Parenting is Always from the Gut

So much of parenting is balancing...attaching and letting go.

How do we know when to do which?

Trial and error, to be certain.

And a little bit of gut feeling...

gut wrenching feeling.

Or at times, a peaceful feeling.

We just know...

H1N 5 out of 7

5 out of 7 of us were home sick this week with varying degrees of cough, hack, sneeze, wheeze, and other even more unpleasantries.

We have two with underlying conditions which cause higher concerns.

And tonight is Halloween.

Many long sad faces today...

I may let them go out as long as they dress as medical personnel -- complete with face masks and rubber gloves.

And what to do about reaching into bowls of treats that other hands have dipped into before?

And I barely have energy to type...

Where I have been...

...I've been moving.

Moving and shaking...

Long story, but my priorities have changed: My purpose in life is to move and I have been moving every day.

This shift has been a godsend.

When I have a chance I'd love to write about finding my inner-athlete and realizing that I eat IN ORDER to move -- instead of the other way around.

Back to School?

I have been enjoying a wonderful summer and now we are back to school. You know that time of year that retailers love. Back to school shopping. School supply lists in our area are conveniently available in the stores so that parents can be sure to buy all the necessary supplies.

To read a very funny -- in a sad way -- blog post about supply lists go here.

I have similar angst on the night of the first day of school. Yes, I do have a lot of kids, but even so, I sign A LOT of papers that night. I have 5 children of school age this year and I counted the papers that I had to sign: 41

41!!!

These are the follow up to the list of supplies is the letters and require our signatures of support.

Behavioral Expectations in the Classroom.

You know, the ones that have things like:

1. Cheating is not allowed.

Really, are you kidding me? There are some classrooms where cheating IS allowed? Why do we need to sign a paper stating that we understand this is not allowed? Of course it is punishable. Duh. Do teachers think that we don'tknow what appropriate behavior is?

2. Keep your desk area clean.

No kidding. I thought that it was okay for kids to leave trash everywhere.

3. Contact the teacher if you are concerned about performance in class.

Huh. by the end of the year, lady, you are going to be wishing that there was no way for me to get in touch with you.

4. Bring your notebook and writing utensils to class.

Uh, yeah, cuz everything works better when the kid leave that stuff at home.

I sign so many papers the first week it is unbelievable....and every time a parent has to sign a paper it take the responsibility away from the student and every time there is some innane statement like "Cheating is not allowed" it dumbs down the students intellectually and emotionally.

The only "rule" I have in my classroom is "be respectful and considerate". If a student is not sure he should do something, he needs to decide - and here is where the learning happens - ON HIS/HER OWN - is it respectful and considerate.

Our educational system is creating non thinkers.

Not that I have an opinion.

It's a Small World!

Similar experiences with similar animals.

I'm talking about teenagers...

Fhina - A Woman of No Importance and I share the glorious experience of raising hormone-laden youth and thanks to this wonderful blogging community we commiserate and share the joy even though we live an ocean apart. Visit our posts and the work of other amazing mothers and fathers at Mad Manic Mamas. I love to read the wisdom and experiences that others have to share.

The wonderful Woman of No Importance has tagged me in this award/game with 7'simple' rules! Thanks, Fabulous Fhina!

I am in awe of the ease of connecting...I'd like to point you to a few of the wonderful reads:

1. Jeannie at Atlantic Beach Life is an almost real life friend (she knows what this means). She does an amazing job of sharing what her little neck of the globe, where ocean meets the shore, is like. She has a grand giveaway going on right now, so go check her out. Her life is like another world to me.

2. Jonna of She in China is truly a worldly and adventurous soul! She has been living and working in China but is temporarily visiting home in Sweden right now. Her experiences in China are a blast and remind me of my visits in China. Her youthful perspective is downright hopeful.

3. Another grand place and person to visit is Daryl who is out and about in New York City. I love the beach, the country, asia and the big city and Daryl captures corners of the big apple that I don't often get to see. I can almost hear the horns and smell the pretzels from her pages.

4. Arne, his art, and his travels are glorious! He reminds me to appreciate the finer things. Very grounding.

5. So do you want to really travel to these places with children and teenagers? Kids Go Global doesn't just read about it, they are doing it! Wonderful strategies for traveling, in real life!, with children.

So, as a truly good mother of many...you know that I will not be able to finish this post...I have two daughters popping in and asking "who are you writing to?", "why do you do that?", "You are weird", and a husband asking me where something is...so five international friends will have to do.


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What's in my Cups

So I'm trying to cut down on coffee...is it coincidental that I am drinking more wine?

There was a time in my life when I drank neither.

The year I turned 40 was the same year I finished my masters degree at night, adopted our fifth child...and started drinking coffee.



This year we have 5 teenagers in our house, I turned 47, and I started drinking wine.

Coincidence?

Perspective...

Don't you love sharing family experiences? I look forward to specific activities I want to share with my kiddos.

Reading Charlotte's Web, then Chronicles of Narnia...our annual trip to the amusement park, hikes along the Appalachian trail and up specific mountain peaks...the memory making events that I want to share with my children.

It was brought to my attention recently that my littles had not yet enjoyed the silly fairy tale The Princess Bride.
No one each time I waved to them and said, "Have fun storming the castle!" they had no idea what I was talking about.
Or each time their older brothers laughed and said, "I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" the littles shrugged it off without a smile.

Last night we were all cuddled around the movie borrowed from the library (we had to put our names on a waiting list -- so many must appreciate Billy Crystal's miracle) and XJ saw the puffy hair in the first scene and asked, "How old is this movie?"

We thought about it and said, "The Eighties". Seems like yesterday to me.

EJ paused.

"If it was made in the eighties, why is the movie in color then?"