From Toddlers2Teens

My favorite drink is water so I, of course, introduced it to my children right away. My oldest daughter, who’s 18, drinks a lot of water. My 5-year-old son really loves water. The middle daughter, 4, would prefer to drink something else, but she doesn’t fight too much if she has to drink water. And the youngest, the head-strong 2-year-old, will say juice or milk 100 times even though you’re holding out a cup of water.

So, I took the challenge. The WAT-AAH! challenge that is. The company’s founder, Rose Cameron, promises that your kids will drink WAT-AAH! She says that they’ll pick it over soda and juice drinks. Besides the cool logo of the screaming kid on the front, my children thought the name as well as the words on the bottle were fabulous. They reached for the bottles before I could even tell them about it.

“Cool bottle, Amareah!” my son Andre told his sister.

“Yea!” she responded.

Even 2-year-old Anna enthusiastically drank her water. She didn’t even want to throw away the bottle after it was all gone.

Want more information about this cool product? Visit their blog, check out their site or purchase it from Amazon. I took the challenge; you should take it too. If you do, come back here and let me know. I’d love to see pics of your kids drinking WAT-AAH!

Not too long ago I read a report that revealed that even in today’s difficult economic times it costs about $1,300 per child per month. The cost of raising a child isn’t going down just because times are tough.

That’s why it’s important to save money. If you know me, or follow me online, then you know I really like to save money (you probably also know that I really like dark chocolate, coffee and skincare products) and often do a little online shopping comparisons. With four children - one in college and three ages 5 and under - I have to ensure I make every penny count.

I’ve found some great deals at Super Amazing Savings. One of the key things to remember when looking for money-saving opportunities is to use and search for products that your family uses regularly. That why when I went to Super Amazing Savings I searched for health and beauty coupons and I was able to purchase quite a few things from Drugstore.com that we really needed including soap, paper towels and toilet paper.

How do you save money around your home? What online sites do you recommend?

I must admit that I’m a fan of Disney On Ice. I think it’s one of those shows that transcends age. When I mentioned to my teenage daughter Amber that we have the chance to see Disney On Ice presents Celebrations in Atlanta next month she was as excited as I know the younger children will be. (Nope, I haven’t told them yet.)

You can get in on the fun, too. Disney On Ice and MomCentral realize that finances are tight so they have a SPECIAL OFFER just for you:

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows or receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto Ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

Atlanta Show Dates playing at Phillips Arena:
Wednesday, October 14: 7:30 pm
Thursday, October 15: 7:30 pm
Friday, October 15: 10:30 am, 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 16: 11:00 am, 2:30 pm, 6:30pm
Sunday, October 17: 12:00 pm, 4:00 pm

**Get 4 tickets for $44 Monday‐Friday matinee, or $4 off Friday night and weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating. Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges & handling fees will apply.

No, let me change that: Where’s the boat?

I’m going to try not to get into a great big gigantic (enough adjectives?) vent ’cause I really don’t have time to really delve into it like I would like. The major problem: I’m without transportation and have no consistent way of getting my middle daughter to and from school. I also can’t get my youngest to daycare, but the daycare is on a temporary closure so… well, either way I suppose I would have a child home.

This was captured after the third time I told them to

stop moving/dragging the car seats across the floor.

Don’t they look guilty?

If you’re a reader of my It’s a woman’s world blog, you know that I have some medical issues. Oftentimes those issues cause me to be at the doctor’s office (VA hospital) several times a week, but I make every attempt to work as a freelance writer and editor when I’m home.

How much work do you think I get accomplished with my children at home? About 10 percent of the 50 percent I was able to do with the little hours I was working with before the two middle children get home from school.

There are other obstacles (soon-to-be ex, finances, etc.) that are contributing to my being up the creek without a paddle. But, at this point, I don’t even feel like I have a boat. Slowly.drowning.

I don’t know of one person who isn’t concerned about their child’s health. Whether you keep track of how they eat, monitor an ongoing condition or are simply trying to keep them healthy and safe; we’re all concerned about their health.

When I come across some information that may be able to help with that I always want to share it. There’s a site, KidsHealth.org, which offers a multitude of information for parents, children and teens. It’s comprehensive for the parents, fun for the kids as well as interactive and interesting for the teens. I even sent a link to my teen who is away at college.

Excerpted from the site:

“KidsHealth is more than just the facts about health. As part of The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth also provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens.

To do this, our editorial staff communicates complex medical information in language that readers can understand and use. And all KidsHealth articles, animations, games, and other content go through a rigorous medical review by pediatricians and other medical experts. Ongoing, scheduled medical reviews ensure the information is as up-to-date as possible.”

Keeping our children healthy and safe is a full-time responsibility and we need as many resources as we can to assist with that. Share the site with your young children and your teens; I think it’ll be something that is good for the entire family.

I read The Zoopendous Surprise by Boots Hensel to my three youngest children last night and I must admit I really enjoyed the book too. It’s based on a true story in honor of Hensel’s daughter Courtney, a zookeeper in Little Rock, Arkansas, who died of cancer four years ago.

