The View from the Zoo

2012-01-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hi, folks,

Maintaining a blog isn't an easy thing to do, and many distractions abound, namely social media websites. I may try to update my blog occasionally, but it definitely won't be a regular occurrence.

"Patch"

2011-06-20T14:15:00.003-04:00

My little guy has been wearing a patch for two to three hours each day for more than six months now. He has complained very few times, thank goodness. Sometimes he'll even say, "Yay! I get to wear my patch!" and "I love wearing my patch, and I love not wearing my patch."

At his last appointment with the pediatric ophthamologist, the doctor said his vision had improved to 20/40 with glasses. At his first appointment, his vision was 20/200 unaided. My little man will continue to wear a patch until his vision reaches 20/20 with glasses or until he has three consecutive visits with no vision change.

He's getting there!

Playing Catch Up

2011-06-17T14:12:00.002-04:00

Here's a picture from Easter Sunday. The kids had fun playing with their cousins at Great-Aunt Anita's house. We were happy to have Daddy off work for the day.

Soccer Star

2011-06-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

Sissy and Little Man's last soccer games are this Saturday. I've managed only to get a picture of Little Man in his uniform (from the first game!). They both seem to have enjoyed playing in this church league.

Come Save With Her

2011-05-23T06:42:00.002-04:00

Looking for great deals, free sample offers, and coupon savings?

Check out Come Save With Me. Ashli, the site administrator, posts something every day. Thanks to her, I love checking my mailbox. I've received deodorant, laundry soap, and even mayonnaise samples because of the "heads up" she posts.

You can also "like" her Facebook page of the same name.

Enjoy!

Changing for the Worse

2011-05-16T10:20:00.002-04:00

Holiday parties at my kids' school are apparently kaput. According to several parents who attended the last PTO meeting, the principal announced the parties would be discontinued because of childhood obesity and religious preferences. In their places would be fall, winter, and spring festivals or carnivals. (I would imagine they wouldn't be near Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day so as not to offend anyone.)

Ridiculous.

At the Halloween party, the treat is a cupcake. At Christmas, it's a cookie that the kids can decorate. At Valentine's Day, it's a (very small) ice cream sundae. Each child also receives a treat bag to take home which is filled with cups, straws, stickers, candy—whatever parents decide to send in. As a homeroom mom last year, I can attest that most of the treats were not candy.

Surely a one-hour celebration three times a year is not the cause of childhood obesity. (How then does the administration account for heavy preschoolers and kindergartners who didn't attend the school last year?) I guess parents aren't responsible.

Taking away these parties on account of "religious preferences" is also a bogus assertion in my opinion. Fewer than three percent of the children at our elementary leave school early on party days. Discontinue something because not everyone is willing to participate? Okay—let's get rid of the district's athletics programs then. After all, not everyone can participate on the golf or basketball team or be a cheerleader. There's a much, much higher rate of non-participation there. (These sports are very expensive to a district constantly making cuts, but that's a separate issue.)

How will the school pull off these carnivals? It sounds like a much bigger to-do than small classroom parties. Will there be enough help? (It wouldn't surprise me one bit if parents still take their kids out of school.)

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. If we're going to take away the kids' parties because they are a "cause of childhood obesity," it only makes sense to get rid of the school's annual candy bar fundraiser. In addition, our young students shouldn't be watching movies on Thursday and Friday afternoons. As any dieter knows, trimming down isn't only about cutting calories, it's about exercising. On the "religious preference" front, it's important to note that most students who don't participate in holiday parties also don't recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Are we going to take that out of our schools too?

Where does it end?

Rainy Days—Ugh!

2011-05-07T14:59:00.003-04:00

Will it ever stop raining? It seems like after every four days of rain we get teased by a beautiful, sunny day. Or if it's partly sunny in the morning, it rains in the afternoon.

That happened today. It rained a little this morning and cleared up for the kids' soccer games at 11 & 12. But Big E's baseball game set for 2 p.m. was rained out. Pity—his grandma and grandpa were on hand to watch him hit a homer.

We'll try again next week.

