Thursday, November 09, 2006
'Sponsibility
Yesterday Leanna became a member of our public library. She now has her own card. The librarian explained the rules to her. This is exciting to me. It encourages her to read and find things that interest her and it's a good lesson in responsibility. Because any books she checks out she answers for. We have ripped pages before. Maybe now this will stop. Last night Justin tried to bite one of the books she got on her card. "No Justin!" she yelled as she grabbed the book. "I'm sponsible for that cause it's on my card!"
Good news!
The actual article isn't so exciting, here's my summary of the important parts:
"Bargain hunters are in for fire-sale prices this holiday season, although shoppers at upscale stores still may have to pay top dollar........... Wal-Mart will likely step up pressure on other retailers of toys and electronics. In a statement to investors that accompanied the October results, Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart's chief financial officer, said: "Price rollbacks on key toys that went into effect in mid-October generated significant lift in unit volume." ...........Discounting will be particularly welcome news for lower-income shoppers. They haven't seen the same kind of momentum from wage growth and jobs creation that well-heeled consumers have felt. The Labor Department's latest numbers show that the industries that have been hiring are in services, education and health, while the number of retail and manufacturing jobs has fallen.........."Persistent gains in jobs and income are skewed toward the management and professional jobs held by higher-end consumers," says Frank Badillo, senior economist and vice president at research firm Retail Forward. "
"Bargain hunters are in for fire-sale prices this holiday season, although shoppers at upscale stores still may have to pay top dollar........... Wal-Mart will likely step up pressure on other retailers of toys and electronics. In a statement to investors that accompanied the October results, Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart's chief financial officer, said: "Price rollbacks on key toys that went into effect in mid-October generated significant lift in unit volume." ...........Discounting will be particularly welcome news for lower-income shoppers. They haven't seen the same kind of momentum from wage growth and jobs creation that well-heeled consumers have felt. The Labor Department's latest numbers show that the industries that have been hiring are in services, education and health, while the number of retail and manufacturing jobs has fallen.........."Persistent gains in jobs and income are skewed toward the management and professional jobs held by higher-end consumers," says Frank Badillo, senior economist and vice president at research firm Retail Forward. "
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
I feel the same way.....
A Post from Katie Granju:
ferber and teenagers
Today someone was telling me how hard he finds it to hear the baby of a friend cry herself to sleep. This friend brings her baby to work with her and at naptime, she shuts her in a spare room in her portable crib and lets her scream and sob herself to sleep. So other people in the office have to listen to it and it's really hard to hear.I have always just HATED hearing babies and very young children cry. If I am in a store or waiting room and I hear a baby crying and can see that no one is picking the baby up or offering any comfort, I feel like my head is going to explode and I often have to leave. I just cannot bear it.I always want to go up to the mother or father of the crying baby and tell them how short the time is in their child's life when all it will take to soothe him/her is some cuddling and holding. As the mother of three complex, very different children who are now 15, 11 and 8 years old, I long for the days when I could make my children's tears stop by simply rocking them or nursing them. It was all so much simpler then, and I wish I had appreciated that period of mothering more at the time. Now, I'd give anything for one more chance to go back in time and rock a sleepy, baby Henry until he nodded off. I wouldn't miss a single opportunity.
ferber and teenagers
Today someone was telling me how hard he finds it to hear the baby of a friend cry herself to sleep. This friend brings her baby to work with her and at naptime, she shuts her in a spare room in her portable crib and lets her scream and sob herself to sleep. So other people in the office have to listen to it and it's really hard to hear.I have always just HATED hearing babies and very young children cry. If I am in a store or waiting room and I hear a baby crying and can see that no one is picking the baby up or offering any comfort, I feel like my head is going to explode and I often have to leave. I just cannot bear it.I always want to go up to the mother or father of the crying baby and tell them how short the time is in their child's life when all it will take to soothe him/her is some cuddling and holding. As the mother of three complex, very different children who are now 15, 11 and 8 years old, I long for the days when I could make my children's tears stop by simply rocking them or nursing them. It was all so much simpler then, and I wish I had appreciated that period of mothering more at the time. Now, I'd give anything for one more chance to go back in time and rock a sleepy, baby Henry until he nodded off. I wouldn't miss a single opportunity.
