sleepover mama

Daniel had his first sleepover Saturday night. He did fine - I shouldn't have worried. But about 6 a.m., I was ready to have him back. It was just strange to not wake up to my little chatterbox. Of course, this weekend we're headed out of town, just the two of us, so by Monday evening I'm sure I'll be ready for that silence again!
--Misty

Carryout Critic: Dinner by Design

I know when you're thinking take-out you're not usually thinking of uncooked food. But give it a chance next time and swing by Dinner by Design on Russell Parkway (next door to SubWay). In the cooler you'll find great tasting, healthy meals in ready-to-cook disposable pans.
Last night I spent an hour and a half making up twelve such meals to fully stock my freezer. Everything I touched was fresh, clean and looked so yummy I can't wait to try it all. And better than that - I prepped all my dinners without someone running a Thomas the Train over my foot and someone else cleaned up after me!
So drop in - I recommend the chicken puttanesca, or the tropical cod. If you're looking for comfort food, try the chicken enchilada casserole or the beef brisket Arizona. And if your family loves it as much as mine does, make a reservation and stock up. Menus change every month!
--Misty

More from the Fairy Tale Ball

I went to the event and took some photos. Adorable!
Click here to see the photos

All dressed up

Daniel went to his first Fairy Tale Ball today. No, he didn't bring the sword.
--Misty

chatterbox

I often joke that Daniel talks so much he falls asleep midsentence - then talks in his sleep! Only, I'm not really kidding.
The child uses more words in an hour than I use in a day. He wakes up talking, chatters to the teddy bear before breakfast, tells me his plans for the day in between bites, discusses his wardrobe and mine (through two doors and a hallway) while we dress, critiques the radio station while we drive, and tells me what he's going to tell his teacher when we arrive at school. I pick him up and there's a nonstop stream of commentary until his dad arrives. Then we start over, with the same stuff I've heard already, until dad begs for the quiet game.
I know by the time he's fifteen I'll be begging for four full sentences a day, but in the meantime, my ears runneth over.
--Misty

bizarre comment spam

Be aware, if you look at the comments on our blog, that anything form "alex" is spam. Usually refers to a bunch of drug names in the posts. It's annoying, but the cost of using a free blog site.
Misty

Carryout Critic: Logan's

I've carried out from both the Logan's in Macon and the one here in WR, and I have to tell you, I almost always prefer it to eating in at this particular restaurant. I mean, is it just me or do they have the worst of all the birthday songs? And for some reason, once one person does it, six more patrons realize, oh, it's my birthday, too!
So, that off my chest, I'm happy to report my steak is always done right, the burgers are still juicy when I get them home, and I've never been disappointed in either the taste or the portions. When I call ahead, the food is ready when I arrive to pick up. I do recommend checking all your boxes to be sure everything is included, but my experiences have been pretty good so far!
-Misty

Kid heaven, parent paradise

Monkey Joe's opened Friday night to a full house. Saturday's grand opening was fabulous. If you've not heard of Monkey Joe's, here's the scoop:
For $7 or thereabouts, the kids get in for unlimited play. Slides, bouncy house, obstacle course, inflatable climbing wall, toddler toys, the works. And the parent zone has comfy chairs, internet access, space to relax. Each parent and child are given matching armbands, so the staff knows who should be leaving with whom.
Here's to hoping the place succeeds!
--Misty

Cops and kids

Parents have a great opportunity Saturday to partner with police to help keep your children safe. Members of the Warner Robins Police Department will be out in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Booth Road from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Officers will be inspecting car safety seats, fingerprinting youngsters for identification purposes and allowing vehicle owners to register in the CAATSCAN program - Citizens Against Auto Theft-Screening Cars at Night.Registration in the program means police will give you a sticker for the car window that signals officers to pull over the vehicle in the overnight hours to make sure it is not stolen. They will also engrave vehicle identification numbers on the windows to discourage car thieves. It could be a good time to foster good relationships with authority figures and help teach youngsters respect for the law.
- Liz

