TodaysMama

Help Your Teacher Out!

Did you know teachers spend an average of $1200 of their own money on classroom supplies each year? Thatís $4 billion annually! That's why OfficeMax joined with Adopt-A-Classroom to create "A Day Made Better" a national cause event founded to erase teacher-funded classrooms.

Click here to find out how to enter your teacher to be surprised in their classrooms each with $100 worth of essential supplies from OfficeMax.

My Favorite Thing From 1st Grade (so far)

I was the proudest mama ever when this little poem came home from school the other day!

(he even added an "illistrated" and othrd bie" line!)

The Sun Flowr Who Didint Hav Iny Leefs

A Sun Flowr Slumbrd Down on the Grownd

I did see the sun Flwr thet had no leefs

I sed wut is roing

The sunFlowr had a Tir dript down his seeds

but the sun flowr sed nuthing

then he lookt beyutful

teh end

New Twilight Trailer

I'm like the CIA

And yes, I'm talking about the art of interrogation! 

I just emerged from my sons room with the goods.

• I'm up on his secret crush (she has brown hair, hazel eyes, has lost one tooth and he hasn't talked to her yet - he is waiting until she's alone, but he gives her a special smile).
• He punched someone today on the playground (who supposedly punched him first) and has plans to call them a name tomorrow (gasp) Glad that one came up so I could address that proactively
• He forgot to hit the salad bar in the lunch line today (to my disappointment)
• His favorite subject is math

A few of my tactics:

• Get them when they are tired (and unsuspecting) like after they are tucked into bed
• We write little journals together (short and sweet and they also draw pictures)
• When they draw pictures I say "Tell me about your picture . . ." (a very open ended question)
• I walk home with them from school
• I'm relentless
• And with all my relentlessness, I actually give them a big fat break after school to play. I implement my interrogation tactics on the down low!

The best part is that when I emerged from the tuck in tonight and logged onto answer some email, my browser was open to TodaysMama.com (of course! ;) and the article that was up was:

Back-to-School Tips: 5 Talking Tactics to Break School-Year Silence

Perfectly timed!  And my friend complained today about how she couldn't get any details about school from her kindergartner. If you've got any good tips, chime in!

Polygamists? (or dentists)

When dentists and orthodontists take a staff picture and use it in their ads or as mailers, it always looks to me like a polygamist Christmas card of sorts.

Generally you have middle aged gentleman surrounded by young, lovely ladies all dressed the same (ok, ok, so they are not wearing farm dresses and rocking the big bangs, but they are nonetheless dressed alike!). 

Please consider this an open letter to dental professionals everywhere to abandon the practice and find better graphic designers or ad agencies to create your marketing campaigns.  The "dirty old man" campaign is not working well for me!

 

(example picture found in a 2 second search on yourdentistryguide.com)

Sunday Reading

I save a couple of my best reads for Sundays -

It's a day that I need to be a little different in my life to take a break from the things that seem to be on my mind every day of the week (and my life) and pause and focus on what matters most.

Paul Cardall:

I follow his blog not only because I went to high school with his wife and knew Paul from a distance, but his struggles resonate with me.  Paul is waiting for a heart transplant and lost his brother this last year.  I went to Jr.High and high school with his brother.  He was brilliant and he also suffered from mental illness before he passed away. I lost my sister this last year, who had a heart transplant when she was 8 and struggled with mental illness for too much of her life.  Paul's story, his brother's story and his family's heartache is somehow a my sister's story all wrapped up into one.  Paul is currently in the hospital, waiting for his heart transplant.  And last but not the least - he plays some BEAUTIFUL piano.  If anything, his blogs playlist is one of the biggest reasons you should pull up his blog on a Sunday (or anyday for that matter).

Stephanie Nielson - Nie Nie Dialogues

If you don't all ready know her blog, well, where have you been? ;) Stephanie was involved in a near fatal plane crash last year, about the same time my sister was diagnosed with cancer.  I checked her blog from Heather's hospital room for updates on her condition posted by her sister "C Jane".  I, as many others, have followed her blog over the past year shedding tears at her struggles and triumphs.  I had the opportunity to meet Stephanie a couple of weeks ago.  She's beautiful, resilient and amazing.

By nature, we are human, and we complain. At least I complain. A lot. I've had 3 kids, sometimes I feel like my nose is still swollen from pregnancy (or the many breaks it has endured), I have small eyes, am trying to banish my muffin top and I hate taking pictures.  So of course, by nature, when people started taking pictures I was the last one to jump in. And it hit me how insanely superficial so many of my "complaints" are. (don't worry I've got some good hard core ones too). But there I was talking about how I hated pictures next to this amazing woman who is in the process of recovering and rediscovering her outward appearance. And she jumped right in for pictures. It's hard to see anything but beautiful to look at her. She's amazing, and I yet have more to learn from her. 

The Great Escape!

Tag I'm it!

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut.  Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at The Great Gypsy Escape!

(be sure to include the above text and links in your post for your contest entry to be counted)

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

New Zealand or Tahiti

2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

Lately it's been "Sometime Around Midnight" by Airborne Toxic Event, it's a good song LOUD and at sunset

3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

Fly somewhere to see Flight of the Conchords in concert :D, maybe I'd like it to be in San Francisco and I'd hit up my favorite Thai restaurant

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

Ben and Jerry's Toffee Heath Bar Crunch (apparently I am allergic to dairy, caffeine and sugar . . . dangit!)

5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

I'm going to have to check distances - it's either Russia, Kenya or the Middle East. Don't know technically by miles which is furthest!

6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

I just read the last Harry Potter book (figured I should do it before the last movie comes out)

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

The Notebook

8. My favorite local escape?

Breathe Day Spa!

9. How do you escape on a budget?

Red Box

10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

I'm going to say the Mexican Food on our honeymoon (in Mexico)

TAG you're it!

Jyl                Allison

Anna            Marie

Angie B.       Emily

Angela S.      Vanessa 

McRae          Carina

JoAnna        Quinn