It’s a colorful story about two Asian elephants who are trying to figure out what’s going on around their zoo. No one will tell them; not even their animal friends. My children were enthralled with the book especially since I changed my voice for each of the animals’ voices. About halfway through I asked them what they thought the surprise is, “I don’t know,” they said with smiles and raised eyebrows.

What do you think the surprise is? Well, you’ll just have to pick up the book to find out. It’s a book that parents and children alike will love.

The Zoopendous Surprise
Written by Boots Hensel
Illustrated by Andrea Gabriel
List $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-9792035-5-8
8 x 10, 32 pgs., hardcover
Published by Pleasant St. Press, Raynham Center, MA
Available at bookstores nationwide and online.

… and, now that I think about it, an application too.

For what? Before you can become a parent.

Having and wanting a baby is probably one of the most sought after “accomplishments” in the world. Well, I guess right behind making a lot of money. But what in the world are most of us thinking?

Come on, roll with me for a minute…

I’ll just use myself as an example (you know, write what ya know and all of that), I had my first child at about 22 years old. I had a lot of energy, but not a lot of patience. I had my next three children when I was 35, 37 and 39 (give or take). I didn’t have much energy and although I control and hide my lack of patience, I’m worse off with that then I was 18 years ago. So, why in the world do I have three children ages 5 and under?

Go ahead, you can say it: DUH!

This is what I’ve learned since I’ve had my fourth child: As a woman I will always have that maternal instinct. It flairs up almost every time I see a baby. It just doesn’t mean I need to have more children. Now, as my crew gets older and becomes more independent, I can become the village.

I can have grandchildren (in a couple thousand years), be friendly to the children in the neighborhood (no, I’m not now. I’m terrible) and be Aunt Petula to any number of little darlings.

I just wish I had thought of that before all of these.little.people.got.here. (As if I didn’t have something to do with their arrival.)

Either I’ll give up and give in shirking my parental duties or I’ll do what every other frustrated parent does. Pray that everyone sleeps all night so I can regain my sanity and be only slightly frustrated by the time the sun rises.

Hmmm? I don’t think I would have passed the test. And my application would have be declined.

When my teenager started college over the summer I just knew my load would get easier. Well, okay I’m lying not telling the complete truth. I thought it would get harder because she wasn’t around to help me, but I realized once I got in a routine I could handle it semi-well.

With my teenager gone that should have reduced my carpooling to two locations, right? Nope. With her advancement from high school came the advancement of the next child. My second child - my only son - moved on to Kindergarten. Last year he went to the kindergarten readiness program through headstart and his 4-year-old sister was in the classroom next door in the 3- to 4-year-old headstart program.

Now my son is at an elementary school for kindergarten, my 4-year-old daughter is at headstart and the toddler is normally at daycare. That’s three locations. In three different cities.

… I’m just plum worn out.

The morning routine and commute aren’t too hurried, but the afternoon is really pushing it close. I’ve signed the kindergartener up to be a bus rider, but since he’s a transfer student they didn’t have a stop already allocated. We’re on the list. I was thinking that him riding the bus would make the afternoon carpooling routine a little less hurried.

Then there’s the new task of helping with homework every night. I guess Ijust have to get in the mindset that I’m starting over. I’m not close to the empty nest even though I have one leaving the next. I have three baby birds (about 16 more years) that are going to need my help, love, guidance and some other stuff I can’t think of right now ’cause they’re getting on my nerves.

Do you have areas of your life that are making you dizzy? I think being dizzy is apart of the job description for multigenerational parents.

It’s terrible, I know. I haven’t updated this blog in an extremely long time. I have no excuse, but - of course - I am going to give some anyway.

• I haven’t made the time to put more effort into this blog.
• The platform is nothing like Blogger and I can’t get this template to do what I want it to do. I have little patience for learning another technological thingy.
• I’ve been extremely tired and busy.
• It didn’t get as much traffic as I thought it would. Yea, I’m sure that’s my fault.

I just popped over today to write a post because I’m considering letting this blog go. I’ve always wondered how bloggers keep up with more than one blog, and I still don’t know how they do it. Well, stick with me a little longer to see what comes of it.

Thanks for your patience. And, if you’re reading this, thanks so much for stopping by.

Listen. That’s all I want my children to do. Listen.

My three youngest children seem so much difficult to get through to than my oldest was. I can reason, yell, cajole, bribe… whatever. Nothing works.

Some people say it’s because they feed off of one another. Others say it’s “this generation of children.” I say all of that may be true, but the simple fact of the matter is I just want them to listen.

If I say, “No talking at bedtime.” They talk. If I say, “Be quiet.” They talk and play. If I say, “Lay down.” They get up. It’s hard to recognize or notice when they are listening and behaving because I have to tell them so often do the exact opposite of what I say.

As a parent it’s very discouraging. I feel like a failure. I’ve had compliments about how my children are nice and well behaved. Some would say that is good. I believe it is, but I’d like to see some of that goodness directed this way.

I recently read (in More magazine, I think) that if you’re patient with a child they’ll be patient. If you respect a child, they’ll be respectful… something along those lines. The quote only made me feel like less than a parent. Is anyone that way all the time?

Now that this post has turned into a woe-is-me, I-suck vent; I think I’ll just end it here. It’s only Monday and I feel like it’s been a long week already.