Ingenious: I like Ingenious because it is a really fun game. You have tiles with two colors on each tile. For each identical symbol that you line up, you move one square on your score board. When you cannot place a tile on the game board, the game immediately ends. You count up your points by seeing where your color that is closest to zero. Then you go up with your finger to see what your score is. The player with the highest score wins the game! The really cool thing about Ingenious is that you can play by yourself and the more players, the wider the board gets. The best thing about Ingenious for me is that my dad can never beat me!
Friday, January 29, 2010
And so it begins...
I got the call the other day. I knew it would come. What do I say? How do I respond? Truthfully didn’t expect it this soon. Not sure if it is a good sign or a bad sign.
I have made a mental note to call my dear friend who lost her mother at the beginning of the year everyday. Most days they are quick calls, most times it is “I am dealing, thanks for calling”. This week they have been a little longer. This past weekend was the first weekend she faced it. Her boyfriend was not there for the weekend, I was not there, the family was there. The entire family was there…except..
They decided to go through some things at the house. A day that was going to have to happen sooner or later. It was just a dent into her stuff from what she said. But the dent brought on the anger, hurt, pain and deep sorrow. She cried to me, she cried to her boyfriend, and i am sure she cried to herself that night. She said she just wanted to pick up the phone and discuss her thoughts and feelings with her mom. That is who she worked things out with. Her mom was her sounding board for all the things in life that didn’t make sense.
What do I say? This does not make sense! We can only trust that God knows what HE is doing and HE is in control. We know that God is sovereign. We have been taught sovereignty from an early age. We have seen it in other people’s lives and circumstances. But when it is your own situation it is ALOT harder to see His sovereignty.
So when I hung up with her that night, I knew we were on the onset of the hard stuff. The stuff that really sucks. The stuff that makes us question our Almighty Maker. The stuff that if we are not careful Satan will use against us. At the same time, the stuff that needs to be dealt with and expressed..not bottled in. The stuff that hurts. The stuff that NO ONE can give you an answer to.
Got the second call tonight. She was in her parents home alone. Doing some laundry. Doing some random things around the house for her dad while he was away. Then it hit her. It’s been almost a month since she spoke to her mom. She has never gone this long without seeing or talking to her mom. We both have special relationships with our mothers. In college, I think that was one of the things that helped our friendship develop. We both looked to our moms but were still independent of them. Tonight’s call I actually expected sooner. In college, every finals time she would make herself sick. It was her thing! I expected her to be sick already, impressed that she hadn’t been thus far. Then tonight happened.
Again, what do I say? I can’t hug her. I can listen, but what do you do when there is silence and tears on the other end of the call? Oh Lord, give me the words to say and the patience to listen to the tears. There are more to come..sooo much more to come!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Hayden and Carson-Tampa Children's Photographer
These two were so much fun on Sunday! Hayden was a ham for the camera the whole time, while Carson was pretty shy-for about 20 minutes! Once I had him hi-five me, he was all smiles-he even hugged me! I had a great time with these adorable little guys!
Our Minds WIll Carry Us Through Out The Universe And Assist In Finding Our Souls
Today is a rainy day and I would like to thank the universe for all its glory and for all that it has to offer us if we only see it and ask for whatever we want. Sometimes we overlook the beauty of the world around us and we lose track of our thoughts and we must take control of them and make sure that they do not control us.
With that said let us continue with a great meditation to look forward to the day to come;
“She became for me an island of light, fun, wisdom where I could run
with my discoveries and torments and hopes at any time of day and
find welcome.”
- May Sarton
What a beautiful quote.
News;
Substitutions, schedule changes at NFL Pro Bowl rankle many on the sidelines Substitute-heavy rosters are set for Sunday’s Pro Bowl, the set-up of which doesn’t seem to leave many people satisfied.I believe now for sure that the games are just like the rest of the pros fixed;
Vikings had the game and so many professionals on the field including the coaches would lose the game for the Superbowl common people. Tell me it was not a fix and yet the fans go and give their hard-earned money.
New Orléans had that game lost so many times. The calls that were made were literally BS.
I will still watch but not as football but as entertainment like wrestling.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Umizoomi
quote of the day: (on the new show)
“man.. it blew me away.. its better than avatar.. and just like the avatar effect.. i want to commit suicide in hopes that it will transport me into umi-land”
those of you who have kids, or those who don’t … watch it!
Series starts Jan. 25-29 @ 11:30 a.m. on Nick
Week 1 Article 1
Headline: Children Awake? Then They’re Probably Online
Author: Tamar Lewin
Date: 1/20/2010
Publication: The New York Times
This article first caught my attention because the title featured young people and technology- topics that I figured would more than likely pertain to my life. The article sites sources from the main study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation to “a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston” to quotes from parents whose children were involved in the study. The story remains for the most part unbiased, siting sources and quotes and refraining from any personal comment. The article also includes a graph with the published results from the Kaiser Family Foundation study which is actually a great thing when an article is primarily facts and statistics. Overall I liked the piece and there’s really anything I would’ve changed.
Friday, January 22, 2010
HUMILITY
While working in Egypt in 1963-64, I wanted to go to a particular “black hill” I had been told about because the hill had blackish geckos living on it, and I wanted to study them. The hill was in the desert about 300 miles southwest of Alexandria. The desert in this part of Egypt is flat and sandy with vast areas of desert pavement that stretch for hundreds of miles in all directions.
