A New Beginning

Soo that's it...the last of my posts are moved over to the old blog because the current blog is set to disapear at some point today. In typical Pirate Mom Fashion, I had to move it all & try & keep it for my kids...gonna keep it going too I think. So, forgive the lengthiness in posting, I started at 7ish this morning migrating everything on over, and its only taken until 1pm today to get it transferred. But, these are MY memories, stories of MY life...and my triplets & teen deserve to one day be able to read about themselves. This has enabled me to preserve the little things, the things often forgotten, left out of the usual baby books... So, here it is, our lives in a nutshell.

So, What's It Like Carrying Triplets?

Posted by Vulnadia on Sep 25, 2008 at 12:00 PM What's It Like Carrying Triplet's? Carrying triplets is probably the scariest endeavor I have ever endured. In the beginning, of course you find out that you are pregnant and you haven’t any clue that there is more than one tiny person growing inside. Because of my prior health problems, my doctor decided to do an ultrasound at 9 weeks out. Because of a previous miscarriage, I was worried about the doctor not finding any heart beat. Little did I know, that lab tech would find not one, but THREE tiny heartbeats! What a shocker! No, I didn’t faint or pass out, although it did help that I was already lying down. But then again, that lab tech was too surprised to say anything more than, “ How many baby’s would you like?” All I could say was, “How many baby’s are you seeing?” Of course we now know the answer was “THREE!” So there I was, not expecting one viable heartbeat at all, only to find out that I was supporting THREE very strong little heartbeats! The doctor & the lab tech (after much oh my goodness-ing) printed out many pictures of my tiny trio so that I would have the undeniable proof of existence when breaking the news to my family. After all, who would believe I was carrying triplets? Funnier still, I had to have the office worker write me a letter saying that I was carrying them so that work would believe me! Next, it was on to the specialist’s office for my 12 week introductory visit. They don’t EVEN want to see you before 12 weeks because anything less than that may not be a viable multiple pregnancy. That was frightening. I had gained 4 pounds by this point and was starting to feel my jeans tighten at the waist. The specialist turned out to be very nice, however you get to have this consultation in his office where he gets to tell me that I am much to short to be carrying triplets and that my chances for successfully carrying them are very slim. I looked him in the eye and told him, “We’ll just see about that!” This is the point where selective reduction is implied/offered, which in my case just wasn’t an option. So I left my first big appointment with my specialist armed with a list of stipulations: mandatory full bed rest at 5 months, a list of foods that you should and shouldn’t eat, explicit instruction to find, identify and eliminate all sources of stress from my life, and a term date of 34 weeks. The 34 week goal is the scary part, even though the stress elimination was a close second. I decided to approach this rather like a game. I had a starting point which I had already managed to get past (conception-passed that test with flying colors!) and now I had a set end point to strive for. After having been told that most triplet pregnancy’s never make the 34 week mark, I decided that we would hit it right on target. The doctor just smiled. Little did he know that he would find himself writing my OBGYN a letter stating, “Please deliver these triplets the moment Mimi is officially considered 34 weeks. Not a day before, or a day later.” Much to my doctor’s surprise, after a pregnancy of no complications, I would walk to labor and delivery from the Schumpert parking garage and check myself in for my very planned c-section after the most frightening 34 weeks I have ever sustained!

FX makeup trial by fire

Posted by Vulnadia on Oct 03, 2008 at 10:54 PM Husband & I had a promo Thursday night for our haunted attraction. It was the first time in the history of our theater doing this haunt, for us to get invited to the press promotion that the fair has every year. This meant that, as the icon characters for our haunt, we would need to BOTH get into makeup and costume AT HOME during the late afternoon IN FRONT OF THE BABIES for the very first time. I had NO idea how they would handle this, and even less of an idea how we would manage to fend off three 2 yr olds while we applied makeup to ourselves at our dining room table. It was interesting, to say the least. Kaiden immediately wanted brushes. He loves makeup brushes and finds them great fun to play with! They are even better when he is able to sneak a tiny bit into the makeup itself and color on himself! This peaked Vivie's interest, and she had to have brushes, too. Then of course Kian had to have his share as well. Pretty soon, we were fighting for brushes for us to use to get ready in time for the promo! I don't know if it was because they got to watch us put everything on and saw the entire transition, or if they just really aren't bothered by much at this age, but none of my little people seemed to be bothered by seeing Mum & Daddy in full makeup. We got really lucky, this time! Hopefully, they won't develope a fear of it by next year! Vivienne even gasped and squealed once she saw me with my vines woven into my hair and my dark ages dress and jewelry on! Now if we can just keep Kai out of the black makeup we will be in business! (He still has a little bit of it in his hairline!)

Social Frustrations

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 08, 2008 at 01:11 PM I don't know exactly how to write this or how to say what it is that is bothering me so, but I have to give it a shot and try and make a difference. Ladies, please be mindful of your actions and your words, ESPECIALLY when there is an unknown element! It has come to light both recently, and in the past, that I have observed people while out and about, who seem oblvious to the damage their actions and words have on others. I'm not talking about a case of road rage, or shopping frustrations, either. I'm talking about socially, I suppose. There are those among us, who, through whatever reasons, good or bad, have become media darlings with their stories plastered all over the newspapers, television and yes, even spread through gossip. What do we really know of these people, I ask you? Most of us only know what we read in the newspapers, magazines, etc. and what we hear on the news and on telelvision or online. The saddest, most tragic part of all, is that we as a society are want to pass judgement on these people based on only what we hear/read have heard and not on fact or truth in such matters. We tend to forget that the front-page cover-person is really a person with a life and a family just like everyone else and somehow find a way to push that person into a realm all their own where they aren't really real to us anymore, making it easier to talk about them, snub them and socially ostracize them, in spite of how we would have treated them had they not been made into media darlings instead of being allowed to live the life of the average joe you meet on the street. What is it about society today that finds it socially acceptable to treat these people like dogs when they see them out and about? Society tends to treat them as if they can't hear what is being said about them, and even will go so far as to say and do things out loud and in front of these folks as if they weren't even there, or worse, drawing attention to them in situations where it isn't warranted. Shouldn't these people have the same rights as everyone else? Shouldn't they be allowed to go grocery shopping in peace without the stares, comments and extra attention afforded them by the judgemental public? What about their families and friends who are out with them? How should they be expected to react when people say and do things like this? Are they due the same treatment? Is anybody? Who gives us the right to assume that what we have read in the media is truth and status quo? Why do we let this influence the way we view someone as a person? If you were out and about, and in an accident and someone helped you, would you be so quick to hurt the very hand that reached out to help you if it were one of these media darlings that you've seen and read about in the paper or on television? It burns me up to see inherently good people having their lives torn apart by society because someone decided to believe what was written/said in the media without even trying to learn what the truth may be. I suppose the bigger question is, is the truth really any of our business? Who is giving us the right to pass judgement and why oh why are we doing so based upon something written to attract a certain demographic or sell higher volumes to make a buck? People make mistakes. In fact, none of us are perfect. Some make bigger mistakes than others, but that doesn't mean that a person shouldn't be allowed to go on with their lives. So, the next time you are out and about, whether it be at the grocery store, or at a football game or even in the carpool line at school, please think twice about what you say and do! Your words and your actions can have a profound effect on the lives of people in ways you least expect.

Exploring the great outdoors

Posted by Vulnadia on Nov 21, 2008 at 07:08 AM this past week, my trio has managed to get out into the backyard of their own volition- frightening yet true... kian has developed a new sport & is positively mastered it- its called wet-leaf surfing!!! the doggie wants her room back!!! i have taken to deadbolting the backdoor shut now to keep them from going OUTSIDE!!!! but they are now in search of KEYS- because keys unlock DOORS that lead to the OUTSIDE!!!! dunno how they know this, but they do!!! i'm in soo much trouble! ~Mimi

What Do SAHM's Actually DO All Day?

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 21, 2011 at 02:53 PM Oh my, can this woman be serious? I know, I know, this is under the job club header- & it is NOT misposted, either! Why would that be? Because even though I stay at home & have since I went on mandatory bedrest at 5months gestation, I still WORK and work HARD! I work from home, I stay at home with my kids (well now that includes school with my trio since they've turned 4) and I still have 3 jobs to work out of the home with in addition to my "Home" work that is household based (the housework & general mom of the house duties that are 24/7)!!!! In fact, I often yearn for an office to go to where I can work in peace, without worry, with adults...but alas, I chose to stay at home with my triplets...or rather they made it quite impossible & improbable that I would ever work out of an office again for at least a while! But I wouldn't change being at home with them for the world, even though I have my moments! I have 2 real paying work at home jobs that do not involve the selling of ANYTHING...I am very fortunate. I also run a non-profit theater and it's seasonal fundraiser haunted attraction which I write & produce each year myself. This is on top of thrice the school duties Moms of 4yr olds have-three times the snackdays every 17 days, three times the storytime duty, three times the game playing duty, the field trips that I must chaperone (I've one child with sensory disorders that cannot go unattended & I cannot trust another to do the job at this stage-he even got seperated from us at the first one and I was there! long story there) So how oh how can they ask what stay at home moms do all day? I mean, I spent my summer in the bathroom...with all 3 of my potty training kids...it was AWFUL- and there were many a day when I took the laptop in with me so I could write, and work orders for my other job and function while they sat there gleefully learning to be big-kids.... Sure we go to the park, and do other stay at home mom type activities, but I must also find time & ways to keep up with my jobs at the same time!!! Have you ever tried grocery shopping with triplets? It's an experience in society, that's for certain and I'm not talking about the effects of my kids on the store but rather the reactions & things said & done when we are sighted that are the kickers, the time delays, the forgetfullness that comes from the shock of what some people will say & do in front of my kids.... But what do we do all day? WE WORK!!! We don't have an office to escape to full of adult conversations & free of toys to step on & kid programming blaring in the background... What do you think? Do you as a Mom ever wonder what it's like on the other side? Both Moms have their merit, both are doing what is best for their families, but seriously? I work too!!! I just do it from my home!!! article

