My family semi-successfully made it through the first day of Daylight Savings time…or the first day of no more Daylight Savings Time.  Always a fan of “Fall Back” when I was a frequenter of bars… I am not so much a fan now that I’m a mom.  Don’t you know I JUST got my kids to sleep until 7 or 8 am?

I wasn’t exactly sure when the great “Fall Back” would occur so I Googled it sometime last week.  I did not find what I was looking for, oddly enough.  What I did find was an entire article on eHow about Daylight Saving Time…it was really interesting, covering areas from health to politics, economic effects to energy usage. Here are a couple of tidbits I found interesting:

• The effects of adapting time to fit our seasonal preferences on our circadian rhythms can be severe and last for weeks.

• The rate of heart attacks is higher in the first three workdays following the introduction of Daylight Savings Time in the Spring and lower in the first weekday following its cessation.

• The country of Kazakhstan actually stopped using DST in 2005 citing ill effects on health.

What I also found interesting was no mention in this very detailed article about children and their parents and the massive disruption to the household’s well being.  I’m just sayin’ …. from behavior to sleep and eat patterns, play schedules and temper tantrums… DST has a major impact on families with little children.

I find I have no point….but a small amount of helpful information.  I hope that works.

Michael’s Printable Coupons

Printable coupons at Michael’s for 50% off any one regular priced item if you can get there today…and another for 40% off one regular priced item that is good tomorrow (Tuesday) through Saturday, 16th.  It is sometimes difficult to find what you want at “Regular Price” in order to use the coupons…but think outside the box…stocking stuffers for the kids…supplies the kids can use for homemade gifts.  SuperBoy and I had so much fun making these Bubble Magnets two years ago and got all of our supplies at Michael’s using coupons like these!

Thanks, Coupon Geek!

What Does SpongeBob Put in the Water?

I always knew that as a parent I would restrict the amount of television my children watched.  I knew that I would foster their minds and grow amazing people.

Well, I AM growing amazing people, but that first part? The crap about not watching television? That went out the window when I got pregnant with SuperGirl.  I made it through the first year, hanging out with my buddy…keeping him entertained…growing an amazing person.  Then came the morning sickness, the fatigue, the body aches.  Those things that while very difficult to deal with in my first pregnancy…were, on some level, endearing to the pregnancy…I was PREGNANT.  It was amazing…toilet bowl and all.

With SuperGirl I no longer had the advantage of lying on the couch willing the world to stop spinning…I had a child to entertain…. or did I?  Enter: Sesame Street.  I felt pretty good about my choice.  One show a day…just to buy me a little downtime.  Then one day I dozed off (yeah..that’s right) and Dragon Tales came on.  SuperBoy was beside himself with glee.  I thought to myself, “Well it IS Public Television…it’s educational, right?”

You see where this is going.

Now, three kids and four years after I made my grand proclamation about the brains I would foster without any help from electronic stimuli; I find myself writing a post about SpongeBob.  I fully expect to see a pig fly past my window any moment now.

Both SuperBoy (4.5) and SuperGirl (2.5) are relentless in their quest to watch SpongeBob. “Check if dere is SpongeBobFwherePants aaahhhn?” We have seriously had to limit the number of shows we let them watch in a day week.  I’m amazed that when given a choice of shows, even SuperGirl will pick SpongeBob.  I’ve caught myself wondering time and again what it is that makes this show so special…so attractive to kids.  Seems like your run of the mill cartoon to me, even rather more annoying than some of the others.

Recently SuperBoy had a tonsillectomy.  After he awoke in the recovery room they came to get us and we stood dutifully by his side.  A nurse poked her head in and asked if he would like to watch cartoons.  Lying there, still as a rock, he nods his head very briefly, “Yes”.  She scrolls through the guide and when she passes SpongeBob my husband says “Oh…that’ll work”.

SuperBoy is lying in this little bed, in a little room with very little light.  He has absolutely no affect.  He has an IV and is hooked up to the standard pulse/ox machine.  The theme song for SpongeBob SquarePants begins and my husband nearly falls over laughing.  I look at SuperBoy to see what I missed; he hasn’t moved.  I look to my  husband for an explanation and he points to the heart rate monitor.  SuperBoy’s heart rate has sky rocketed.  Before I could get worried enough to find a nurse, the theme song ends and instantaneously his heart rate drops to normal.  All the while with no change on his expression whatsoever.  I almost peed my pants.

When the cartoon itself began, his heart rate escalated again, slightly.  We were in silent hysterics.  Then reality hit.  What have we done by allowing our children to watch this cartoon? All of this time I’ve been wondering why my kids like this so much…maybe there was more to my concern than I originally thought. Maybe SpongeBob is creating his very own little square-panted minions.

What does SpongeBob put in the water??

What You Say is What You Get

I’ve wasted a lot of time lately beating myself up over my parenting abilities.  I think I did a rather exceptional job when the kids were babies, but now they are growing up and I’m not sure what to do all a good portion of the time.

My main point of concern is with SuperBoy.  Four going on Fourteen is how I feel most days.  The sweet, loving, caring toddler that I used to rock to sleep each night has been replaced by a scowling, snotty, tantrum throwing preschooler that I am not yet well acquainted with.  I stay up at night worrying about what we have done to cause this shift in his behavior.  I cry over the fact that SuperDad and I argue too often in front of the kids. I mean really….when can we have these arguments discussions when they AREN’T around? They wake me in the morning and when I finally get them all to bed at night I KNOW the older two are awake in their beds for a long time after lights out.  When are we supposed to be grownups? I know the answer, it’s why I cry when he misbehaves: All of the Time.

So there it is.  I’ve turned my child into a snotty brat.  What you say is what you get.  He is imitating the life around him, we are raising him and this is the results of our labor.

Now.  SuperDad has pointed out recently something that I’m already aware of: I’m having some issues with negativity.  Really?! *shock and awe*  I was already struggling with the reality of this when he began making comments.  I figure if someone else is not only noticing it… but brave enough to mention it to me, it might be time to take action and do something about it.

I’ve made a decision to be a more peaceful person.  Less argumentative.  Less determined to be right when I’m pretty sure I might not be but … in fact maybe I’m plain wrong.  More loving and calm.  I’m trying to focus on the positive.

I’ve started going to church again.  I find this to be the very first and most important step to finding my peace.  I’m not a praying person by way of clasping my hands and falling to my knees and crying out “Dear Lord! Forgive Me!”.  I’m more of a deeply reflective, meditative kind of person, quietly opening my heart and asking for direction.

I’m trying to be more peaceful.  I’m opening up my heart.  You know what I’ve been given in return?  The truth.  My eyes wide open.  I’ve been so focused on the negative aspects of what my horrible parenting has reigned down upon my children that I missed the point.

I noticed SuperBoy offering a toy to his sister in exchange for the one that he wanted to play with.  Not screaming and yelling, pushing and shoving…but offering a solution to the problem.  I feel like I’ve been hammering this into their heads for ages.  And there it is.

Today, sitting on the couch and coloring with SuperBoy he told me that I put the marker back into its holder incorrectly.  I said something to the effect of “I’m sorry” and he replied with “That’s okay, Mommy.  Now you know and you can do it better next time!”  Then he looked at the picture we were coloring and he said “I really like the way you stayed in the lines, Mommy, such a nice job.”

I have since heard him say at dinner “Mommy, its too bad SuperGirl won’t chew with her mouth closed.  I would really be so proud of her if she could figure that out.” …in turn his sister now chews with her mouth closed most of the time…making sure we all take note, of course.

Imitating what he hears us say.

What you say, is what you get; apparently its not that bad….all of the time.

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