More Diary of a Third Grader

2011-05-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

May 6, 1983

Today I had a birthday party at McDonald's.

Boy! Such fun.

Tracy got me a Sugar Plum doll and fun pad. Shelly got me 2.00. April got me 2.00. Kim- a jean purse. Kelly Garfield pencil, paper, and envelope. Brandy-Sticker and Ronald McDonald activity book. Minny Mouse-Mommy Daddy got me 2 Pairs of shorts and 1 top.

What A Nice Day!

Let the Games Begin!

2011-05-01T15:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was opening day for my kids' baseball and soccer teams. Busy day!

Little Legs had his soccer game at 11, followed by his sister's game at 12. I picked up pizza and we ate at a nearby park then headed to Big E's baseball field for his 2 p.m. game.

Everything worked out fine with those rushed arrangements, but we were a little grossed out at the park. The kids were excited to see a kitty sitting in the picnic pavilion. Then they noticed one of his eyes was missing. Instead of eating their food, they kept looking at the cat. "Why does he have one eye green and one eye pink?" Little Legs asked. I felt bad for the cat, too. It looked like a nasty kid had shot out the cat's eye with a BB gun. (Aren't you glad you stopped by the blog today?)

The little ones seemed to have fun at their games, although Little Legs was feeling his cold. Sissy got right in the thick of things, trying to defend her goal. Big E had a great game. His Pirates beat the Indians 17-6. E had two triples, a home run, and he tagged a kid out at first.

Next up: Tuesday's baseball game against the Giants.

A Fun Weekend

2011-04-25T22:02:00.003-04:00

I love spur of the moment things.

I'm not a spur of the moment person, so it's especially sweet when these things work out.

Last Friday the kids were off school for Easter Break. We were sitting at the kitchen table discussing plans for the day. Hubby wanted to take the kids to an indoor swimming pool, while I wanted to take them to see Hop. "You know what I wanted to do this winter, and I forgot all about it?" I asked Hubby. "I wanted us all to stay overnight and Salt Fork Lodge."

"Why don't we go today?" Hubby replied.

"Um, okay...let's go!" I remembered seeing a deal on Salt Fork's website: Bring your child's report card and get $10 off for each "A" grade, up to $50 off. I made reservations for a room with two double beds and a bunk.

After hurriedly packing a few things, I took off for a 1:00 hair appointment. At 2:30, Big E called to say they were all waiting in the van. I made it back by 3:15 and we were on the road before 3:30.

What a great time we had! We spent lots of time in their indoor swimming pool, and the kids had fun doing the activities planned by the lodge staff. They each won cupcakes in the cupcake walk (extra large ones from Kennedy's Bakery, our favorite!) and Big E won a sack full of games and balls in the sack race. They also got to play a bit of Wii and made some crafts the next morning, supervised by my very first 4-H advisor who has worked there for 19 years.

We'll definitely be back, and I think we'll make a stay at Salt Fork an annual tradition.

Diary of A Third-Grader

2011-04-13T12:51:00.001-04:00

April 13, 1983

Today Brandy, Kelly, Jason W. and Jody M. and me finish the zoo!

Mrs. Gildea said she'd ask Mrs. Rutter to look at it.

Brandy and me joined the same contest at the park on May 13. I can wear shorts.

Yay!

My Old Diary

2011-04-12T12:47:00.001-04:00

I recently cleaned my closet and re-discovered my "diary" from second and third grade. Most of the pages are blank. Here's today's entry. I've left spelling and phrasing as is.

April 12, 1983

Today we had music at 10:50. Brandy Law and I are working on a zoo, it's fun.

Sometimes Brandy makes me mad!

Next is lunch. Then recese. I love recese.

On the Brady Bunch I love Christopher Knight. At school my teacher is Mrs. Gildea, 3th grade. The other teachers I had were

Mrs. Bond Kdergarten

Mrs. Schrader 1st

Miss Demko 2nd and

Mrs. Gildea 3rd

Bye Bye for now!

Great Freebie!

2011-03-19T10:02:00.002-04:00

Focus on the Family's Thriving Family magazine is now free. Call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459) for your free subscription. Read about the magazine here.