Disney Magic Moment Ch.1

Posted by Vulnadia on Jul 08, 2011 at 06:35 PM okay,..first magical moment... The first day we didnt think we would get to do much-keep in mind we drove in 16hrs straight which meant the kids had slept in the car-we got in about 730am, checked into our cabin at Ft Wilderness (which was amazingly ready for us) we changed & took the boat on over to magic kingdom... Yes we got our gac-had the stroller as wheelchair tag & quiet place to rest stamps on it (kai has taken to kicking & biting indiscriminately when past the point of no return in a meltdown-we can usually head off before this happens but it was anybody's guess if we would be able to & what would trigger in these situations)...it enabled us to knock out 3/4 of magic kingdom by about 6ish that evening-rides only pretty much...which was mystifying We only got to do pretty much guy stuff-the boys went wild in pirates giftshop & there wasnt too much vivienne didnt have already from there that was for girls...& she was really sad because as she put it, "my hands are empty" as she tried to stay chipper... We ended up @ Phiharmagic, kian had to potty & missed the show with daddy...& we stumbled accross the 2nd level castle entry...with a girly shoppe right there around sir mickey's...husband took the boys to watch the stage show from above at the balcony around back & vivienne & I ducked into the shoppe... She found the cutest disney dolls-toddler versions basically of the princesses & tink-one of them, rapunzel, looked EXACTLY like toddler rapunzel from the movie & has mylar streamers in her hair to make it"Glow"... While in line to pay for our very girly perfectly vivienne purchase (she was giddy) this very foreign fairy godmother came up to her, pulled her a tiny bit off to the side & started whispering very quietly to her smiling the entire time...she sprinkled her with pixie dust & essentially fairy-blessed her that all her wishes & dreams would come true...it made her day literally!!! Fast forward 2 days later, and we were on the boat coming back from the contemporary (another magic story for later) & right as we landed and disembarked, the wishes music started up... Then the first of the fireworks went off above the castle which we could sorta see in the distance from the beach of the resort...vivienne gasped & screamed, "My wishes!!!" & went into this 20 minute long monologue about how some of her wishes in her hair had started the fireworks & how they really worked & how her dreams were coming true...it was very detailed & very sweet & innocent & wonderful (my little moment during her rather large one)... She honestly thinks she is responsible for the entire fireworks show via the pixie dust from her fairy godmother!!! cutest sweetest thing!!! it just made our night (days with kai could become stressful at times for a myriad of reasons) More to come later, this is just a tiny bit of what all happened while we were there!!!

Dinner With Dr Blood

Posted by Vulnadia on Aug 15, 2010 at 08:17 PM For my birthday week, one of the fun things that I was able to do, was have dinner with a Shreveport Icon, Dr. Blood himself. No, he wasn't in costume, in fact he looked about as mundane and normal as can be if you didn't know any better! (Which of course we do!) It was great because we were able to get many of our old "Family" back together in one place, at one table, which is something that doesn't happen very often. You see, Drew Hunter served as President of Gas Light Players and in 1975 he decided to do away with the State Fair Melodrama show that GLP used to do during the fair and replace it with something that had potential to make the theater a little more money and peak the interest of the fair-goers and Dr. Blood was born out of the ashes of the old and evolved into something...new! For years, the show drew area artists and theater folk together (no pun intended) to raise money for Gas Light Players which went to fund their theater season. Out of all of this, a sort of family evolved out of it. At first, it was the troupe's friends and family staffing the show. Eventually, area high school kids waited for the day when they were old enough to join the show and help out, too. There, we made life-long friends that still meet til this very day, quite literaly, which brings us to this past Tuesday, when we all got together for old times sake! Drew brought us the original Dr. Blood scripts to play with and pictures from, the old days including the promo pics of Dr. Blood's wedding which took place at the revel as a performance piece complete with flower ghouls and a bride chained inside a coffin. We talked about the old days, and then on to the here and how and how the show as a whole has evolved into Gentleman Death's Shocktale out at the fairgrounds once again. We talked about the movies some of us worked on (how Chuck's sister became a cult icon on her own due to Mountaintop Motel Massacre though not on purpose!) Drew told us stories of the Wax Museum from his time spent working there and living in Dallas. We literally stayed until they turned out the lights enjoying stories from back in the day. Best of all, we made plans to meet Friday the 13th in Dallas and check out a friend's haunt in Arlington.

Something New To Do: Let's Go On That Train Hunt!

Posted by Vulnadia on Jun 03, 2011 at 11:03 PM We went on a train hunt the other day. Did you know we have a lot of train stuff locally? It's so worked into everyday life, that I bet most who live here don't even notice it anymore, but it's still here! Yes, I have a train nut in the family, one who is VERY observant, might I add. As we were driving my eldest down to sing at graduation last Saturday, Kai started wigging out, excitedly having conniption fits, pointing & babbling to no end... He had noticed that we have a train station, right in the middle of the city...as of right now, it's called "Central Station" and happens to be a bar by night, but by day it's quite obviously a train station as it was in its former glory years ago...pieces of the train still sit on a closed off section of track right next to the building under the highway above. So, to make a tiny guy happy, I drove him up as close to the train as I possibly could, so he could see it really well...meanwhile, the wheels in my head starting turning. You see, there is another train station at festival plaza, right there in the center. We visited it during the revel, and made another stop the other day so he could see it without all the hustle and bustle of the festival part getting in the way of his sensory problems. You can visit it during the farmer's market in the morning, though, if you are game and want to check it out! We also hit the railroad bridge nearby next to the fountains & sci-port on our train hunt. Then, for the grande finale, I set out to see if something was still out there, something really nifty, often forgotten, but a tradition among area kids of sorts... We headed out to Ford Park by Cross Lake to see if the old train engine was still there. You see, it's been cordoned off by this wrought ironed fence for absolute years...as long as I can remember...back to a time when there was remnants of a zoo out there, when peacocks roamed freely and you could pick up shed feathers for fun while playing at storybook park... Mother Goose rode high above you, suspended in the trees out at Ford Park...only here could you actually ride in Cinderella's Carriage and pretend to go to the grande ball... But the coolest part was that once upon a time, you could see a real train engine, an old bus, and an old firetruck on display at this park. Once, when we were in daycamp at the Y, we went out, hopped the iron fence (yes all 80+of us did this together, the older ones helping out the younger ones with a breach in the fence or to climb over the spikey fence) & PM magazine came out & got it all on video & it ran on the news that night...proof positive of a Shreveport tradition of not just seeing that engine, but getting as close if not right on top of it as possible. I had wondered if it was still there, banking on the idea that it might be (knowing that Mother Goose had long since taken flight & that carriage long since more than turned into a pumpkin) I set out to try and make my kids really happy by finding that train engine. We found the park with little trouble, the kids didn't know what to look at, the winding road that led to the park or the fact that the lake was right there, spread before their little wide eyes... But before I even turned into the drive, my train guy completely lost himself and started bouncing in his seat pointing and then I knew for certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the old train engine was in fact still there as it was from years past, even a time before I had climbed into it. We parked and the kids were out of the van in no time. They grabbed both hands, and pulled me towards that gate as fast as they could (my fingers STILL hurt) with my eldest tagging along swearing he was NOT going to hop that fence no matter WHAT we used to do when I was little or how many before us had done so...nope, not even the gate that protected the old fire truck...(which is also really cool & fun to see by the way!) But once we got up to it, and the kids had already decided that the train must be Hero of Thomas the Train Engine fame and were chattering at how cool it was that Hero the steam engine could retire to a park where he would be happy and get to see all the children as visitors and watch them play, my eldest's tune changed... Funny thing is, that breach in the fence is still there, even after all these years...I know it's been almost 30 years...and it's just big enough for little kids to slide through and go up and hug that train...Yep, my big kid was over in no time, overseeing the train hugging and making sure nobody used the access ramps which have fallen into quite a state of disrepair... It's ashamed...for a time somebody somewhere must have realized that resistance was futile as these ramps hadnt been there when I was a kid...we had been forced to do things the hard way yet still found our way up & over everything... But someone somewhere had thought to build really nice access ramps...the sides of them are still sturdy...but the cross-planks sadly are rotted making it impossible to use unless you really know what to watch for (little kids wont but an adult might.) Husband wants to try & find the right person who will give the okay to fix the ramps again-it wouldn't take much...after all, it's something really nifty to see when you're a kid...or an adult for that matter... But who knows if they would even consider the offer.... But what I DO know, is that the train is still there...still on display, and still a nifty wonderful site for any kid to get to witness. If you are looking for something fun to do, drive out to Ford Park in Shreveport...it's on Cross Lake and there is even a pier accross the street...parks to play in on both sides even, and the best part is that you will get to see a real train engine up close...as well as an old timey firetruck!

Anyone Tried Disney With a Special Needs Child?

Posted by Vulnadia on May 06, 2011 at 12:08 AM One of my trio has sensory integration disorder to the nth degree where he really doesn't do small confined areas with large amounts of people in them well at all (it causes a HUGE meltdown where he screams & cries uncontrollably like someone is hurting him literally.) I read somewhere about the possibility of obtaining a GAC (guest assistance card) but I also read where people catch a lot of flack for actually USING them, too. Has anyone ever obtaind a GAC at a Disney park for your special needs child or did you forgo one to try it the usual way? How was your experience? How did you prepare your child for the visit? I've read about making books for them with pics of the rides & shows inside so you can show them what you plan to do or have them choose what they would like to try so that they would know what to expect. I also found an interactive YOUTUBE video of the parks in Florida that show small snippets of what the rides are like as well as some of the shows (sadly this has pretty much gotten one of my 5yr olds hooked on the Yeti in Expedition Everest which he WON'T be able to ride due to size but he really likes the idea of the ride.) What was your experience like? Have you tried other theme parks with similar situations/circumstances? Did it work out? I need tips & tricks!!! Vulnadia on May 06, 2011 at 08:29 AM i stumbled upon the gac on a message board the other day-there is not guideline for obtaining one, but there are a lot of accounts of families catching flack for having/using one from the lines i think its great that disney allocates for disabilities that cannot actually be seen/noticed immediately (you notice it if you watch mine long enough-the inclusion teachers at school giggled over him playing only in the water & sand areas at school for the first 2 weeks because of his sensory problem-they thought it was cute of him-it was a good way for him to combat being in the small room with lots of people-it was how he calmed himself & kept himself in check until he got used to everything) but its hard when people dont understand that there IS a problem-some moms have made business cards basically that say the nature of the problem should the family get stares or people try & "help" which can actually make things worse in many cases with autistic & sensory problem kiddos-they just give onlookers the card & leave it at that & ignore them after that while they try & take care of their kids...others make them shirts that have witty sayings on them that nicely try & say hey i'm autistic or have sensory problems...but am not sure if that works or not! i'm trying to get a game plan so we can do this as a family successfully!