We had traveled by jeep a couple of miles when my Bedouin guide told me to steer about three inches to the right. This sounded ridiculous. What difference could three inches possibly make? He didn’t even have a map!
Nevertheless, I was finally persuaded to make this “insignificant” correction when my guide suddenly yelled: “Stop! Land mine!” That got my attention because there was scattered evidence of long-hidden mines scattered throughout the miles of desert in the form of shattered camel skeletons.
Three days later we were at the black hill, and my guide told me to get my map. I spread the map on the hood of the jeep and learned about humility. My guide drew a triangle and showed me that a correction of three inches near Alexandria had saved us about 50 miles worth of fuel and water on our way to the black hill–fuel and water we didn’t have to spare.
If we had gone my way, we would either have had to stop short of the black hill and turned back, or our bones would still be bleaching somewhere under the desert sun. And so I learned that the further we predict into the trackless future, the more conscious and clear we must be of our vision, goals, objectives—and our data.
All available data must be used, and planning, which is done in the invisible present, must be carried out far enough into the future to show the probable consequences our actions have set in motion, as exemplified by my trip to the black hill. Else, we leave the future blindly to the future.
In this sense, we talk about our responsibility to the future, but that is not enough. We also need to act in such a way that we ensure, to the greatest extent humanly possible, that all generations of the future have the ability to respond to the legacy of options we leave them. It’s therefore imperative that we understand and account for the short-, mid-, and long-term ramifications of our decisions, which can only be done by taking them seriously in thought, accounting, and action.
True, we cannot foresee all the cumulative effects of our actions, and we cannot wait until everything is known before we act. But there definitely are some potential affects that can be projected, based on available data, which we all-too-often persist in stubbornly ignoring.
Text and Photos © by Chris Maser 2010. All rights reserved.
If you want to contact me, you can visit my website. If you wish, you can also read an article about what is important to me and/or you can listen to me give a presentation.
Haiti
I’m so heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in Haiti recently. The worst part was to see the suffering of so many children who’ve not only been bruised physically but many have suffered unimaginable psychological trauma from seeing death all around them. My sincerest prayers go out to all Haitians and especially to all the children affected by this tragedy. God is with you as he is always.
Here’s a list of ways in which you can help. There’s also a way to give through iTunes. Please give generously.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Oh my Goodness!!
Wow. I am getting really good at managing my life. I think the purchase of a “mom’s two year planner” was one the best decisions I have ever made. Really! I can now controll my spending…(Dont’ let me near stores with fitness wear…I can’t help myself) and it really makes you stop and think when you have to stop and think about each penny you have spent, or are about to spend. I have definately improved on regularly updating my blogs, not so much on this one unfortunantly. With the others I am doing fabulously. Then again they are for business so I guess that makes it much more of a nessacity. Business seems like it is finally starting to get somewhere…Classes are officially starting and I am getting some good responses. Found a fantastic lady ( who teaches at the local gym) who is going to let me “hijack” some of her classes in order for me to learn the dynamic of really teaching in group situations. I am really looking forward to it! Starting tomorrow evening.
Well, got more “businessy” stuff to do now.
Bible in a Year--Day 20
First and foremost, let’s take a moment to celebrate 20 days together in God’s Word! Woohoo! I’ve heard that if you do one thing every day for three weeks, it becomes a habit. Well, friends, tomorrow is our three week mark together. And, whether you were already spending daily time with God, or if this is just an addition to your routine, I’m excited that we are going through this journey together. Let’s jump in to today’s Word.
Today’s scripture reading: Genesis, chapters 25-27
God told Abraham back in chapter 21 that "it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned" (21:12, NIV), so even though he had other children from his concubines, Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac (25:5, NIV). I wonder if familial hierarchy was such then that Abraham’s other children didn’t feel slighted, or if it was much like now where being cut out of the inheritance would really hurt. There’s no further mention of it, and what it does mention is pretty matter-of-fact, so I guess it’s more of the latter???
Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years (25:8, NIV). I imagine that Abraham had a real peace about him, particularly in his final years on earth. He and God had a true relationship, and I would even venture to say that I imagine Abraham knew when he was going. I bet he was among the "lucky ones" with no pain, he just faded into a peaceful sleep, never to wake. Wouldn’t that be the way to go? To die at a good old age…full of years, and memories, and love, and contentment, and secure knowledge of exactly what heavenly place he was going to next.
Now, Abraham and Isaac interest me in one particular way. Both had beautiful wives; apparently the kind of Miss America wives that every man drools over. The father and son, when travelling, told their wives to say that they were siblings so as to spare the lives of the husbands. And, both said these things to a ruler named Abimelech. Now, I would love for someone to clarify this point for me. In Abraham’s case, in chapter 20, Abimelech is king of Gerar (20:2). Later, in Isaac’s life, in our current day’s reading, Abimelech is king of the Phillistines (26:8). I have never had a mind of geography or history, so this matter is a double-edged sword for me. Is this the same Abimelech? Gerar is mentioned later in chapter 26, so I questionably assume this is the same king, just another generation older.