Big Families, again
Another article, this one asking if big families really are on the rise.
(When Martin crunched the numbers from a 2004 government survey — the most recent available — he found that 28 percent of women age 35 to 44, who are winding up their childbearing years, have three kids or more. Ten years ago, it was 29 percent. The numbers for younger women haven't budged much, either.Martin says it's not so much that big families are back, as that they never disappeared in the first place. "Large families have consistently been common," he points out. )
MORE QUOTES FROM THE STORY:
The idea that brothers and sisters teach each other social skills is a popular one among big-family moms, and there's research to back it up. A 2004 study of more than 20,000 kindergarteners across the country found that teachers rated students who had at least one sibling as having an edge in social skills: better at making friends, better at helping other kids, and more tuned to the feelings of others. (The catch: having any siblings was what made the difference, and kids with lots of brothers or sisters didn't have any advantage over those who had just one.)
Researchers have also turned up some downsides to big families, although experts argue about how valid they are. About a hundred years of studies — from the 1870s to the 1970s — found that on average, the bigger the family, the lower the intelligence of the kids. One theory holds that as a family grows, the parents have less time and money to devote to each child's education and intellectual development.But some researchers think IQ scores have more to do with socioeconomic characteristics — large families are still more common among low-income parents with less education, and kids tend to match their parents' academic achievement. "It's factors like income and education that the studies are actually measuring,"
Rodgers also believes the effect of family size on both intelligence and social skills pales in comparison to parenting styles. "Imagine two households, one with four children and one with two," he says. "In one household the parents spend a lot of quality time with their kids, the house is filled with books, and the food on the table is nutritious. In the other the parents pretty much ignore the kids and sit around watching TV. What do you think is more important: The number of children or the quality of the parenting?"
I would guess that parenting style would affect quite a bit here. There's a huge difference between large families because the parents aren't careful or want more welfare and parents who truly love lots of kids. There's a huge differnence between parents who love their many kids but don't bother with them and say, a large homeschooling family who do put the effort into spending time with the children. Just as families with only children can do much to teach their children social skills. Today kids go to preschool and daycare and gymboree, or even just hang out with their Mother's friend's kids or their cousins, etc. so they have plenty of experience sharing etc. There are so many stereotypes out there that people apparently still believe-like that all only children are spoiled or all large families force the older children to give up their childhood to raise their siblings. Yes, there must be some families out there that fit those descriptions. But hey, there were only three of us and I spent a lot of time helping with my baby sister-and loved it. (that's just my personal example) Plus I think that parents today are aware of those stereotypes and therefore make effort not to rely on the older kids so much in a large family, or to make sure their only children do play with other kids. I doubt these things were ever as much a problem as people seem to think anyway.
(When Martin crunched the numbers from a 2004 government survey — the most recent available — he found that 28 percent of women age 35 to 44, who are winding up their childbearing years, have three kids or more. Ten years ago, it was 29 percent. The numbers for younger women haven't budged much, either.Martin says it's not so much that big families are back, as that they never disappeared in the first place. "Large families have consistently been common," he points out. )
MORE QUOTES FROM THE STORY:
The idea that brothers and sisters teach each other social skills is a popular one among big-family moms, and there's research to back it up. A 2004 study of more than 20,000 kindergarteners across the country found that teachers rated students who had at least one sibling as having an edge in social skills: better at making friends, better at helping other kids, and more tuned to the feelings of others. (The catch: having any siblings was what made the difference, and kids with lots of brothers or sisters didn't have any advantage over those who had just one.)
Researchers have also turned up some downsides to big families, although experts argue about how valid they are. About a hundred years of studies — from the 1870s to the 1970s — found that on average, the bigger the family, the lower the intelligence of the kids. One theory holds that as a family grows, the parents have less time and money to devote to each child's education and intellectual development.But some researchers think IQ scores have more to do with socioeconomic characteristics — large families are still more common among low-income parents with less education, and kids tend to match their parents' academic achievement. "It's factors like income and education that the studies are actually measuring,"
Rodgers also believes the effect of family size on both intelligence and social skills pales in comparison to parenting styles. "Imagine two households, one with four children and one with two," he says. "In one household the parents spend a lot of quality time with their kids, the house is filled with books, and the food on the table is nutritious. In the other the parents pretty much ignore the kids and sit around watching TV. What do you think is more important: The number of children or the quality of the parenting?"
