The Mommy Experience

24 hour shift and no over time

2011-12-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, my children have been giving the gift that keeps on giving...

All but one child has come down with something. I hope it stays that way and these little germs find a corner to die in.

My youngest child came down with a fever of 103 yesterday a few hours before bed. I knew something was wrong with my little guy when he didn't want to eat his dinner. Anyone who knows my kids, know they love food. They will devour a plate of food in a matter of seconds and still want more. They take the phrase "Eat you out of house and home" to another level. No exaggeration.

Back to my little guy that's not so little Lol! While everyone else was in slumber land, he was having a hard time getting on the slumber train. He slept for about 2 hours and that was it. And it wasn't 2 hours straight. He was on and off. Fussiness, giggles and babbling all night long. Oh how I longed to go to sleep! It reminded me of the infant days. No regular 8 hours for me. And oh how I dreaded what the next day would be like with a sleep deprived toddler! Please oh please just go to sleep and stay that way til day break, I thought to myself.

NO such luck Lol! But on the upside, by the time the sun was up he was sleeping like a baby. Snoring and all. Boy, this little guy pulled an all nighter. I didn't think he would last so long. No nap for him, nor is one needed on this day. Running around being his same old silly self after sleeping most of the morning added with a little play time with dear old dad should equal to a good nights rest for him and myself.

Unfortunately, I could not get a wink of shut eye while he was sleeping. My other children decided it was a perfect day to argue, fight, whine, cry, fight, argue, whine, throw things, have tantrums and argue some more. Needless to say, this seasoned momma is pooped from her 24 hour shift. And yes, I am still going with no over time pay Lol!

After all these years you would think I would be used to this, but I am not. I've come to realize that at this point, my brain and body go on auto pilot while somewhere in my body I hide in a corner.

How do you deal with running on fumes?

Where Art Thou?!

2011-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Where in the world have I been? I think I got lost in the matrix or something after my last post, Lol! So much has been going on in my personal life that I completely abandoned my blog. I feel horrible about that. Please forgive me.

It seems as though almost everyone in my house including me have been sick! GERMS, the gift that keeps on giving! Whoopy! I have some book and product reviews in the works. So stay tuned for that. I'm thinking about doing some movie reviews as well. I haven't decided yet.

During my absence I found a hidden treasure of a cafe near my house called Hill Street Cafe. The food is so great and fresh I HAVE to review this place. I just thought of this right now while I was writing this blog post. So much writing to do!

That's just about all for now. Expect another post soon!

Interview with Mimi Q. Atkins, Author of Adventures in Rainbow Valley

2011-11-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Interview with Mimi Q. Atkins, Author of Adventures in Rainbow Valley on Blogcritics.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Author Mimi Q. Atkins about her new book Adventures in Rainbow Valley: How Big is Your Faith? (Volume 1), which is a series of Christian-based imaginative fiction for children. Mimi discusses the encouraging message in her book, advice for aspiring writers as well as some interesting facts about her journey to creating Adventures in Rainbow Valley.

Her book can be purchased on Amazon. For an autographed copy, it is available on the book website. Mimi Atkins also welcomes all new readers and followers to visit her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/WriterMiMi and to visit the Mimi Q. Atkins website.

What was the inspiration for Adventures in Rainbow Valley (how big is your faith)?

At night I would tell this story to my daughter when she was six months old about a flower named Faith. For a long time she was never a specific flower. Sometimes she would be a rose, tulip, or daffodil. Everything except what she became in the story, which is a sunflower. About two years ago, my daughter said “Mom, I’m a big girl now. You don’t have to tell me stories anymore. I can read and write my own.” I said, “How about I write the story and share it with the world? If you don’t want to listen to it anymore, let’s not keep it between you and mommy anymore. Let’s go ahead and share her with the world.”

I don’t want you to give away the whole story, but can you give a tiny snippet of what your book is about?