Tracing the Family Tree

2011-03-17T08:23:00.002-04:00

Many (many!) years ago I filled in some of the holes in my family tree through a 4-H project. Most of the lineage had been traced by my mother and her brother and by my paternal aunt. I gathered birth and death certificates we didn't have and visited some cemeteries to prove that family members were actually buried there.

The NBC show Who Do You Think You Are has prompted my renewed interest in genealogy. Yesterday I visited the Guernsey County District Public Library's Finley Room which has a wealth of information. The one U.S. census report I was interested in, 1890, was missing.

I asked the clerk where that book was. "No one has it. There was a fire that destroyed the 1890 census, and only fragments of it exist," she said. Oh, no! I was interested to learn where my unmarried great-grandmother was living—with her son. That part of my genealogy fascinates me. These days, it's no big deal to have a baby out of wedlock (though I still think it is!) Back then, it would have been horribly scandalous. How did she provide for her son? How did she meet my great-grandfather 14 years later? Was he surprised by her past?

My grandmother is long deceased, and I only have one paternal aunt and uncle left. They say their grandmother refused to say who the boy's father was. Interesting.

I'm taking a class at our local library tonight to learn about the new ways to search family history, since it's been nearly 20 years since I've searched. I'm looking forward to it!

A 4-H Honor

2011-03-12T21:50:00.003-05:00

I love 4-H.

That happens to be our county's 4-H theme for 2011, and it's also true for me.

Today, one of my co-advisors and I accepted a state 4-H award for community service on behalf of our 4-H club. Last summer, our Cloverbuds collected pledges and read, and read, and read. Our club donated $641 to the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County. The library director purchased a number of books for the Cloverbud age group (5-8 years)—and when the book company found out the money for the books had been donated by a 4-H club, they donated some additional items!

The awards banquet was just part of the state 4-H conference in which advisors receive training in variety of areas. I was surprised to see that one of the workshop presenters was a fellow Communication Arts major who was a year behind me in college. I also ran into several advisors from my home county whom I knew well 15+ years ago. They knew me, even with my married name!

Our 4-H club held its first meeting earlier this month, and I can't wait for things to get into full swing. What a worthwhile endeavor!

School Ends With a Bang

2011-02-03T04:44:00.004-05:00

Tuesday's school day ended with a bang.

I was sitting in the school cafeteria at the PTO meeting when the kindergarten teacher ran in and said, "Mrs. Fritz! There's smoke in the hallway!" In under a minute, there was an announcement to evacuate the building.

Indeed, the hall was filled with acrid smoke. I saw it pouring out of the furnace room as I left.

Since it was the end of the day, two of the buses pulled in shortly, and by the time I made it to my car with the kids, Bloomingdale's fire truck was pulling behind the school and Harrison Hills' ambulance was speeding toward the building as we headed out of town.

According to news reports, there was a gas build up in the furnace which caused an explosion, or backfire. Parents waiting outside the school heard a loud boom and saw black smoke pouring from the chimney. A custodian was injured when debris hit her in the head but was expected to return to work on Thursday.

School was canceled yesterday so the furnace could be repaired. It's canceled again today, as the power was out for part of the day and work couldn't be completed. (That's probably a good thing for the kids...maybe by the time school is back in session some of the excitement will have worn off.)

A few of my second-grader's classmates were visibly shaken. None of them had their backpacks. I overheard one student fretting about that. My guy said to him, "Would you rather save your backpack or save your life?" Always practical, that one.

You can read more here and watch the news report here.

Thankfully, the furnace can be repaired and no one was seriously injured.

The Challenger, 25 Years Later

2011-01-27T09:15:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle explosion. Everyone knew about this particular shuttle mission. Christa McAuliffe would be onboard, the first teacher.

I was in sixth grade, Mrs. Evancho's class, when it happened. My buddy Brandy and I had given up our recess for computer time. The little television in the corner of the classroom was turned on when we walked into class, which was unusual. Over and over, we'd see a white cloud of smoke followed by an explosion. We had no idea what had happened until recess was over, the rest of the class joined us, and Mrs. Evancho explained the tragedy. We were all stunned.

