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As part of The Mommies Network, FredericksburgMommies.com is a free community for moms in Stafford, King George, Westmoreland, Spotsylvania and Caroline Counties, Virginia. We realize that all moms need local support -- and who can't use another friend? FredericksburgMommies.com offers a simple way to connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to get the best haircut to tips on transitioning to a "big kid" bed. Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, their children and their families.
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End of Summer?! OMG ? Can you believe that school is about to start??? My LO is only 2, so he isn?t starting, but I have lots of friends and family who are gearing up soon.
So, I was wondering what everyone is doing for a last minute jaunt before school starts. My sister just got back from a cruise, but if you are like me that is NOT an option. What to do close to home and CHEAP??? I say go to some of the festivals and fairs that are going on in August ? there are tons! You can log on to www.virginiafairsandfestivals.com type in Virginia and the city that you are interested in and it shows you where and when.
When you are done with that?then it is time to get ready for school, unless you have already done it. I found some good websites to check out?to find out all kinds of good stuff about the local schools such as the school supply lists, teachers, principals and stats on the locals schools. If you go to www.stafford.schoolfusion.us you can see the local Stafford schools. Of course you have to click on the actual schools to see the data on each school.
In order to see the Fredericksburg schools you can check out the www.fisd.org and call the school you are interested in to get the information.
Maybe the next blog should be about what everyone is doing with their free time when school starts?who is going to work; who is cleaning out the garage; who is volunteering etc? and opportunities/tips on how to do those things?what do ya think?
A Dad's Point of View: Being a Teenager Can Be Wonder-Full It?s so easy to complain about our teens. I know I?m guilty of too often dishing out criticisms, admonishments, and lectures. I worry that my boys might be doing drugs, drinking, or some other peer-pressure stupidity. But, they also deserve my support when they do well and my understanding when they slip up.
My 16-year-old, Will, recently bounded into my office, eager to talk. Wisely, I pulled away from the hypnotic lure of my computer, and faced him squarely, ready for whatever followed. Normally, when Will comes to talk to me, I am concerned that he either wants something or is going to confess something that I wish I didn?t have to hear. This time, I listened. And I listened and I listened. I smiled, I nodded, I grunted. But, mostly I listened. He had made a remarkable discovery! What was this remarkable revelation? ?Life is complicated and full of wonder and amazing things. Where did life come from? Why do we sleep? How does our brain work? Why are there different languages and how did they evolve?? He literally rambled off these and other subjects, as if he?d just discovered the wheel!
Will didn?t want me to offer any feedback: he just wanted to share with me his marvelous realizations. I just sat there and patiently let him passionately express these extraordinary questions. After maybe 15 minutes, he didn?t need me anymore and jumped up and left to call his girlfriend and share with her what he?d just voiced.
Later, as we were all getting ready for bed, he came into our bedroom, where my wife was lying down reading, and I had just come in to get ready for bed. He leaped on our chaise lounge, fell off to the side, and scrambled up laughing at his clumsiness. He then proclaimed, ?I love this family,? and proceeded to elaborate for a couple more minutes.
My wife and I actually wondered if Will had taken some drugs, as he seemed so high. But, he hadn?t, and was apparently just being a teenager--a teen enjoying the ?wonder-full-ness? of life.
That is my point. The older we get, the more we forget the wonder of youth, the wonder of being a teenager--discovering new worlds to explore and the new ideas that we feel are just ours. (Okay, let?s hear the Star Trek theme now).
Being a teenager means discovering the world. I think adults too often squash that sense of wonder with the desire to have our kids conform. That was my discovery during the short 18 months that I home-schooled Will, since the lack of conforming public school curriculum and class management allowed Will to learn so much more than he otherwise would have under the structure of public school. It?s why I believe home-schooling is really much better for some kids and, at the time, was the very best thing I could have done for Will.
