Special Exposure Wednesday

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Here is Kennedy getting a close up with the giraffe...dont mind her feeding tube...one of those things she needs hanging around...We had to watch it close while she was feeding the deer, to make sure they didnt try eating it! 

Silly Monkey Stories: Silly puppy stories

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My (Not-so-)Puppy is a nut!  Here he is cozy...tongue and all!  My story is of his first experience with fallen leaves....I was taking him outside to go potty.  It was so windy here and cold and was dark out.  The leaves were blowing around, and he kept trying to chase every little one like they were squirrels or something.  I had to drag him back into the house.

Light Up Your Child's Mind (review and giveaway)

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Giveaway closed:

Congratulations to MaryAnnS, Kathy Pease, Shawn, Michelle, and lilyk!

Read an excerpt

About the book:

Based on the renowned "Renzulli Method," which has been adopted in schools all over the country, LIGHT UP YOUR CHILD'S MIND presents a practical program to help children fire up a love of learning to last a lifetime. World-renowned experts Drs. Renzulli and Reis illustrate the crucial role parents can play in their children's development and address how they can work with teachers to enhance their children's education. They uncover the hidden potential of daydreamers, rebels, and one-track minds, arguing that gifted behavior--basic smarts, high levels of task commitment, and creativity--can be fostered in bright children, even unmotivated ones. Step by step, LIGHT UP YOUR CHILD'S MIND will show parents how to set their kids on the path to a rewarding future.

About the Authors:

Joseph S. Renzulli, Ph.D., is the Neag Professor of Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut and the Director of The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. He has received numerous distinguished research awards and been named, by the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology, among the world's 25 most influential psychologists.

Sally M. Reis, Ph.D., is a professor and the Department Head of the Educational Psychology Department in the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and named a Distinguished Scholar by the National Association for Gifted Children.

My thoughts:

Light up Your Child's Mind offers parents and teachers ways to help children show their talents.  It really focuses on getting involved in what your child has interests in and letting them realize they can be recongnized for what they are good at.  At first while I was reading this, being a mother of special needs children, I didnt think I would really take anything from it.  There is a special section on Twice Exceptional, Children with gifts and talents, and learning disabilities.  I found this chapter very interesting.  "People who are "turned on" by their chosen field will naturally convey the excitement of working on it".  I was given ideas on helping my child become "creatively productive".

Win this:

Hatchette Books has offered to let me do a giveaway.  Five of my readers can win the title Light up Your Child's Mind. 

Mandatory entry:  Follow my blog, and leave a comment telling me who this book will be for.

Extra entries:
~subscribe to my blog
~follow me on twitter
~tweet this giveaway
~leave a comment on any of my other non-giveaway posts.

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry. Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and no PO boxes. The giveaway will end Oct 18th.  The winners will be chosen by random.org.  Good luck!

Awareness

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This month is Craniofacial Acceptance month...stop by Kidz w/ Janis and her son Austin to find out more.

It is also deaf awareness week...to learn more about this stop by Tiptoeing Through The Tulips all this week.

Free Vision Quiz from Enfant

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), vision disorders are the fourth most common disability among children in the United States , yet many vision problems can take years to detect, making treatment more difficult as vital time passes. In an effort to shed light on some of the more subtle warning signs of vision problems in young children, Diopsys, Inc., developer and marketer of the Enfant Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System, has created an online vision assessment quiz at http://www.freevisionquiz.com/. The physician-reviewed, informational quiz, which takes only a few minutes to complete, is comprised of multiple-choice questions covering several areas that can “red flag” signs of a potential vision problem in children of various ages, including such actions as the inability to make steady eye contact, or involuntarily covering one eye to see something better. The new quiz does not take the place of a professional vision examination, but it is there to create awareness of a silent problem. For more information on the Enfant or to find a pediatrician offering the test near you, visit http://www.enfantvision.com/.

The Enfant™ Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System is a child-friendly, non-invasive medical device used to test for visual deficits in children 6 months of age and older. The vision test does not require dilation or sedation, and is a painless, safe test. The Enfant™ is the only objective vision testing device capable of evaluating the entire visual pathway available today. Most insurance plans will pay for this test.







How it works: After positioning three sensory pads on the child’s head, an operator initiates the test. Cartoon characters appear and music plays while a series of “attention-catching” stimuli are presented to the child on a video display. The Enfant™, using Visual Evoked Potential technology (VEP), recognizes the child’s neurological responses and processes the VEP data.






At the completion of each test, simple "pass/fail" results are immediately presented on the menu-driven operator screen in both graphic and numeric formats. The results are then printed out for the patient's medical record.






Who are we testing and what are we testing for?






We are testing children six months of age and older in order to detect visual deficits such as strabismus, optic nerve disorders, and severe refractive errors, which could lead to amblyopia.

I was asked to spread the word about enfant and their free vision quiz....I have found this very very interesting.  I have heard the term VEP before while looking around on the web.  Now as I read about this, I am kind of surprised this has never been done before with Kennedy.  Besides the Enfant Pediatric VEP Vision testing system, there is also The Diopsys NOVA-DT VEP Vision Testing System .  This test is used for  testing children six months of age and older, patients following a neurological event such as a traumatic brain injury, stroke, or a degenerative process such as multiple sclerosis in order to detect visual deficits such as optic nerve disorders, severe refractive errors, and other problems that could lead to amblyopia, or decreased visual function.  Kennedy fits into these categories.  She actually has seen a nueroopthomologist also due to the fact that she lost movement in her eyes caused by the mitochondrial disease.  I guess I will be asking about these tests at her next opthomology or nuerology visits.

Kennedy is older, and damage has already been done due to her underlying medical condition, so it may be too late to reverse this damage.  If you have a youngster....take the quiz and see if your child may need to be seen and have the Enfant testing done...and hopefully get treatment early if your child needs it!