I would guess that parenting style would affect quite a bit here. There's a huge difference between large families because the parents aren't careful or want more welfare and parents who truly love lots of kids. There's a huge differnence between parents who love their many kids but don't bother with them and say, a large homeschooling family who do put the effort into spending time with the children. Just as families with only children can do much to teach their children social skills. Today kids go to preschool and daycare and gymboree, or even just hang out with their Mother's friend's kids or their cousins, etc. so they have plenty of experience sharing etc. There are so many stereotypes out there that people apparently still believe-like that all only children are spoiled or all large families force the older children to give up their childhood to raise their siblings. Yes, there must be some families out there that fit those descriptions. But hey, there were only three of us and I spent a lot of time helping with my baby sister-and loved it. (that's just my personal example) Plus I think that parents today are aware of those stereotypes and therefore make effort not to rely on the older kids so much in a large family, or to make sure their only children do play with other kids. I doubt these things were ever as much a problem as people seem to think anyway.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Books & kids
Justin enjoyng Curious George and Leanna fell asleep one night "reading" my library book. New boots
Here's Justin, showing off Leanna's new boots and his baby. And the lovely necklace. (I can hear Pop-Pop J. worrying now)
A day's work
Here's what we did today since Leanna had off from school: the giant green blog is a Daddy Dinosaur (by Justin), the otehrs are various paintings by Leanna, and the white thing is what I'm working on now. 
Embarrassment
This font is red because I am red-faced. I really really wish I was one of those women who have it all together. Work a job, volunteer, raise the kids, keep a perfect house, and still have time to go out with friends and husband and do things I am passionate about. Sadly, this is not me.
Now, I can be creative, but the house just has never got the focus of it. And the few things I've wanted to do to the house(I know how I want to decorate both bathrooms) have to wait for Tom until I can start. There are other things I can think of, but they cost $ we don't have. Although the main thing stopping me is TIME. The kids drain so much of my time and energy. And right now I'm trying to work on making Christmas presents. I can only do one project thing at a time. So my kitchen table is covered in paints and wood stuff and paint-brushes and sandpaper. If I was single I would have it cleaned up in between working on stuff. But that would waste valuable time for me-as it is I get stopped a million times while I'm trying to work, by the time I give up trying to work I have to make supper or pick up Leanna or take care of something else pressing. This does not make for a clean house.
And last night the kids were crazy and Tom didn't get home until about 8:30 and by that time although Justin was exhausted he didn't go to sleep he just enjoyed sitting with his Daddy and Timothy refused to sleep also. So only Leanna crashed and I never got the kid-free time I needed to straighten up. Why am I writting this?
Because my mother-in-law brought stuff into our house today while I was still in the bedroom with the kids. We were actually up, but hadn't gotten dressed yet or even out of bed. We were just playing together since Leanna didn't have school today so there was no rush. We thought we heard someone yell, but I just dismissed it as a kid yelling outside.
Of course she picks a day to drop by when I haven't cleaned at all the night before. Of course she picks a day when I just collected the dirty laundry and piled it on the kitchen floor, intending to take it down the the basement the next day. The floor was a minefield of toys, blankets, and other unknown objects. I hadn't vacummed or even done dishes the night before. Eeek.
Not that my house is particularly neat on a regular basis, but it's not always that bad. So while I'm greatful that Santa-in-law, I mean Nanny Sue dropped by, I really wish it had been on a day when the place looked normal!!
Now, I can be creative, but the house just has never got the focus of it. And the few things I've wanted to do to the house(I know how I want to decorate both bathrooms) have to wait for Tom until I can start. There are other things I can think of, but they cost $ we don't have. Although the main thing stopping me is TIME. The kids drain so much of my time and energy. And right now I'm trying to work on making Christmas presents. I can only do one project thing at a time. So my kitchen table is covered in paints and wood stuff and paint-brushes and sandpaper. If I was single I would have it cleaned up in between working on stuff. But that would waste valuable time for me-as it is I get stopped a million times while I'm trying to work, by the time I give up trying to work I have to make supper or pick up Leanna or take care of something else pressing. This does not make for a clean house.