Okay, well, it’s about a tiny sunflower named Faith that is having trouble because she doesn’t understand her role in life and that sunflowers have a unique way of growing. It hadn’t rained in days and she thinks she isn’t growing because it hasn’t rained. She has a series of friends (frog, butterfly, and bumble bee) that tell her how unique and special she is. They discuss how they all have various roles in nature and that they each provide something different for the world. In the end, Faith knows what her role is in life and she learns that all you have to do is have a little faith. People that have read the book have said it teaches children about friendship. It teaches them how to be a good friend. When your friend is not okay, you don’t turn and walk away from your friend, you help you friend.

What message are you trying to put out there with this book?

In order to appreciate who you are, you must first know yourself. And along the way we’re going to need someone to help us and give us an encouraging word to motivate and inspire us. Also, when you think God is nonexistent or he’s not there, God is there and all you have to do is have faith.

What were some of the struggles you encountered with writing the book, getting it published and your whole journey before you got to where you are now?

The biggest thing was writers block because I was trying to write a romance. I have this romance novel that I’m dying to get out of me. But they say, you are what you are. Sometimes we’re good for something else but we want to do something else. And at this point in my life, children’s literature is my niche market. It’s best for me because I can just sit down and write, and I get happy. The thoughts just come. Also, prioritizing my time and saying: You know what? This is important and you need to get this out.

I started my own publishing company after receiving 14 rejection letters from the big publishing companies. The name of my publishing house is Glitter Moon Press. I’m looking forward to helping other writers accomplish their dreams. I really believe in paying it forward.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I have a writers spot where I can just go breathe in and breathe out and say: okay, here I am, I’m here, just let me write. Sometimes I go the park or get in my car and go someplace quiet and remote. I think it’s very important for every writer to have a writers spot. It’s very important for us as writers to have our quiet time.

To anyone who wants to become a writer, there are two things you need to do. Read what is within your genre. Sometimes we need to live vicariously and be bold enough to read something outside of our genre. I’m not into paranormal writing or poetry that much. But sometimes poetry is a good precursor to actually writing. The paranormal writing and horror thrillers, I’m not really into them but I do read them. And you’ll be surprised sometimes how a word will jump out at you and you’ll think of a title or a character. So, I would say read and get outside the box. Don’t just read what you like. Read some new genres; keep up with what’s trending in literature. And my most important thing is, better writers make better papers. You have to just write. You have to keep reading and you have to keep writing. I believe that’s how writers block creeps in. If you don’t practice your craft you will get rusty.

Thank you so much for giving me some of your time Mimi!

Oh, it was no problem. It was so well worth it. I blocked this day off specifically for you!

Exciting things to come!!

2011-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

I wrote an article recently and it was a review for "Tea4Life" apple cinnamon cleansing tea. Click Here to read it on blogcritics.org. Don't forget to leave comments, retweet and post to facebook.

Now to get into what I really wanted to talk about. Later today, I will be interviewing author MiMi Q. Atkins. Her latest book entitled "Adventures in Rainbow Valley: How Big is Your Faith? (Volume 1)" is currently available on Amazon (Click Here). I will be writing a review on her book after writing about my interview with her. But don't wait for my review to get your copy. It's a great book and a must have!

MiMi Q. Atkins Contact Info: Twitter @WriterMiMi
Visit her website HERE.

When those articles have been published I will post them here on my blog. As usual, Im looking for more books to review. So, if you have any suggestions leave them in the comment section. The books do not have to be new releases. There's always room for an old classic as well.

Where is it?

2011-10-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

I know a few blog posts back I said I would do a post on homeschooling curriculum. I just wanted to let you guys know that I have NOT forgotten about you. I am currently researching this right now. I started researching a while back but I really wasn't getting any where. I want to have some good quality resources that other parents are using. I didn't want to type something into the search engine and use random things without knowing if they were of good quality.

And before I forget, I applied to write for Technorati.com. I will let you all know the result of that when I find out. If you haven't already, please read my first official published article on blogcritics.org. This was posted on my last blog post. Feel free to go to the actual link the article is on and leave comments.

I am also looking for a good book to do a review on. If you have suggestions leave them in the comment section. Thanks.

Precious <3

Four Disabled Adults Found Imprisoned In Philadelphia Basement

2011-10-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Four Disabled Adults Found Imprisoned In Philadelphia Basement on Blogcritics.