Know your bladder better (giveaway)

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Giveaway Closed:  Congrats #32 lilyk

Being a woman we know how frustrating and painful it can be getting a bladder infection/UTI.  Cystex has paired up with Dr. Kavalar and is offering a "Know your bladder better" inititative.  Dr. Elizabeth Kavalar is a board certified urologist focusing on womens bladder health.  She will be on hand at the Cystex Resource Website for "Ask the Urologist" to answer any of your questions regarding bladder infections.  There are many videos addressing your bladder and UTI myths and facts. 



Check out their whole video series by clicking here and find out interesting facts about your bladder and UTIs. 



The information provided by Dr. Kavaler and posted on the Cystex Web site is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a personal medical diagnosis or formal medical advice by Dr. Kavaler. Please see your physician for evaluation.


You may also check out the Cystex, Ladies Room Blog.






Physician and pharmacist-recommended Cystex® Urinary Pain Relief Tablets is the only over-the-counter (OTC) medication that has a dual-action formula to help manage urinary tract infections (UTIs) while waiting to see a doctor. Unlike other drug store medicines, Cystex® helps to relieve the pain and burning associated with a urinary tract infection (UTI) while also inhibiting the progression of the infection with an antibacterial. It is the only OTC urinary pain relief medicine to combine a key pain-fighting analgesic, sodium salicylate, with an effective antibacterial agent, methenamine, to help stop the pain and progression of a urinary tract infection (UTI). Additionally, Cystex® will not change the color of the urine as some other OTC medications will.

For more information go to http://www.cystex.com/

Robin Leedy and Associates has offered to giveaway a box of Cystex (box of 40 tablets $9.25 value) to one of my readers.  Do you have problems with UTIs or know someone who does...maybe Cystex can help.

To enter :  Go to the Cystex Know your bladder better video series, watch at least one and comment back here telling me what you learned.

For extra entries:
~Follow my blog
~Follow me on twitter
~Follow  my other blog Its all about Mii and my Wii family
~Subscribe

The giveaway ends Oct. 11th and will be chosen by random.org

( I did not review this product and am only sharing this for informational purposes. I will be compensated for passing along this information.  I was given this opportunity thanks to my membership at the product review place)

Mommalicious Monday

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So not much going on this week.  It was a pretty quiet weekend here.  Saturday we enjoyed a last day of warmth and sunshine.  We played outside and got some yardwork done.  Sunday fall kicked in!  It cooled off and as the day went on it got windy and rainy.  I did some reading and goofing around on the computer.  If you didnt notice, I started a new blog too...Its all about Mii and my Wii family.  Stop on over and follow mii over there.  It will be more focused on having fun using the Wii and getting fit.  My fitness friday posts will now be over there...so if you want to know how I am doing, you will have to read it there.  I have already found some giveaways for Wii products and listed them over there....hurry check it out, some end soon!  Hopefully I can win some new games to try out!  I am hoping to get my family involved in that site too and here about how they are enjoying their Wiis.

As for over here...I have lots of books up in reviews and several more on my reading list.  I hope everyone loves our Storytime Sunday segment.  Kennedy just loves being read to, so we should have plenty of books to tell you about!  This week has been pretty much stable for Kennedy until yesterday...she is a bit congested.  Nothing terrible...and hopefully it stays that way.  Zach had a bit of a cough last week and hopefully that is all it is for her. We havent seen any seizure activity either, so that is great! Zach seems fine now too.  We actually have seen some progress in the communication area for him!  We are hearing him use his words to express his emotions!!!  This is a big step!  We have heard "Im scared" and "made me mad"!!!  We are so excited to be hearing more and more communication!  October is teacher parent conferences, and I am excited to hear what is going on in school with Zach. 

Ok..so I am typing this trying to watch some of my tv shows...my dvr is really filling up now that all these new shows are starting and a few of my others are ending soon.  I will miss Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva :(
I am really looking forward to more Greys Anatomy,House, Bones, Medium and the season premiere this week of Private Practice!  I really liked the new show Flash Forward...looks like it is going to be good.  What are you watching?

I just drew the winners for the book NurtureShock...and the winners are Gabriel J, mverno, Jill, MaryAnn, and demmi...I will be contacting you all this morning.

Storytime Sunday: Babysitting Sugarpaw by VS Grenier

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About the Author:

VS Grenier is an award winning author and editor-in-chief of Stories For Children Magazine.

She learned how to hone her writing skills at the Institute of Children's Literature, and her works include:

The Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1 anthology and over 30 short stories, articles and crafts for children along with newsletter articles for writers.  A California girl at heart, she currently lives in Utah with her husband, their two children, the family's big fat cat Speed Bump, and miniature schnauzer Taz.

VS Grenier has also joined forces with First Book to help children find the love of reading and writing.

First Book provides new books to children in need.  They have distributed over 65 million new books to children from low income families in thousand of communities nationwide.  You can help buy placing an order for an autographed copy of Babysitting SugarPaw and 25% of the sale will go to books for First Book.

http://halopublishing.com/

Babysitting SugarPaw is a great book for kids that will be having a babysitter, or afraid of their babysitter.  SugarPaw does not want his parents to go away and leave him with new babysitter Bonnie Wiskers.  Sugarpaw changes the rules, without the others seeing, and goes along the evening being mischievious.  He makes many messes for Bonnie Wiskers and by the end of the evening realizes she will be the one getting into trouble. The story shows how fear can turn into fun, and shows emotions like empathy and forgiveness.  This is a fun story, and the illustrations(by Kevin Collier) are cute.  My son automatically acted out the emotion of the cover, by copying the expression of Bonnie Wiskers and giving a big sigh.  The illustrations re colorful and are right on with expressing the emotions of the characters.  He also enjoyed coloring the picture of SugarPaw, that we printed from their website, while I read him the story.  My daughter smiled and thought SugarPaw making messes was pretty funny!


(I received this book from the author for review and was given the opportunity thanks to the product review place.)