This is one of those times when I may just be obsessing over something that really makes no real difference, but these similarities strike me as so odd. There is no mention of God instructing either Abraham or Isaac to lie in order to save their lives. So, why would these protected, God-fearing, God-abiding men feel the need to do anything manipulative? Don’t they know by now that God is going to protect them no matter what? I suppose this is proof that even Abraham and Isaac were only human. That’s kind of a comforting thought for me, as I tend to think I have to do this and that in my own human way, when it’s something God can easily handle and He really doesn’t need my help. In fact, like with Abraham and Isaac, our human ways usually end up throwing added wrenches into the gears of God’s plan.
Further, if Abimelech, king of Gerar is the same as Abimelech, king of the Phillistines, is the same man…just how dumb was this guy? At what point would he learn his lesson? And, as much as oral history was critical in the times before computers, styluses, and notebooks, wouldn’t Isaac have heard the story of the time he lied to a king and said he was his wife’s brother? Don’t our parents tell us of the stupidity of their youth so we won’t repeat the same mistakes? In both cases, God had to keep the king from consummating things between Abimelech and each of the wives. Like I said before, so often He has to fix the messes that our human errors make.
My pastor often says how much easier it is for us, as Christians, to forgive a "sinner" for doing something wrong than for us to forgive the "saved." It’s the "he didn’t know any better’s" vs. the "he should have known better’s." But the truth is that we are all sinners, we all make human errors. At some time in our lives, we all make errors that make the Lord sad, but no matter what His mighty grace saves us. Just as Isaac returned to the land of Abraham and began working to re-dig the wells that his father had dug, you and I must return to the safety and direction of our heavenly Father’s care. Maybe you were raised in the church like I was, maybe you’ve never really had a time when you didn’t know of God, and didn’t know the stories; but that doesn’t mean that, just like me, you didn’t stray. Friends, I fell off the path of righteousness with God, but I am here to tell you that I crawled back onto the path and I don’t ever want to fall away from Him again. Maybe you have never known God until recently, maybe you were raised under a different set of guidelines or maybe you were never raised with training in any religion at all; if this is the case in your life, this is where your path begins. As the munchkins said to Dorothy, "Just follow the yellow brick road." No matter what your past experiences are, today is a new day in God’s house and today can be the day that you make Him priority over even your earth-bound world. We are building our foundation, and this is a great opportunity for us all to start fresh and leave all of the mistakes of our sinful past behind us. Are you with me?
Tomorrow’s scripture passage: Genesis, chapters 27-29
Make it a great day,
Marilyn
Dear God, I praise You! I think back on the countless, awful, sinful, cruel things I have done, thought, and believed in my past and I wonder how You can even still call me Yours. But You do! You forgive and truly forget, and now, please, help me to do the same. Help me to brush off the dust of the old road and start fresh on the road leading straight to You. Lord, I thank you for having mercy on me. I praise You forever. Amen.
Monday, January 18, 2010
IVF-Mothering and Avatar.
Science is amazing. We had our miracle child in 2000. Fitting for the beginning of a new century.
Yesterday we saw Avatar. The scene of the Avatar embroyos made me think about the child, our child sitting next to us. She was a “test tube baby”. Our little Avatar? Well she wasn’t part of the indegenous tribe of Pandora but she was a creation of science. She was not conceived to understand nor infiltrate the human race for our purposes. But she was conceived so our family grow and live on.
While not conceived in the same natural way, she is human. She is connected to all of humankind. Just as the tree of souls she possesses the hopes, instincts of humankind. She is a kindly child. Filled with wonder and deep sensitivities. Does her psyche hold different conceptual memories? Does she connect with the world and nature differently? Will these manifest in her life?
These are questions which will perhaps have answers far into the future. In the meantime, we parent her and love her and cultivate her interests and deep longings. My hope is that she has the fortitude and instincts portrayed by the Avatar. We see her.
Summer in Australia
Living in the sub tropics of Australia might be the ideal life for some. The thought of all year ’round sunshine must be very appealing, when you are knee-deep in snow. But every summer, I have the same complaint. I really dislike the summer where I live! So, what am I doing, living here? I ask myself that same question, every single year.
It really is an excercise in futility, contemplating the why’s and the wherefore’s, though. I know why I’m living here. My family loves the summer! Yes, I have a family of beach-loving, heat loving, summer clothes loving people.
We had very little winter last year to speak of. While I was patiently waiting for the winter coldness to kick in, an early spring arrived. And spring felt like summer! Here it is now, mid-January, and even Sam and Amelia, the two biggest heat lovers of all, have had enough of the heat! Rosie is convinced she is about to melt and Oliver has spent so much time in the salt water at the beach, he says he’s pickled!
There are so many advantages to living in a cooler climate. It’s just that those living in the snow have probably never experienced the extreme heat that the summers in Australia can, and usually do, bring.
For the first thirteen years of my life I lived in a mountainous area, where we enjoyed four seasons each and every year. Although there was no chance of snow where I lived, we only need travel about 20 minutes further into the mountains for the snowy areas. Summer was a time when the weather warmed up quite a bit, so we went into summer clothes for a maximum of about three months. There was the occasional hot day, but probably only 3 or 4 days of unbearable heat. And I thought those 3 or 4 days of heat were tough to cope with!
Then my parents came up with the bright idea of moving north…the weather would be much nicer, they said. We moved in late September. In early October I had started at my new school. At the end of the first week at school, there was an athletics carnival. I remember the day well. I was saved from having to compete in any other event than one running race, due to my recent arrival at the school, so I spent a very enjoyable day sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the events, chatting to all of my new found friends.