The news which greeted me as I started the day is that four bruised, malnourished, disabled adults with the mental capacity of 10-year-olds had been found chained in a basement in Philadelphia.

I can honestly say this doesn't surprise me. Every day the stories I hear get worse and worse. Honestly, it is just sickening when it is thrown in my face on a daily basis how inhumane this world truly is.

Three people are being charged with this crime, two men and one woman. The woman served 8 years in prison in 1981 for the death of a man who would not support her sister's unborn child. He was starved to death. Last time I checked, there is a place called the Department of Child Support Services that takes care of these issues. I guess she didn't get the memo.

The police don't exactly know what the motivation was for this crime, but there is speculation that it had to do with collecting Social Security checks from the disabled victims. Shocking. Another scheme. No matter what the motivation was, there is no excuse for doing something like this to anyone.

What has our society turned into over the years? At every turn it's like we live in a horror movie day in and day out. People think they can pick and choose who is worthless enough to kill, kidnap, rape, torture and steal from. Knowing our justice system, they'll spend the rest of their lives in prison.

I personally think their punishment should be exactly what they dished out. Chain them up, put them under the prison in a basement and let them starve to death. Why waste tax dollars on keeping scum like this alive? They obviously think that life isn't precious enough to cherish. So let's just return the favor. Maybe then, people would think twice before committing such inexcusable behavior.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/four-disabled-adults-found-imprisoned-in/#ixzz1b70jBAxH

Note: This is my very first article ever published. I am so excited! ^__^

You’re What?!

2011-10-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

When I tell people I’m Vegan it’s usually because I am in a setting where there is food involved. I don’t advertise it and of course no one would think that there are people that don’t eat meat or dairy. I mean, they've got to be nuts right?! Then I have to explain. And the number one question is, “What do you eat?” (Obviously I eat fruits and vegetables.) Before I get into all of that, let me just say that Vegans do not eat ANYTHING that comes from an animal. Some go as far as incorporating this into their clothes, cosmetics, soaps, etc. Some may not know this, so I just wanted to put that out there.

Being Vegan isn’t as complicated as people may think. There are substitutions for meat and dairy products. Instead of getting our protein from meat, we eat beans, nuts and tofu. There are other foods to get protein from but those are the main ones that I consume. If you really do your research, you’ll see that calcium and protein come from more than just meat, eggs and milk. I won’t go into detail about all of this because I don’t want this to be too long. I just want you to get the general idea. Plus the information is out there, you just have to find it. Instead of cow’s milk, I use soy, rice or almond milk. I use Vegan butter instead of regular butter and believe it or not there is Vegan bread. Vegan “meats” are made from tofu. Looking at it, you wouldn't know it wasn’t meat. I personally do not eat them as I don’t really care for them.

Plenty of people have dairy allergies so you might be surprised and how many restaurants have items on their menu that are not made with dairy. It’s very feasible for a Vegan to go out to eat with friends and family. A lot of people know that one of my favorite places to eat is Chipotle. As far as fast food goes, this place is the healthiest I’ve seen along with subway. Of course depending on what you put on your food it could easily become unhealthy and high in calories. Papa Johns is also a place that is pretty vegan friendly. Their hand tossed doe does not contain milk or eggs. Of course, I order my pizza without cheese, tons of veggies and light on the sauce. I wasn’t sure how this combination was going to work out but it was great! Also, if you are a new vegan or going in that direction, make sure you READ LABELS & check ingredients for the restaurants you want to go to on their websites. You may think some things don’t contain dairy but it actually does. Many Garden Burgers are made with eggs or milk if not both. I have to check websites of any restaurant I’m going to eat at before I go so that I know for sure what I am eating is vegan. Someone at the restaurant can also help you if you are concerned.