The job of parents is to introduce our children to the world, to give them exposure to as much as we can, and to allow them to choose their paths. I know that early in my parenting, I had my ideas of what I wanted for my sons that were based on my own particular interests and desires. Fortunately, I got over that selfish instinct and ended up supporting my boys? own interests and dreams. I know too many parents that are single-minded in pushing their kids in the directions these parents think is best while not taking into consideration their kids interests, skills, and desires.
This is dramatically evident in the sports arena, where kids are sometimes literally forced to participate in a sport in which they have no interest. The reason is simply the parents? ego and vicarious desire to live through their kids. It is so wrong. We also see this in the over-the-top push that parents often inflict on their kids to excel at school so that they can get into this or that college that the parents deem best for their child.
I wonder if it ever occurred to those parents that their son or daughter might actually be better off with a year off between high school and college? Or, maybe not even going to college! Not every kid should go to college. Couldn?t college wait a year or two while these high school grads explore life on their own? Maybe they can see a bit more of the world rather than just continue in what can be the cocoon of education and parental (financial) support?
I may have wanted my sons to be great skiers, or get into an Ivy League college, but now I want them to fulfill their own passions and find the same joy in what they do that I?ve been blessed to find in my writing and now, my radio show as well. I urge you to do the same!
Please listen to ?The Bruce Sallan Show - A Dad?s Point-of-View? Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., PST on KZSB AM1290 in Santa Barbara or on the Internet via a live stream. For that link and all information about the show and Bruce, visit his web-site: http://brucesallan.com. Bruce?s column, ?A Dad?s Point-of-View,? is available in over 75 newspapers and web-sites worldwide. Find Bruce on Facebook by joining his ?A Dad?s Point-of-View? page: http://www.facebook.com/aDadsPointOfView. You can also follow Bruce at Twitter: http://twitter.com/BruceSallan.
If you'd like to contribute to the TMN blog, please email blogpost@themommiesnetwork.org
Happy 4th of July Everybody!!! Welll, I tried to think of an historic blog for Mommies to do with the 4th of July, but really I think I covered in on the President's Day blog...
So, is everyone all partied out???? I have to say, I have had enough of this weekend, 4th of July or not. My DH and I have been non stop bickering for the last 3 days and I am sooooo ready for him to go back to work :).
I think holidays like this are all about setting up your family's holiday routines. Our neighbors set off lots of fireworks, which luckily didn't wake up my LO or set the neighborhood on fire...so was actually pretty cool. They grilled out and had lots of people over. My Mom throws a big shin dig in TX every year and people come from all over to eat, play dominoes and watch fireworks.
Since my LO is only 2 and 1/2yrs old...I am still working on what we will call our 4th of July routine. He goes to bed before the fireworks and they would have scared the poop outta him...so we skipped them. Instead we let him run through the sprinkler and hang out with Daddy in the backyard.
I made flag cookies and quilited all weekend.
The founding mother's were all practiced in the art of handwork, quilting and sewing...so I felt close to them that way. We spent time at the playground and went out to eat for dinner tonight. We just hung around as a family unit and I think it was lots of fun. When he gets a little older, I plan to take him to Laguna Park etc. for the big fireworks shows, but for this one - hangin' at the hacienda suited us just fine!
Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July. Happy Birthday America and thank a troop/soldier/marine etc. for your freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Summer Fun!!!!!!!!! So, the kids are out or almost out of school?what to do now? Well, my little man is only 2 ½ years old, so I am in a little different boat ? but we could all use a few ideas right?
I know you all probably already know about all the things I am listing below, but find it is helpful to keep a list of stuff to do on our fridge, so when my little one is whining and driving me crazy ? I can quick reference it to see what we can do ASAP!
I decided to check out the outdoor stuff around here in Stafford. I found this website: http://www.staffordkids.com/outdoors.html that was GREAT. It contains lots of ideas for kids of all ages. It shows a list of all the parks in the areas (including which ones have playgrounds and which do not). It has a listing for organized sports and seasonal stuff etc.
