November is Epilepsy Awareness Month

 

No, my son does not have Epilepsy, but a little boy who is very special to me does. I have a friend who gave birth to a beautiful little boy we will call B, around the time I had my oldest. B has had to face many things in his life, including Epilepsy. Yet this little boy continues to smile through it all. That is why, for me, this Awareness Month is so important. To learn more about Epilepsy and how to be involved visit the National Epilepsy Awareness Month site and learn about their "Now I know" Campaign.

So this month I will wear purple more (for Barb and her amazing B) and I hope you can join me in raising awareness!! Now go put your purple on!

"Mom, can I bring it home?"

Children are notorious for wanting things, candy, toys, and in my son's case....bugs. He is always bring new "friends" home an asking if they can stay. I usually don't mind as long as their stay is only overnight.

On a day out a few weeks ago he found a catapillar he wanted to bring home. We placed it in a fast food cup for the hour drive home. Upon arrive we set the catapiller up in a "home" with leaves and such. The container was placed on a shelf and he forgot about it. I admit, I too had forgotten about it till one day our cat took great interest in the container. Our catpiller had turned into a butterfly!

 

I quickly placed a Q-tip soaked in sugar water in the container so our little friend could get something to eat. That afternoon when my son came home from school he was thrilled! We poured through our bug books trying to identify the little guy (or girl) and we learned it was a Buckeye butterfly. Again, as with most bugs, my son asked if it could stay. The weather was in his favor as it had turned very cold and the rain was intense for a few days.

 

When the rain finally broke and the sun peeked out, we decided it was a good time for the butterfly to go back to nature. We had an amazing time watching him before he left. We even got to see his tounge a few times! The joy and amazement my son showed for this winged friend reminded my why it is so very important to let children "bring it home" every once in a while!

 

 

And THIS is why the world is going south.....

I try not to get up on my soapbox around here to often as this place is about fun. But I am dusting off my box, stepping up and saying "What the heck?!?!?!"

I logged on today to see an article about an Ohio teen who collapsed after playing on his xbox for 4-5 DAYS!?!?! Seriously, um, where were his parents? Oh wait, mom says she "was very scared I thought he was going to die. He just fell over three times." Three times?

My first question is, why was he sitting there for days playing this game? I am sorry but after an hour of cartoons I just turn it off and tell my kid to find something else to do. I am not perfect, don't get me wrong, there have been days when he has sat and played EDUCATIONAL computer games for long stretches. However, I made sure he ate and drank, unlike this woman who ended up having to take her son to the hospital for dehydration.

A children should not get dehydrated even if your outside playing all day in 100 degree weather. Parents, well at least ones with common sense, know that all living things need water to survive. But I guess if you let you kid sit for days playing a mind numbing game then you might we daft enough to not know water is essential for life.

*Deep Breath*

My second question is, why wasn't this mother (and child) pummeled with a game controller for their stupidity instead of this being news worthy? I mean honestly folk, this is not news, this is SAD. Where are the news stories of smart parents and children playing in nature and experiencing the wonders of life? Where are the news stories of children making crafts and not getting in trouble running the streets? Where are the stories about parents and children reading together? Wait, does anyone even do that anymore or is it just me?

It is moments like these, when I question my parenting ability after being pushed to the wall everyday, that I sit a little taller (with baby urp on my shirt from my little and tacky glue and glitter on everything for my bigger) and I realize, I am not doing half bad at this thing called parenting!

Don't let the Dog Days of summer end like this

We here at MAD love animals so we were extremely upset when we walked out of free craft time at Michael’s to see a dog in a car. It was over 100 degrees out. We quickly returned to Michael’s and in a loud voice told the clerk what we saw. The owner left the store with me on her heals.

I informed her that what she was doing to that dog was animal abuse. Her response “I was just at Petco and I had only been in Michael’s five minutes and I left the windows cracked.” Really? You love your dog enough to take him to a pet store but not enough not to cook him?!?!?

After a stern lecture from me and the treat of me calling 911 she left. I then went down the shopping strip area to Petco and told the manager what had happened. He was in sock and just as disgusted as I was. I asked him if it would be possible to have the clerks remind people to NOT do this to their pets. He said it was a great idea and they would.

I can not believe in this day and age people, who clam to love their pets, still do stupid things like this. But what made me sick is she really didn’t get it. It was 100 degrees. Cracking the windows does not stop the car’s interior temp from going up. Please help get the word out…..

