Hiding In My Closet Crying

Prom has come and gone, and with no incidents thank goodness.

It’s a huge weight off knowing our kids all made it home safe and sound.

With the school year fastly wrapping up, we now have to start preparing ourselves for graduation.

I don’t think it matters much if you have a senior graduating or a kindergartener graduating, they’re still your baby and it’s still harder than any of us would like to admit.

When we aren’t hiding in our closet crying over our babies growing up and rational thoughts return we should all take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate that comes with a graduation.

Now is a chance to pat yourself on the back for a job well done; you and your graduate have made it through another year.

Plus, end of the year field trips are only going to keep us busy for so long. Family and friends are much better than that.

I want to share a recipe that’s good for any graduation party; be it in the backyard or a rented banquet hall.

Green Grape Dessert Salad

You’re going to need:

4 pounds of seedless green grapes
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
1 (8 oz) container of sour cream
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 oz chopped pecans
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

First things first, you want to wash and dry the grapes.

Now, in a large bowl you want to mix together the cream cheese, the sour cream, the sugar, and the vanilla. 

Once you have that mixed together add in your grapes and stir till everything is evenly distributed.

Next you just sprinkle in the brown sugar and the pecans and mix it a little more.

I like to serve mine in a bowl other than what I mixed it together in, but you don’t have to. 

If you do want to serve it in another dish now is the time to move it over and then let it chill for a little while before serving.

So, there you have it; an easy but crowd pleaseing recipe that still allows us time to cry in the closet.

Silence Is Golden...

Silence is golden.

Unless you have kids..

It was a normal Saturday morning at our house. I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. It was quiet.

It was quiet.

That should have been clue number 1.

As I loaded the dishwasher, I thought to myself "man the kids are being so good".

That should have been clue number 2.

I  continued cleaning still amazed that my children were playing so well together.

Playing well together?

And then it hit me. Like all moms when the quietness, and the good behavior, and the playing well together clicked in my mind I know something was up.

I ventured to the boys room opened the door to find a homemade zip-line.

That's right folks, my kids had worked together to build their very own zip-line.

IN THEIR ROOM!

They did it using only a jump rope, the bunk bed, and a single door knob.

Pretty cool right?

If the 9 year old and the 5 year old hadn't been placing their younger brother in an Easter basket for the ride down I might be a little more proud.

Bullying, The Truth Behind This Momma Wanting to Kick Some Ass (because that makes sense)

     “I shall remember forever and will never forget.

      Monday: my money was taken.

      Tuesday: names called.

      Wednesday: my uniform torn.

     Thursday: my body pouring with blood.

     Friday: it’s ended

     Saturday: freedom”

      That’s the final diary passage of thirteen-year old V. Singh. He was found hanging from the banister rail at home on the following Sunday. It is also a defining portion of the book Bullycide, Death at Playtime by Neil Marr and Tim Field.  October is National Bullying Awareness month. I’d like to talk a little about school bullying.  Bullying by definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary means 1: to treat abusively 2. to affect by means of force or coercion. That’s so much more than just bad behavior.  

     For bad behavior to be considered bullying, it has to have two ingredients, says Rana Sampson. She wrote a pamphlet called Bullying in Schools for the U.S. Department of Justice. The first ingredient is repeated harmful acts against the same person. The second is an imbalance of power. That means one person (the bully) must have or believe that he or she has more power than the victim has. (Power can be physical strength, or it can be a type of mental control.)

Each bullying act, Sampson says, usually includes

* a victim,

* the ringleader bully

* assistant bullies (they join in),

* reinforcers (they laugh with or encourage the bully)

* bystanders (they don't take a side)

*  and defenders (they step in and stick up for or comfort the victim). (Hunt, P., & Nevins, D)

      According to the National Education Association it is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. I’d feel safe saying that could probably be an understatement.

 I’d like to show you a picture of my son

 

(Cutie Pie, isn't he?)

Now I'd like to show you what bullying can do.

 



 

My son, at the age of 4, was a victim of school bullying. After the bullying became physical we had no choice but to withdraw him from the program. Luckily for us, the damage has been fairly minimal. He isn’t dealing with any real emotional issues and everything but one scar has healed and disappeared.

 

Bullying is real. It’s not something that just happens to everyone else. It can happen anywhere.

 

     If you check out the website Make Beats Not Beat Downs, you can find information about the different types of bullying.

     “Bullying can take many forms but it usually includes the following types of behavior:

• Physical – hitting, kicking, pinching, punching, scratching, spitting or any other form of physical attack. Damage to or taking someone else’s belongings may also constitute as physical bullying.

• Verbal – name calling, insulting, making racist, sexist or homophobic jokes, remarks or teasing, using sexually suggestive or abusive language, offensive remarks

• Indirect – spreading nasty stories about someone, exclusion from social groups, being made the subject of malicious rumors, sending abusive mail, and email and text messages (cyber bullying).

