down. Okay, so you probably should do some of the exercising in between, but, it's so easy to skip a little in the middle, when you need to. That will be me, most of the time.

4. Remember to just have fun. If aerobics isn't for you, try dancing. I had a lot more fun with this dancing video, mostly because of the fun beat, but, I will definitely keep looking for more dancing type exercises. You could even find videos to learn ballet, or jazz, or kickboxing. The sky's the limit.

How to Curb Your Sweet Tooth Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:27:00 +0000

If you're like me, which I know most of you are, you have a sweet tooth, or, maybe many. Well, one thing that I've found to help a little, is adding fiber and/or protein to your desserts. My sister has a recipe for brownies with black beans in them. I haven't tried it yet, but she says you can't tell a difference. I usually just use whole wheat flour instead of white flour, and raw, or brown sugar, instead of white. For my chocolate chip cookies, I also add a cup of oatmeal, as that tends to take away some of the strong wheat flavor that most are not used to. Then I add an extra egg to help with moisture. My kids absolutely love my cookies. So do I. I have to half, or even quarter the batch, to limit how much we eat.

Okay, so maybe that didn't help a ton, but it is a ton healthier. Another thing that I've found is to eat fruit and protein type foods, in the morning. The fruit gives you the natural sugar that your body needs to get going, and the protein stabalizes your sugar level, keeping it from dropping, which causes the cravings. Also, eat whole fruit, not juice. The fiber in the fruit also stabalizes the sugar level. Juice does not have this fiber, and will cause your sugar level to spike and fall. An excellent snack is apple slices dipped in peanut butter.

I love lists. They certainly come in handy here. Write a list of some healthier type desserts that you can eat when you are having a craving. Here's an example...

apples in peanut butter
granola bars (not chewy - the hard ones contain less sugar)
graham crackers in milk
peaches n'cream (slice peaches in milk and a little raw sugar) I like it warm.
homemade pudding - use half the sugar in recipe
whole wheat chocolate chip cookies
black bean brownies
homemade low-sugar jam on whole wheat toast
cinnamin sugar on whole wheat toast

Okay, that's all I can think of right now. Please comment and add some of your favorites.

Baking Soda, Grease, and Pencils

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:36:00 +0000

What do these all have in common? Well, nothing really. Except the fact that baking soda can clean the other two mentioned. I'm sure it can do much more, but I will expound on the uses that I have found for it.

First, the grease. Ever get that annoying gunk that sticks around your pans and your stove, that not even 409 can get off? I used to scrape and scrub, until it was gone, or just ignore it, but not anymore. I decided to try a multitude of solutions, and finally hit on this. All I do is dump a small amount of baking soda in a bowl, then add a little water to make a paste. Well, maybe a little more water to make it a little runny. Then I dip a moist rag in it, and gently apply over the grease. It amazingly wipes away in seconds. I really couldn't believe it when I first tried it. The other stuff I tried, I would leave on for a few minutes, and scrub, without any good results. I love baking soda.

Second, using the same mixture, I do the same thing for pencil marks on the walls. I don't know how it works, but it sure does the job. It doesn't take off the paint either, like the magic eraser does. Course, that's my paint. You make want to try the baking soda in a nonconspicuous area first. Oh ya, you also want to rinse the baking soda off, after you're done.

Third, laundry. I used it on hard to remove stains. These are various, and not all will come out, but, you'd be pleasantly surprised what does. The best way to use, is in a bucket of water. I dump a lot in, mix it around, and put in the stained garment. You can swish it around for a while, and then add it to the laundry. I like to let it soak for a few hours, even over night. I examine the clothes occosionally, and scrub at the stain a little to see if it's doing anything. I'm very impatient and want it to work immediately. Sometimes soaking longer doesn't work, but it won't hurt it, so you might as well try. Then I just dump the whole thing in the laundry with the other clothes, and wash. After researching this, I've decided that Oxyclean is just a fancy term for baking soda. I don't know if that's what it's really made of, but it sure seems like its the same concept. I often add baking soda to my laundry when doing a particularly dirty load.