And last night the kids were crazy and Tom didn't get home until about 8:30 and by that time although Justin was exhausted he didn't go to sleep he just enjoyed sitting with his Daddy and Timothy refused to sleep also. So only Leanna crashed and I never got the kid-free time I needed to straighten up. Why am I writting this?
Because my mother-in-law brought stuff into our house today while I was still in the bedroom with the kids. We were actually up, but hadn't gotten dressed yet or even out of bed. We were just playing together since Leanna didn't have school today so there was no rush. We thought we heard someone yell, but I just dismissed it as a kid yelling outside.
Of course she picks a day to drop by when I haven't cleaned at all the night before. Of course she picks a day when I just collected the dirty laundry and piled it on the kitchen floor, intending to take it down the the basement the next day. The floor was a minefield of toys, blankets, and other unknown objects. I hadn't vacummed or even done dishes the night before. Eeek.
Not that my house is particularly neat on a regular basis, but it's not always that bad. So while I'm greatful that Santa-in-law, I mean Nanny Sue dropped by, I really wish it had been on a day when the place looked normal!!
Big Boy
I've noticed Justin's really been maturing lately. He's asking more intelligent questions and understanding more of the answers. He's been voluntarily using the potty quite a bit, even getting upset when his Daddy tells him to just go in his diaper (because Tom doesn't feel like taking him). He had stopped using the potty for a while, so whatever prompted him to start again came solely from him. He's been very into having stories read to him the past few weeks. That is a big change for him. I could read little books to Leanna when she was a tiny baby, and she would look at the pictures and then eat the book. Justin could never be bothered with it. Not even to eat them. But all the sudden he loves books. And sometimes he will read you a story too. I love that-you find out the most interesting things about how they see their world. For example Justin was reading a highlights magazine with a picture of a boy and girl. He looked at the picture and told me sadly, "Girl can't kick." Gee, who does he have in mind there?!
A compliment
This morning Leanna decided she would pick out my clothes. She knocked the drawer out of the dresser though(it doesn't have anything to keep it in the dresser) and everything fell out. She found an old heart shaped lace sachet, which she just loved. I explained what it was for and she sniffed it deeply. "It smells like Aunt Laura made it!"
(Aunt Laura always smells good)
(Aunt Laura always smells good)
Monday, November 06, 2006
weekend
We had a nice time this weekend with Aunt Laura helping me get the kitchen cleaned enough to bring down paints (with Halloween costumes out of the way we are currently doing painting projects). I got a little done and Leanna had a lovely time making a giant mess. Then Sunday we walked around Q-mart, and found a couple small Christmas presents. Leanna is very upset because she thought a present we bought for Aunt Laura was going to be for her. To her credit, she was all excited about sharing it with Aunt Laura when she visits. But she was really upset, crying that she knew Aunt Laura would never let her play with it and would just put it away!! And afterward we spent the evening with Nanny Sue and Pop-Pop. Nanny Sue (& Pop-Pop, unknowingly) was playing Santa Claus a little early. The kids must have had a lot of fun too since afterwards Leanna asked them if she could come back the next day!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Why you should never fall asleep at (our) family parties
These are Laura's pictures of me decorating sleeping beauty. (I love you Claire!!) It could have been much worse-my cousins tried to give Tom a swirlie to initiate him into the family! (For those who don't know, a swirlie is when they hold you upside-down in the toilet bowl and flush).
scary fall
This morning Timothy fell down the steps. From the top. I saw his little body tumbling over and was actually holding Justin, who I had to throw onto the couch in order to get there quicker. (he wasn't hurt) I arrived at the same time Timothy landed. Lukily for me, no matter how many times I clear out the bottom of the stairs, there is always a pile of something there. In this case a bunch of shoes and slippers broke his fall, and he only had a bloody lip. He must have bit it in the fall. Thank God that was all that happened! I could tell from his cry that he was only scared and not really hurt. He was more subdued than usual after that though.
morning dreams
Leanna dreamed this morning that she and Maree were in the living room playing beach. Both Pop-Pops were there, although they looked alike. She said there was only one Nanny Sue though, and I had to laugh at that, because they surely broke the mold after they made Nanny Sue! Lol! There is only one Nanny Sue!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Christmas shopping-question
`As my sister pointed out to me, Thanksgiving is only three weeks away! Yikes! In theory, I knew this. But it's suddenly hit home that BLACK FRIDAY, my favorite shopping day, is almost here and we still don't have money for Christmas!! Usually I put aside money for Christmas well in advance, say from income taxes or an extra large paycheck or whatever. Then I slowly chip away at it, buying a present here and there. I do the bulk of the shopping Black Friday and after. And I like it that way.