By lunchtime, my legs were starting to itch in a way that I had never felt before, like a burning feeling.
One of my friends asked me if I was wearing sun screen. After my new-found friends had kindly educated me on what exactly sun screen was (!) they then went on to tell me that I had sunburnt legs! Can the sun actually burn your skin, I asked? Children can, at times, be very cruel. I was extremely lucky to have come across a great bunch of kids, who didn’t ridicule me for being so clueless about the sun!!
Needless to say, after my crash-course on the effect of the suns’ rays, during that sunny October day many years ago, I have since always owned a tube of sunscreen!
I miss the autumn leaves. I long for the days of walking through the yellow, orange, red, crimson and purple leaves, when they have fallen from the Liquid Amber, Japanese Maple or Golden Ash trees. Cooler autumn days, turning into colder winter nights, snuggled up under a cosy rug in front of a blazing fireplace, reading my latest book discovery. Spring in September, bringing with it the new buds of growth on the bare tree branches, with a promise of beautiful sunny days and a kaleidoscope of coloured flowers in the garden, warming up even more to lazy summer days at Christmas time, spent with friends and family. The four seasons are just divine!!!
Well, for now I have to stay put. My children love their schools. They have friends here. So, for now anyway, I will continue to sit or stand in front of a fan, dreaming of the cooler days to come.
And next summer? I might just visit England!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Help Yourself!
I’m livid right now and I mean LIVID! I’m trying to comprehend how some people can be so cold-blooded. I was sitting at work and I overheard a coworker talking about the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. When most people talk about the earthquake they are saying “what can I do”, “how can I help” or “I can’t imagine that happening to my family”. She’s not the nicest person so I knew none of those words were going to come out of her mouth but at the same time I didn’t expect what I heard. I only caught bits and pieces of the conversation, but it was enough to piss me off to the point where I had to walk out. (It was either walk out or go off and possibly lose my job) On my way out the door I ran into another one of my coworkers who actually heard the entire conversation and she too had to walk out. This heartless, poor excuse for a human had the audacity to say the people of Haiti are sitting around waiting on “Handouts” and they should “Help Themselves”. I’m floored right now….seriously, what human, forget race, could look at those pictures, see all those bodies in the road, see the devastation and still say they should “Help Themselves”? HOW? They’re already doing everything they can just to stay alive. But I guess that’s not enough in her eyes. Oh, so I suppose they asked for the earthquake? Yes that’s it, they wanted their homes destroyed, and they wanted to lose their family and friends, just so they could get a “Handout”? She can’t be serious….
I honestly can’t believe the nerve. I’m still trying to figure out how when one of my other coworkers recently lost her brother and her mother less than a week apart she (the heartless one) was running around here, like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get us to give donations to the other coworker “because it’s so sad and tragic”, but Haitians just want “handouts“????? Hmmm so let me get this right… when two people in one family unexpectedly die its “sad and tragic” and we should “do what we can to help”, but when thousands of people die we shouldn’t do anything because they just want “handouts”? Yeah, that makes perfect sense….NOT! I’m trying not to make this an issue of race but in all honesty that’s what it boils down too. Had this happened in a place that was predominately white I don’t think, matter fact I know, she wouldn’t have said anything like that. She would have been the first one sending out emails asking for donations, ooohing and ahhhing over the photos, acting like she’s so heartbroken by all the little helpless kids that have lost their parents.
I need ya’ll to pray because I’m about 5 seconds away…Matter fact I’ll pray…Lord please give me the strength to make it through this day without going off on her. I’ve ignored several of her other racist comments. When she said that she told her daughter it was okay to call a black person a n****r if that’s how they were acting I was still cordial towards her (Only because I didn’t actually hear it myself). When she stated that people that went to Fayetteville State University probably couldn’t even spell “soccer”, I bit my tongue…Then I wore my North Carolina Central University T-shirt to work, hoping she would say something about my school…Lord, I don’t want to be the token black chick, the one that’s quick to go off or that’s overly sensitive about issues related to race, but this woman has pushed every button I have. My parents said I have one “get out of jail free card” I just may end up using it on her. I can’t take much more of her ignorance.
Wooo Sahhhh Ok ya’ll I just did something that made me feel 10 times better. I had ordered some Girl Scout cookies from her daughter but I sent her an email which stated “In wake of this tragic earthquake I would like to do my part and send as much money as I can to the Red Cross and other relief agencies. With that being said, I have to cut back in areas that aren’t necessities.” I doubt she responds but in my eyes her daughter is just someone who wants a handout and she’s sitting around waiting on her mommy to sell her cookies. I can hear ya’ll now, Rachelle you can afford cookies and to donate…you’re right, I can…but I think I’ll take my business elsewhere!
I choose not to include any pictures from this devastating earthquake because I can’t bare to look at them.
Children
Children look so beautiful: because they are yet full of hope, full of dreams, and they have not yet known frustration. Old people start looking very very dead. Hopes have leaked out, by and by, and only frustration — a very bad taste on the tongue. Experience makes people bitter. Experience makes people lose their innocence, lose their hope, lose their trust. But it is not experience really — because they wanted to make their dreams real, that’s why. Otherwise you could remain as innocent to the very end of your life as in the beginning — in fact, even more — because the innocence that happens in childhood is just natural. It has not been tested against fire; it is very fragile. It has no crystallization in it. It is just a gift; it has not been earned. But when an old man is childlike, innocent, then nothing can destroy it. Then it has a solidity to it, then it is substantial; he has earned it.