Leaving your pet in the car in these temperatures is animal abuse.  Leave a pet in the car can and will cause death.

Grandparents, the unsung heroes

Our family makes sacrifices because the cost of child care is just too high. I am lucky, I am a stay at home mom. But so many families today have to find others, like daycare or grandparents, to watch and raise their little ones. It is hard all around for everyone. That is why I want to take a minute to point out the new generations of unsung heroes….. Grandparents!!

Grandparents have already raised their children but in this day and age, more and more, they are stepping up to raise their grandchildren. You would not believe how many grandparents I see doing this everyday. Dropping kids at school, taking them to fun events like library in the park, lunch at McDonalds, and the list goes on. So I just wanted to take a minute to say to all the grandparents who are working so hard, raising the next generation….

THANK YOU!!! Thank you for being so selfless. Thank you for giving up your relaxing days of retirement to care for and bring joy to your grandchildren. Thank you for teaching and molding another generation of little ones. I personal love talking to all of you at events. You inspire me and give me great advice.

So today, even if your parents don’t help out daily with your children, give them a call and thank them for being a part of making your children who they are. My parents invest so much effort into making the visits they do have with my children meaningful and fun. So lets thank them for those extra miles that they go when they could be soaking up the sun in Florida!

Adventures in baby prints

So someone was kind enough (or had a sense of humor) to give us a handprint kit for our baby. What a wonderful it idea, right? In theory!!! But in practice it was such an adventure.

First off, the kit said to make the baby’s handprint when the baby was asleep. Now I am sorry but no matter how “asleep” our child might have been, his little fist kept clenching. What to do? The plaster was setting and each try had the same sad results……

So our handprint kit became a footprint kit!!!

So just keep in mind the next time you give a baby gift, think long and hard before you give a handprint kit. Do the parents have a sense of humor? Can they roll with the punches???? On second thought, just give them a gift card for dinner.

Live, learn, love

One of the greatest things (in my opinion) about being a parent, is the chance to share the world with my children. I love exposing them to nature and teaching them to be caring and compassionate. Maybe that is why we have a house full of critters!

Nothing makes me prouder then when our 5 year old sees the dog is out of food and stops long enough to feed him. Or when he lets us know the chickens are low on water. The fact that he cares enough about the animals to be nurturing is an amazing things. I think these are skills all children should develop. Whether you give them a horse or just a goldfish, that responsibility helps them realize they are NOT the center of the universe and to have caring feelings for others even if they are “just” animals.

Now I am not advocating everyone run out and get a new puppy! But might I suggest a new fish or hermit crab? Or if you already have a pet at home, why not let your child take the lead on caring for it. You will, of course, have to make sure they do it, but let them be responsible. Explain to them that the animal can’t feed itself. Express how happy it makes you when you see them stepping up. It will in the long run do a few things:

1.) Teach your child to be responsible

2.) Teach your child to be compassionate

3.) Bring a little more fun into the family by having a pet

4.) Move one of the many chores YOU do, to the capable hands of your child, allowing you to have 5 minutes to yourself.

Meet Alex!

Our little "surprise" baby!!! Meet Alex, who joined MAD on 2-8-12 at 10:36 a.m. While we were not planning on having more children, we were not preventing it either. So I guess we shouldn't have been that surprised!

Alex was 7lbs 6oz and 19". He is such a tiny bundle of love. He has added a whole new dimension to the fun here at MAD and we are so looking forward to sharing the world with another amazing child.

Winter fun

When it is 20 degrees out, the last thing we as parents want to do is stand outside and freeze our bums off. Am I right?!?! But I had a reminder yesterday, as I stood there freezing at the sledding hill, three weeks before my c-section date ..... this was a childhood memory my son will have always.

The joy on his frozen pink checked face as he raced passed me brought a smile to my heart. Why am I telling you all this? Because some times we need to suck it up and do things that may not appeal to us, but will bring our children great joy.

So put on those gloves, extra sock, and long undies and get out there. Forget your age and make a snow angel. Build a snowman. Bruise your butt on a sledding hill. Just remember, they are only small once and you don't want to miss out.

Forgive me.....

I just want to ask all of my Fun Friends out there to forgive me for being MIA the last couple weeks. It would seem the newest fun tester coming to MAD has decided to make this last trimester a little hard on Mama. I will not go into details but it has been a bumpy road. We have about 6 weeks to go and I am going to try to be here more for you all. So let's try to get back to having some fun!