Just call him Happy Gilmore

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So Zach had his first crash on his 4 wheeler!  He ran over a tree stump and flipped it on its side...luckily it goes slow and he wears a helmet...so he was fine...but after crying because "made me mad"...he went into Happy Gilmore strategy...take it out on everything lmao!  He stomped around some, and then went back outside and tried flipping the 4 wheeler over...lifting with all his might(couldnt do it)...then stomping down the hill to kick the tree stump that he ran into!  It made me laugh cause I totally pictured Adam Sandler in the movie Happy Gilmore kicking the crap out of the golf clubs!


Luckily he got over it...and rode around with Dad sitting on the back with him...He just needs to keep his head up and look where he is going!

photohunt: twisted

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ok so this is a bad pic of a good pic...The photo is on my wall and I had took a pic a long time ago...not quite sure why the pic of the pic is so twisted...but I like how the kids are not all smiling pretty and looking straight on...they are a little more typical...and I love how they are all twisted around looking at one another!

Childrens Tylenol recall

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http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subpchildinfantnews.inc  Tylenol is voluntarily recalling some of it lots of childrens and infants tylenol  liquid products that were manufactured between April, 2008 and June2008. You can click on their link and find out  the lot numbers to check to see if you may have any of these left in your medicine cabinet. 

Fitness Friday: Zumba review and giveaway

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Giveaway closed!

Congratulations to the winners

 #55 Jen, #113 naynays1 #69 Donna Clark, #104 Belinda M, and # 10 Janeetfay

This week  I have been reading the book Zumba, Ditch the workout, Join the party : The weight loss program.  This book has a lot to offer.  It gives the history of all the dance moves that are incorporated in the Zumba exercises.  I enjoyed reading about Beto Perez, the author and creator of Zumba.  He has an interesting life and start of Zumba.  You will learn how to do the basic Zumba moves through written instructions, pictures, and the accompanying demo dvd.  This dvd is not an exercise dvd, but more an instructional.  It is great to have these so you can learn the basic moves at your own pace.  I know how frustrating it is to buy a dvd set and realize that they are just too fast for you to keep up with.  I have spent some money doing this, and now the sets sit in my closet.  I feel with more practice of the moves I am learning from the book/dvd set of Zumba...I can eventually be comfortable getting a dvd or taking a class.  I like that I can learn these in the comfort of my own home and not embarrassed in front of others.  The book and dvd offer a section of music that you listen to and on the tv screen you will see numbers counting.  With this you take the moves you learn and are given routines that are timed to the music.  So you can do several 20 minute sessions, yet make them your own.  You do not follow an instructor on a dvd...but listen and feel the music, and let yourself go.  I myself am still working on mastering the steps, and havent yet moved on to this stage yet.  The book also talks a lot about diet.  It gives you two different diets, the Zumba 5 day express diet and the Zumba diet.  The 5 day express helps your body get a jump start into losing weight.  You may also use this if you have been dieting and have stalled out.  The Zumba diet is for the regular days after you have done the express(or if you chose not to do the express diet).  The book gives you many recipes, and sample menus.  Although I have chose not to start either of these diets...they seem simple enough to do.  They do not seem like starvation diets or diets that "clean you out".  They seem like healthy, nutritions diets.  The book discusses many different types of foods and how they are good for you...and how some can help you lose fat in trouble areas.  They have a 14 day diet to focus on flat abs or thin thighs.  You can get a lot of info on food choices and incorporating them into your own diet.  I myself am looking forward to learning the moves and hopefully eventually getting a Zumba dvd set.  They seem like a lot of fun...and felt myself having fun and smiling just doing the basic moves. 

To read the rest of my fitness friday post...head on over to my new site, Mii and my Wii family.

Hatchett books was generous to send a copy to me to review and also is sponsoring a giveaway.  Five of my readers can win themselves a copy of Zumba.  The giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and no PO Boxes are allowed for mailing. 

To enter to win a copy of Zumba leave a comment here telling me why you would like to win this.

For extra entries:

~follow me over at Its all about Mii and my Wii family

~follow me on twitter

~follow my blog (google friends)

~subscribe to my blog

~tweet this giveaway. 

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.  Please either leave your email or have it public in your profile. The giveaway ends on Oct 11.  The winners will be chosen by random.org.

(this review and giveaway is sponsored by Hatchette books.  I was given this opportunity thanks to my membership at the product review place.)

A thousand words thursday

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I want to thank all those that have commented, posted or helped spread awareness of mitochondrial disease this week.  I want to send a big thanks to Felicia from http://www.magneticmessenger.com/ and http://www.trendyprints.com/ for custom making the great photocards that we were able to pass out to family and friends.  I know I spoke to my mother in law yesterday and she is making green awareness ribbons(hopefully she will get some pics for me to share).  I want to thank all those she speaks with about Kennedy and say thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Thank you Sheron for making the ribbons and helping out. I also want to thank My mom, and all her coworkers for wearing their green awareness ribbons.  Thank you all for all your prayers!  I would also like to thank my sister Shawn for having a mass said today in honor of Kennedy and for spreading some awareness with the community!  I would also like to thank my niece Kylee for spreading the word at school and for Kennedys get well gift she sent!  Another thank you to Tara from Kidz blog for helping raise awareness and linking to us this week.  I also want to thank all those that have made a donation in honor of Kennedy!

Again....thank you to all those that have lit a candle, said a prayer, made a donation,  or simply spread the word about mitochondrial disease! 

Special Exposure Wednesday

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Reminder ...Light a light for all those suffering with mitochondrial disease.

I thought I would show some pics of Kennedy having some fun this weekend. 

having fun feeding the deer.

close up encounter with a giraffe

Light A Light for Mito

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Light a light for Kennedy!

On Wednesday, September 23rd, at 10:00 a.m. internationally, families and  friends are encouraged to "Light a Light for Mito” in honor of all who are afflicted by Mito and in memory of the babies, children and adults who have lost their battle with mitochondrial disease.