Children are careful watchers, observers of what is happening all around. Of course, their senses are very clear, unclouded. They see the truth immediately. You cannot cheat a child; he knows it immediately, intuitively. And he is so innocent that it is impossible for him to be formal. But he has to be formal to survive. And man’s child is very helpless. It is because of man’s child’s helplessness that our whole civilization exists. We can manage, mold the child in every possible way, whatsoever way we want.
The moment you are born, conditioning starts, from your very first breath; it cannot be avoided. The parents will condition you, the children you play with will condition you, the neighborhood will condition you, the school, the church, the state. And consciously not much conditioning is being done, but unconsciously the child goes on and on accumulating it. The child learns by imitating. So don’t be worried. This is the normal situation in the world: everybody is conditioned. And everybody has to come out of the conditioning. It is difficult. It is not like undressing — it is like peeling your skin. It is hard, it is arduous, because we have become identified with our conditioning.
We go on forcing children to go to sleep when we think it is time. But sleep is not to be manipulated by time, sleep is something inner. When the child feels sleepy he will go to sleep, but mother and father go on forcing the child to go to sleep, as if sleep can be ordered. Children must think that you are foolish, they think that something has gone wrong in your mind. How can a child force sleep? He can pretend, so when you are there he can close the eyes and when you have gone he can open the eyes, because sleep cannot be forced. Nobody, not even you, can force sleep. If you don’t feel sleepy how can you go to sleep?
But this is how society destroys.
In schools children are sitting for five or six hours — by and by they are dulled, their intelligence is lost. Every child is born intelligent and almost ninety-nine per cent of people die stupid. The whole education dulls the mind — and you can do it yourself also.
Psychologists have come across a very significant fact: that if small children are left to themselves, they always choose the right thing to eat. You put everything around, you leave it on the dining table, don’t force anything, and don’t say what to eat and what not to eat. It has been a tremendous discovery that children eat only the right thing in the right time. If a child is suffering from something and a certain thing is needed which will be helpful for it, he will choose to eat it. By the time that suffering disappears he will stop eating that. We confuse them. We tell them to eat this and don’t eat that. Then by and by, their natural instinct functions no more.
If you miss your youth, you will miss your old age also — remember. not saying become old while you are young ,saying be whatsoever you are; let that moment be your totality. When a child, be a child; never enforce your wisdom on any child because that is a crippling thing. Don’t try to make a child old before he is old, don’t crush him. That’s what has happened in the world: old people are dominating children, and they want to pull them out of their childhood faster than nature allows. They kill and they crush — the child loses something forever. And when a child was not a child when he was a child, he will not be young when he is young. Something will always go on missing. He will always be late in life — he will miss the train.
. Children are not supposed to say things that they know. They know much more than they ever tell you. They pretend to be innocent because you don’t want them to know more than is taught in the school, than is taught by the preacher, than is taught by you; and they certainly know more. They move in society, in life, with keen, alert senses. They are watching everything, whatsoever is happening all around. But they learn one thing sooner or later: that they have to be diplomatic — with the grown-ups you can’t be true, honest, sincere
Very few people are accepted as creative: A few painters, a few poets — one in a million. This is foolish! Every human being is a born creator. Watch children and you will see: all children are creative. By and by, we destroy their creativity. By and by, we force wrong beliefs on them. By and by, we distract them. By and by, we make them more and more economical and political and ambitious
If there exists in the future any possibility of a real human society, the first thing, the basic thing that will have to be done is this: don’t make children automatic. Even if it takes a little longer to make them efficient, make them efficient with awareness; don’t make them machines. It will take longer, because two things have to be learned: the efficiency and awareness. A human society will give you awareness, even with less efficiency, but efficiency will come by and by. Then when you are alert you will be able to be efficient with alertness.
Children are trusting, but by and by there will be experiences in which they will be deceived, in which they will get into trouble, in which they will be opposed, in which they will become afraid. By and by they will learn all the tricks of the world. That’s what has happened to everybody, more or less
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Kynande Bennett missing since Sept 29, 2002
Endangered Missing
KYNANDE BENNETT
DOB: Aug 24, 1998Missing: Sep 29, 2002
Age Now: 11
Sex: Female
Race: Black
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 3′10″ (117 cm)
Weight: 90 lbs (41 kg)
Missing From:
WHITEVILLE
NC
United States Age Progressed
Kynande’s photo is shown age-progressed to 11 years. She was reportedly last seen in the company of her mother at a Kmart department store in Whiteville, North Carolina. Kynande has pierced ears and a birthmark on her right arm. When she was last seen, Kynande had braids in her hair and was wearing a grey “FUBU” shirt and blue jeans.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACTNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Whiteville Police Department (North Carolina) 1-910-640-1428
The neatest thing is happening!
Years ago, maybe 15 years ago, a group of moms at my childrens’ school were on the PTSO and also on a committee to find space solutions for the overcrowded elementary schools in our community. Not so creatively, we referred to ourselves as “The Space Committee”, which led to all sorts of spinnoff names – ending with us calling ourselves “space-cadets” – again not so clever, but endearing.
We did wonderful work together and when our solutions for the schools were put into place and our terms on the PTSO ended, we missed each other.