Do you Black Friday?

Over the years I have ventured out to the black friday sales. And over the years I have been both amused and horrified by the crowds and their behavior. Last year my hubby went with me for the first time since our son spent the night at his grandparents.

Now, personally, I have no desire to ever go out on black friday again, but I guess my hubby had so much fun at the Toys R Us sale, now HE wants to go again!!!

So if your one of those crazy people, like my hubby, who plan to head out into the darkness in search of a sale, I have a site for you that you can look at all the black friday ads and make you plan of attack.



Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day. But what does that mean?

Well Veteran's Day (originally called Armistice Day) came about in 1919. It was to remember the end of WWII “the war to end all wars,” which happened at a ceases fire at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month. Over time congress has passed bills turning Armistice Day into our modern Veteran's Day.

But what does it all mean????? Well the best way to put it is today is a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Now I know a lot of people are anti-war or don't believe in the cause that some of the wars/actions/conflicts were based on. And to that I say everyone has the right to an opinion. But try to remember you have that right because our Veterans fought so you could have it.

So today, take a minute to thank a service person. They are easy to spot when they are in uniform, but check out the hats some of the older generation wear and you will see names of ships or other hints that they are veterans too. Make a point of walking up and shaking their hand and saying thank you. This is something I (and now I am teaching my son) to do, everyday, not just on Veteran's Day. If they are at dinner with family, say excuse me first, but thank them AND their family. Their family had to face time without them while they were defending out freedoms.

Both of my Grandfathers were in WWII and I am sorry for the things they faced, but thankful for their sacrifice so I and my family have the right to be free.

When a good kid goes “bad”

One of the best parts of being a parent is sharing the world with our kids. They are the reason we strive to provide awesome fun and educational experiences. But what do you do when a good kid goes bad? And what do I mean by “bad?”

Well as most of you know, MAD Family Fun is expanding. Our newest “fun tester” will arrive at the end of January, beginning of February. This new addition to the family was a very big surprise. Needless to say our current “fun tester” is NOT too happy about a baby brother. As a result he has gone “bad.” Back talking, being rude and disrespectful. I am so not a happy mom these days.

As a result of the “bad” behavior, fun has taken a downward plunge. Getting to do super fun stuff is a privilege not a inborn right. More and more it seems we have skipped events because of the “bad” behavior. Just this weekend we did NOT go to Spooky Science Saturday, Zoo Boo, or the pumpkin patch.

Now here is the ironic part. While we have skipped events as a form of, shall we say, punishment for our son, in reality the whole family is suffering. This was an unforeseen side effect. In fact yesterday, my hubby asked if we could get a babysitter for the boy so we could still go to the pumpkin patch and get fresh donuts and cider.

So what do you do when a good kid goes “bad?” Honestly I don’t know. Everyone is missing out on the fun around here and it stinks. Do we all get punished for our son’s bad behavior or does he get to do fun things despite his bad behavior? No one ever said parenthood was easy……….

It's Offical

Life at MAD Family Fun has been a roller coaster lately. As I have posted before, we got a surprise positive pregnancy test a while back. Well this past week I was having cramping and back pain and was positive we had taken a turn for the worse. I went to the doctor and they ordered an ultrasound. When the tech FINALLY said “and there is the heart beat” I was in shock. The baby is fine and growing. Two little arms and two little legs and much to my son’s joy the tech showed him a tiny little butt!

So, it is official, MAD Family Fun is growing. So I promise to get back to business. Forgive me for my absents and prepare for some fun!

What the heck!!?! Why I've been MIA.....

I want to start by saying I am sorry for being MIA the last week or so. My hubby has been on vacation this week but what is even more responsible for my lack of attention is the fact we have received a startling surprise here at MAD.

Back in June, our son went to the grandparents for a weekend. Shortly after I started getting very nauseous. Then a certain something did not show up (women you know what I mean.) SURPRISE, the test came back positive.

Yes folks, it would seem that at 37 years old, just when my “baby” is getting ready to head off to kindergarten, we may be starting all over. Forgive me, but I am having a very hard time wrapping my mind around this. If you have read my “meet the MAD staff” section, you will know that we have experienced both early term and late losses in pregnancy.