Scary article: Vit. D deficient children at higher risk of death from H1N1

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http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/22/Low-Vitamin-D-Increases-Flu-Death-Risk-in-Kids.aspx

          Posted by: Dr. Mercola

         September 22 2009

So far, Swine flu, H1N1, has killed thirty-six children in U.S. and analysis of CDC data indicates Vitamin D deficient children at higher risk of death.






The CDC did not realize they discovered this. However, anyone familiar with the Vitamin D literature will recognize it.






Almost two-thirds of the dead children had epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neurodevelopmental conditions like mental retardation.






All of these neurological conditions are associated with childhood Vitamin D deficiency. Exacerbating the problem further, many of these kids take anticonvulsant drugs, which lower Vitamin D levels.






58 million American children are Vitamin D deficient; 7.6 million are severely deficient.






When researchers looked at more than 6,000 American kids (age one to 21) who were carefully selected to be representative of the average American child. 9 percent of the kids had 25(OH)D levels less than 15 ng/mL and 70 percent had levels less than 30 ng/mL.



Sources:

GaryMoller.com September 6, 2009

Vitamin D Newsletter May 2009
CDC September 4, 2009

Wow this is very scary...I knew Kennedy was probably more at risk because she has a medical condition...but this really hit home.  She has a nuerological disorder and takes anti convulsants...looks like maybe we need to check into increasing her vitamin D.

Picky eaters? How do you sneak fruits and veggies into your childs diet?

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You know I have actually checked ideas out a few different occassions because I have a very picky eater!  At twittermoms there is a discussion going on sponsored by little blends, asking ways that you sneak fruits and veggies into your childs diet.  One way I have hid some fruits is by adding applesauce into cookie recipes and into pancakes and oatmeal.  One I have been thinking of trying is mashing califlower.  I have read you can mash this into things like mashed potatos and barely notice it.  I havent tried it yet as my son started not eating mashed potatoes lol!  I have also read you can add some babyfood type veggies into spaghetti sauce.  Here are some tips from Food network.   How about trying Little Blends yogurt.

About Little Blends:


Little Blends from Horizon is an all-natural yogurt blend of fruits and vegetables that will help parents incorporate more nutrition and variety into their child’s diet. Each 4-ounce cup packs a daily value of 20 percent calcium, 25 percent protein, omega-3 DHA and probiotics. Parents will really love how Little Blends makes sneaking fruits and veggies so much easier. This new line is just one example of how Horizon continues to deliver nutritious food options that support healthier kids and a healthier planet.

My son is not a yogurt eater...but he likes apples and applesauce...so maybe he would try their apple and butternut squash flavor.  He definitly doesnt eat much veggies...so this would be a good start. 

How about your kids?  Let us know and tweet #LittleBlends.  Also you can go to the twittermoms link(in beginning of post) and be one of the first 100 bloggers to blog and win some prizes for yourself and your readers. 

I lit a candle...you can too

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Click here to light a candle and say a prayer  for all those suffering with mitochondrial disease or in honor of those that have lost their battle to mitochondrial disease.

Light a light for Marie and Ella.  Both beautiful angels that have recently lost their battle, too too soon! 
Light a light for Elijah and all the other Angels at Eli's Angels. 
Light a light for Elena, Megan, Matthew, Eve, Abby, Isaiah , Avery, Landon, Samuel, Eli's Angels children and many more children that suffer from mitochondrial disease.

Mito awareness week activities

New release from Amazon~ Holy Bible: Mosaic~

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Giveaway Closed:

Congratulations to Kathy55439!

Today Tyndale and Amazon have released the new Holy Bible: Mosaic. 

Encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian History. A new genre of Bible—a weekly meditation Bible—Holy Bible: Mosaic is an invitation to experience Christ both in His word and in the responses of his people. Each week, as you reflect on guided Scripture readings aligned with the church seasons, you will receive a wealth of insight from historical and contemporary writings. Full-color artwork will engage the soul; quotes, hymns, prayers, and poems enhance the rich devotional experience. Also includes a Dictionary/Concordance, NLT word study system with Hebrew/ Greek dictionary. A beautiful layout of art and devotional content, and an online community and content (coming Fall 2009) will extend the experience.

Back Cover Copy


On our own we are little more than bits of stone and glass . . .

. . . Together we are the Body of Christ.

A living mosaic of believers, spanning the centuries and crossing the globe. This mosaic is larger than all of us, yet when we claim the name of Christ, we add our bits to help complete the picture.

Join us on a journey of transforming discovery. Explore a few of the pieces of the picture with us.

Holy Bible: Mosaic is unlike any Bible that you have held before. It is an invitation to encounter Christ both through his word and in the responses of his people. Each week as you read and reflect on God’s Word through guided Scripture readings appropriate to the church seasons, you will also encounter a wealth of insight from the church, including:



Full-color artwork that will engage your soul

Contemporary and historical writings

Prayers, hymns, and poems for devotional reflection

Space for your response to God’s promptings

Opportunity to add your responses to the community at http://www.holybiblemosaic.com/

Add your tile to the mosaic.



You’re holding the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. An authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today’s English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT’s scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages—but even more powerful are stories of how people’s lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That’s why we call it “The Truth Made Clear.”



Back Flap Copy

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.




 I have the pleasure to be part of a their blog tour.  You may click here and go to Amazon to check out the new release, Mosaic.    Keith Williams, General Editor of Mosaic, will be doing a guest post session here on October 19, 2009.  Please stop back at that time to read his post and my review. Stop by the Mosaic blog and visit other blogs on the blog tour. Tyndale has been very generous to provide a copy to review for myself, but has also sent me a certificate for a free copy of Mosaic to giveaway to one of my readers!  This giveaway will run from now until October 18th.  I will post the winner on October 19th along with my guest post and review.  The winner will be chosen by random.org.