Carousel Problems

Posted by Vulnadia on Apr 11, 2011 at 04:47 PM Yes, my kids are 5 and have only just now gotten to ride a carousel. It took me actually forgetting myself, or rather ourselves, and thinking what a great treat it would be for them since they were out on spring break and supposed to be out on the town as a treat. We had gone to see HOP together, and were headed out to try & ride the trolley...something we have never gotten to do...and weren't about to, either, as it wasn't running yet AGAIN that day... To kill 2 birds with one stone, I also had promised Vivienne a trip to see my friend Richard at The Children's Place so she could get some new shoes since Target didn't have any to fit her pretty little toes (which had really truly offended her & made her cry the day before!) So the boys went off to visit the trolley in its garage, while Vivienne and I visited with our friends at The Children's Place and scored 2 new pair of sparkly maryjane tennies in pink & in white eyelet... The boys HATE shopping, and since the trolley was closed, I thought hey, why not, let's ride the carousel...after all, they are walking talking big-kids now...they are 5...heck, we are even thinking of going to 6flags this summer since they are tall enough to ride most of the rides according to the website (we had just been to the Dr and been measured, too...) So we happily went off to find the carousel, hand in hand, singing the following the leader song from Peter Pan... Bregon bellied up to the ticket booth to purchase tickets for his siblings...and that's when it hit us...the multipleness...we had quite forgotten we were "Different" and that there was a good reason we had yet to ride any carousel... The woman behind the glass just stared at him...then she asked how old the riders were...to which they all 3 chimed in unison from behind their big brother, "We're 5!" (newly so and proud of it, too!) She then had to go into this whole kids 5 & under have to ride with an adult and Bregon isn't one... He's 16...he isn't even delinquent looking...but then she dared look at me and ask, "Where are the other children's mothers?" Um, uh...um...I was quite taken aback with that bit...afterall...all 4 of the kids favor...& most think the baby-boys are identical for some reason and most cant tell any of the kids apart save for their clothing which denotes Vivienne as obviously a girl...she's very fancy nancy flashy... I just stared at her...I couldn't help it...I mean...um...I've gotten a lot of strange things said about us, but this was the FIRST time anyone ever asked the kids where their Mothers were...as if they weren't mine... I just smiled and told her they were triplets finally...and she said THEY CANT RIDE!...Said they were too young, too small...had to be 42 inches to ride...Kaiden is exactly 42 inches actually...and I told her so sweetly as I could muster... And told her Bregon & I would stand with Kian & Vivienne (who happen to be within an inch of 42 inches themselves pretty much...) But she said NO, Bregon is NOT an adult...and on that note she called security...pregnant pause... Then she said she was going to ask them what to do about us...It was really bizarre...and by this time Kai had gotten totally creeped out by her and what all she had said (which had translated to a resounding NO to him) so he was in full out wail-mode... It was too much for him...he was 5...he knew he was 42 inches-he had already tried measuring himself against THEIR ruler thingy...and he knew...he also knew he only had one Mama and that was me...& that she wouldn't let Bregon ride either...so he cried...the only way he knows how to express himself once he reaches past a certain point of frustration (until then he had just stood there with clenched fists trying to get himself under control) but no trolley, no carousel...& he wasn't a big kid notion...that was just too much... I tried to explain to him what was up, meanwhile enter security who, once he talked to the woman behind the glass, couldn't contain his frustration with her-he outright laughed at her at first...and really had Kai not been crying and my other little ones frowning, I might have found it funny too... He told her of course Bregon could stand with them...meanwhile some really sweet lady who had seen the whole thing from a distance, walked up & offerred to stand with one of the kids so we could ride...which was soo sweet of her...(but she shouldn't have had to do this is the point!) I paid for the lady's baby to ride too, with his daddy (he was under a year old) and we all rode the carousel regardless of the crazy woman behind the counter... It was just a truly bizarre experience...It never occurred to me that I wasn't enough Mommie for my kids...or that between the 2 of us we weren't enough to safely ride something as mundane and innocent as a carousel... I had quite forgotten to even attempt riding it until then, too...You'd think the kids being 5 that they would be old enough & big enough to ride...In fact I don't remember ever having to worry about this when I was a kid...do you? So has anyone else had any problem like this? Have you been to six flags with your little ones & been able to ride most of the rides (within height requirement reason) or have you had to do something similar? I don't even want to try going back again after all that was said & the way the lady handled everything... by Vulnadia on Apr 12, 2011 at 06:06 PM i could understand if they were little bitty...but they just turned 5... you are probably right about her not wanting to turn the darn thing on- i hated to complain on her because, from the look of her, this may be one of the few places that would actually hire her the way she looks...she didnt seem too bright...other than the obvious weird questioning she really upset bregon when she called security though...i thought that was going a LITTLE too far...i understand they probably have teen problems all the time with the hang-out factor, but i'm his mother & he wasn't acting out of the ordinary, just trying to buy his baby brothers & sister tix to ride the merry-go-round...he would have paid for us to stand with them, too, money wasnt an issue...he was really upset though... & her rationale for calling them to ask if my son was considered adult enough to be able to keep a 5yr old on a carousel horse was a bit off or so it seemed to me, then again i'd never tried riding before...but its a kiddie ride...for young children...so it never occurred to me that there would be any problem... he was truly worried she had other motives (finding him delinquent or something-he's self conscious & tries to be a nice kid & not appear delinquent-there its very easy to be thought of as out of place if you are a teen) it was just weird-there are seats on that ride, too- so you can sit with your child instead of ride on one of the animals...it just seems to me that it should be allowed that a child be allowed a choice-i could see if they were very small or totally by themselves, but we were 2 big people to the 3 5yr olds...my 16yr old is much taller than i am!!! but the whole where are the other childrens mothers bit was just rude...& caught me totally off-guard... i dont remember us having any problems like this at hamels when we were little & wanted to ride the carousel...i know i went when i was at least 4...because the earliest i remember was a friend of mine's 5th bday...& we all rode by ourselves...

4A.M. Fashion Emergency!

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 04, 2011 at 07:27 AM I was soo warm & cozy, all snug in my bed, when the screeching and crying of one Baby Vivienne came through the baby monitor. Now, this doesn't happen too terribly often anymore...in fact, usually it's one of the boys that cries out in their sleep, but not THIS time. It took me a second to wake up and stumble about to find my robe and actually get it on in the dark (so I could try and STAY warm!) I bolted up the stairs, trying desperately not to fall DOWN them in my sleepiness and haste, threw open the bolt on the door, and managed after a moment of thought, to remember that the doorknob sticks and has to be pushed down upon if one wants the door to actually open... And there she was...perched on the edge of her baby girl bed (all Fancy-Nancy-fied complete with tassels & top) in tears, holding something... All she could do was try and convey through her tears that she NEEDED her hair fixed...that she couldn't do it herself...in between sobs & sniffles, I FINALLY figured out what she was trying to say... To make a difficult translation short, her little barrette that she insists upon sleeping in to keep what would normally be considered her bangs (if her hair wasn't all one length that is) out of her eyes, had come loose while she slept, and when she woke up having to go potty, she freaked out because she couldn't get it back in... Really, it has been quite decided, debated and finally concluded that I am THE ONLY PERSON within our household who can properly fix the Beautiful Baby Vivienne's hair in the first place as she has difficult hair that must be twisted before a barrette is able to hold it into place properly... Remember Dorothy's twisted pigtails (Judy Garland's not Faruza Balk's) or the way Belle's hair is twisted back so that the wisps stay in her ponytail? Vivienne's hair must be twisted in that way before the barrette will listen, something that most people (as it turns out) just do not understand or think to do to one's hair...try it, you may be surprised at the change in the way your baby girl's hair obeys!!!plus tis pretty too!! But back to us at 4A.M. all sleepy, confused, and trying to resolve the Beautiful Baby Vivienne's fashion emergency...I did finally manage to wake up and get coordinated enough to get that barrette back into her hair somehow... As it turns out, she really just needed to go potty, but had become INFURIATED that her pretty sparkly heart barrette that Santa brought her just did NOT want to sleep in her hair properly...she felt betrayed by it, thus her tears and frustration & forgetting that she had to go potty 'til reminded by the likes of ME!!! All's well that end's well (to quote a certain poetic Bard) and once beautifully restored to it's rightful place, that barrette allowed her the peace of mind to remember to go potty, and she climbed regally back into her fancy bed, asleep before her little beautiful head hit her purple unicorn pillow pet!

St Patrick's Day Pinching-Prevention!

Posted by Vulnadia on Mar 17, 2011 at 07:25 AM Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!!! My trio woke up this morning with a mission: NOT to get pinched today! The problem is, they wear school uniforms & GREEN is NOT on the list! So, Vivienne, who has been planning this in her head apparently very far in advance, insisted upon a green scrunchie, green piping lined panties, and there is green on her tinkerbell socks & on her very high-top black peace-signed tennis shoes! She also has overseen the greening of her brothers-they are both wearing extra pairs of green mardi gras beads picked out by her very observing eye... Kaiden had other ideas on what was green though...& set about picking his nose...something we had to put a quick stop to...he really cares though...& means well... What do you do for your kids for St Patricks Day to ensure no pinching? It's hard when they wear uniforms!