I remember the day being snowy and cold and talking about it with my parents when I got home. Workers were putting steel beams against the basement walls for extra stability and I heard them talking to Dad about it, too. We watched it on the news that day and for the next several days. I remember writing down the crew names in my little pink diary, which unfortunately, is in the attic. It was also the same day that a boy who had had a crush on me asked me to return the heart necklace he gave me for Christmas. Ha!!

For my generation, that was probably the first "Where were you when..." moment. It was a big one.

Meadowbrook's Superbowl Connection

2011-01-24T12:32:00.002-05:00

I'm not a Steeler fan.

I'm not even a football fan.

But I will be rooting for Green Bay.

The Packers' defensive coordinator is Dom Capers, who hails from the tiny town of Buffalo in Guernsey County. He played football for Meadowbrook High School, my alma mater. He's also a member of the Rolling Hills Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

I first heard of Mr. Capers when he became head coach of the Carolina Panthers in the 1990s. Buffalo put a sign that read "Home of Dom Capers," and as a newspaper reporter, I was dispatched to take a picture of his mom Jeanette standing by the sign wearing her Carolina gear. She was a sweet lady, rightly proud of her son.

I love these local connections. Go Packers!

Publishing Success!

2011-01-04T07:19:00.003-05:00

At the end of 2009, rather than waiting until the start of 2010, I set some goals for myself. As usual, my main was goal was to be published somewhere in the next year. Since I was 15, I've only missed out on two years. (I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write alumni profiles for Franciscan University's alumni magazine again.) I had a larger goal in mind: to publish an inspirational story in a national publication.

I was so blessed to have a story picked up by Chicken Soup for the Soul's Devotional Stories for Mothers, published in October. I also learned I'd have three devotions published in Heavenly Humor for the Chocolate Lover's Soul! That book official came out Jan. 1, 2011.

I'm looking forward to writing more this year and finding even more new outlets.

Best Christmas Ever!

2011-01-03T14:52:00.002-05:00

This was our Christmas card picture this year. The truck was my dad's, who purchased it from my uncle many years ago. This was the best one—Sister wasn't very cooperative that day.

All of us agreed this was the best Christmas ever. After Christmas day, I wished we had more holiday parties and activities to attend!

We began our Christmas celebration with an overnight stay at Fort Rapids Waterpark in Columbus. The next day we had a Christmas gathering with my sister's family and my mom. We got home late that night—and the next day was Christmas Eve already! Needless to say, I didn't accomplish much baking before Christmas. As usual, we attended church with Hubby's family, and after opening gifts at home, went to his parents' for lunch where the kids opened up even more gifts.

I did about 90 percent of my shopping on Amazon.com. I didn't feel like messing with crowds and I appreciated the comfort of shopping in my pajamas and not having to pay sales tax or shipping costs. Got some great gifts for Hubby online: a GPS and an MP3 player.

Sister's birthday was the 28th, so we took the kids to see Yogi Bear in the $3 theater. It wasn't the cleanest or nicest place, but you can't beat the price! We might make that trip a birthday tradition!

Today it was back to the grind. Awesome Hubby took the kids to school, though I have the tumbling and basketball transportation still ahead. Looking forward to a great 2011!

Reasons to be Thankful

2010-11-23T14:38:00.003-05:00

There are so many reasons for me to be thankful this year—and every year. I've been humming the hymn "Count Your Blessings," and I've realized I can't count that high.

Most recently, I've been extremely thankful for public preschool in our county. Had I chosen not to send my little guy to school this year, I'd have never know he needs to wear glasses.

My little guy had his vision tested at preschool screening. The sheet I was given with the results said "retest." When I asked what that meant, the school psychologist said that his answers were inconsistent and that the school nurse would test him again.

Earlier this month, the school nurse called and said she suspected Little Guy has uneven vision. The pediatric ophthamologist confirmed this, describing the vision in his left eye as "abysmal." Poor kid couldn't name the pictures that were less than a foot from his face. To strengthen that "bad" eye, we'll have to patch his good eye for two hours each day. (That'll be fun. Ugh!)