The new one-eyed monster

We've created a one-eyed monster. Although our intention to buy Faith a digital camera fizzled at Christmas, she's been bitten by the photography bug. She has always wanted to take pictures on Daddy's phone, so we thought it would be a good idea to get her an inexpensive digital camera for Christmas. Well, the Disney camera we saw advertised at the end of last year vanished from the shelves. We still haven't found a reasonably priced replacement. Two attempts to purchase cheaper cameras resulted in the discovery that there was no way to view the photographs, so we took them back. Faith is still waiting. A friend lent her a camera for our spring break excursion to Colorado. Before we left, Faith wanted us to pose several times and I feared we were venturing into our own private paparazzi problem. It turns out Faith took very few pictures on our trip. I do want to encourage her creativity and she has a good eye for framing. While we're hunting for a suitable camera for her, I suppose we'll keep finding those surprise snapshots of her baby dolls on our phones.
- Liz Fabian

Tabula Rasa

It means "blank slate" and I've decided it's why I love babies. New baby, new life, no bad habits, no mistakes, just pure potential.
A friend just had a baby boy, and I couldn't wait to hold him. And I couldn't figure out why. After all, given the choice I am adopting an older child. But the more I watched him, the more I thought about this little life with nothing on his slate but love. He could do anything, become anything. He hasn't got any marks "against him" yet. How cool is that?
Almost as cool as the look on his dad's face every time he holds his new son.
-Misty

Out of my baby's mouth

Daniel said to me: "Momma, you make my feelings feel better."
awww.
-Misty

I was on another blog this morning and the writer was reminiscing about her childhood - playing outside, unsupervised, for hours. I was thinking, she must be a lot older than me. Because even though we lived on a military base, my parents made me check in with them every hour. And I don't mean a phone call from the nearest pay phone or friend's house. I had to physically show back up in front of my mother. And boy, as a kid, did I hate it!
But now I think about that hour rule. It kept me out of a lot of trouble, and while I don't know that my mom was particularly worried about abduction, it was a good rule of thumb. Daniel isn't even allowed to play in the front yard unless I'm outside. He can play out back all he wants, because the whole back side of the house is windows. (no kidding)All I have to do to see what he's up to is look out the nearest window.
At this point, I'm more worried about what he's likely to be doing than that someone might try to take him (after all, his first attempt at running away was when he was three) I think this is a good policy to put in place now. Is my paranoia unwarranted? Read the headlines. I don't think so.
--Misty

adding to the family

A co-worker and I are both beginning the process to adopt children into our families. While she is seeking an international adoption to match her ethnicity, Daniel, Chris and I are going through DFCS. Both of us are up to our ears in paperwork, but her process will take about a year longer and cost a lot more. Both of our hearts break with the stories of our potential adoptive children, and both of us just can't wait to welcome a new person into our hearts.
--Misty

Big Kids

Daniel came home from day care with a tummyache yesterday. Many have been the mornings when he claims a stomach ache to try to get out of going TO school, but this time, I really thought he was sick. So we went home, had some popsicles, cuddled up on the couch and got to the heart of the matter.
Because it's spring break, the classes have been combined, and Daniel was in with a group of older students. He's tall, so there wasn't a big size difference, but apparently the older kids picked on him pretty good. "They said they were going to smack me," he whispered on my lap. "They called me names."
Oh, baby. I didn't expect to have to deal with a bullying situation so soon. While this is minor, it does bode of things to come and that concerns me.
So this morning I asked his teacher to keep him in with the younger kids, which might mean some other mom is going to have an upset baby when she arrives at the school this afternoon. I recommend a popsicle, a cudlle, and a phone call to Grandma. 'Cause if a big dose of Grandma love can't fix it, nothing can. And we'll take turns preparing our babies to deal with the big kids.
--Misty