Keeping Up With Teens Grades! What's a Mum To Do?

Posted by Vulnadia on Mar 16, 2011 at 10:25 PM What do you as a mom of a teen do to help your child stay on target with their grades? I've medicaded the supposed ADHD symptoms that teachers reported-as my son has gotten older, I've found that he has a focusing issue & basically bad organizational skills...he is on the mildest medication that we could find...just enough to keep him able to focus...without the depression & the side effects. I stay on top of grades as best as I can, too. I frequent teacher websites to monitor homework,test dates & assignments...I monitor the school site where grades are posted to try & stay on top of grades, too...(it sure beats the game of will the progress info make it all the way home or not.) Do you find that teachers don't often post assignments until almost after the fact? Our teachers are also notorious for not posting grades-they will enter the assignment's worth into the system, and some will even enter a zero until they grade the actual assignment which can bring the grade down temporarily-we were actually punishing our child for bad grades that just weren't posted yet...which causes a HUGE problem... We can't tell a real zero from a not-yet-posted one-& the grade reflects it either way is the horrid part making it close to impossible to tell if it's for real or not without the frequent emailing of the teacher!!! It's the last part of the 9wks for our children-literally it ends on Friday, and I cannot tell WHAT his grades are going to be- it's anybody's guess at the moment...one teacher is soo far behind that February's grades aren't even posted yet... I'm sweatin it, and trying my best to stay on top of everything with him so I can keep tabs... But what can you do? How much is too much? Should I back off or should I stick with it? What's the best way YOU have found to help keep up with grades & not be too immersed into it, yet constructively be there to help your teen stay on target

Time Change Prep!

Posted by Vulnadia on Mar 10, 2011 at 09:13 AM Dont forget to turn your clocks FORWARD AN HOUR this Saturday night! It's timechange time, again!!! If you have small children on schedules, it is a good idea to start altering them NOW in 15-20 minute increments forward both for feeding & nap/bedtimes until you have altered it by the whole hour! If you start early, they won't even notice that anything different is happening! Doing this will alleviate any time-change shock that your children may have! I had 3 preemies & they would freak out on any change in their schedules both as infants & even when they got a little older, so I discovered that if i started a few days beforehand & worked them into the new "timechange" in 15-20 minute increment changes (forward or backward depending on season) each day, by the time the big day rolled around, they were no longer in shock!!! They had no problem with the new arrangement!!!! In fact, if you do this starting about a week ahead, they may not even notice a thing and you will have an easier time of everything once those clocks change. Dont forget to change those clocks & think of your little people ahead of time!!!

Toddlers & Tv

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 23, 2011 at 04:33 PM There is soo much in the way of conflicting advice on whether or not to let your kids watch TV or play video games... Now they are saying not to let kids under aged 2 watch any TV in an effort it would seem to encourage learning/exploration using all of the senses etc. Yet they also turn around and say that for preschoolers, TV is a great way to prepare for school... So what's a Mom to do? Personally, I let my kids have TV...not LOTS of TV, not withholding it to the extent that it becomes such a novelty that all they want to do watch it whenever they get the chance (kind of damned if we do damned if we dont situation if we arent careful!) So, what are we to do? I watch our programming...I cannot stand things that appear mindless or have children that act out & arent constructive in problem resolution...If the characters habitually act out, we don't watch it... That being said, I love Backyardigans and my kids actually act NICER when it's playing in the room-they don't even have to be actively watching it for their mood to change...it also paved the way to transition them over to watching Gilbert & Sullivan DVD's... I actually ended up with a Pirate King over that one...they love Pirates of Penzance...too funny really-and they can launch their own production of it in the nursery...added to their repertoire of Annie and a few other musicals they have taken a liking to... I also let mine watch musical theater productions on DVD -Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, Into The Woods... But as a parent we also have to be very careful-did you know that Cartoon Network will air older programming after a certain hour? Much of it isn't suitable for little people at ALL and some is even scary!!! So what do you do? Do you limit your kids TV time or do you let them have at it? Have you had any problems with them watching anything? article

Single Moms Bad For Society? Who Are We To Judge?

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 17, 2011 at 04:20 PM Somebody actually went to the trouble of doing a survey (who knows as to the validity of the factors used to determine the outcome) but they did it, and it supposedly claims that most find single moms are bad for society. SERIOUSLY? Are they kidding? Who are we to judge in this day and age? The same survey included same gender relationships & families too, is the odd part... I really thought we as a society had come further than this, what about you? I mean, aren't there far more bigger fish to fry in the area of what is wrong with society today than a single mother trying to do her best for her kids and herself? I mean, really, those who make up the single mother demographic cover a broad range of types of mothers-not just unwed teen mothers, but the divorced, the widowed, the abused, and then those who are quite single by choice and every last one of them has their reasons for being in that situation...is it really anybody else's business than their own? Is society really truly affected as a whole by these choices when it comes down to it? What do you think? I think single moms actually on the whole give their children a positive message about life. These ladies are strong self-sufficient people out there on their own doing the best they can for themselves and their children and many MANY of them have set quite a high precedent for those to come. What about you, do you agree or disagree with this survey & its findings? ARTICLE

Sexting Legislation: Protecting Or Eventually Harming Teens?

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 11, 2011 at 09:02 AM Sexting legislation is becoming quite the hot topic of the hour. For the unitiated, sexting is the act of sending provocative or explicit messages & or photos via cellphone & is extended also to computers. A lot of adults do it (equate it to the cute love notes of years gone by or messages wives leave their husbands in their lunches or post-it notes left on the vanity etc) but it's becoming quite the social norm for teens, too, which has led to a more widespread issue. Technically, if an adult is found with this sort of image or message from a teen or iniated by a teen on their cell or computer it becomes an issue of child pornography, technicality or not (think on the grounds that your child has a laptop with webcam or their cell phone but you are responsible for it & it is also YOURS as a parent.) This opens up a whole new slew of issues should the information be found...what's a parent to do? What do Law enforcement officials do also in these situations? Burden of proof becomes an issue, as does context of the images, messages & their creations. The sender & the receiver are obviously at risk as well. There are laws in place to protect us from predators & those laws are wonderful, however with the advent of teen sexting, it has opened up a whole new world of problems. What should parents do to combat it? What if anything should schools do to protect students? And then there is the biggie, state intervention & legislation is being considered and of course this will lead to national policies as well. Exactly who's job is it to police this? How can we as parents protect our children? HERE is an article on the debate and HERE is a blog on how the state of Texas handles sexting for sake of example. The penalties in texas for sexting are 10 years jail time & life on the sex offenders list according to the blogger. Sure the blogger is bordering on the absurd to show the folly of the situation and there is a lot of sarcasm involved, but it is a good look at what is really going on. Exactly how should this be handled legally? Where are the lines to be drawn between adult predators & teenage antics? There is a HUGE margin for error but the law is still the law when it comes down to it & interpretation can be a problem. 10 years ago, these messages were in the form of passing notes in class & possible polaroids left in lockers for sake of example-should this be punishable by law? Life on a sex offenders list is pretty harsh for a teen but not for a true sex offender who molests children- yet there isnt a clear definition yet. What do you think about the issue? What would you do if it were your teen? Kids are going to be kids no matter what we as a parent do. It is inevitable that at some point or another your teen will engage in some form of sexting (may nor may not include the picture portion) but what if the law was applied to your child today? What would you as a parent do? Should teens be imprisoned & put on sex offendors list for sexting? Should it be left to the parent, school or law enforcement to decide punishment?

Sesame Street True Blood Parody

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 11, 2011 at 09:46 AM I'm sitting here with my 4yr old who is home sick, watching Sesame Street & just did a HUGE doubletake... They have a True Blood Parody, theme song & all, called "True Mud" with what appears to be Prairie Dawn playing the role of Sookie (with boobs & tight shirt) & a Guy Smiley type in the roll of Bill...it's a rhyming sketch, but it ends with Sookie & Bill & a mud bath...kid you not... So, I have to ask...is this appropriate? How many little kids really know anything about True Blood the series much less the Charlaine Harris Sookie-verse & the books that go with it? Is this appropriate content for our kids? Sure, it's done tongue in cheek, and has it's teaching/educational merits in some ways, but the parody itself seems more SNL caliber not Sesame Street... I personally am a Sookie Stackhouse fan and have read the books & am more than amused with the series (it hits way close to home on more levels than one-an old friend once roomed with Charlaine Harris for one in college & told stories for years about her before the books came out-after knowing who she is, the whole thing became one huge amusement for us not to mention I'm from Shreveport & my favourite house is in the credits as are many local shots found in it) but still- I'm not soo sure this is the right vehicle for teaching my toddler rhyming words... That, and the addition of obvious older girl-parts on a muppet (I dont recall Ms Piggy really being THAT anatomically correct even in her hey-day, not that she is a Sesame Street muppet but just for sake of example) kind of bothered me-she was even wearing the white tight t as described in the book & on the show...& then...the mudbath...& the fang-reference (the Bill character did NOT appear to have fangs or be a vamp unless you just know the references.) It just seemed so...adult... I'm all for the adult content in old cartoons & such, but it wasn't considered primarily for children's education or primarily aimed at little children's demographics, either! So what do you think? Is this appropriate or too much for toddler tv? VIDEO SKETCH FOOTAGE HERE

Valentines Day For Teens

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 09, 2011 at 03:35 PM This is the first year my eldest has had a girlfriend for Valentine's Day. We have quite a dilemma: What should we get her? I rememer as a girl this day being VERY important at school-we got balloons, roses, candy, stuffed animals, you name it- But that was 20 yrs ago, what is the right way to handle this today? What should he get her? How much or how little is appropriate? They are a very cute, understated couple...so I am not sure what the right way to do this would be!!! he is tracking down the school rose sale-if not she will definately get her rose delivered by hand-but it used to be cooler if you could catch the zclub sales & have it delivered in front of the class... we cant spend a LOT of money, but i can prolly pull of balloons small candy & such pretty easily...