I was completely blindsided (no pun intended) by his vision problems. He is such a cheerful fellow and gave us no indication that he couldn't see properly. He probably didn't know any different. At any rate, I'm relieved that we'll be able to help him soon. I'll be picking up his glasses tomorrow.

Fall Sports Extravaganza

2010-11-12T09:30:00.002-05:00

Father and Son had the opportunity to attend the Oct. 23 Ohio State v. Purdue football game. Though it was a blowout, both guys had a great day. They left home around 5:30 a.m., stopped in New Concord to pick up relatives (who had better seats!), and made it to the Skull Session. Son played lots of vendors' games and won a hat.

It was the best sporting event Father had attended...until his cousin took him to the Browns v. Patriots game—third row seats on the visitors' 20-yard line.

An Interesting Read

2010-10-27T22:13:00.003-04:00

I've been reading the blog of a former Amish woman who grew up in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It's very sweet and fun to read. If you'd like to check it out, click here. She's offering a book giveaway...just post a comment her blog.

I enjoy visiting Ohio's Amish country—it's less than an hour away—and also read Beverly Lewis's Amish novels. There are many Amish families living in my county as well. (It still surprises me to see them in Walmart.) :)

Malone's Homecoming

2010-10-19T06:38:00.005-04:00

Showing off his funny choice for a tatoo.

The bungee jumping king.

Painted all over!

With two cousins, one the Homecoming queen!

Last Saturday after an early soccer game, we headed to Canton for Malone University's Homecoming activities.

I was disappointed by the scarcity of attendees from my era. I can't figure out why more people my age don't come. Are they too busy with young children? Had other plans? Just didn't care?

For whatever reason, they missed a good time. There were plenty of activities for the kids: an inflatable bounce house, giant slide, and bungee "air mattress" jump, face painting, and creative balloon "sculptures" from a talented balloon artist. The kids were also invited to the barn where they could pose for "student ID cards." The cafeteria featured international cuisine that was tasty. There was even steel drum music! The face painter and balloon artist brought their talents to the football game. Maxamoose, Malone's mascot, visited with the kids on campus and at the game as well. Little Brother asked him, "Where's your pants?"

If you didn't go, what's holding you back? Maybe I'll see you there next year—for our 15th reunion.

2010-10-08T10:01:00.002-04:00

Last night was Parent-Teacher conferences at my children's school. Thankfully, my kids are all doing well. But there are a few things that concern me, particularly about second grade.

Why are second graders learning about Venn Diagrams? I fail to see the purpose of those, unless you're headed for a career in philosophy. I learned about Venn Diagrams in my "Critical and Creative Thinking" class at Malone. I actually kind of liked them, but then again, I was a COLLEGE SOPHOMORE! Honestly, for second graders, free time to read would be a better use of time.

My second grader brought home an "F" the other day on a worksheet about research methods. The questions were about which he would use to find particular types of information: an online encyclopedia, an online dictionary, or Internet Search (apparently meaning Google or another search engine.) This is a subject we've never broached with him...and what kind of research is a second grader doing anyway?

He has also done lots of "cube circling"...circling groups of tens and ones. I think it's overkill. Why can't the curriculum just teach kids how to add in columns? Is it that hard? I think not. In the quest to make education "interesting," I fear we're losing out on learning the basics--and hurting our students in the process.

As research shows, test scores have remained stagnant since the 1970s, so all these new-fangled styles of learning aren't helping. What would help? How about fewer after school activities, fewer hours playing videogames, and more parental involvement.

In the meantime, I wish educators would fix this mess. Venn Diagrams my eye!

Waiting for Improved Schools

2010-09-28T06:52:00.002-04:00

Why are our schools failing our children?

That was the main topic of last week's Time and Newsweek. A new documentary, Waiting for Superman, has ignited the discussion once again. According to the reports, test scores have not increased since the early 1970s and our kids only place first in one area: self-confidence.

