Apparently I've never blogged about Benny's obsession with being a "great American." It's a long story, but here goes:
There's a local radio personality who calls himself a "Great American" and guests on his show whom he finds ideas that he agrees with he also calls "Great Americans." I have an uncle who had a back and forth with this celebrity at a Reds game and it was a really funny story when my uncle shared it with us.
This morphed into a thing that all my uncles now do with my boys--specifically with Benny--they call each other "Great Americans." I've shared before how Ben has roles for boys and girls, and apparently only boys can be "Great Americans." The boys have gotten very passionate about this thing, even though I'm pretty sure they have no idea what this means.
My thoughts were proven correct when we watched the Olympic hockey finals on Sunday. The boys were very excited, as they absolutely love hockey, and they made signs to root for their team. Guess who Benny made a sign for? The Canucks.
He did not back down. Not one iota. He was rooting for Team Canada and no one was going to tell him different. Oh, but by the way, he is still a "Great American."
The game was incredible--just what you want in a gold-medal competition. Benny never backed away from his choice, even though the rest of us were wholeheartedly cheering on the Red, White & Blue. Benny gets that way. Once he gets something in his head, he sticks with it and I have to say that may be partly my fault. I tend to get very stubborn about things and once I make a decision I'll often stick with it even though I may come to realize it's not the best decision. And a lot of times the choices I make are because I don't like doing what everyone else is doing. I don't know how to justify that.
In the end, Benny was very excited that "his" team won. He wants to remind you that he still is a "Great American," but he's also a winner.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saint Kevin
On Saturday, I had an annual event where I travel a little less than an hour to spend an entire day scrapbooking with my good friend from college. Catching up on our lives through chatting goes on more than in the pages in our albums, but it is something I really look forward to each year.
That day also turned out to be Louie's basketball banquet day as well as a fundraiser at his school called "Fun Fest." Kevin, who I knew would have no problem doing it all with all the kids, took everyone to both events and gained the respect and admiration of other mothers who were at both events. They were mesmerized by his lack of anxiety over having the four youngins out by himself. They actually called him "Saint Kevin!"
I count myself fortunate that I have a wonderful husband who is willing and comfortable taking his kids so I can get away for the day, and I don't have any worries while I'm gone. Thank you, Kevin!
That day also turned out to be Louie's basketball banquet day as well as a fundraiser at his school called "Fun Fest." Kevin, who I knew would have no problem doing it all with all the kids, took everyone to both events and gained the respect and admiration of other mothers who were at both events. They were mesmerized by his lack of anxiety over having the four youngins out by himself. They actually called him "Saint Kevin!"
I count myself fortunate that I have a wonderful husband who is willing and comfortable taking his kids so I can get away for the day, and I don't have any worries while I'm gone. Thank you, Kevin!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Am I doing my kids a disservice?
This is on my mind today.
I have a hard time believing that I can purchase the tools necessary for my kids to be successful in life. Not every kid is going to be the best at everything he or she attempts, and not everyone develops at the same rate. I think the key phrase from the article is that people are seeking professionals for routine problems of childhood.
Will my kids not do as well as they possibly could because I have no interest in getting them professional help in things that will come to them eventually? Are there really that many more students out there who need help outside of their homes?
And the bigger issue is, what happens to the children out there who actually need the help but can't because there aren't enough therapists out there to service everyone?
(There's a reason why this post is labeled "aimless." Not really going anywhere, is it?)
I have a hard time believing that I can purchase the tools necessary for my kids to be successful in life. Not every kid is going to be the best at everything he or she attempts, and not everyone develops at the same rate. I think the key phrase from the article is that people are seeking professionals for routine problems of childhood.
Will my kids not do as well as they possibly could because I have no interest in getting them professional help in things that will come to them eventually? Are there really that many more students out there who need help outside of their homes?
And the bigger issue is, what happens to the children out there who actually need the help but can't because there aren't enough therapists out there to service everyone?
(There's a reason why this post is labeled "aimless." Not really going anywhere, is it?)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Midweek Moments
- Going through Louie's folder I saw that he got a sticker that has a picture of a dinosaur and it says "Nice Try" on it. Lou informed that he thinks it says that because it's a triceratops. Not sure if the coffee hadn't kicked in yet or not, but I was pretty impressed that he caught onto that.
- Charlie drew his first "person" picture, or at least one that I recognized people in it! As in the past, I get so excited when the boys draw pictures of people--our family. When Lou first drew his I called them "chicken nugget people." Not sure what kind of artist Charlie will be because when I went to find the picture it was crumpled up and cut up. I'm guessing he's a bit more on the avant garde end of the spectrum. (I'll have to post the picture later.)