Fencing Frustrations

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 05, 2011 at 10:32 AM We all know it snowed yesterday...delivered the real deal, complete with bottom layer of ice for good measure & sticking insurance even. Schools and all school activities were cancelled with the anticipation of the pending snow...and that cancellation carried over to the weekend, sadly for us. So Friday afternoon rolls around, and we expected this weekend's High School Championships to be cancelled because they were to have been held at the school... Well, because Caddo cancelled the school activities, the organizers (who are NOT from a Caddo school but from a private fencing school locally) decided to instead just MOVE the tournament to their own sal...posing a HUGE problem for our team fencers. Sounds like they were being nice, but fact is, because the activities were cancelled, the students who normally check out equipment for these big tournaments could not because of liability issues: ie, the school would be going against the cancellation decree by loaning things out... Furthermore, any student on the team was told they could NOT represent Magnet in any way at this tournament should they choose to fence...even though this tournament is one of the Varsity letter requirements. This completely crushed my eldest since this was the only remaining requirement for his letter this year (he has one from last year already but wanted one for each year of high school-what kid wouldn't?) On top of it, they still have yet to cancel the tournament for some weird reason...and they would not... So we spent the afternoon trying to find out if he could fence at all at the tournament-it was already paid for even (fencing tournament fees are not cheap by any means and my kid is a 2 weapon fencer so he was entered in more than just one event.) As it turns out, he can fence without repercussion, but he cannot represent his team. Coach also waived the requirement for lettering thankfully, so this one doesn't count towards it. Coach swears there will be no repercussion for the kids fencing this weekend, but I have my copies in writing JUST IN CASE because the problem comes in that we must all have our home school as primary school on our fencing affilliation registration and it can only be changed once yearly and its not that time of year! So, this morning, at the crack of dawn, husband and my kiddo crept quietly to visit his fencing maestro at the fairfield school (our 2ndary affilliation listed even though technically it is where our loyalty lies) and borrowed the rest of the missing equipment (mostly epees for extra because they tend to break easily in competition and backup is necessary.) Because they refused to cancel this tournament, my kid feels all sorts of renegade having to sneak around and try to arrange for equipment to complete his gear and then having to fence as a pirate so-to-say...even if he wins, the school cannot recognize his victory or any rating he may glean from the tournament...its very sad... But they slid over to the other fencing school for the tournament early this morning, making just in time for check-in but barely because of all the ice... He's there now, working himself in hopes of training for Junior Olympics which will be in Dallas week after next (Presidents Day is his competition date.) We've spent the better part of our snow day dealing with fencing frustrations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Community Theater, Stage Work, Haunted Attractions, Shocktale Terror Show,GLP, Gas Light Players, Renaissance Festivals, Writing, Directing,Acting, Sewing, Literature, Art & Music.on the web http://gaslightplayers.com.MomsLikeMe Discussion Leader Send to Friends Facebook Publish to a group

Snow Day Rituals!!!

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 04, 2011 at 05:54 PM It's too funny, my trio have already figured out the family snow-day rituals! They ask for it all in order & by name, too! They now expect their Daddy to be home at least part of their day to play with them and take part, you see, he has his own snow-day duties as well! Everyone knows that in the deep dark depths of the pantry are the snow-day marshmallows, graham crackers & secret stash of chololate bars just waiting to become S'mores! The kids know that all meals will come from the fireplace, too and that marshmallows are an every-meal food! My kids know that every meal can & most likely will contain some form of hotdog, too, and on snowdays this is acceptable!!! We spend our afternoon outside in the snow, making snowmen and fairies in the snow, snow ball fights & snow castles too!!! Everyone knocks the snow off of their clothes mittens and coats before coming inside, knowing that I have everything laid out to change into waiting on them in the laundry room. They spend their recovery warm-up time before the living room fire while Daddy makes them each their own mug of hot chocolate filled with tiny marshmallows with the correct colored straw to coordinate with each of the babies! The rest of the afternoon is spent watching netflix specials and everyone taking turns choosing their shows. Today, Bregon even took Buddy upstairs to watch Star Wars on the ceiling using his projector! Our day is winding down, but it's been a peaceful, beautiful fun filled day for everyone, relaxing in it's own way.

Promoting Piracy: I'm A Bad Mommie!!!

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 03, 2011 at 02:20 PM It's freezing out...but not as cold as yesterday, that's for certain! So this morning, instead of fussing with Kian over which coat he wanted to wear (he insisted that he wanted to wear his very light blue jacket which he has dubbed his "Pirate Coat" since it has a pirate ship on the inside of it) I just calmly suggested that he wear his frock coat instead. Let me rewind here and explain a bit...first off, a frock coat is generally what you see Pirates wearing-its the official looking long sleeved coat with the turned back sleeves... Second of all, I was thinking quick when I suggested it...I noticed that his red velvet frock coat was indeed heavier than his pirate ship jacket hence the mommie-mentality of the moment! And truly, it is heavier...I also suggested as an alternative, his pirate coat which is really a fleece skull & crossbone bathrobe but it too is also warmer than that jacket of his! So yes, of course he agreed to wear the red velvet coat...what kid forsworn to a life of piracy wouldn't want to wear his pirate coat to school? And for those who wonder, yes, it is uniform official & solid red velvet...sure the cuffs are black, but its really the LINING that is black as the cuffs are just rolled up & back like any other coat or shirt would be hence the jacket is solid red on the outside and dress-code compliant! I shudder to think about what everyone thinks up at school, but at least Kian is warm!!! I'm sure teacher has already messaged granddaddy about all of this but oh well! What's a Mum to do? Besides, he was cute in his little green knit muffler and his mittens toboggan hat & pirate coat!!! In fact, all of my kids resembled that poor kid from A Christmas Story today, all bundled up and ready to face the bitter cold!!!!! And you can BET Kian is the most stylish kid in class!!! RRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

WAHM & Balancing Your Day

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 01, 2011 at 05:09 PM I'm going nuts it seems as of late! I thought once the babies went to school I would have more time, and I do...but it seems that I also have to spend that time volunteering at school X's three during the day as well as try and work all of my work at home jobs & maintain my nonprofit (which requires not only business aspects but also creative being that I also write and produce productions for the theater!!!) So I feel like I'm losing my mind...I can schedule myself to work this or that job, but then it gets interrupted by the intermittant school responsibility (storytime,snackdays,field trip chaperoning (yes I have to go because of one of my kids being high-maintenance due to sensory integration disorder) then there is everyday household needs that must be met & carpool to run on top of it to 2 different schools!!!! Add in dr appointments & the occasional meeting and there seems like there isnt much time for anything anymore!!!! Lately, husband is getting bitchy over my working at night, after the kids are in bed and dinner is done & put away...sure I stay up late, but I am also bringing in $100 minimum for that extra few hours I stay up, too-we're talking 2-3 hours tops for the money that's not too shabby!) But he feels like if I am on the computer then I am not doing anything even if most of my files & 2 of my paying jobs are computer-related...I write & I do data processing for a phone company...to be cost-effective I must do the phone company work in bulk during non-office hours to pull in the big$$$ and he knows these things, too, but he still treats it as if I'm wasting time or doing something that just isnt important! What am I to do? I can't add enough hours in my day it seems and husband isn't doing much if anything to help support me in all of this!!!! I don't have room or the $$ for a nanny or au pair...but I do have a 16 yr old (but he is a competition fencer with plans for a career of coaching after college) & he helps as much as he can around the house & with his younger sibs (the age difference is about 11 years between them) but his schedule is also hectic!!! it will sort of resolve itself in a way once he gets his license but it will also open another can of worms!!!( driving, girlfriend &accountability sure i trust him to a point but I also trust & expect him to act his age & do teen things such as test limits etc) its frustrating to be expected to bring in the $$$ (which I dont mind) & perform creatively (I must script as part of my nonprofit which isnt always something that just rolls out of the brain on cue!!!) when husband doesnt find my jobs as legitimate or worthy of devoting time to as his (being that isnt in the home) its one of those situations where he thinks I sit here & drink martini's & eat bonbons & watch soaps all day (to be facetious) instead of juggling everything!!! i'm also the one who must be on call 24/7 with the trio at night--its scary because last week while the kids were home sick nothing got done-try 3 sick 4yr olds all needing a lap because they felt horrible... then they fight for attention & for space & each are deserving & need the love & care but must share on top of the usual responsibilities-but i wasnt sleeping trying to get everything in & when i did sleep it was soo hard I couldnt keep that one eye open & didnt hear one of the kids screaming when they got sick...husband did & took care of it but he had a hard time waking me (i felt terrible about it but sometimes you just cant wake up) but I did it somehow! we do try & do things together on friday nights if possible, but fencing season is having us divy up competition responsibilities too (trips drive time & entry fees & equipment acquisition) & its hard!!!!

Disorder Intolerance @ My Dr's Office!!!