To enter to win  Holy Bible: Mosaic  leave a comment here telling me why you would like to win this.

Extra entries:
~follow @MosaicBible on twitter
~visit HolyBibleMosaic.com and tell me something you have learned or found interesting.
~blog about this giveaway linking back to here.  If you do not have a blog email at least 3 others that may be interested in this giveaway(give them the link to here) and cc colleen_mouse@yahoo.com
~tweet this giveaway
(That is 5 chances to win.  Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.  Also either leave your email or make sure your email is in your profile)

Silly Monkey Stories

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Over the weekend we went to an indoor waterpark.  Kennedy wasnt too sure of the cool water...and Zach was a chicken butt!  He wanted to be in the water, but not get splashed.  He preferred the jacuzzi.

We didnt torture Kennedy too much...she was shivering, and preferred being cozy under the towels.

The girl in the pink dress

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There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park.

Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad.

Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat And watched the people go by.
She never tried to speak.

She never said a word.

Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see If the little girl would still be there.

Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was Yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl..

For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone.

As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress.

It was grotesquely shaped.

I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no Effort to speak to her.

Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different.

As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to Avoid my intent stare.

As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly.

She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.

I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk.

I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, 'Hello'

The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a 'hi '; after a long stare into my eyes.
I smiled and she shyly smiled back..

We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty.

I asked the girl why she was so sad.
The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, 'Because, I'm Different.'

I immediately said, 'That you are!'; and smiled.

The little girl acted even sadder and said, 'I know.'

'Little girl,' I said, 'you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent.'
She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and Said, 'Really?'
'Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all the people walking by.'

She nodded her head yes, and smiled.

With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her Wings to spread, then she said 'I am.'

'I'm your Guardian Angel,' with a twinkle in her eye.

I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things.

She said, 'For once you thought of someone other than yourself.
My job here is done'..

I got to my feet and said, 'Wait, why did no one stop to help an Angel?'
She looked at me, smiled, and said, 'You're the only one that could see me,' and then she was gone.

And with that, my life was changed dramatically.

So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is Always watching over you.

Mommalicous Monday

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 It is finally raining here!  We have gone I think about 3 weeks without rain...and last night and now this morning we are getting a nice rain...nothing too heavy to worry about.  We had a good weekend away.  The hotel and waterpark were nice, but we really didnt end up using it that much.  I think Kennedy wasnt enjoying the cool water as much as we thought she would.  Zach liked it, but we had to drag him under the splash zones...they liked the nice comfy hot tub better.  Yesterday we went to a couple animal attrations and ended the day with a DUCK ride.  That was cool and everyone enjoyed it!  I think today was the first that Zach did not want to go to school...He kept tryng to cover up with his blanket...so I sent it along incase he naps today.  With the rain, it is a good nap day....to bad Kennedy has school too, and I need to go grocery shopping.  We dont have a lot going on this week.  Zach has a dentist appointment tomorrow, but that is all the appointments for the week...yeah!

 I myself am going to try out a new exercise program this week.  I am reviewing a newly released book/dvd called Zumba.  I am going to read it and practice the moves this week and see what kind of workout I get...if your interested...I will hopefully have my review up on Friday...and there will be a giveaway too!  I am also pulling the winners for the book Making Babies and will announce those in just a bit.  Hope everyone has a good week!

Storytime Sunday: The Gorilla on the Swing

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The Gorilla on the Swing

written by Jamie A. Bacigalupo and Judy J. Bacigalupo

About the author:

Jamie is a six year old little girl with a big imagination.

Jamie's epilepsy has not curtailed the creativity she has inside her.

The story:

The Gorilla on the Swing is a cute story, using kindergarten sight words to help tell the story.  The story is about a gorilla and her adventures at the park.  Jamie does a great job using the sight words and I would recommend this book for beginning readers to practice their reading skills.  I can see this being used in the classroom more than for your home library.  This is more a school lesson type story than a storybook tale.  I typically wouldnt think this would be something my daughter would like.  She is more into the sing song type stories; however  she smiled through the whole story!  When I showed her the adorable illustrations she smiled even more.  The illustrations I am assuming are also done by Jamie and shows how much she used her imagination.  I think this is something every mother should do with their childrens imaginative work...get it published. 

Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week (info from United Mitochodrial Disease Foundation)

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About Mitochondrial Disease(info from http://www.umdf.org/)


Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. The disease primarily affects children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common.



Diseases of the mitochondria appear to cause the most damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems.



Depending on which cells are affected, symptoms may include loss of motor control, muscle weakness and pain, gastro-intestinal disorders and swallowing difficulties, poor growth, cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory complications, seizures, visual/hearing problems, lactic acidosis, developmental delays and susceptibility to infection.


WHY IS RESEARCH SO CRITICAL?


There are no known treatments or cures for mitochondrial disease.


Mitochondria may play a far greater role in human health than scientists and doctors have realized. Any health concern that is an energy problem could be related to the mitochondria.



Further research into the mitochondrion and primary mitochondrial diseases (those due to genetic defect) would benefit millions of people. It would offer hope to the thousands suffering from this debilitating and often fatal disease and provide a broad range of new therapeutic approaches for attempting to treat these other very common and incapacitating illnesses and conditions.



MITOCHONDRIAL DEFECTS ARE A CENTRAL FACTOR IN HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASE.



Mitochondrial dysfunction is at the core of a surprising range of very common illnesses and conditions, and represents a promising new avenue for their treatment. As the mitochondria are responsible for producing energy, any illness that has an energy problem could be related to the mitochondria. Diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated include:



• Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), mental retardation, deafness and blindness, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Over 50 million people in the US suffer from these chronic degenerative disorders. While it cannot yet be said that mitochondrial defects cause these problems, it is clear that mitochondria are involved because their function is measurably disturbed.

• Even autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Sjogrens syndrome, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis appear to have a mitochondrial basis to illness.

• Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with a wide range of solid tumors, proposed to be central to the aging process, and found to be a common factor in the toxicity of a variety of physical and chemical agents.

Photohunt: Upside down

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Checking out this snake looks more interesting upside down!

Kenny Loggins ~ All Join In : 4 free downloads

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A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure to check out Kenny Loggins new family CD All Join In.   It was really good.  It is not an annoying kids CD...but more  family oriented songs.  It has some favorites like You've got a friend in me, and some cute ones the kids will love like Your Lollipop.  Thanks to Disney records and One2One network you can download 4 of his songs for free!  Just go to this link, All Join In
  It will take you to a music player  with 4 songs from the album on it to preview. After listening,  just answer a couple quick questions about your thoughts on the music and then an email gets sent to you with a link to download 4 FREE digital songs (MP3s) from "All Join In". Hope you enjoy!

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Moms Rock the economy is a simple concept:  moms buy from moms and help support families!

Come join the MomsRock twitter party tonight and take the pledge to support Moms Rock the economy!

I took the pledge!

#childseatsafety twitter party...and my carseat confessions

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I wanted to take the time to remind my readers that aogain tonight there will be a #childseatsafety twitter party from 8-9pm ET.  This time around there will be prizes for answering questions correctly.  So if you still have questions on child seat safety this is the time to ask. 

I myself was just thinking about this....I have always thought I was careful and doing things properly when using my child's seats.  I have some confessions...I have made mistakes!  I thought I would share these as reminders for everyone how easy it is to not be doing things properly or providing the safest rides for your kids. 

Confession  #1:  I used to have my daughters seat in a car with out using the tether strap....so you ask, what is the big deal with this.  Well my daughters seat is a larger specialty seat.  I wasnt following the manufacturers instructions.  This seat was only crash tested using the tether...and I was told that the seat needed to be safely installed by using the tether seat.  So recommendation ....always read and follow the instruction manual that comes with your childs seat.

Confession #2:  I have drove around with my daughter strapped in her carseat...but the carseat was not buckled in!!!!  Yikes!!!  Always check that your carseats are buckled in.  At the time this was occuring I realized I had older children getting in and out of the car, buckling themselves.  I had never realized that they were accidently unbuckling her carseat when they were reaching for their own seatbelts.  So recommendation:  Always check your childs seat to make sure they are buckled, every time!

Confession #3:  Another Yikes!!!  I have gotten home with my son sitting in his carseat and realized he was NEVER buckled!!!  How the heck could I be so careless.  So my biggest recommendation....try to not get distracted while using your vehicle!  I was reading about many distractions and car accidents...like talking on cell phones, being in a hurry, listening to music...but another distraction is when your kids are more independent and can climb in their seats themselves.  I myself was letting my son get in his seat, and would get distracted  by putting my other child in, or putting groceries in the car...and totally forgot to buckle him in!  Always think safety!!!

So what confessions do you have...come tweet tonight and maybe you will read my confessions there!

Kennedy update

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She is home!!!  We upped on of her meds a little and have  a new seizure protocol so that she hopefully doesnt end up spending so much time in the hospital when she has a seizure.  We are hoping to have her birthday weekend getaway this weekend seeing she missed it last weekend!  So hopefully we will be off for waterpark fun(inside) and enjoy a drivein movie, festival in the town with a parade, petting zoo and a museum.  Sounds like fun!  I really hope she has a good time...this weekend is all about the little ones and having fun family time!

Magnetic Messenger and Trendy Prints review

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Look what's hanging on our fridge.

MagneticMessenger.com and TrendyPrints.com  are both small family ran companies.  Greg and Felicia first started Magnetic Messenger when they were trying to find a unique birth announcement for their third son.  So, where do people display most of their special photos. YES, on the fridge.

"At that point, we knew we had to have a magnet and we were sure we could find a company to provide us with an easy ordering process and a unique product to announce our baby in style. But the more we looked, the more we were disappointed. We saw birth announcement magnets that were the typical flimsy business card size magnets with very cheesy artwork. We saw magnetic birth announcements that cost $3 and $4 a piece and, frankly, weren’t anything special.


Our search ended in frustration, but we were determined to find a magnetic baby announcement that worked! Well, that’s when the idea hit us. Why can’t we invent a new product that takes the best of both worlds: a digitally printed cardstock baby announcement and a magnetic strip that can be married to the card?"

That is how their company http://www..magneticmessenger.com/  started out.   They later started their sister site http://www.trendyprints.com/ for cardstock versions of their announcements and invitations. 
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Our most popular products are:

photo birth announcements

photo birthday invitations

save the date magnets

holiday photo cards (2009 designs being launched October 1, 2009)

baptism invitations

thank you cards

We offer custom designs for just about any event and we have been featured in Pregnancy & Newborn recently as one of the best companies in our industry. Our prices are the best in our industry, sometimes offering similar designs at less than half of our competitors. Our turn-around time for most orders is just 1-2 business days and we ship anywhere in the US and Canada.

I had the pleasure of working with Felicia on custom making a card for Kennedy's birthday and "Light a light for mito" event.  Felicia was very professional and quick.  I first went to the sites and picked out styles I liked.  I tried making a card using their preset formats.  I wanted different words so they didnt fit quite right.  I spoke with Felicia through email and gave her the info, and she easily custom made the cards using the one I liked .  They were so simple and very fast.  The most difficult part is picking out your favorite design!  They have so many beautiful designs. 

 

At TrendyPrints.com  you can create and preview cards online.  They ship in just 1-2 days and are just .99 cents each!  They are printed on a wonderful 100 lb cardstock with their unique matte finish(envelopes are included).  It is so easy to upload a picture and create a card....and if you have any questions, just email them or give them a call and they will help you out!  Their beautiful designs include baby announcements, birthday and christening invitations,  bridal shower invitations and save the date cards.  They also have holiday photo cards with 2009 designs coming out next month! 
 