Home Permanent - burning forehead solution

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:15:00 +0000

My mom has been giving me home perms since I was little, and we always struggled with the solution dripping on my forehead. I'd usually hold a towel tight around my head, and continue to hold it there for most of the time that the perm was in my hair. Sometimes, the perm will provide a cotton type rope for tucking under the rods, but many don't. So, today, I came up with this solution. First, apply vaseline, or something similar, to the skin close to the hair line. Then, get an old rag and pull it up under the curlers. You can secure the rag with some clips or claws. I was only doing my bangs, so it was easy to secure the rag with my loose hair. I'm not sure how this will work with all the hair in curlers. Maybe a larger claw, attached to a tight rod.

Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:41:00 +0000

I have been trying for over a month to get rid of a wart on Robbie's toe. I used the stuff you buy at the store that you paint on the wart, finding that it stopped it from growing, but didn't get rid of it. So, I went more expensive and got the freezing stuff. It said to not use again for two weeks. I waited, and then took a look at the wart. It was bigger. Then my brother told me about garlic. I sliced a fresh clove up, and put a small chunk the size of the wart, on the wart, covered it with a bandaid, and let him sleep with it. (I put a salve around the wart so the garlic wouldn't burn his unaffected skin) I also fed him half a clove, mixed in with salsa, each night. The wart was gone in three days. I kid you not. It just fell off, and there was fresh skin underneath.

Pick up the Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:42:00 +0000

This is a comment from Alisha. I loved her idea and decided to post it.

I discovered a cleaning up activity but I'm not sure how to post it, so I'll just do it this way. I was struggling to get Peter to pick up his toys until I thought of the magic carpet. You know how you can pull your kids around on a blanket, well I have my kids put the toys on the blanket and they love to pull the toys into thier bedroom and then put them away! They especially like the ride that they get when all the toys are picked up! Whew!

Pickle Juice and Sore Throats

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:19:00 +0000

What do these two things have in common? Well, probably nothing. Unless you use them in conjunction with each other. I came up with the idea when someone gave me the idea of using vinegar to help kill the germs in your throat. I tried drinking it, and it was nasty. I can't gargle salt water either, so then I thought of pickle juice. It has vinegar and salt. I put it in one of those little spray bottles that you can buy from Walmart for $.50 and I spray it to the back of my throat. Maybe it's just coincidence, but my sore throats seem to be going away much faster than normal. My kids use it too. They just like the taste.

Update on Lying

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 21:24:00 +0000

I tried something new, and it worked. I figured that maybe he was lying because he was afraid of getting in trouble. Well, I think lying is worse than some of the pranks he is pulling, so I made a deal with him. If he tells me what happened, right up front, with no lying - he doesn't get in trouble. I know, it sounds bad to not have consequences for his actions, but it worked. I still talk to him about whatever it is that he did, but he doesn't lie about it anymore, and, he hasn't been pulling as many pranks. I've been trying this method for the last month or so, and it is still working. I got my cute little boy back.

Lying

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:52:00 +0000

My son has had a problem with lying for a year or two now. Can anyone give me some ideas what to do? He mostly likes to blame his brother for everything (including wetting his pants) but he also likes to make up really believable stories and he's getting better at making them sound truthful. He's only five. What do I do?