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 01, 2011 at 01:34 PM Yesterday, I picked up the babies from school and headed to the Dr's office to get their flu shots (which were on hold with their names on it in the fridge of all things!) They were okay and knew what was up (we had discussed it and the why of it & all the week before & they had practiced their blowing "Bubbles" so they wouldn't feel the pain as much and everything! I had bought Skittles to keep them occupied in the waiting room and we hit the potty first thing after signing in (it was super busy of course because EVERYONE is sick.) Then we caught some funny glances from folks as we practiced our colors and counting (if you can't name the color & count how many you would like at once then you cannot have the candy!!!) Apparently other folks dont do things like this with their kids to pass the time or something, who knows. Kai was fine considering they had a sub at school that day (he doesnt do well in chaos, he melts down) and was pleasant even after his shot. Then he lost himself in the line waiting to check out...all we had to do was turn in the paperwork and leave, but he had already lost his jacket, and refused to carry his toys...he was melting down fast, and I didn't have anything to wrap him in heavy enough to calm him (a sensory disorder trick.) The older, sometimes rawther crotchity lady who works the check-out desk quickly became irritated with him...he could hear the kids screaming from their shots and all and the general overall unhappiness and he finally just couldnt take it-he had tried covering his ears and closing his eyes and it just didn't work...I was helpless since i was ladden down with paperwork and stuff already, so I couldn't do anything other than try and talk to him but he was already trying to tune out!!! The crotchity woman behind the desk was very ugly even after I tried explaining that he cannot help it, that the noise & magnitude of everything was too much for him (I started trying to remind her that he had the disorder but she didn't want to hear that at all-she knows him but apparently she wasnt having a bad day too!!!) I just find it hard to understand why something like this cannot be understood or at least tolerated at a dr's office of all place!!!

Floating To School, Now Freezing!!!

Posted by Vulnadia on Feb 01, 2011 at 01:24 PM Wow, I knew the weather was going to be bad this morning, but SERIOUSLY??? My poor kids...Bregon was up & ready much earlier than usual at my prodding upon his wake-up call. Poor Kian was having one of those why-can't-I-sleep-in-moments and refused to wake up even after being taken downstairs and sat in front of his clothes for the day... Kaiden decided he didnt like his Daddy today and only I could dress him...Poor Vivienne was being sweet cute and agreeable as usual... Then they realized that it was raining out...eeewww!!! Kian was the first to realize there would be lightening and to pronounce things, "Scary!" At 730, everyone put their coats on and grabbed their car-toys for the day and headed to the front porch...that's when it got sticky... NOBODY wanted to leave the porch and I didn't have an umbrella handy. Bregon in his haste, panicked and told the kids to just go on to the van...I had grabbed my huge leather trench with the intent of using it as an umbrella...none of the babies heard me though, and they were already being pelted by the gutter overflow... Vivienne turned back soo drenched that her blue coat had turned black...Kai had thought to put his hood up at least but he stuck back with me & found shelter under my big coat....Sister joined us quick enough... Poor Kian had made it all the way to the car and wasn't able to get the sliding door open so he panicked and in the torrential rain flowing downhill in the drive he managed to just fall face first onto the drive...Bregon was in shock and just stared at him...meanwhile EVERYONE is getting soaked, coat & all... I managed to convince Bregon to pick up his brother but not before Vivienne had slid through and into the car somehow...Kai and I couldnt get past Bregon to get the front door open so we were stuck...when he finally did move, he shut the sliding door, slamming the better part of my coat sleeve and my sweater in the door...I could open the drivers side door but I couldn't get in since I was stuck in the door!!! Kai just sat there and stared at me and it didn't register with Bregon that I was stuck even though I kept asking him to open the door!!! FINALLY we all managed to get into the mommievan and belted in and it was just me and the wet road...yuck!!! We somehow made it to Magnet going through Highland and the water was pretty bad there... I was glad to take Clyde Fant to Preston to get the babies to their school, but they were already freaked out by the high water and the force of the wind and rain... Kai is sure the trees are going to fall on us and he wasn't too far from the truth (it missed us but hit husband's co-workers windsheild). We found everything accross that part of Kings Hwy flooded pretty much...it wouldn't have been soo bad save for the SUV'S stopping whenever they ended up in high water which is NOT what needed to happen!!! We somehow swam to Arthur Circle, but I don't know how!!! Then I tried swimming home, only to have a car come floating towards me...I layed on my horn and she managed to float the other way, but just barely!!! Things were much better accross the Ockley street bridge, but the bayou is full still and flowing like rapids... When I got home, I realized that I had somehow managed to actually lose my passenger side windshield wiper...how the heck does that happen??? I mean, it was still technically attached but had been washed or blown or both back to the passenger side window somehow...still not sure how this happened...or how long I had been driving like that...I lifted it back and it obediently went back down into its spot but now it wont do anything at all!!! The babies were prepared for the drop in temperature, but I don't know how they will take it when I go to pick them up!!!

Learning To Count

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 26, 2011 at 07:51 PM After talking to teacher tonight (she had called to check on my trio since they were out of class today,) I learned that Kian & Kai aren't learning to count... Kian just doesn't like doing it and Kaiden still cannot be understood well enough yet when asked to recite his numbers... So I am looking for a constructive way to teach them how to count! I started with Kian first. The only easy song I can think of is "10 Little Indians" so I started singing it to Kian ONLY tonight. He thinks the song is "Cool!" so I appear to be in luck. Tomorrow, he has agreed to make a book about the song to share with his brother. I HOPE to teach him both the song, and in making the book at least his numbers up to 5...if he takes to it easily this might get him to 10 in a heartbeat, I am not sure. What I need is a different way to approach Kaiden that will keep his interest and that is different enough to not match Kian's method of learning. Does anyone have any suggestions or creative ways I can teach Kaiden? He has trouble focusing on tasks when there are lots of distractions (crowded room such as a small schoolroom full of children for example.) I need some advice!!!

To Send..Or Not To Send The Kids To School

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 25, 2011 at 08:42 AM That is my dilemma, my problem as of late...you see, they have super awful allergies as it turns out... They get headaches from the congestion, they have a little cough...some larger than others... They have snot...some occasionally, sometimes it runs with the force of the rapids... It's the sort of stuff that forces me to have to rotate medications just to keep them from becoming immune to it...to keep things working... & therein lies the problem...some of my kids will take some meds with no problem...melt-away strips are the wave o the future, let me tell ya, EVERYONE loves those... But this cough medicine...the wonder drug that really can help that cough & the congestion...it's NASTY...I dread even trying to give it to my kids...and I cannot help but wonder if adding flavor would even help things... You see, it stings...it's gross, it's soo sharp I can SMELL the stinging part when I open the bottle...eeeewwww...and it's my doctor's med-du-jour...she LOVES giving it to them...thinks it's the best remedy EVER...and it aint cheap either... What fun...so Kaiden HATES this cough med & refuses to take it...you can't even hold him down long enough to try & pinch his tiny elven nose to get him to open his mouth...theoretically that is...it's just not worth it to even entertain the idea of doing so save for literary purpose!!! So, Kaiden gets what he calls "Circle medicine" which is benadryl of some sort...usually generic because we use a lot of everything this time of year!!! Vivienne and Kian, poor brave dears, will actually subject themselves to the cough medicine in hopes of feeling better... Thankfully everyone loves their motrin & other things along that line of meds... And then there is the HUGE problem of the school....ah the well-meaning sweet ladies in the office... You see, my kids are triplets...& I warned EVERYONE up there that they love to work together, a unified effort...all for one, one for all, you get my drift...you've heard the stories... & now there is this thing called "SICK" that can get you sent home from school to hang out with Mum and do fun things...or seemingly fun things... And my kids have figured this all out quite by accident...you see, when they are cold, they get pasty white & their eyes appear HUGE...sometimes even red-rimmed...yet perfectly fine save for their allergies... But my kids are GREAT at appearing sad & pathetic and great at getting orphan points... Which is what is happening this past week...they have learned that they have LEVERAGE... First Kian tried it out...he found himself with a bit of a cough...which he then learned that he could cough stuff up...and spit it out...into the potty...and then he learned to be flamboyant about it...virtually appearing as sad as can be hugging that potty while coughing up phlegm, looking as pitiful as he could muster...did I mention they are very good actors??? So, of course Kian was able to convince the teacher's aid that he was sick...and Kaiden soon followed suit...Kaiden figured out he could act like he does at home (sweet & cute and nice) and that teacher's aid would find his behavior different and sick-like and of course since he wasn't acting like himself (cute & cuddly as opposed to his usually independent stubborn self) she sent him right to the office without passing go or collecting $200... I got the call for Kaiden first on Thursday...then I got another call to warn me that Kian was right there with him after about 15 minutes... I let them know that the kids had woken up that morning discussing that it would be someone elses turn to be "Sick" today...yes they are very democratic in thought... I tried explaining that allergies do not equal fever/throwing up which is the real grounds for being sent home from school... But of course once they had Kai in the office, they had decided to try & take his temperature (which he would not allow of course) so a pratt-fall filled chase around the office ensued with the adults trying to explain what it is they wanted to do to him and him finding them hysterically funny and reacting in kind...Charlie Chaplin would have been proud from what I gathered from all the accounts of it... So today, poor Vivienne woke up with her fair share of a big cough...carefully honed and developed over the past few days...I ALMOST kept her home, but her forhead is cool and she isn't doing anything possibly disruptive classwise (such as insisting on coughing stuff up into the toilet dramatically on a regular basis as Kian had previously) so I sent her on to school... I expect a call any minute now to come collect a wan, sickly looking Baby Vivienne, but we shall see...they were each well-informed and advised that tomorrow if they are NOT sick, they shall get to ride a schoolbus & go on a field trip to a cool concert by their school-music cd people... So MAYBE they will stay at school and not try & feign truly sick... It starts...what am I going to do with my kids? They are far smarter than the office staff, sadly...which I appreciate them wanting them to stay home when they are sick, but they have to meet me halfway here and understand that my trio often will try & pull fast ones over on you...you gotta watch them & learn to call them on shenanigans when you see it!!! Anyone else going through something like this with their little ones? I really thought they were a bit too young to give this one a whirl, but I suppose not after this past week!!!