Want an easy way to "save that date" ...then check out MagneticMessenger.com  They have wonderful announcements, invitations, holiday cards and save the date cards.  You can go online again and create and  preview these also. 

"Meanwhile all of your photos are cropped and handled professionally. You will hear back from us within 24 hours and receive a copy of a mockup to meet your approval! And, shipping is super fast. We try to ship ALL orders within 1 or 2 days after receiving your approval so you don't have to wait weeks to receive them. "(from MagneticMessenger.com)

They are all printed on premium cardstock and all photo cards include a magnet on the back. All cards measure a full 3.75" x 5.75" postcard size.

"Can I write on the back of these announcements or is the entire back a magnet?



Yes. What makes our announcements so unique is that only the top area of the photo birth announcement, save the date card, or first birthday invitation is magnetic. That gives you the entire middle area of the announcement to write a personal note to your recipients. Other magnetic birth announcements and save the date magnets use a thick, bulky magnet across the entire back of the announcement and you cannot add a personal note."

Remember they can do custom cards, like mine!  This works great if you have unique ideas or want something a little different!  I was easily able to write a message on the back of the magnetic messenger cards.

" I have an idea for a birth announcement magnet design, save the date magnet, or photo birthday invitation and I'm wondering if I could order it through Magnetic Messenger?

Absolutely. We can design your custom announcement using combinations of our different designs or invitation to your liking. If you order at least 100 magnetic announcements, this service is FREE. If you order less than 100, there is a small $25 design fee. Just send an email to art@magneticmessenger.com with any ideas or suggestions. "

I always love companies that give back...like these.  A portion of their proceeds goes to a special charity at www.awpm.net. These folks help struggling mothers through difficult pregnancies and promote life!

It has been my pleasure to work with Felicia!  I would really recommend either of these companies for your announcement, invitations and holiday card needs!  I will definitely be checking them out myself come Christmas time!

Thermometer giveaway I would like to win....dont read if you have a weak stomach!!!

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So as a new member of the Kidz Krew, I was checking out the other members earlier.  I was checking out Diane's blog Good Mourning, Glory and found she was having a good giveaway going on right now.  It is for a temple touch thermometer.  The way to enter is by telling your funniest(now, not necessarily then) puke story....and if you know our family....you know I have plenty of pukiness in my house!  So I figured I just had to blog about it and get some extra entries.  Oh and for those wondering my answer:  I would have to say the funniest....oh boy this is hard I have 3 that top the chart. 

1.  as a kid....My sister spit out the window of the back of our truck...that made me gag, then my sister...and my father looked in the mirror to see what was happening and almost gagged....yeah gross...but funny now!

2.  We were out at one of our fave restaurants with my parents, sisters and the kids.  Well Kennedy decided to puke...and then in family fashion...my nephew saw that and ended up puking also...again gross...especially  in the middle of a restuarant...and man the waitress was helpful and great about it.

3.  Poor poor Kennedy....well she is a pukey one...but so is Zach.  This time it involved both.  Kennedy was crawling around on the kitchen floor...Zach walked up next to her and me(as shhe was at my feet)...and puked all over the top of her head!!! 

Kidz Krew

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I wanted to let my readers know that I am now a proud member of the Kidz Krew over at Kidz blog.  This is a wonderful blog with interesting themes.  Come check it and check out the Kidz Krew members and Kidz leader Tara.

Who needs sleep anyways?!

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bleep, bleep, bleep, ............BEEP.....Ding dong, ding dong,.......beep beep....bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep bleep...Mom we gotta do her xray....bleep bleep bleep.


Well the good news at least...Kennedy had a good night, slept well for most, but when she did wake she was smiling!  Another good news we will most likely be moved to a regular room today and wont have to listen to the bleep bleep bleep constantly.

Silly Monkey Stories

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Well I cant add any pics, cause I am on the hospital's internet service, and I cant get into photobucket.  Oh well.  I thought I would use this as an update on kennedy.  She was extubated earlier and feeling much better.  I got her to smile a little right away.  Then I grabbed the balloon I got from the gift shop.  It is a singing balloon.  Kennedy has always had such a sense of humor...She always thinks things are funny if they are naughty, getting into trouble or hurt, etc.  Well we pushed the button on the balloon and heard the LOUDEST version of You are my Sunshine.  Oh my I was trying to quiet it down, so we didnt get the attention of every patient in here.  Oh my you should have seen Kennedys face...She had the biggest smile...and probably would have been cracking up if her throat wasnt so sore.  I wish I had the camera.  Of course she thought Mom was funny trying to cover up this giant balloon!

Mammalicous Monday

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Well (sigh)...so Kennedy is in PICU right now.  She was having seizures Friday and totally missed her birthday.  She had to be intubated because of fear that she would stop breathing due to all the medicine they gave her.  I think they are going to work on a protocol that we can take to ER with us so they can give some meds to stop facial stuff, but dont need to knock her out.  They want to avoid having her needing to be in PICU and intubated, instead just stop the seizure so she isnt knocked out for 2 days.  Today they are going to do an MRI and then after she is awake they will try extubating her.  They removed the EEG monitoring earlier today.  They still need to talk and see MRI results before they decide what exactly to do med wise. 

So hopefully we can get home soon and be able to celebrate her birthday.  We had made plans to go to an indoor waterpark and have a little kid weekend...going to museum, petting zoo, and drive in movies to see UP.  Hopefully it wont be too cool by the time we are able to go.

Otherwise there isnt much else going on this week.  Bob should have fun getting up early to get Zach ready to school.  Zach has been doing good and really enjoys school.  They keep saying he is having great days there! 