Magic Eraser Burns

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:43:00 +0000

This is from an email I received

"One of my five year old's favorite chores around the house is cleaning scuff marks off the walls, doors, and baseboards with either an Easy Eraser pad, or the real deal, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I remember reading the box, wondering what the 'Magic' component was that cleaned crayon off my walls with ease. No ingredients were listed and absolutely no warnings were on the box, other than 'Do not ingest.' My package of the Scotchbrite Easy Erasers didn't have a warning either; and since my child knew not to eat the sponges and keep them out of reach of his little brother and sister, it was a chore I happily let him do.
If I had known that both brands (and others like them) contain a harmful alkaline or 'base' chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin, I never would have let my little boy handle them. As you can see from the picture, when the Scotchbrite Easy Eraser was rubbed against his face and chin, he received severe chemical burns
At first, I thought he was being dramatic. I picked him up, put him on the counter top and washed his face with soap and water. He was screaming in pain. I put some lotion on his face - more agony. I had used a Magic Eraser to remove ma gic marker from my own knuckles a while back and I couldn't understand why he was suddenly in pain. Then, almost immediately, the large, shiny, blistering red marks started to spread across his cheeks and chin.
I quickly searched Google.com for 'Magic Eraser Burn' and turned up several results. I was shocked. These completely innocent looking white foam sponges can burn you?
I called our pediatrician, and of course got sent to voice mail. I hung up and called the hospital and spoke to an emergency room nurse. She told me to call Poison Control. The woman at Poison Control said she was surprised nobody had sued these companies yet and walked me through the process of neutralizing the alkaline to stop my son's face from continually burning more every second.
I had already, during my frantic phone calling, tried patting some numbing antibiotic cream on his cheeks, and later some Aloe Vera gel - both resulted in screams of pain. The Poison Control tech had me fill a bathtub with warm water, lay my son into it, cover him with a towel to keep him warm and then use a soft washcloth to rinse his face and chin with cool water for a continuous 20 minutes. My son calmed down immediately. He told me how good it felt. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and after the twenty minutes was up, he got dressed in his Emergency Room doctor Halloween costume and off we went to the hospital. They needed to make sure the chemical burn had stopped burning, and examine his face to determine if the burn would need to be debri ded (from my fuzzy recollection of hospital work, this means removing loose tissue from a burn location). My son was pretty happy at the hospital, they were very nice and called him 'Doctor' and let him examine some of their equipment. The water had successfully stopped the burning and helped soothe a lot of the pain. I'm sure Tylenol was helping too.
They sent us home with more Aloe Vera gel, Polysporin antibiotic cream, and some other numbing creams By the time we got home, my son was crying again. I tried applying some of the creams but he cried out in pain. Water seemed to be what worked the best.
After a rough night, I took the above photo in the morning. He was swollen and wouldn't move his lips very much. The skin on his cheeks was taut.
Today he is doing much better. The burns have started to scab over, and in place of red, raw, angry, skin we have a deeper red, rough healing layer. I can touch his skin now, without it stinging.
If you are a parent or grandparent, this post is meant to save your loved ones from the horror these parents went through. Please share it with other parents, grandparents, babysitters, aunts and uncles ~ anyone you know who spends time with kids.

GermX

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:35:00 +0000

I got this from an email that is going around.

"OK. I don't know where to begin because the last 2 days of my life have been such a blur. Yesterday, My youngest daughter Halle who is 4, was rushed to the emergency room by her father for being severely lethargic and incoherent. He was called to her school by the school secretary for being "very VERY sick." He told me that when he arrived that Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up and when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them. He immediately called me after he scooped her up and rushed her to the ER. When we got there, they ran blood test after blood test and did x-rays, every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. The ER doctor told us that he had done everything that he could do so he was sending her to Saint Francis for further test. Right when we were leaving in the ambulance, her teacher had come to the ER and after questioning Halle's classmates, we found out that she had licked hand sanitizer off her hand. Hand sanitizer, of all things. But it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents and when you have a curious child, they are going to put all kinds of things in their mouths. When we arrived at Saint Francis, we told the ER doctor there to check her blood alcohol level, which, yes we did get weird looks from it but they did it. The results were her blood alcohol level was 85% and this was 6 hours after we first took her. There is no telling what it would have been if we would have tested it at the first ER. Since then, her school and a few surrounding schools have taken this out of the classrooms of all the lower grade classes but whats to stop middle
and high schoolers too? After doing research off the Internet, we have found out that it only takes 3 squirts of the stuff to be fatal in a toddler. For her blood alcohol level to be so high was to compare someone her size to drinking something 120 proof. So please PLEASE don't disregard this because I don't ever want anyone to go through what my family and I have gone through. Today was a little better but not much. Please send this to everyone you know that has children or are having children. It doesn't matter what age. I just want people to know the dangers of this.
Thank you
Butler family