Protecting against perverts

After learning more gruesome details of the sexual assault of a coastal Georgia 6-year-old boy who was recently strangled, packed in garbage bags and dumped in the woods, I have some important information to share. Last week, Faith's principal held a seminar designed to protect children from sexual preditors. Unfortunately, a child is more likely to be abused by someone she knows than a stranger on the streets. Abusers are great manipulators who worm their way into your family or community and wait for their opportunity. Look out for adults who always want to be alone with kids. They go overboard on touching and begin by stroking children or hugging them a little too long. It can begin as tickling or wrestling and eventually progress. One of the ways they get a hold on children is to allow them to do things that are forbidden by their parents. By sharing a "little secret" about drugs, alcohol or pornography, the preditor can move to the bigger secret of abuse. The abuser works the victim over to gain trust. Physical force is normally not necessary as the relationship builds over time. It is important for parents to know the adults they trust with their children and prepare kids for the dangers they could face. Tell your child that no one except parents or doctors can touch them where their bathing suit covers. If grabbed in a public place, a child should fling an arm up and loudly say, "No, you're not my mother," or "You're not my father." That should get the attention of passersby that this is not a normal tantrum. Predators often prey on weaker children, so it's important to teach your child self-confidence and help them learn to be assertive when confronted. Experts also suggest teaching youngsters the proper names for body parts. That way, when reporting abuse, adults will take the children more seriously. It's extremely rare for children to lie about abuse they suffer, but credibility is still an issue at times. Listen to your children and talk with them. If you notice unexplained changes such as moodiness or depression, or a drop in grades or lack of interest in personal hygiene, it's time to have a conversation. When you notice over-friendly behavior from an adult toward a child, confront them. At best, you could be stopping an abuser and at worst, you are alerting a non-abuser that his behavior can be misinterpretted.
- Liz Fabian

A Bitty Battle of the Bulge

Plain as day, there it was. A little pooch on my daughter's belly. From before she was born, I've tried all I knew to keep her from having the weight problem I've had since I was a few years older than she is now. I had been noticing that she was "filling out," but I wasn't prepared for the stomach that poked out as she tried on a new clingy-style dress. I'm trying hard not to overreact. But I often wonder what life would have been like if I hadn't been a "fat kid." My husband is tall and lean and has been most of his life. I had been drawing comfort on the fact that Faith was likely built like him and would be tall and thin, like a super model. Our mission now is to make sure she gets more exercise. We'll also reel in some of those bad habits, such as devouring a half-dozen Oreo's at a friend's house. And while we're at it, I need to teach her not to wipe her gritty Oreo hands all over her dress. This weight challenge is one of those parenting tightropes. Too much control and it could backfire, not enough and she could become a "fat kid." One decision I've already made is to go easy on the Easter candy. I've been picking up little toys and soaps and such for her basket instead of the aisle full of treats that awaits at any drugstore or supermarket. Pool season is almost here. We'll just have to lap up all the fun we can.
- Liz

Houston County High plant sale

Picked nearly clean by the time we got there an hour into the sale Monday! There are a number of beautiful Boston ferns left, but the tomatoes and flowering plants are going, going gone! Below, the kids responsible - and Daniel checks out the koi pond outside the greenhouse.

When you thought I wasn't looking

I was reminded of this as Daniel and I built a raised flower bed this weekend and put in daisies...

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING
(Written by a former child)

A message every adult should read, because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted
to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking , I saw you make my
favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be
the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always
talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take
care of our house and everyone in it and I learned
we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come
from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you
cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you
and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw
when you thought I wasn't looking."

Just dandy-lions

It's hard to explain to your child what you never understood in the first place. I remember bringing in little bouquets of dandelions to give to my mother. She always told me that they were weeds. I watched as Faith snatched up a sunny dial of feathery petals from the backyard. "Funny," I told her. "I don't know who decided these were weeds and the rest were flowers." I suppose it's all in how you look at it. Or perhaps it is some particular horticultural distinction that escapes me. When Faith presented me with my dandelion delight, I thanked her and added it to the "flowers" I had clipped myself. It still looks like a flower to me.

- Liz