I checked out Smith Lake Park, which I really liked, but it didn?t have any swings or shade? Then, I checked out the Marine Corps Museum Park ? which was awesome?it had a section for kids from 2 ? 5yrs old and one for kids from 5 ? 10yrs old. It also had toddler swings and regular swings as well as a bench swing to swing with your kiddoes.
The two websites above also have listings of swimming pools in the area too. I haven?t checked them out yet, but hope to go to the Woodlands Pool soon.
Also, since this is such an historical area, I was interested in what museums would be interesting for my little one and for him as he gets older. So, I found this one: http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/dc-kids-activities.html It not only contains a kids museum guide & movie guide, but also kid friendly places to eat, events etc.
Obviously we are all on a budget, so there are also lots of ideas that you can do at home too. I recently bought a sandbox from Wal-Mart for $37, plus $5 worth of beach toys (also from Wal-Mart) and put $6 worth of sand in it (2-50 lbs bags) from Lowe?s and my son LOVES to go out there and dig in the dirt.
I also bought a t-ball set from Wal-Mart (under $10). My little one likes it ok, but usually just buries the bat and the balls in the sandbox ? lol!
Every time we go out to the sandbox, my little one wants to turn on the water ? so I waited for a good hot afternoon, put him in his new Sponge Bob Squarepants swim trunks (from Wal-Mart ? under $10) and turned the sprinkler on him!
As for indoor activities on a budget ? I recently discovered a few outlets that ROCK!!! I went to the Dollar Tree (on Garrisonville Rd by Target) and they have cheapo toys that your kid can destroy without breaking the bank. Also, I LOVE Micheal?s (also in the shopping center with Target on Garrisonville). They always have stickers on sale (usually for $.99). Also, from Michael?s, since I stamp, I like to get the Washable Non-Toxic ink for stamping. I also get my little one stamps when they are on sale?Michael?s usually has a coupon in the paper on the weekends too!
Nickelodeon has a great website: http://www.nick.com/ where they list lots of fun activities and crafts for indoors?I like to click on the Nick Jr tab for activities for my little one.
Of course there are always the usual suspects, TV, DVDs, Video Games, Books, Play Doh, Finger Painting/Watercolors etc.
As you can tell one of my mottos is: ?When looking for activities ? ?Google It? or in our case ?Good Search? it?.
I am super jazzed for this summer now that my little one is getting big enough to enjoy/appreciate stuff around town (as well as more indoor crafts/activities). I hope this helps give some ideas for everybody!
Man Oh Man - have I been distracted lately! I have been quilting up a storm...doing lots of charity quilts and taking a class on quilting. Ugh!!! My little man has been a pistol lately too - lots of whining and crying (he is 2 - enough said - right?)
I do quilts for the Sheriff's department - they give them to people who are victims of domestic abuse, fire etc. Above are some pictures... I only did the whole quilt of the last one...the other ones I just did the batting and binding.
My little man has learned (the hard way) about how sharp quilting needles are; he knows that if he opens my safety pin container just right they go EVERYWHERE; and he likes to use my scraps as tissues (ugh!)...
In trying to insert my distraction into my daily Mommie life - I have discovered that 2yr olds are interested in ANYTHING that Mommie is doing for at least 3.5 seconds - : ) He likes to come up and lay on my quilt as I am tieing it or pull the scraps as I am cutting etc. So, in order to keep him from messing with Mommie's stuff, I am getting creative. I am making him his own quilt with fusable backing and scraps...I plan to get him his own plastic needles and some kiddo scissors (he LOVES scissors). We haven't quite got the hang of quilting together, but he likes to help me press my fabric... : ) (below is his idea of helping - LOL)
Quilting is a very theraputic thing for me - when my little man is sick or in need of discipline, it makes it much easier for me to stay calm to hold him when he feels bad and during/after discipline, as well as when he sees me doing stuff...he has taken to getting busy himself...I LOVE to see him playing happily by himself!
So - get distracted sometimes and it may make you a better Mommie!!!