- In the last couple of weeks I've attended a PTO meeting and a board meeting at the preschool. In both, the topic of technology has come up in discussion. This is a point of conflict with me. As much as I love technology (i.e. digital cameras, the internet), I feel like it is healthy for all people to have the ability to disconnect from electronics. Not all the time, but sometimes. There is so much to be appreciated around us and as much as technology has been responsible for some really great things (this blog, for instance, ha-ha), it does cut us off from the "living" world. On the other hand, I want my kids to be well-versed on the ins and outs of technology because (as the talk in the meetings suggested) that is where classrooms and education in general is headed. In the not-too-distant future kids will be reading on iPod Touches instead of textbooks. (Wow. Just now getting to my point.) Benny has found a game that he can play on a website and he loves it. He talks about playing it all the time and I wonder if he
- As I type this I see a squirrel digging up a bulb that I planted. Ugh. Please, please, please let there be a few flowers that pop up this spring!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Still Shots from Hoopsfest
Here are some pictures from the warm-up and game on Saturday. Sorry the pictures are so grainy. The light wasn't the greatest and because they were playing full court I was taking the shots back a little further than in previous games.
The kids were so excited even though I don't think they had any clue what was going on. The organization that runs the basketball (and baseball) program is incredible. The woman in charge is so dedicated to the kids--really emphasizing that it is about the kids having fun. The kids learn a lot because the pressure is not there and grow both as an athlete and as a person. So glad we're a part of it!
In line doing their layups before the game
After they ran through the banner, the team members were announced individually
Louie always plays under the basket with his hands up
Gracie wore her warm-up suit just in case they needed an extra player.
Turns out Louie has a teammate named Grace who made some great shots!
Meredith wore her ballerina outfit to be the cheerleader on this special day. (Can you believe I allowed this? Ah, how time has changed me ;)
The kids were so excited even though I don't think they had any clue what was going on. The organization that runs the basketball (and baseball) program is incredible. The woman in charge is so dedicated to the kids--really emphasizing that it is about the kids having fun. The kids learn a lot because the pressure is not there and grow both as an athlete and as a person. So glad we're a part of it!
In line doing their layups before the game
After they ran through the banner, the team members were announced individually
Louie always plays under the basket with his hands up
Gracie wore her warm-up suit just in case they needed an extra player.Turns out Louie has a teammate named Grace who made some great shots!
Meredith wore her ballerina outfit to be the cheerleader on this special day. (Can you believe I allowed this? Ah, how time has changed me ;)Monday, February 22, 2010
Are People Losing Their Minds?
So when I heard about this announcement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics I felt a strong desire to talk to someone and because my kids really don't want to get into deep discussions with me, I thought I share my thoughts with you.
Basically, the AAP wants companies to redesign hot dogs, among other items that cause choking in children.
My answer to the problem of parents who fear their kids will choke would be: don't let them eat hot dogs.
Yes, bad things happen. Many bad things can happen to kids. However, the possibility of bad things happening can be curbed by awareness, being informed and using common sense. But even if all these occur, you cannot ward off all negative situations.
Dr. Gary Smith, the lead author of the policy statement says:
"There's a general recognition that more needed to be done to protect children from choking," according to Smith. "We have a number of laws and regulations that help prevent choking due to toys. There are no such similar regulations for food."
I think the major difference between having toys that kids can choke on and choke-able foods is that food is pretty plain and simple--if it is a certain size, it need to be cut down to bite-sized chunks; if it is difficult to chew, either cut it down to make it easier or just don't give it to a child; if its texture is such that it's too thick (i.e. peanut butter) only put a thin layer on a piece of bread or cracker. It comes down to common sense. With toys, it's completely different.
Toys come in all shapes and sizes, made with different types of materials and are geared toward certain age groups. I would imagine that I wouldn't find a toy aimed at infants 6-12 months that have pieces that a child might put in his or her mouth because that is a prime time for teething. An apple will always be an apple; a grape, a grape; and a hot dog will always be a hot dog--hopefully.
I'm curious as to how far this will go. Every summer you hear of near- or actual drownings of children. Again, this is a tragic, tragic situation, something every parents fears. But you can't redesign pools. It only takes a few inches of water in which drowning is possible. The steps are taken in order to be as sure as you possibly can that a child won't be in a situation where they can drown. But bad things will still happen.
I tried to find statistics on these situations, but it was difficult to find exact numbers. What I do know is that sometimes the fear of what may happen does more to affect how people act than the actual number. Worrying about what may happen is a major reason for why people act, but overall it's irrational. I'm not sure if that pertains to this situation--maybe there is an epidemic of children choking on hot dogs, hard candies, etc.--but my guess is that this is more precautionary.
My hope is that tomorrow the AAP retracts or at least amends their statement. Or maybe this is a method to get the word out to parents: make a policy that is so overwhelmingly to an extreme that it makes headlines and then it comes to people's attention that they need to take care in feeding their children.