In time someone came up with the bright idea of forming a book club! We are all bright, thoughtful, well-read women — it was a natural. Plus, we love to eat and chat. For about three years we met fairly regularly.
Then life changed for many of us. Some changes were those in the natural course of life – children off to college, our parents needing our time and care. And some changes were the sort that each of us dreads – illness, divorce, overwhelming sorrows.
While we were a serious book club at the beginning, after a while the book talk lasted about 20 minutes each time we met, as catching up on each other’s news became more important and lasted two to three hours. For our final gatherings, we wouldn’t even bother to read a book! We just wanted to be together. So, we’d talk about books we were reading, mixed and mingled with girl talk – our children, our mothers, menopause. And we’d laugh, a lot.
I think it’s been nearly two years since the group has met. But I’m sure we’ve all kept our “Book Club” email group in our contact lists. And today, I pulled up my list and sent an email to them, telling them about my book, with the hope of enticing them out into the winter cold some night soon for shared company, shared food, and lots of hugs.
My day has been sprinkled with delightful replies to my email. Like springtime bulbs breaking through the soil, each of the women has popped up in my inbox with a message that matches the color of her personality. And with great excitement we are tossing out potential dates for our gab fest, er, book discussion.
It looks as if we will be meeting again, and soon. I cannot wait! Yay!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Proposed Medicaid Reduction Puts Children with Special Needs and Public School Systems Across the State in Serious Jeopardy
January 11, 2010 (ANSON COUNTY, NC) — In Anson County, North Carolina, one of the 
Because of this service, these children will require less special education and other treatment and habilitative services in school, they will be retained in their school grade less often, and in some cases they will become indistinguishable from their classmates.
But all of that could go away this summer. The NC Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) has decided to delete Community Based Rehabilitative Services as a Medicaid payable service as of June 30, 2010 – a move that follows NC General Assembly directives. That means Medicaid will no longer reimburse the cost for the special therapists and other staff that work in community-based centers such as Anson.
Without Medicaid reimbursement, the Anson Children’s Center and 252 other centers like it across the state are in jeopardy of closing, according to Sam Hedrick, president of RHA Howell, Inc., the not-for-profit organization that operates the Anson Children’s Center. And the effect on the public school system will be devastating, she added.
“If centers like Anson stop operating, the public school system will have to dramatically increase programs to assist these children who will be coming to them with none of the skills they learn in community-based, early intervention programs,” Hedrick said. “This is clearly a case of penny wise and pound foolish.” School systems are struggling financially now. They simply will not be able to afford to try to catch all of these children up. “
Millicent Williams, director of the Anson Children’s Center, pointed out specific children who receive services, such as Damarion, who is autistic; William, who is developmentally delayed in speech, language, cognitive and gross motor skills; Aaliyah, who needs help with gross motor skills and balancing; and Tanasia, who is blind, deaf and unable to walk. These children are two years of age or younger.
“I am extremely devastated about Medicaid’s decision,” she said. “What will happen to our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at Anson? Has anyone really stopped to think about the wellbeing of these children? Who will provide the safe, nurturing and quality care for all of the children being affected across the state?”
A petition to the NC Division of Medical Assistance, NC Department of Public Health and NC Children’s Development Services is currently circulating, written by Brianna Kelley an early intervention therapist in Pender County. It has received nearly 800 signatures thus far.
The opening statement reads:
“The recent decision made by the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) to delete Community based rehabilitative service (CBRS) as a reimbursable service effective June 30, 2010 is a travesty. This decision demonstrates a total disregard for what is in the best interest of disabled individuals, families and the public school systems in the state of North Carolina.”
Hedrick, Williams and other members of the RHA Howell team are working on strategies to combat these cuts before the June 30 deadline. They’re also planning to team up with other organizations that operate community-based rehabilitative services center across the state.
Hedrick said she is aware that some state representatives are opposed to the Medicaid cuts, referring to an email from Representative Pryor Gibson. Gibson represents Anson and Union counties. In his email he pointed out that state Senator William Purcell, a retired pediatrician from Laurinburg, “was raising Cain about the cuts during the budget fight in [the] July conference report…. but we could not get any more money designated…fyi it is going to be some worse in ‘10….”
“The good news is that we are getting through to Senator Purcell,” Hedrick said. “The not-so-good news is that he predicts further budget cuts in 2010.”
The Raleigh News & Observer recently reported, “State officials must figure out a way to replace the service despite the elimination of federal money, because federal education laws require states to help disabled children. So any future program would likely be trimmed to narrow the kinds of help provided and serve fewer families.”
To the families of these children and the people across the state who serve them, including the staff at Anson Children’s Center, this is unacceptable.
THE FACES BEHIND THE ISSUE: HOW TWO CHILDREN HAVE FLOURISHED THANKS TO COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
by Becky Lansing, M.ED, Corporate Education Specialist, RHA Howell, Inc.
Coleman
No one plans to have a child with special needs. But having a child with a disability is a reality for families throughout the state of North Carolina, across the country, and around the world. Families everywhere face the challenges of meeting the unique needs of their child, beginning with where to turn for help.
Coleman has Down’s Syndrome. His mother talked about how they coped with his needs.
“It was very overwhelming — even though we knew, before he was born, there was a small chance he would have Down’s. We knew he was going to need more than a normal child. I was so lost. But the hospital referred us to the CDSA (Children’s Developmental Services Agency). He started getting Community Based Rehabilitative Services (CBRS) when he was 3 months old.”