SLOW DANCE

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:02:00 +0000

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

This poem was written by David L. Weatherford and published in 1991 by the Russ Berrie Company

I'm Just a Mother?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:49:00 +0000

A few months ago, when I was picking up the children at school, another mother I knew well rushed up to me. Emily was fuming with indignation. "Do you know what you and I are?" she demanded.
Before I could answer - and I didn't really have one handy she blurted out the reason for her question. It seemed she had just returned from renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her "occupation," Emily had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "Do you have a job, or are you just a ......?"
"Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I'm a mother."
"We don't list 'mother' as an occupation...'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high-sounding title, like "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."
"And what is your occupation?" she probed.
What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm....a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."
The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"
Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters).
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are in satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.
As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---age 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy. And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another......"
Home...what a glorious career. Especially when there's a title on the door.

I got this from http://www.usd.edu/~bwjames/humor/justamother.html

How to tell whether or not you are ready to have children!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:44:00 +0000

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
TOY TEST
Obtain a 55 gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks). Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. No screaming allowed, as this would wake a child at night.
GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all the arms stay inside.
FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
NIGHT TEST
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more songs and sing these too until 4:00a.m. Set alarm for 5:00a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
INGENUITY TEST
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into an attractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty box of Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.
AUTOMOBILE TEST
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it into the cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies. Mash them into the back seat. There, perfect!
PHYSICAL TEST (Women)
Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.
PHYSICAL TEST (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Tell the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child's table manners. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this time since you will never have all the answers again.

I got this from http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=894

Ringworm, athlete's foot, and other fungi

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:48:00 +0000

I had ringworm on my foot for several months. It finally spread down to my toes and gave me athlete's foot. I bought one of those creams and used it faithfully every morning and night for one month. The result? It didn't spread anymore. Umm, that's not what was supposed to happen. It was supposed to take it away, not just make it stop spreading. So, I went back to the store on bought a more expensive brand, with a different active ingredient. It said that it would take it away in a week. Sounds good to me. I was very faithful about using it as directed, as well. One foot was almost healed, and the other was still in bad condition. I used it for a month. Hmm. Still not the desired results. So, I asked my mom. She got a recipe from a friend because she had a fugus on her scalp. She had had it for a year. Well, I don't remember the exact recipe, but I took the main points, and it worked.

This is what I did. First, go out and pick some strawberry leaves. If you don't have strawberries, maybe someone you know does. I would put about a cup of water in the microwave and cook it until boiling. Then, take it out, put a leaf or two in, and wait for the water to cool. I like to put a fork in to weigh the leaf down, so it will be immmersed in the water. Do not boil the water with the leaves in, as this will destroy their effectiveness. After the water is cool enough, remove the leaves, and drink the tea. Do that at least once a day, until cured. That takes care of the inside. Now the outside. Pick some willow leaves (off an ordinary willow tree) and make a tea with them. I like to make a small amount with many leaves, making a stronger tea. Then I put it in a small spray bottle to be sprayed on the affected area. Wash with soap and water, dry, and then spray. My feet became dried out while doing this. I tried some lotions to stop that, but certain kinds would actually 'feed' the fungus. So, put it on once, and if the affected area gets redder, don't reuse.

What to do with the others while nursing the baby?

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:29:00 +0000

This was one of my most major concerns after having my baby. I had a four year old, a three year old, and a 20 month old. I think I came up with a pretty good solution, for at least one of the nursing times. We have 'singing time'. What I do is tell all of them to sit on the carpet in front of me. I bring some candy with me, such as smartys or skittles, and then I tell them that whoever sings the song, gets a piece of candy. I just sit there and nurse, and then toss them a piece of candy at the end of every song. This effectively fills 15 minutes or more of nursing time.

Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:14:00 +0000

First thing - Hydrogen Peroxide is toxic. That means that it can make you very very sick, if not kill you. So, don't let your children get a hold of it.

Now for the many uses of Hydrogen Peroxide. My favorite use, isn't mouthwash. Actually, it does a great job, and even advertises that use on the bottle (it says - for use as a gargle or rinse) But, my advise is to make sure you brush real well first. Whatever junk is left in your mouth, reacts with the Peroxide and puts off an awful tasting gas. The cleaner the mouth, the less gas.

Hydrogen Peroxide actually reacts with yeast. Yeast grows in mouths, and any other warm moist place. Thrush is a yeast infection. Infants aren't the only ones who get it. (DON'T GIVE IT TO BABIES OR CHILDREN) So, if you have thrush, you can use it as a mouthwash. I sprayed it on my breasts (I'm nursing) when they were really itchy for a long time, suspecting that I might have yeast there as well. It worked, immediately.

Now, for my favorite use - yeast infections. I get them a lot. Here's what you do. Go buy one of those douches at the store, and dump out all the nice smelling stuff. It's worthless - just makes things worse. Then fill it up with hydrogen peroxide. I find that I only have to use it two or three time to make the yeast infection disappear. I also put it in a spray bottle to spray around the area where I also itch. I do all of this while I shower. Sure beats that nasty goop you have to sleep with every night for seven nights.

Carrot Money

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:11:00 +0000

This is one that my mom always did for us growing up. I am continuing the tradition. You just slice the carrots in small circles and call them carrot money. All of the sudden, they are a new treat. Some children still prefer them dipped in ranch dressing, but it's still a pretty good way to get them to eat their vegetables.

Vinegar and Rags

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:06:00 +0000

You know how your dish rags can get that awful smell that doesn't go away when you wash them. Well, I thought I found a pretty good cure. Until, my rags started disappearing. I was putting them in a pretty strong solution of bleach. I asked my mom for a better way. I never would have expected her answer to be vinegar. But, since I was out of options, I tried it. Whadoyaknow? I actually worked. You just add about one cup to your laundry load. I even tried it on my color sensitive towels to take out the mildew. That also worked. I love my mom.

Cinnamon Tortillas

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:43:00 +0000

These are a great, quick fix snack idea for kids. Put a tortilla on a plate and pop it in the microwave for fifteen seconds. Then butter it and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top. I like to serve smaller portions by cutting it up in wedges with a pizza cutter.

Counting and Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:23:00 +0000

Okay, we all know how to count, and how to give choices. But, put the two together, and we've just created a miracle.

The beauty of this method, is that you don't have to yell, lose your temper, and can even do it with a smile on your face. (it takes a little practice)

Example. Subject A is hanging around you in the kitchen while you are attempting to throw together a delicious meal in twenty minutes for the all deserving loved ones. This is my favorite example because it always happens. We should feel flattered that they want to be near us, constantly. Anyway, instead of losing your temper as you trip over them for the thirtieth time, you state simply that they have five seconds to either; go outside, go downstairs, or go to bed. Then you start counting. Subject A flees to the great outdoors. Great huh?

Here's how it works. When your child is doing something undesirable, you think of three choices, not just two. If you just give them two, and one is a punishment, then they know that they really aren't getting a choice at all. These kids are smart. So, three choices, one being a punishment. Then you explain that you are going to give them three choices, and they have to have chosen by the time you get to five, or you will choose for them. Make sure that you choose a punishment that you will be able to follow through on. And, be firm. When the time is up, don't let them hurry and make the choice then. Carry out the punishment immediately. No second chances here. Like I said, Kid's Are Smart. You give them an inch, and they will make it a foot.

It takes a few times for a new discipline idea to start working. They will resist to change, and really press the limits. You are going to have to follow through with the punishment a lot at first. But after that, it's just great. I know, because I use it all the time. And this is on a three and four year old. My two year old still only gets two choices, but that even works on her.