• Cyber Bullying - any type of bullying that is carried out by electronic medium.” (http://www.makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org/facts_new.html)

 

     Knowing what bullying is, the different ways it can occur and the seriousness of the issue; how do we prevent it? Can we prevent? Most people say the key to bullying prevention is awareness. You know that old saying “knowledge is power”, bullying prevention is a great example of that at work.  Be aware of your surroundings. No, not the physical surroundings, the people you are surround with. Familiarize yourself with their behaviors their moods. Be aware of those things so you can and will notice any changes. Read the clues. Are they having any frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness? Have there been any changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating? Are they having difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares? Are there grades declining? Is there a loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school? Maybe there is a sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations or feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem. These are all clues that something like bullying is going on.

 

     If you determine bullying is occurring, a resolution lies within your reaction. React the right way.  Stay calm, and have an orderly plan. Start by assessing the level of bullying. All types of bullying should be taken seriously, but how you handle it will depend on the nature, severity and duration. Once you have gathered all of the facts try emailing or meeting with the teacher. Here is where staying calm really comes in to play. Try to remember you’re on the same team. If the teacher can’t resolve the problem, involve the principal. Put it in writing, explaining the steps you’ve taken, and ask that they intervene. Find out what they plan to do to keep the child safe. Then monitor the situation, and if you’re not satisfied, meet with the superintendent or, if necessary, the school board. If it’s cyber bullying report the harassment to your Internet Service Provider. If it’s physical, report it to the police.

 

     Finally, no matter how tempted you are, don’t confront the bully or his parents. Tempers are likely to flare, which will just make the situation worse. Leave it to the school or legal authorities.

 

William Shakespeare wrote,

    “All the world’s a stage,

     And all the men and women merely players.

     They have their exits and their entrances,

     And one man in his time plays many parts, …”  (As You Like It, Act 2, Scn. 7)

 

     “The bully, the bullied, and the bystander are three characters in a tragic play performed daily in our homes, schools, playgrounds, and streets.” (Colorose, B.) And, just like the characters in Shakespeare’s play, the roles we have as characters in life are real and the consequences of some actions can be deadly.

 

Which characters are you?

Seven Minutes of Heaven

There is something to be said when a mom will wake up early during the summer to make fried tortillas with cinnamon and sugar for her kids. 

Some would call that "breakfast"

Others would call it a "poor choice"

I call it "seven minutes of heaven"

That's about how long they're quiet when they're eating. 

Try it. You'll like it.

Boy 1 Is Wondering...

So the other day, The Dad and I were spending some time with Boy 1.

We were headed to get some lunch when Boy 1 started to ask questions.

Questions are great.

I love that my kids ask questions because they want to know, or learn something.

What I don't love is the unknown of what said questions may be.

Being a parent is hard.

Anyways, back to the other day. So we are headed to lunch and the questions start.

It's the normal stuff. Woo Hoo!! Nothing to see here people; just a 5 year old boy asking his Momma and Dad "why" about a million times or to change the radio station, or if he can go here or there, and could we do this or that.

Then he asked...

Boy 1 "Dad, do humans make other humans?"

(so glad he asked The Dad)

The Dad "Well what do you think? Your Momma is a human and you came from your momma."

Boy 1 "DUH Dad!! I know Mommies make babies but do humans make other humans?!?"

The Dad "You ARE a human, Momma is a human, babies are human."

Boy 1 "Oh! Oh yeah I knew that."


Man, my kid is a genius ;)

Father's Day and Something To Screw

Sunday is Father's Day, and since I have to work and the girls are all gone for summer visitation, me and the boys took the Dad out tonight night for some yummy BBQ. It's his favorite.

While eating dinner, Boy 1 started questioning what activities were to come. 

Boy 1, "Hey Daddy, What are we going to do tomorrow while Momma is gone?"

The Dad, "Man work."

Boy 1, "Man work? Like what?"

The Dad, "We are going to mow, then spray bug stuff, maybe plant Momma's new flowers, and work around the house."

Boy 1, "Work with tools?"

The Dad, "Yep, working with tools."

Boy 1, "COOOOOL DAD!!"

(Our food comes and we start eating, THEN....)

Boy 1, "Hey Dad? Tomorrow can you find me something to screw?"

The Dad, while spitting Diet Coke out of his nose, "Yes son, yes, I'll find you something to screw."

Happy Father's Day!!

My Toddler Still Likes "Baby Food"

Boy 2 is my youngest.

He is my baby.

He is almost two (next week to be exact).

And, he still LOVES his fruit puree.

Boy 2, is a fan of fruit purees. It's one of his favorite things to eat. He eats "big people food" to but, everyday he likes a little fruit puree for a snack. So everyday I gladly open a package, squirt it into a bowl, and let him enjoy it.  And, sometimes I just let him suck it out of the package.

I get asked more than I ever thought I would, "Isn't he too old for that?" or "Are you really still feeding your toddler baby food?"

Yes, YES I AM!

Stop judging me.

I'm sure most of us still feed our children applesauce. Heck we probably eat it ourselves. So why is applesauce acceptable but not other fruit purees? It just seems stupid to me.

I feed my boys, both of them, purees from Oh Baby Foods

Oh Baby Foods is a local company that provides 100% organic foods, made from regionally-raised ingredients grown 100% by US farmers. It's good for my boys. It's good for my community, and our Country's farmers.