Kindergarten has become the new first grade, and each grade has been adjusted accordingly. Has it helped? Apparently not. And what schools—or at least our school district—are expecting kindergartners to know before entering school is astounding. I know because I received the list at the end of preschool last year.

Sister was expected to know her name, address, phone number and birthday; the shapes, including a crescent, octagon, sphere, cube, cylinder, and cone; the letters of the alphabet and the sounds each letter makes; the value of coins; how to count to at least 20; heads and tails; left and right; days of the week; opposites; short and long vowel sounds; a few sight words; and to perform addition and subtraction. Thankfully, she knew most of this already.

Did I know all that when I entered kindergarten? That's doubtful. Did I learn all those things when I was in kindergarten? Again, that's doubtful. I remember kindergarten quite well. We colored, played with puzzles and the red cardboard bricks, watched Sesame Street, and put our heads down on our tables for a short period of rest time every day. Also, Mrs. Bond advised us we had to learn to cross the indoor monkey bars by the end of the year. We learned about a different letter of the alphabet each class day and did a writing worksheet. Every few weeks we took a test worth twelve points that was recorded on our report card.

Could we have learned more? Probably. But did it hurt us not to? I think not. And there's another important factor to mention: I went to kindergarten every other day, alternating Monday, Wednesday, Friday weeks with Tuesday, Thursday weeks. Full-day kindergarten makes for a long day. After all, these kids are still little.

What has changed? Why, if we expect so much from kindergartners, haven't our kids grown "smarter?"

Could it have anything to do with parenting?

With both parents working, is there much time available to go over kids' homework, eat dinner together, or just talk about the day? And when parents are home, are they paying attention to their children or are they texting friends, surfing the Web, or watching TV? Maybe a single mom has to work long hours just to make ends meet while her child attends daycare and passes the time playing instead of studying?

Could it have anything to do with the proliferation of entertainment?

Are the kids playing Wii or Playstation instead of studying? Are they texting or surfing the Web themselves? The same goes for kids 20-30 years ago: Did they play too much Atari and watch too much TV?

Could it have anything to do with lousy teachers?

I remember watching Major League in Government and Blind Date and Die Hard in Algebra I. Yep.

What else is a cause? What are your thoughts?

A Quiet Afternoon

2010-09-27T14:45:00.002-04:00

I can't get used to these quiet afternoons...and with the gloomy weather outside today I don't feel like accomplishing much.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to the kids coming home from school today. I love it when Sister goes through her folder, showing me every little coloring page and math worksheet she did (all perfectly!). Little Brother can't wait to open up his folder to see whether he earned a star for good behavior. Big Brother is quite as excited as the two little ones, but he occasionally adds a fun story to the mix—or complains that one of his classmates made fun of his hair (he has several cowlicks). It's all good, regardless!

Fall ball has ended and there's no soccer practice this week so we won't be quite as busy, though Sister has tumbling and and Big Brother has piano lessons. We're excited that Daddy only has to work four days this week!

Just Write!

2010-09-21T13:54:00.003-04:00

I enjoy reading Writer's Digest magazine. This quote from Mary Higgins Clark hits the nail on the head and gives me a kick in the pants to get moving:

A writer should write—it sounds silly, but it’s true. “I’m going to write my novel as soon as: 1) the kids grow up; 2) I quit my job; 3) I retire….” Excuses replace excuses. Start now.

Revisiting Vacation Pictures

2010-09-20T13:41:00.002-04:00

In June we traveled to Hilton Head Island. It was unseasonably hot for early June. To get off the beach, we took a day trip to Savannah, Georgia. We all took a tour of the town on an open-air trolley, which let us off near the Savannah Roundhouse Railroad Museum. What an interesting place! My boys love Thomas the Tank Engine, so this stop was a lot of fun for them. Unfortunately, we arrived 10 minutes too late to take a train ride and change directions on the turntable, but we did get to see inside two antique conductor cars and we got to try out this handcar. Even Sister had fun pumping!

My New Find

2010-09-17T12:24:00.002-04:00

All morning I've been hanging out at AR Bookfinder and making trips to the kids' bedrooms to take a look at what's on our bookshelves. Somehow I hadn't heard about this website until yesterday when I had a meeting at the school to be a volunteer tutor.