Another thing I want to add is that just because its vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. No matter what label you want to put on yourself, what you actually consume is the deciding factor in your health. So you can’t eat fried veggies all the time, call yourself vegan and think you are healthy Lol! So make wise choices. I don’t expect the whole world to go vegan, but what I would love to see is more people eating organic foods and farm animals treated with respect and not abused. Anyway, organic food is so much better than processed food and anything grown or raised with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Don’t get me started on the antibiotics chickens are pumped full of. You may think it’s a good thing, but it isn’t. That’s a totally different ball game. Just be careful of what you consume if you don’t want to have health issues later in life. Do your research! I can’t stress that enough. Hopefully you learned something and I shed some light on the whole vegan thing. One last thing, I suggest everyone watch the documentaries Food Inc and King Corn. One show to watch is 30 days season 3, the episode is called animal rights. These I know for sure are streaming on Netflix. They are very informative in regards to the issues I previously stated about animals and how our food is grown and raised.

If you have any other doumentaries or questions please leave them in the comment section below and I will be more than happy to watch them and to answer your questions ^__^.

UPDATE: Frustrations and Thievery + More NEWS

2011-10-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have an update for my Frustrations and Thievery post. If you haven't read it then you have no idea what I'm referring to Lol! Here is the link in case you are completely clueless.

http://themommyexperience.blogspot.com/2011_10_05_archive.html.

So anyway, that one particular person that attempted to claim my blog as their own has been removed as being listed as an additional writer for this blog. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere with this issue, but in the end it all worked out.

Now, I also have more good news. I received an email from blogcritics.org about writing for them. I had no idea who they were so I checked out the website. Its an online magazine associated with Technorati.com (yes the same site where I had the thievery issue.) I filled out their application, included a link to my blog so they could see samples of my writing skills and I was accepted. I received the acceptance email this morning. So yeah, I'm excited! Maybe there's something to this writing thing. I will admit that I am nervous because I have never written an article for ANYTHING ever. But, that's why they have editors Lol! I was also thinking about applying to Technorati to write for them as well. Their pieces are shorter than BlogCritics. If anything, this is good practice for me to hone my writing skills. Who knows what this will lead too.

The cool thing too is that BlogCritics made it very clear they want you to add your personality into your writing and be original. That makes it more enjoyable when you can be yourself as you are writing. Having to be someone you're not is what makes me not want to write. This was always an issue with me in school. I'm just too creative to fit in someone's box. Also, I have the option to post my articles on my blog. I thought that was pretty cool. Thanks for giving me some of your time so that I could share my happiness with you ^__^. I posted a picture of my acceptance email from BlogCritics below. Click on it to make it bigger so that you can read it.

I went to Japan yesterday

2011-10-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, well not exactly. But I wish, Lol! Me and my BFF took a drive to San Diego to the Mitsuwa Japanese market yesterday and another smaller market. I don't know the name of it, I had a one track mind going in there lol. I have to confess that I love Japanese food, especially the snacks! Granted, I can't read or speak Japanese but some items I was already familiar with. Others, well, not so much. I had a little help from my friend with suggestions on what to try.We basically got the same items so I posted the picture she took below. I opened all of my stuff before taking a picture. Yeah, I couldn't wait. Shame on me for indulging in snacks before sharing with you guys, even if I can't physically share with you. I also picked up a bag of Japanese Green Tea that had 100 tea bags in it. Any other kind of green tea taste like hot water to me.

One of my favs is the peach water. Just delicious! The thing I love about Japanese candy is that it's not too sweet. With american candy it's like diabetes in a bag. Complete overload on sugar if you ask me. And everyone wonders why most Americans are overweight and diabetic. No matter what country you get your snacks from and how low in sugar you obviously need to eat them in moderation.

I was so tempted to get a bottle of Sake, but my friend said I would wake up naked in Mexico. Since we were about 30 minutes from the boarder, I could totally see that happening lol. So I left it at the store...for now. I'm not really a drinker and I know Sake is no joke, especially for a light weight like me. But I've heard some of them are really good. When I get brave enough to try it I'll make sure I blog about it. I'm sure that will be an interesting blog lol.

Do any of you have any favorite snacks or drinks that come from another country?

Traditional School + Socialization = OxyMoron

2011-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hope the title got your attention. I mentioned I would do post on curriculum and homeschool programs. Well, as I was doing research I came across this blog post. It expressed exactly how I feel about so called socialization in public schools. I couldn't have written it better myself so I decided to share. Please read it and post any thoughts in the comment section below.

http://tnhomeed.com/LRSocial.html

Precious <3

Frustrations and Thievery

2011-10-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin? Well, I went to a website called Technorati.com. The only reason I went there was because my blog was linked from this site, so I checked it out. Come to find out, someone claimed my blog. Let me explain, on Technorati, bloggers open an account and make a claim for their blog. This site lists your blogs under your name so everyone knows that it belongs to you.