It just might work.
Wow, so who gave me permission to use this blog as a soapbox??
Basically, the AAP wants companies to redesign hot dogs, among other items that cause choking in children.
My answer to the problem of parents who fear their kids will choke would be: don't let them eat hot dogs.
Yes, bad things happen. Many bad things can happen to kids. However, the possibility of bad things happening can be curbed by awareness, being informed and using common sense. But even if all these occur, you cannot ward off all negative situations.
Dr. Gary Smith, the lead author of the policy statement says:
"There's a general recognition that more needed to be done to protect children from choking," according to Smith. "We have a number of laws and regulations that help prevent choking due to toys. There are no such similar regulations for food."
I think the major difference between having toys that kids can choke on and choke-able foods is that food is pretty plain and simple--if it is a certain size, it need to be cut down to bite-sized chunks; if it is difficult to chew, either cut it down to make it easier or just don't give it to a child; if its texture is such that it's too thick (i.e. peanut butter) only put a thin layer on a piece of bread or cracker. It comes down to common sense. With toys, it's completely different.
Toys come in all shapes and sizes, made with different types of materials and are geared toward certain age groups. I would imagine that I wouldn't find a toy aimed at infants 6-12 months that have pieces that a child might put in his or her mouth because that is a prime time for teething. An apple will always be an apple; a grape, a grape; and a hot dog will always be a hot dog--hopefully.
I'm curious as to how far this will go. Every summer you hear of near- or actual drownings of children. Again, this is a tragic, tragic situation, something every parents fears. But you can't redesign pools. It only takes a few inches of water in which drowning is possible. The steps are taken in order to be as sure as you possibly can that a child won't be in a situation where they can drown. But bad things will still happen.
I tried to find statistics on these situations, but it was difficult to find exact numbers. What I do know is that sometimes the fear of what may happen does more to affect how people act than the actual number. Worrying about what may happen is a major reason for why people act, but overall it's irrational. I'm not sure if that pertains to this situation--maybe there is an epidemic of children choking on hot dogs, hard candies, etc.--but my guess is that this is more precautionary.
My hope is that tomorrow the AAP retracts or at least amends their statement. Or maybe this is a method to get the word out to parents: make a policy that is so overwhelmingly to an extreme that it makes headlines and then it comes to people's attention that they need to take care in feeding their children.
It just might work.
Wow, so who gave me permission to use this blog as a soapbox??
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Terrible Twos
I was under the impression that the dreaded terrible twos didn't exist. Louie hit his "punk" stage about four going on five, and Benny was three, going on four. I guess with each kid it gets younger and younger because Charlie is a full-blown punk these days.
I know that there are going to be naysayers out there, but it's true--Charlie has a side to him other than being a big ol' ham. He hits his siblings and runs away laughing. After you tell him something he puts his fists on his hips and yells NO! with all of his might. He uses a pencil as a weapon and when you ask him to give it to you he runs away with the pencil almost going in his eye!
What is going on here? Where is my sweet, sweet Charlie Bear? He's still in there, I know because he gives us glimpses of him every once in awhile. But this new persona has taken over and it's wearing me out! What bothers me the most is that it affects everyone else so much. When Benny has his temper tantrums or whatever, it's usually something that is (somewhat) contained to himself, or at the most between him and me or Kevin. Charlie seems to want to involve as many people as possible.
I am hoping, hoping, hoping that this soon will pass. I get irritated with his outright indignation toward me. I can't get over the fact that he thinks it's ok to throw a toy at his sister's head or kick his brother in the stomach, running away, smiling. I know my baby boy will return. I just know it.
But now I know that the Terrible Twos are alive and well.
I know that there are going to be naysayers out there, but it's true--Charlie has a side to him other than being a big ol' ham. He hits his siblings and runs away laughing. After you tell him something he puts his fists on his hips and yells NO! with all of his might. He uses a pencil as a weapon and when you ask him to give it to you he runs away with the pencil almost going in his eye!
What is going on here? Where is my sweet, sweet Charlie Bear? He's still in there, I know because he gives us glimpses of him every once in awhile. But this new persona has taken over and it's wearing me out! What bothers me the most is that it affects everyone else so much. When Benny has his temper tantrums or whatever, it's usually something that is (somewhat) contained to himself, or at the most between him and me or Kevin. Charlie seems to want to involve as many people as possible.
I am hoping, hoping, hoping that this soon will pass. I get irritated with his outright indignation toward me. I can't get over the fact that he thinks it's ok to throw a toy at his sister's head or kick his brother in the stomach, running away, smiling. I know my baby boy will return. I just know it.
But now I know that the Terrible Twos are alive and well.
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