I'm fascinated so far...who would've known Guess How Much I Love You has an AR level of 2.8? It's a board book! Or that Fancy Nancy books are in the 2.0-2.6 range?

Big Brother can read a book at home and then take a test on it at school. The books he's reading now earn him .5 points. Apparently, the kids need to reach a certain point level per grading period. Looks like we'll be doing lots of reading over the weekends.

I can't wait to get Sister reading too. She is so ready to learn; I just haven't had the time. She loves to ask me to spell words then writes them over and over in her notebook. It doesn't always make sense, but it sure is cute!

Little Brother's Hospital Visit

2010-09-16T09:00:00.002-04:00

Nothing like the changing weather to keep me on my toes...

Little Brother was a little congested for a few days, but it didn't affect his mood. But yesterday, he was exhausted, wouldn't eat, and just reclined on the couch all morning. Pretty soon, he started to grunt when he breathed, as if it were a huge effort. I called the doctor and got an appointment.

Dr. Ray sent us straight to the hospital. He order three breathing treatments, 20 minutes apart, followed by a chest X-ray to rule out pneumonia. After the X-ray, Little Brother had another breathing treatment.

My little guy was such a trooper. We were at the hospital, in the pediatric outpatient room, for nearly five hours. Only during the last half hour did he say, "I'm ready to go home." I was frustrated we had to wait so long—especially when it took an hour for the doctor to call the ward to hear an update. (But I understand that he has a family, too.)

Our orders were to give Little Brother breathing treatments every four hours, so I set the alarm for 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. The 3 a.m. one was fun—he woke up after a few minutes and started screaming. Now I'm to call the doctor's office with an update, and he'll call in a prescription steroid to help keep the airways open and clear.

Sure didn't see all that coming yesterday. I'm relieved he's doing better and almost back to his old self.

The Radio Critics

2010-09-13T22:29:00.004-04:00

My radio interview today went well; it wasn't nearly as hard as I'd imagined, though my heart was beating a little more quickly than usual. :)

Hubby and the kids were listening to the interview in another room. Little Brother told me, "That not you." And Big Brother had advice for future interviews: "Raise your voice and use more excitement."

The book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Mothers, comes out Oct. 5.

On Air

2010-09-12T22:03:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I have a radio date.

I'm to be interviewed on 95.9 (The Light), a radio station in the New Philadelphia/Canton market, about my story in the upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul's Devotional Stories for Mothers.

Earlier this year I submitted a story that I never suspected would be published. Back in April I received the news that my story was in the final round of judging—and that only 5 percent of the stories submitted make it that far. I was shocked! In August I learned my story would indeed be published. Hooray!

I'm a much better writer than speaker, so I hope my nerves don't get the best of me tomorrow. Wish me luck! :)

Summer Flashback

2010-09-10T22:06:00.002-04:00

In August we made our annual trek to Idlewild, a trip we've been making since Ethan was about 16 months old. I love that place, especially Storybook Forest. My parents took my sister and I to Storybook Forest twice when we were young, and I've tried to recreate some of their photos with my own kids. (I'll have to look those up!)

This picture makes me smile. Caleb always winds up in the "Steeler" car. Hubby loathes the Steelers. :)

Talent Show Winner!

2010-09-09T22:01:00.005-04:00

Big Brother started taking piano lessons in last February when he was still in first grade—and the fruits of his labor were on display at the county fair's talent show. He was thrilled to receive a ribbon for winning first in the piano category and even more excited to win a trophy for first place overall beginner. He played "Ode to Joy" (and I thought he did a better job than some of the older kids). Unfortunately, Piano Man played first, so he had to wait until 10:30 p.m. to find out if he won.

Will he try again next year? He's said he wants to play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Now THAT would be a treat.

First Day(s) of School

2010-09-08T10:13:00.000-04:00

First day of second grade

First day of kindergarten.

First day of preschool. (I uploaded the wrong picture. Too much trouble to change it, but this is funny.