Letters to Darcy and my thoughts

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I was drawn to this book once I read the description.  I myself write a blog, about my children, both with special needs.  This book is the blog journal of  Tracy Ramos, writing to her unborn daughter Darcy.  Darcy has trisomy 18.  This is a fatal disease.  The Ramos family found out about this and decided to let Darcy fight and keep living as long as she could, even while they heard the words "not compatible with life".   I was very touched by Tracy's words.  She let us readers in on her fears, hopes,anger, happiness,  despair and strength.  She could have easily let her blog and story be private...but as a true show of her love of God, let her writings throughout her pregnancy be public.  Her writings show how God works in mysterious ways, and shows us how every life has meaning in this world.  Every child is a precious gift from God from the moment of conception!  In her writings, she shows us how one little unborn child can bring a community together, and how much love others can share.  She shows us that by having faith in God, we can struggle and pull through.  She shows us that we are at God's mercy!  I know there are so many families that share, through their public blogs, their feelings.  Letters to Darcy is probably one of the most spiritual I have read. 

I sit here reading Tracy's story while my own child lays in a hospital bed.  This was such an emotional read. Here is a quote from the book that I would like to share, as I feel like it could have came from my own thoughts.




           I love you and pray that God will shield you

through any pain or sorrow. Sometimes I see so


much pain and agony when you are having one of


your sick spells, and it breaks my heart. But one


day there will be no more sorrow and no more


pain, my sweet child. Your life is in God’s hands,


and we must walk the journey that He has set forth for us.

Like Tracy I never give up fighting for my daughter, and pray that she may have as long of a life as God allows.  I truly know that no matter what, we have to let our lives be at the hands of God and his mercy.  I know as I pray for her, others are praying as well.  I know she is a blessing in this world! 





(I was given the opportunity to review this book from Tyndale publishers)

Storytime Sunday: My Story Bible, 66 favorite stories

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 In this weeks story Tyndale Kids is providing parents with a new storybook, perfect for reading at bedtime (or anytime), that will draw readers young and old closer to one another—and to Jesus.  My Bible Story written by Jan Godfret and Paola Bertolini Grudina, is a beautiful book with bible stories for young children.  It has 66 favorites, with beautiful illustrations.  Its repetitive style helps children remember the information.  I really liked how it kept the stories in order, so the people they were talking about would move from one story to the next.    I like that the stories are short, yet you can read a few at a time. The illustrations were very colorful and cute. They went along with the stories very well. I think this is a great one to share and help your children learn about the scriptures.  I think this one is suited  for children 3-7 years old.  I think the older of that range would get the most from this book.

read the first chapter

About the Author


Jan Godfrey, a retired school teacher,is a born storyteller. She is an experienced writer for children with many published books. Jan lives in the south of England with her husband, who is a pastor. They have four children and many grandchildren who love hearing Jan tell s


About the Illustrator

Paola Bertolini Grudina was born in Italy and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a children’s book illustrator. Paola’s inspiration for the books she has illustrated comes from her own Christian faith. She lives with her illustrator husband and five children in Gorizia, which is on the Italian border with Slovenia.

About Tyndale House Publishers

Did you know that Tyndale’s roots are associated with children? Tyndale House Publishers began when Ken Taylor started paraphrasing the Epistles of the Bible to help his kids better understand God’s Word. In that same spirit, Tyndale Kids seeks to provide theologically sound, relevant, age-appropriate content that helps young people develop and nurture the relationship they have with God through Jesus Christ. Through each of our fiction products, devotionals, Bible storybooks, and picture books, Tyndale Kids points children and youth to God as the key to a meaningful life. To see our entire line of children’s products, visit us at www.tyndale.com/kids.

My Story Bible was provided by Tyndale for review.

Happy Birthday Kennerbug!

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Well I had this all ready to post today...We were supposed to be off having fun, celebrating Kennedys birthday...but unfortunatly Kennedy is back in the hospital.  She started having seizures again yesterday.  This really sucks!  She is all sedated and everything and cant even celebrate.  Please keep her in your prayers!

Remembering Sept. 11

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I want to first send out many prayers for all those that lost loved ones on Sept. 11! 

For myself  it was quite the day.  I really remember waking up, turning on the tv and immediatly had a phone call from a friend saying turn the tv on.  We couldnt believe what was happening, and then shortly after watching that second plane crash.  We watched everything that was happening hundreds of miles away from us from our tv.  We felt such pain for all those going through it. 

Later that day we had to go through some other emotions again that we were not expecting.  We had an ultrasound appointment that day to see how our baby was doing.  We were 33 weeks along.  We went in and sat in the very quiet waiting room while everyone watched tv there.  We were soon going to find out that our baby was in danger.  We went in and the tech soon said she needed to get the doctor.  Our doctor came in and said I had barely any amniotic fluid and our baby needed to be delivered.  I was put on some monitors to see if they needed to do a C section then...they decided to transport me to Childrens hospital instead.  We went through a very long, quiet, anxious night.  We were told of the worst case scenerios of how our baby might be after being born.  We watched all that was going on in our country and so scared to bring into this world another child.  What was her future going to hold?  What was all of our futures going to be like? 

Today is 8 years later....tomorrow is our daughters eight birthday.  We still have so many questions of what our countries future holds....and our daughter's.

fitness friday

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WEll I havent really posted lately as I have been trying to get back on track!  Now that we are back into school schedules and stuff I am hoping to be much much better about exercising.  I have somehow done well still, and have managed to lose and not gain.  I am down a total of 43 lbs!  I am setting another goal for myself.  By my birthday in January I want to be down a total of 60lbs.  That will make it so I should lose almost 5 lbs every month!  I think I can do it if I get my butt in gear!  It feels good having people notice a difference!  I have a long way to go though and really want to get there!  Watch next week for a review of a book called Zumba on latin dance exercising.  I am going to be reviewing it and doing a giveaway...I will hopefully be getting going on it next week if things go smoothly around here.

 
ok...after reading Shawns fitness friday post...I got motivated...I started another blog  Mii and my Wii family.  As she said with our loses we have motivated our family members.  Many have now joined us in using the wii fit.  I am hoping to now get them to come on over to the other blog and we can support each other there.  I would love to see more of my family members getting fit like we are!