So, between throwing up and freaking out, I have neglected you and for that I am sorry. I promise that once we see a heart beat on this little “guy” (in about a week or so) I will get back to being focused. So bear with me as MAD Family Fun might be turning into MAD Family Fun plus ONE. LOL

What's more fun then stitches? EVERYTHING!!!

We had a very unexpected adventure here at MAD yesterday. Someone learned that opening string cheese with scissors was  BAD idea. After a traumatic trip to urgent care and stitches he is recovering fine. Every day is an adventure around here but this is one adventure I never want to have again!

Do NOT buy ones of these!!

Two things my son loves, Diego and dinos. So when he ask, no begged, for this “My First Dino Digging Kit” I said sure. I mean it says it is a hands-on learning kit after all. Oh my, this thing was a nightmare!!!

First we did the “easy” snap together glow in the dark dino. Now tell me, that’s a T-rex right?

WRONG!!!! That is not what we got. I was wondering why we were having such a difficult time till I realized our kit had a Brachiosaurus!!!! And it did not “snap” together. Thus I broke out the glue. Disappointing.

So next we moved on to the block you were supposed to excavate and find dino bones. Now, the kit say ages 4-8, but even I was having a hard time scrapping away the block. Then as David was working a bone out, we heard a loud *CRACK* as the piece broke!!! Well by that point, little man was so beyond disappointed that we just soaked the block in water till it dissolved. There were other broken “bones”, maybe they happened during shipping to the store, I don’t know. So as my HIGHLY disappointed son sat on the couch, refusing to participate anymore, I was stuck to clean, dry and glue together this crappy dino.

Now the box also included 3 grow and shrink dinos. David didn’t want to do them. I don’t blame him. I fear they will either do nothing, or grow so large as to break the glass we try to grow them in!!! What was meant to be a super fun learning experience turned into the morning from you know where for both of us. So if your child asks for one, or you see one and think “that would be cool to give to…” DON’T!!!! Save yourself and others from the dino kit!!!! Turn and walk, no run, from the dinos!!!!

A rabbit that lays eggs? What's that all about!?!?!?

Yes folks, it is that time of the year when little kids hunt eggs and as one of my friends (who is Jewish) asked, "What's up with a rabbit that poops eggs?" I have other friends (who are Christan) who say eggs and bunnies have nothing to do with Easter at all. Well folks, as a degree holding historian, I went on a search for the history behind Easter. I hope that you find this information helpful in explaining the connection of Easter, eggs and bunnies!

Since its start as a holy celebration in the second century, Easter has had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was originally a pagan festival. As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. The festival was altered, to make it easier to convert Pagans to Christianity.  The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess Eastre's earthly symbol was the rabbit.  So the Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The first "modern" written account of the Easter Bunny was mentioned in German writings in the 1500's.

Eggs were also seen during the festival of Eastre as symbols of rebirth and spring, thus the the Easter Egg. Now I am not sure how or why the legend of a rabbit laying eggs came to be, but it seems to have been a legend that was around since the 1680's. Children would make a nest for the bunny to lay eggs. That nest is now the modern day Easter Basket.

That is it in a nutshell. So I guess it doesn't matter if your religious or not, Eggs or no eggs. Easter is a holiday for everyone! So no matter what this Easter season, get out there an have fun, anyway you want!

Hear the silence?!!?

It is so wonderful to spend time together as a family. But you know what can be just as nice? “Me time” for momma! I have been blessed with a whole day kiddo free!!!

My husband loves to home brew and his friend has 5 boys. So, since our son is one of those dreaded “only children” it is a wonderful chance for him to get some good old fashion kid time in. While daddy is brewing, our little man is running wild! I have had reports of leaf pile antics and the joy of rolling down a hill over and over. And I have cleaned the house! It no longer looks like a twister hit. So as I sit here in my very quiet and clean (which I know will not last) house it reminds me that having individual fun is healthy too.

While we may not be having fun together today, we are all still having fun. And that makes for a happy family!

Exciting changes at MAD Family Fun

I just wanted to let everyone know there have been a few exciting changes at Mad Family Fun Blog! We have pages now! LOL I know, a simple thing, but something to check out. I have added a Cruise Directing 101 page for quick reference so you don't need to scroll through all the posts. I have also added, drum roll please, a page for Fun in your state. A quick and easy list of links to help you start having more fun! So check out the additions and look for more in the future!