But this year has just been really rough. We didn't expect his Uncle to stick him with no work in the beginning of the year. It took quite a while to get caught up from that. Hopefully it was a good thing because it forced him to find other work. He's been working completely on his own projects since June. Which is scary. He loves the freedom, but you really don't know when the money will come in. And then jobs just kept getting delayed or cancelled. Jobs that were supposed to leave us with extra money ended up with extra expenses or just took so long that the "extra" money ended up having to go to bills. And we've just been struggling too much with the regular bills to put any aside. So pray for us that he will get a job big enough to put aside Christmas money-and soon!! And feel free to mention him to anyone who is looking for work done to their homes!!
Anyway, thinking about all this has left me wondering.......how do you, dear readers, do your Christmas shopping/planning? Do you set aside certain amounts to spend on everyone on your list? Do you just buy and then try to even it all out? Do you make a list? Do you buy it all months ahead of time and have it all wrapped and waiting? Do you ask others for ideas for presents or just completely wing it? I'm not looking to change my methods, I'm just curious how others do it.
But this year has just been really rough. We didn't expect his Uncle to stick him with no work in the beginning of the year. It took quite a while to get caught up from that. Hopefully it was a good thing because it forced him to find other work. He's been working completely on his own projects since June. Which is scary. He loves the freedom, but you really don't know when the money will come in. And then jobs just kept getting delayed or cancelled. Jobs that were supposed to leave us with extra money ended up with extra expenses or just took so long that the "extra" money ended up having to go to bills. And we've just been struggling too much with the regular bills to put any aside. So pray for us that he will get a job big enough to put aside Christmas money-and soon!! And feel free to mention him to anyone who is looking for work done to their homes!!
Anyway, thinking about all this has left me wondering.......how do you, dear readers, do your Christmas shopping/planning? Do you set aside certain amounts to spend on everyone on your list? Do you just buy and then try to even it all out? Do you make a list? Do you buy it all months ahead of time and have it all wrapped and waiting? Do you ask others for ideas for presents or just completely wing it? I'm not looking to change my methods, I'm just curious how others do it.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Weird PA
I'm enjoying this book about our weird state. Even Tom stopped to glance through it and he doesn't read! I found one so far that I am sure I know of.......Hexenkopf road. And I'm pretty sure that I went (with other people, duh) looking for the place called Cult House, Devil's Road or Satan Road. I think it's the same legend. I just started the book last night. Libraries are wonderful.
PS> Hey Laura, there's a shoe museum in Philly.
PS> Hey Laura, there's a shoe museum in Philly.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Moments of happiness
Yesterday Timothy walked over to Justin and gave him a long hug. A real one. Justin was really thrilled and so was I!
Why I blog.....
"The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions -- the little soon forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimals of pleasure and genial feeling."
— Samuel Taylor Coleridge
— Samuel Taylor Coleridge
For a few quotes and pretty pictures
"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I cannot reach them: but I can look up, and see their beauty; believe in them and try to follow where they lead…"
"All things are literally better, lovelier, and more beloved for imperfections... .that the law of human life may be effort, and the law of human judgment, mercy."
— John Ruskin
"Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life."
— Herbert Henry Asquith
"I like trains because they make sounds that fit their bodies."
— Brian Andreas
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."
— — Guillaume Apollinaire
"All things are literally better, lovelier, and more beloved for imperfections... .that the law of human life may be effort, and the law of human judgment, mercy."
— John Ruskin
"Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life."
— Herbert Henry Asquith
"I like trains because they make sounds that fit their bodies."
— Brian Andreas
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."
— — Guillaume Apollinaire
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