Anyway, back to this person I was speaking of. This person had my blog listed as one of THEIR blogs. This happened the same day I did my first blog post. I mean seriously. I don't know how this even happened because you have to post a code they give you on a blog and then send them the feed link so they can verify its really you. So how in the world did this person end up listed as a writer on something they have no access to?

I know some of you might be reading this thinking why on earth do I care. Yeah, I know it's not like I am making money from this blog. BUT, it's the principle of it. It isn't right for someone to claim the work of another person when they had no part in it. What benefit are you really getting from doing something like this. Maybe other bloggers can relate. My blog means a lot to me. It's something I created and take time out to work on. Why should someone else get the credit.

Last time I checked (which was really recent, like a week ago lol) it was FREE to start a blog and start typing about any old random thing. What gives? To say the least, I am getting no where right now with getting this situation handled. Getting answers from Technorati.com is like communicating with a deaf mute.

The moral of the story is, go to Technorati.com and any other blog site and claim your blog. If your blog ends up being a big money maker, you don't want some lazy bum taking credit for it. You never know where blogging can lead to. Protect your assets with everything you do.

I guess maybe I should take this THIEVERY as some kind of sick, twisted compliment. Am I such a good writer or such an interesting person that someone would jack my blog the first night it's up? They must see some serious potential. I guess you are a nobody until someone steals from you or mimics you. Talk about a confidence booster lol! At least I can laugh about it.

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? Any suggestions? I just think its hilarious how this blog post and my previous post were both inspired by a couple of freaks. Is this going to be the motivation for ALL of my posts? Lol! I just started blogging and already there's a rhythm going here. I just might need to change the name of my blog to "Welcome to the FREAK show."

Precious <3

Misconceptions about Homeschooling

2011-10-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, let me state that this and all other blog posts are based off of my own experience. You may agree or disagree. I welcome everyone's opinions and suggestions. But please be respectful. I've seen discussions on homeschooling get ugly. Homeschooling is not for everyone just as public school is not for everyone.

One misconception about homeschooling is that children are in the house all day and don't socialize with other children. This is completely false. There are plenty of homeschooling groups or play groups to join so that your children can socialize and make friends. Use the internet to find groups in your area. If you can't find one in your area, take a chance and start one. You'd be surprised at how many homeschooling parents will come out of the wood works. I am actually going to do this myself.

Also, if you use a homeschooling program like K12 (K12.com) you will have plenty of opportunities for field trips and get-togethers as well. K12 is technically still public school but your children are still homeschooled. You have the assistance of a teacher if you run into any problems. Ok, I'm getting off subject. I'll do a seperate blog about homeschooling programs and curriculum.

Some other ways to connect with other homeschooling parents is to join a social network like cafemom (cafemom.com). There are tons of groups for all interests including homeschooling. I've found some play groups as well. You'll have no problem finding other parents to meet up with so your children can make friends.

I am sure just about everyone has a local park or playground to take their children too. Apparently people tend to forget that homeschooled children also go to these places just like traditionally schooled children. I went to public school my whole life and some of the best friends I made were the ones I met at the playground. Don't be too shy to exchange numbers with the parent of a child you see your child is getting along with.

Another option is to take your child or children to an indoor play center. The one near me is called playwerx. This is perfect for the summer months when it is just too hot to take the kids outside. Again, use the internet to your advantage and look for an option like this near you. You just might find one.

Lastly, I know times are hard with the economy. But if you can, get your child involved in sports. It is a great way for them to get exercise, learn sportsmanship and make friends. Also, check with the YMCA and local community center for activities for your child to get involved in. Those are usually FREE or low cost. Don't forget to check your local library for activities as well.

If you think outside of the box, you'll see that homeschooling and socialization are very realistic. They actually go quite well together. I hope this information helps. If you have any other suggestions please feel free to post them in the comment section.

Precious <3