Now an active 3-year old who runs, climbs, talks and is “into everything,” Coleman has no difficulty keeping up with his same-age peers. Coleman’s family credits the individualized services Coleman received through CBRS. Collaboration with his teachers and therapists kept everyone focused on the skills Coleman needed to practice.
There is still ground to be gained, but Coleman’s mother is proud of the progress her son has made. She reports that he walked at two years of age, and still may be a little behind—but not much.
“I hate that the (CBRS) services might be discontinued,” she said. “There are so many children that need these services.”
Without CBRS, she believes Coleman would need far more support than he does now.
Destinie began receiving CBRS as an infant with medical and developmental concerns. Now 3
Destinie
years old, her family and support team agree that she has made good progress as a result of the services she’s received.
Destinie attends an inclusive education program where it is reported that she is “happy and confident.” Her great-grandmother recalls that as an infant, Destinie was content to just sit, and would not try to do anything. She was delayed in language and motor skills.
Now, her participation and socialization skills are appropriate for her developmental level, and she continues to make progress with school readiness skills.
“She walks, and talks, and sings her ABC’s and counts,” reports her great-grandmother, her primary caregiver. ‘We are so grateful for the services she received.”
Without CBRS, it is unlikely that either Coleman or Destinie would have had educational services until their third birthdays—three years of missed opportunities to make a difference in their lives.
About RHA Howell, Inc.:
RHA Howell is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that has been helping people with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for quality, hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance program. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly supporting infants and children. For more information, go to www.rhahowell.org.
It'd be a shame to waste it
With the weather being so nice and warm (above freezing) and the back yard ice in decent shape, we took advantage of it as a family and had a blast. My second son is blowing me away with his ability to catch on so quickly as this was only his second time on ice skates. Yesterday was his first. We had a blast. This my friends, is what family life is about. Getting off the couch, getting outside, and take it all as it comes. Looking back tonight, I begin to realize even more the fun that we shared today. These things will live on in the lives of our children and they will remember these days for the rest of their life. So will I.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Swollen Eye!
I have a really bad habit of not taking my contact lenses out before heading to bed and it got even worse after I went on bed rest. I would keep telling myself I would take them out the next day. Well here we are about 3 months later and I had the same pair of contacts on. I know terrible idea.. But who has time to remember to take them out when they are on bed
rest and about to go into labor??? I really don’t think my contacts were the first thing on my mind.
I finally took them out yesterday morning because my eye was starting to hurt. I put my glasses on and figured the pain would go away since the contacts were no longer sucking the moisture out of my eye. Well the pain was certainly gone but now I have a lovely swollen eye. I saw it this morning while I was gettign ready to shower and I was so mad at myself for waiting this long to take them out! Oh well hopefully it will go away soon..
Challenges at two
Henry is two.
You know what they say about two year olds right? This is the ‘terrible two’s’. SO FAR, they haven’t been that bad. However there are some instances where I feel like it might be just beginning. Take for instance tonight…
…We are having dinner. On the menu is Chicken drumsticks, carrots and ranch and some garlic bread triangles. Henry has eaten all that with no issues before. Low and behold, tonight he wasn’t having any of the chicken. All I asked was that he take just one bite. I think that one bite of everything being served is a reasonable request when someone makes a nice meal. Nope. Not a chance. (If you get queasy, you may want to stop reading. I’ll try not to be too graphic.) Henry has this disgusting behavior he sometimes pull when he doesn’t want to eat what we are serving. He will take a bite, no matter how small, and gag. He does it so much that he looses his dinner. I find this repulsive and unacceptable. I’m at a loss as what to do. Yes, I could just not worry about him eating it. If he doesn’t, then he doesn’t eat period. No making a second dinner here. On the other hand I feel that just one bite isn’t asking too much when someone makes a nice meal. I’m at a loss.
Another challenge is Henry’s independence. I’m better at handling these but it is getting tricky the older he becomes. Henry will flat-out tell you ‘No’ to something or ‘I don’t like it.’ As if, kiddo, you were the ruler of the roost. I don’t think so. You don’t call the big shots around here. Sometimes you don’t get to choose those things. I try to give him many choices as possible, even the silly ones, as encouraged by the ‘Parenting With Love and Logic’ model. However, there are times where children have to learn they don’t always get to choose. I’m totally in sync with this, but it doesn’t make getting the job done any easier when your child disagrees with your choice. An example would be when we have to change Henry’s diaper. We let him choose how he wants to go upstairs. Usually it’s ‘ Do you want to walk or do you want Mommy to carry you upstairs?’ I’ll change it up with; fly, hop, bark, etc… . He doesn’t want to go at all and so we choose for him (carry him). None the less, when he doesn’t want to go and we choose to carry him, he will still make it difficult to get the job done. The boy has some wicked squirming skills that would put worms to shame.
Lately he has the way of getting the ‘mean Mommy’ out who has to be the bad guy. You know, that’s the Mommy that has the lowered stern tone, ‘the look’, the one that will follow through no matter how long it takes on the naughty mat until he apologizes. No one likes to do that job of parenting, but the older the children get, the more mean Mommy has to appear. I know that my main job is not to be his friend. It’s to parent to give him the tools that he needs as an adult to make sound decisions. It sucks. I’d rather snuggle on the couch and watch Curious George or play trains with him.