Oh Baby Foods currently offer 6 super yummy "meals for babies"

Peachy Keen, Basil Babe, Pearfecto, Wise Punkin, LavenBerry, and AmazeMint

Boy 2 is a HUGE fan and his big brother, Boy 1, is five and he still likes them to!

So, I'm just going to sit back and take the judgement while my boys eat their all natural 100% organic"baby food"

Come On and Sing It With Me Car Wash! Get With The Feelin' Y'all Car Wash Yeah

(You're singing the song now aren't you?)


I went to wash the van this morning.

I had the boys with me and apparently they had their ears were turned on.

As I gave my gift card to the attendant  (yes I had a gift card to the car wash) I say, somewhat under my breath I thought, hope this is worth $12.

He gives me suckers for the boys and says "put it in neutral, no brakes, no hands, no wipers, and the vacuums are free." 

We go through the car wash, I take full advantage of the free vacuums and as I'm hanging up the vacuum an attendant walks by us.  

Boy 1 looks at him and says "these suckers and the free vacuums almost make it worth the $12." 

He is so my child.

Talking Lunch With Boy 1. He's 5.

Me, "What do you want for lunch?"

Boy 1, "Um, how about a grilled cheese."

Me, "Ok. Go sit down and I'll make you one."

Boy 1, "Mom? I don't want like a regular grilled cheese. Can you better it up with some avocado?"

Me, "I don't have any avocado we ate it the other night with dinner."

Boy 1, "Not cool Mom, not cool!"

We Got Our Tonka On

Saturday afternoon Boy 1, Boy 2, myself, and the Grandmother headed to the John Q. Hammons Center for the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas' Touch A Truck event. It was "The best field trip ever!" according to Boy1.

When we got there we went right to the Tonka play center. It was awesome. They had sand boxes with Tonka trucks in them, Tonka tents, hard hats & vest for pictures, balls to play with, balloons, and Tonka mats for playing with even more Tonka trucks. My boys probably played there for 30 minutes before they were ready to go explore some of the big trucks.

I loved that the Tonka play center was located right by all the big construction equipment. My boys went from playing with a dump truck to exploring IN a dump truck. Brilliant.

For roughly 2.5 hours my boys climbed in and out of bucket trucks, tanks, school buses, cement trucks, semis, backhoes, dump trucks, police cars, firetrucks, swat trucks, and just about every other possible vehicle or service equipment known to man. They sat on motor-cylces, ate popsicles, learned about fire safety, shot a BB gun, had their faces painted, played in sand, played in dirt, played in rice, and painted pictures. They were given treats from various vendors and sponsors; candy, frisbees, rubber bracelets, coloring sheets, pencils, stickers, and temporary tattoos.

For roughly 2.5 hours on Saturday my boys were treated as if they were "King of the World" and they were allowed to act as such.

For roughly 2.5 hours my boys laughed, squealed, clapped their hands, jumped up in down in excitement, and sat in amazement.

Thank you to the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas, Tonka, and all the working men and women of Northwest Arkansas for bringing Touch a Truck to my boys. Thank you for giving Boy 1 "the best field trip ever!'

Will They Ever Learn

The Dad is at band practice.

The kiddos are all asleep.

I was going to clean up our kitchen and finish up some of the kids' chores...

WAS GOING TO

But, then I went to the fridge to pour myself a glass of tea.

This is what I found.

I probably don't need to tell you that I am not cleaning our kitchen, I am not finishing up some of the kids' chores. 

I am planning my next move. Hope they're hungry but, only expect a bite.

You Did What?!?

So, Sunday while I was gone being a superstar in Listen To Your Mother and the Dad was along to support me, our daughters stayed home with the younger kids. They are 16 and almost 13 and they are pros at helping out with the little ones so I wasn't really worried.

Plus, are neighbors are awesome and always keep an eye out without letting the big girls know.

I checked in with the girls while I was backstage waiting for LTYM to start and just like I thought Daughter 1 said everything was fine. The littlest one had just woke up from a nap so she was going to make him a peanut butter roll up. (It's one of his favorite things) Alright I said and reminded them all, through her, that I loved them.

The Dad checked in with the girls multiple times via text before the show started and after. Each time he got a reply about how great things were going.

No need to worry right?!?

WRONG!!

When we got home, I walked through the door and was greeted with several high pitch squeals and hugs, and then I noticed my baby's hair.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I questioned. "WHY?" "Why is your baby brother's hair?" "Why is your brother's hair PURPLE?"

Yes, you read that right. They dyed my precious baby boy's hair purple!!

Now, before you go and call anyone, it wasn't permanent. It wasn't even semi permanent. It was the kind you brush in with a mascara brush that comes out without even washing the hair.

Still, the dyed my baby's hair purple!

I bet they were hoping I'd freak out and say something crazy like "You're never babysitting again." Boy, were they wrong. I see a lot of diapers in their future. :)

Lazy Butts!

My children have reached a whole new level of laziness. 

Seriously! Instead of walking to the linen closet to grab a few rolls of toilet paper, Daughter 1 leaves this lovely message on the bathroom mirror. 

Ya know because that was easier...