Teen Cosmetic Surgery

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 12, 2011 at 08:27 AM This morning on GMA, I caught the tail end of something-a discussion on when teens go under the knife/cosmetic surgery. So what do you think? Should parents allow teens to have cosmetic surgery? I think that if there is a valid true reason for it (not just whim or keeping up with the other kids/trendy surgery) then sure, let your child have cosmetic surgery. If a child has a problem that needs to be fixed at an early age (some girls end up overly endowed which can be painful for example) then by all means, help your child. I do NOT agree, however, with allowing them to have procedures to change themselves on whim because, the way some may change their clothes or choose a new lipstick. Model bodies have sadly become the social norm & our girls especially feel compelled to try and be model-perfect instead of being taught from an early age to love their bodies and the unique way they look. I do admit in some cases a child does need a procedure medically, however it isn't a decision to be entered into lightly. A child's body is still forming, even in the teen years. We all know that some of us didn't even have a chest until after our first child was born anyways (IE need breasts? have heart, you will most likely end up with more than enough!!!!) But allowing a child to become a cosmetic surgery-a-holic (& if you know someone who has had it you probably realize how addictive it can become once you begin) is not the way to go. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with cosmetic surgery for kids?

Tired Of Trying To Get This Posted: Baby Names

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 12, 2011 at 12:15 AM This was commentary meant for an article claiming that what we name our children can say alot about a person/parents who chose the names. It's been posted, reposted & reposted again & it's become laughable at how my test posts slide right thru but this one has yet to clear....so, here is the text yet again because I feel I have the right to say these things in relation to the article or just for my own giggles & merde...since it's been almost 24hrs and the original didn't make it past the spamblockers apparently! LINK It's really neither here nor there if you want to click on it & see what the original article is all about, point is, I'm tired of losing my own writings on the matter and wanted to try & get it in here where the kids baby book basically essentially is kept. So the study claims that our children's names speak volumes about us as parents. You just HAVE to wonder now, don't you? What does that mean? I mean, really, in all honesty, unless you really REALLY know you're English history you aren't going to have a clue about what I was thinking when I named my kids unless I go ahead & tell you...which is no secret & I'm sure that I've already covered it before somewhere on here... To begin with, I HATE BOY NAMES!!! Seriously, no joke, I just do...most boy names are just awful in my book... And I happen to have managed to have 3 of them!!! Imagine that! While Pregnant with my first one, I scoured baby name books, hit the library and by the last few weeks of pregnancy had resorted to browsing indexes of historical based books at Books-A-Million which was fairly new at the time! Of course that is where I ended up with 2 choices I could live with...Bregon or Tristan (which was too girly for my taste in the end) and I had already flat-out refused to name the baby George after Lord Byron on the grounds that once upon a time I had named the cat George...as in "I will love him & squeeze him & call him George" nevermind that the kitty is a girl, she looked just like bugs bunny coloring-wise. So not a week later, Bregon Byron made his way into the world and has been Bregon ever since...named after one of the original invaders of England back before even the barbarians had managed such feats... Fast forward to years later when the triplets became a reality...and I had not one more boy name to come up with but 2! We went through all of the demigods of various religions, stories of old etc and most were written off due to having named characters at faire after them already & that would never do! So eventually Kai was chosen...it's actually Arthurian in nature...meaning "Keeper of the Kingdom" and Arthur's sometimes brother,sometimes right-hand man depending on which of the legends & mythos you prefer. Ashe...well let's just say his middle name is taken from Bregon's hero Ash from the Evil Dead series...(& yes a month after mine were born his nemesis & quite possibly total antithesis was born & aptly named Ash Vaughen Kaiden...kid you not my child's name is Kaiden Ashe...too funny but no coincidence as the Mom is an old dear faire friend of mine.) On to Kian...who was almost an Alexie but spared by the English version of John pretty much (it's as common as John over there but spelled slightly different on most occasions.) I would have outright named him Loki (at the time I adored the name & still do to this day) but something about naming a child outright after the god of mischief just gives the child cause to want to grow up as much like his namesake as humanly possible & we can't have the god of mischief & his brother the Good Ashe with his chainsaw running around, now can we? Then my beautiful baby girl needed a name...oh yes we knew she was a beautiful petite little flower almost from conception-always measuring weeks tinier than her brothers and carefully maintaining her position at the very top of things in there-yep this holds to this very day actually! (most multiples change location all the time til birth.) I had originally thought to name her Marguerite Anais...but everyone threw such a huge fit...I mean really, it's just Margaret Anne only in french, but I gave in when I decided that I wanted another Baby Vivian in the family... You see, my great grandmother's name was Vivian and when her daughter was born she also named her daughter Vivian...so to differentiate, her Daddy always called her "Baby Vivian" and everyone called my grandmother that til her dying day quite literally-it was always fun to hear her friends page her in Wallyworld when they couldn't find her and were ready to go & watch the look of shock on the peoples faces to find that they were in fact paging an elderly lady! So Vivian became Vivienne (my name is also french so it only fit) and I chose to name her after my great aunt Emmalene as well who I loved very much as a young child...my aunt had fits because she never had much affection for her on the grounds that she was MEAN...maybe to her,but NEVER to me!!! Thus Vivienne Emmalene came into being and I had my Beautiful Baby Vivienne. What do all of these names say about me? I've absolutely no idea...they are all demigods when it gets down to it...I could go on explaining but I've not the notion or the time & don't really know if the post will make it past the spamblocks again or not & this is it's 2nd version!!!! So what do you think? Do our children's names really say a lot about us as parents? What about your own choices? What do you think?

Birthday Party Question/Idea

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 08, 2011 at 12:16 PM so i've several ideas for my trio's 5th bday party...going off of last year when NOBODY showed up for their birthday party, not even family, I'm planning for the worst THIS year just in case the same thing happens...I do NOT want them feeling unloved & sad on their birthday again... at first I wanted my dear friend to do his wire sculpture activies for them-he is actually more fun & entertaining than any magician or clown anyone could imagine hiring for a party...my kids LOVE this guy...its a treat whenever he comes to visit & he always leaves them little wire people or animals or the like in his wake to play with...sometimes he hides them for them to find later among their toys, sometimes he has them help him make them & shows them what they are & ways they can be played with... but sadly, he has a HUGE art show in arizona coming up and I'm afraid he will be there instead of here for the big day... so now i'm kicking around the idea of having a mardi gras birthday party at the highland parade- i've several location ideas & would get there early enough to set up (I've friends living along the route in several places too) & I would have our wonderful rugrat's style playyard set up for the parade itself so the kids are all safe-its extra huge & has the extension added in to make it big enough for tiny people parties!!! we could have cake...& drinks & hang a happy birthday sign from the front of the playyard & tables...& we would have the entire parade as an activity...one location has LOTS of accessable parking within a block of it-but its near the beginning of the route...& its very close to home either way... but do you think parents would want to bring their othe r4/5yr olds to something like this? last year we did it at first baptist park-isolated, pleanty o parking, no outside bothers or worries about getting a space or anything, we had the whole thing to ourselves-but nobody showed up literally making it very sad & lonely for my kids... the idea is that if we had it at the parade if nobody showed up, it wouldnt show really & we could just share our bday cake & juice with the kids around us & make new friends for our birthday... but i just dont know-what do you think? is this a horrible idea or a fun nifty one? it's not going to happen every year that mardi gras falls this close to their actual birthday (its the weekend before they turn 5) - the other alternative is that I pack everyone up & haul them down to new orleans to see my best friend & her kids (havent seen her since i was 18 but we keep in touch online) & do things down there at the big BIG parades-Fat Tuesday would be hysterical & I'm not sure we have enough room in the van to bring back THAT much loot...we get astronomical amounts of it at our tiny parades just being triplets in a playyard...no idea what we'd do if we went down there & ended up with the same happenings... but i'm torn, i can invite the kids friends from school...& the cousins (but even the cousins didnt make it last year) or i can haul em down to nola & risk the family down there doing something similar... what do you think? am I a nut thinking of this or is it the idea of the century? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Community Theater, Stage Work, Haunted Attractions, Shocktale Terror Show,GLP, Gas Light Players, Renaissance Festivals, Writing, Directing,Acting, Sewing, Literature, Art & Music. Send to Friends Facebook Publish to a group

Growing Up With Music

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 06, 2011 at 09:02 AM The fine arts post got me to thinking & thinking A LOT about some things. This morning, on the way to school, in an attempt to get the babies out of the bad mood their terribly 16 teenage big brother had put them in, I found myself teaching them a new song... That's when it struck me, we do things differently at my house...Do-re-mi...do you know what that is, where it comes from? I was shocked to find that not everyone knows, not everyone grew up the way I did...I thought EVERYONE grew up watching musicals on the tele, listening to the soundtracks on their record players (the mp3 player of its time, revolutionary, I promise!) Sadly, tis not the case...Not knowing any different, I accepted all of the musical & operetta movies as kid-fare growing up-I watched My Fair Lady & pined to grow up to be Eliza when I grew up (& almost was once in high school but due to age had to settle for the youngest girl in the grown-up chorus) I knew my Sound of Music and could tell you which songs got cut when they edited the final movie for tv...and always wondered why... At 5, I enjoyed and quite purposefully stayed up to see the end of Zefferelli's Romeo & Juliet, and tried desperately to play the love theme from it on mum's baby grand to no avail (I would be 13 before I was able to find & read the sheet music well enough, but it was quite an achievement in my mind since I'd only been trying to suss it out forever!) But, sadly, not everyone thinks of letting their little ones watch these things, doesn't think that they will like it, or take to it or accept it or I don't know what...so kids grow up not ever having known the Von Trapps...or singing in the tub about how they are "Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" or knowing quite well "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" or that the proper song to sing while dancing round that fountain is "Do-re-mi"... And it's a shame...an awful shame, because kids LOVE LOVE LOVE music...and the first & most accepted thing a baby does is want & love for you to sing to them...and what better source of songs to sing than ones from musicals and operas? Sure, they haven't a clue as infants what Les Mis is, or Cats or Phantom or that their favourite lullaby is actually from Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Origin of Love is beautiful & one of my favourite things to sing to mine even now) but once a child is old enough to watch tv and you pop in a DVD of one of those musicals & or operas, they become enraptured...tis magical...and the best part is they are learning! You don't have to like it, you don't even have to watch if you don't want to, but there are musicals & operas for every taste just as there are tv shows...in fact this is how Kian came by his life of piracy... He watched Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates Of Penzance, and later the kooky 80's version The Pirate Movie, and he and his sibs learned EVERY LAST WORD of both...they could perform it for ya today if you wanted...& they often reproduce it in the backyard, at the park & in their nursery... When Bregon was 5, he wanted to be "Ralpheo" which was his way of lumping the actor with the part from Lurman's version of Romeo & Juliet...but he LOVED that movie for some reason & as a result loves his Shakespear (all of it, sonnets & plays) even to this very day. My daughter watched The Wizard of Oz, and roots for Margaret Hamilton to win, EVERY time because she also has a copy of The Wicked that I somehow found online...she loves both equally, and can tell you the

Weirdest Thing You've Bought This Season?