Parenting is always evolving with the childs growing needs. It’s not an easy job because once you think you have it figured out, your child changes developmentally, thus your role with them as well.
What worries me is what happens at the age of three. One day at a time, one day at a time. (repeat) *wipes the sweat from her brow*
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
One of life's little questions
Why do i love The Sound of Music so much?
Could it be the cracking songs? Well, i’m sure they’re part of the reason but the fact is i’m not generally a fan of musicals or that type of music: too contrived and controlled for me.
Could it be the beauty of the landscapes? Stunning indeed, but in these post-BBC nature documentary days there are plenty of other opportunities to see panoramas as lovely as the those in the film.
What about the romance between the Captain and Fräulein Maria? Definitely a factor. Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews are magical together and it’s a great shame they haven’t worked together more frequently.
All these things contribute to my enjoyment – as do the moments of humour and the nail-biting chase at the end – but, on reflection, i realise they aren’t critical to it. No, for me it’s the joy and genuine sense of family that the kids, especially the younger ones, bring to the film which raises my spirits. They shine out from the television, obliterating the wintery greyness outside. That same joy also renders me oblivious to the movie’s obvious sentimentality.
Bottle it and you could make millions. And of course that’s exactly what the film makers, if not the children, did.
A Streamlined FAFSA by Dr. Jill Biden
posted by: Audiegrl
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Dr. Jill Biden, Senator Jack Reed join students and guidance counselors from Banneker Senior High School to discuss the FAFSA, January 5, 2010.
Dr. Jill Biden~~I know first-hand as a parent and as a former high school and current college instructor just how challenging and overwhelming all of the financial aid forms and paperwork can be – and it was great to see how the current forms have fewer questions, easier navigation and are more user-friendly. I spoke with students at the computer lab who expressed relief to be working on the more user-friendly FAFSA.President Obama has challenged the nation to have the highest percentage of college graduates by 2020, and simplifying the FAFSA form is a huge step toward removing barriers to financial aid and access to higher education for all.
If you are considering applying for financial aid, you can learn more here: www.fafsa.ed.gov
Monday, January 4, 2010
2010 -The New Year-The New You
Happy New Year! At the beginning of a new year I find it helpful to look back at all the accomplishes personally and professionally I have made in the previous year. I highly suggest this to all of you, you will be surprised at how far you have come! At Sama Baby, last year, our press coverage made a huge leap! We really managed to get our product out there, to all of you wonderful mommies who were in need of organic clothing. We reached out to some great online and print sources, including Vanity Fair! We have had great responses and feedback on our product and are looking forward to putting the final touches on a new collection. This year we are ready to get a fresh start and introduce some new items to our growing brand. Please check out a summary of our press coverage at the link below. its a great way for you to figure out which Sama products are right for you. Find out what other people are saying about us, and choose wisely what products are the best fit for your little bundle of joy. Lets continue our eco friendly lifestyles with determination this year and really do our part to keep our enviroment clean for our healthy happy babies!
And don’t forget to do your reflecting on 2009, take the good pieces with you into 2010 and leave the ones you can do without behind. We grow by learning from our experiences and holding tight to those lessons in the future!
To check out Sama Press click here: http://www.samababy.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=48
To shop for Sama Items go to http://www.samababy.com
Calmness, Balance, Serenity, SAMA
Friday, January 1, 2010
Beware, the Kids Are On Facebook
Plenty has been written about the dilemma of embarrassed kids whose stodgy parents befriend them on Facebook. But much more disturbing are the Facebook-fanatical parents who forget that their own children are privy to every snide comment and raunchy picture they post.
Parents are bragging online about their weekend partying, complete with photos of themselves boozing it up and hanging all over complete strangers or sometimes even stripper poles. They’re buying rounds of cyber cocktails for their friends via Facebook apps.
Little Suzy reads that Mom thinks her dad is a low-life asshole and that she thinks her life overall is complete shit. Little Bobby follows his dad’s conversation about all the hot bitches he’s hooked up with.
Who knows, maybe these people speak and act this way right in front of their kids too. But I suspect that when even these parents are in the same room with their children they censor themselves at least a little bit. On Facebook however they seem to fall victim to a sort of peer pressure that persuades them to put their worst selves on display to try to impress their so-called friends.
Parents want to be Facebook friends with their children so they can monitor who they’re talking to and what they’re saying. But a consequence of that cyber relationship is that the kids can monitor their parents as well. Apparently this light bulb hasn’t come on yet for a good many parents.
If you wouldn’t say it to your kid at home then please don’t say it anywhere on Facebook. If you wouldn’t put it in your family photo album then please don’t display it on Facebook. And if you’re not a parent, please remember that I am and don’t post any of that crap on my wall.
Girlie Girls
The outfits that these stylin’ three year old twin girls were wearing were so adorable I couldn’t get over them! Red in the spirit of the holidays with white embroidered details. They also had matching white furry coats to match! Patent black shoes, but of course! And, red sequined hair pieces by the ears. Oh-la-la! They were such happy little love bugs and I had a really great time with them on the Peninsula with their family. It was my last shoot of 2009 which was bittersweet since 2009 was such a bang of a year for me and sad for it to be over, but I had to end it somehow, right?! Happy to finalize it with this family they were a delight! I was chatting it up with them at the end for way too long and finally I told them I had to go because my husband was probably wondering where I was, ha! Enjoy!
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