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 20, 2010 at 11:48 PM It's Christmas time, and I've found myself searching for, and sometimes even buying the most peculiar things for folks! Then again, I come from a home where it wasnt unusual for Mum to buy weird things, too... After all, there was the year that she bought everyone rubber fake roaches (the kind that looks real & for the 80's it was the latest innovation believe it or not!) and had them wrapped up beautifully to look like a cartier box or something bought from Tiffany's and then gave them to all of her best friends for Christmas. So I guess my purchasing what I so lovingly dubbed "The Grim Golfer" wasn't soo very out of the ordinary in retrospect...in my defense, the little skeletal golfer figure in resin was for a white elephant party for our theater group, but still...you get the point...and he was in good company with the skeletal rock band that will go to the lady who just HAD to have a copy of the morbid anatomy tableau portrait of baby skeletons all decked out in rockband formation with microphones & all... Then there are those elusive yet simple things, the things that used to be quite mundane and easy to come by but now are considered rare...or worse, "Antique" or labeled antiquated due to lack of technology...example A: a jewelry box with a ballerina inside that spins when you open it...people just stared at us incredulously when we went to the counter to ask for such an outdated thing...but by golly we finally scored one!!! One day, I shall have to tell you how I came by that elusive almost non-existent chocolate moose pillowpet that cannot be found by my friends in Dallas, Houston or Jacksonville, Florida... So what have you found yourself purchasing this holiday season that is considered weird or bizarre...or even something that you normally wouldn't even consider buying? Fess up!!!

The dating Game

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 20, 2010 at 05:26 PM It's started...not the cute little dating thing kids do in middle school, or the harmless take your old friend's daughter out bit... He turned 16 Thanksgiving week, and by the week of break, had a girl obtaining his phone number so she could meet up with him... Meetup...meant more like meet Daddy at the sal after youth program..all official like real people...nothing impromptu or spur of the moment...yep, I've already met Daddy...and he got to meet the sibling circus too... Daddy took them to the Boardwalk Sunday afternoon...and let them walk around by themselves...a bit less protective than I originally thought, too... We have a Wednesday afternoon tea-time Horror Flick marathon at her house scheduled...as long as there is a parent present I think I'm okay with this...THINK... But I don't know! I don't know at all! Saturday, he will get his car from Santa...my Daddy is doing this for him, not me...but this is HUGE..for him, for me...soo much all at once!!! Oh my...today I had an impromptu eyedoctor appointment because we discovered last week during Christmas program that he was having trouble reading the sheet music... Today he has new glasses...AND contacts...he is growing soo fast...faster than I can keep up with! And back to this dating thing...obviously he's ready, but am I?

Piano Recitals, Jackets And Missing Friends

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 17, 2010 at 12:19 AM Wow, what a day this has been. I had THOUGHT that after having Christmas Lunch with the babies and remembering to carefully send the teacher presents this morning, that I would be done done done with all the school stuffs. I had even carefully checked the teacher websites for any updates and they were deceptively positive that I was in fact DONE with school save for carpool for the year. BOY was I wrong!!! I happily picked up the babies today at the usual 3pm timeslot. We headed home and let Kian put his remaining Christmas store purchase under the tree-he had misplaced his Daddy's present yesterday and remembered it today once he got to school! Innocently enough, Vivienne and I headed out to pick Bregon up from fencing practice (he has beefed up practice since qualifying for the Junior Olympics this past Saturday.) When he hopped in the car and said, "Let's fly" I KNEW something was up...he was all sorts of stinky smelly fresh-from-fencing hard kiddo, but this was a kiddo with a mission, one he didnt manage to share with me until we got to the Olive & Youree intersection. You see, it was 5pm (baby dinnertime) and he was already 30 minutes late leaving from practice to begin with, but he wanted me to hurry WHY? Turns out, he managed to miss the whole "We have a piano recital" bit of intel while out performing for his Sibling's Christmas Program this past Monday. Oh Goody... He not only had a recital tonight, but it was 30 minutes away from starting, he was gross from practice & I wasn't anywhere near dressed for the occasion-& it would take me 10 minutes to get us home, and another 10 minutes to drive back to school...IF I was lucky & traffic was good to me... He needed to shower and smell good before getting dressed...which he planned on wearing his TUX...kid you not...not something you just hop into out of the shower, either...arrrggghhh!!! Vivienne in all of her 4yr old sensability, turned around as the light turned green, and told him quite matter of factly, in fact it was quite demure, that, "We do not have time for this!" She was dead serious and totally right...we dont have time to make this one, but we had to try! Somehow, while Bregon showered and put on his Tux, I changed and tried to salvage the hair & redo the makeup to where the public wouldn't be frightened by it...ack I hate going into parent public looking awful, too! We actually made it back to school by 535, but I will NEVER know how we managed. Apparently, come to find out, the recital was in fact a last minute thing...NOBODY was really all that prepared...parents, students...you name it...but my kid cranked out his Mozart as if it were the most natural thing in the world... Apparently some kids play chopsticks on the fly, mine comes equipped with Mozart...sonata in C, all 5 variations... And then it hit me...that weird memory...& feeling that something...or rather someone was missing...it always seems to happen during piano recitals... Used to, in middle school, I went to every recital and met my friend Jenny and her kids there-we would all sit together and try and tape & take pictures of both kids while they played...she wanted her son to learn to play like Henry (student of the year, can do everything grande Henry) I just wanted my kid to manage to play... But we did every recital this way...we frantically made sure the boys were dressed decently, and giggled over this one little boy who always seemed to be wearing the same oversized coat...one he must have borrowed from big brother...or daddy maybe...who knows, it was just that huge on him though! That's what reminded me actually...not just the absence of my friend Jenny, and her son, my son's best friend Brandon...but that coat...you see, the same little boy is still taking piano with my own son...and he is STILL wearing that silly jacket...it has been at least 4 years, and now that jacket is much too small on the boy... And sadly I've only my own son to share this with...the giggle that the boy still wears that darned jacket...Jenny and the little boys moved back to Nebraska shortly after the accident that took Brandon from us all...so it's very bittersweet...I think of them often...but especially at these lonely piano recitals... Tonight I sat on the wall right next to the door we came in because we were literally the last one's there...but they didnt' start without us...and I dutifully videotaped the entire thing, thinking that I might could post it to share with my friend...in Nebraska...and maybe she will be sad, but maybe she will find the jacket bit funny too...

More Parents Putting Babies On Diets?

Posted by Vulnadia on Dec 02, 2010 at 08:38 AM The more I think about this, the more it just plain makes me MAD MAD MAD! Now, I have to admit, I have never had a "Fat" or "Pudgy" baby, but I cannot imagine putting a baby on some sort of a diet! I fought the health unit & the WIC program for the past 4 years over my kids and their size/weight charts, heck I even fought their glares & bad advice during my last pregnancy (they actually DARED fuss at me & give me problems over having gained 23lbs by 5 months saying I had gained too much too fast to which I just laughed at them and let them know my specialist fussed at me for not having met my 100lb weightgain goal for 5 months!) Then, once they changed the WIC voucher program/foods, I was told that America is too fat hence the changes...during the same meeting where they got on to me for my daughter being underweight and my sons being short for their age (no, REALLY? THEY ARE TRIPLETS DO THE MATH!) I have to wonder how many mothers out there have received the same info unnecessarily and quite unfounded only to become seriously worried and take action? Does this mindset lead to giving us as Americans a complex of being "Fat?" I thought it was common knowledge that babies ESPECIALLY put on pudge/fat before growth spurts...in fact I have watched my own daughter get tiny little bits of pudge (which looks funny on a tiny person, see above weight/chart issues for the irony) then lose it weeks later in a growth spurt! So why oh WHY would you put the fear of FAT into a woman's head to the point where they put their baby on a diet? Unless the child is obviously & beyond a medical DOUBT in danger of being obese at much too young of an age (and I am referring to the extreme cases you see on the cover of the Enquirer not the "I'm fat" mentality and complex given us ladies by the modeling industry etc that makes us conditioned to want to look rail thin and eat brown rice & vegetables (to grab a phrase from a racy movie, lol!) then a child does NOT need a diet! How many kids are starving because of this? What will be the longterm effects on our kids and society as a whole over this alarming trend? It's common knowledge that once a child reaches a certain age they begin to eat almost NOTHING over that picky eater stage, so WHY try and rid them of the storage system the body has to combat these stages? How many kids are subjected to the false "I'm fat" complex bits where it's all asthetics and in the Mom's pre-programmed brain that they MIGHT be getting fat instead of the reality that their baby is NORMAL and then what problems might this incur? In a perfect model body society where self-image is EVERYTHING and society as a whole has driven us as women to set unnatural standards for ourselves when we look in the mirror, what are we to do? Will our children suffer? I grew up as one of those kids who, as a deterrent for a myriad of reasons, was told I was FAT and couldn't wear this or that, needed to only eat this or that etc...when I look back at the pictures of myself at some of these given points, I had a shocking realization that in fact I had NOT been fat, in fact I was quite SMALL at the time, giving my brain the idea that when I looked in the mirror, that I did NOT like what I saw...poor self image begins in places like that! Why oh why would you do that to your kids? Why would you want to? Unless a child is truly medically at risk, why put them on diets? What do you think? Is this an alarming trend or something we really need to all support? original More Parents Putting Babies on Diets