His backpack is nearly as big as he is.)

Big Brother started school first, last Wednesday. Sister started the next day, and Little Brother began the next Monday.

Big Brother's first day of second grade was uneventful until the end. His teacher called about 10 minutes before he was to get off the bus. "He says he rides Bus X, but I don't know whether to believe these kids," she said. So...she went with "the list," which was wrong.

Mrs. Teacher said she took him to that (wrong) bus where he said again that it wasn't his bus or bus driver. I told her that Big Brother wouldn't get home for another hour on that bus. She said she'd call the bus back to the school and that I'd have to come pick him up. I took off to get him and passed the bus a few miles from home, turned around, and sped back home. I didn't expect the bus driver to go so far out of his way to bring Big Brother home. (I'm sure he wasn't very happy.)

Sister loves kindergarten, despite starting out on a bad note as well. Sister is good friends with our next door neighbor boy who hadn't been home all summer. They finally got to play together on the playground but two second grade girls taunted them and said, "We won't leave you alone until you two dance together." Big Brother, who has recess at the same time, tried to come to her rescue. Long story short, I wrote a note to the teacher—and when the girls pestered them on the second day, her teacher put a stop to it.

Little Brother seems to like preschool. He didn't have much to say about his first day, other than he played on the playground and with Play-Doh. He is singing a song that spells out his name and sings "Days of the Week" to the Addams Family tune. His preschool is in the afternoon, which stinks because he will sometimes still take a nap. Effective the start of the school year, he has been going to bed about an hour earlier than usual.

It'll be interesting to see how this school year plays out. So far, Little Brother has had the most homework. :)

A Summer Hiatus

2010-09-07T16:40:00.004-04:00

This photo sums up our summer: exhausting. We were so busy, in fact, that I took an unintentional hiatus from my blog.

Perhaps we were overcompensating for the lack of family time during the past three summers. In 2007, we found out my dad had surgery to remove his brain tumor and spent several months in a rehabilitation hospital, so there were lots of visits to Columbus. In 2008, Dad was living his last few months, so again there were lots of visits to show our love. Finally, in 2009, I cleaned out Mom and Dad's house in preparation for last October's auction.

The summer of 2010 included swimming lessons, a trip to Hilton Head, a camping trip at East Harbor State Park and a stay at nearby Great Wolf Lodge, a few days of camping at Mohican State Park, Idlewild, the wave pool, lazy days in our neighbor's pool, and various other summer activities. Right now, I don't miss the snow we had last winter—at least it kept us home!

My Dream Day

2010-05-10T10:44:00.002-04:00

Today is the day I've been waiting for...for nearly 10 years. New carpet in the sunken living room! The installers are here right now, laying "Toasted Almond" frieze carpet. Oh, happy day!

In other news:

• My birthday and Mother's Day fell on the same weekend. Lindsey picked out a huge, sun-blocking turquoise (!!) hat for me and Dwayne bought me a new set of pots and pans, though I really only needed a few frying pans. But they're beautiful. A laptop is still on my "want" list; I'm doing some research to find the best one to meet my writing needs.

• Ethan's baseball team beat the undefeated Phillies Saturday, 10-6, improving to a 3-2 record. Linds actually kicked the ball a few times and kept up with the bigger girls at her soccer game.

• We visited with my mom and sister and her two kids on Mother's Day. The assisted living center had a Mother's Day tea with lots of Chinese Tea cookies from Kennedy's Bakery (YUM!)

• Lindsey graduates from preschool on Thursday!

Celebrating 50 Years

2010-05-02T07:35:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday we celebrated my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary at the home of Dwayne's brother, David. Here are some highlights:

Gene and Rita with a scrumptious cake from Kennedy's Bakery.

The Gene and Rita Zifzal Family with children David, Regina, and Dwayne.

Zifzal Grandchildren: Amber, Korah, Eli, Caleb, Ethan, Lindsey, Zach, and Levi.

Uncle David and Aunt Kim had a surprise waiting in their garage: baby chicks. Lindsey was in heaven.

Spring Sports Updates

2010-05-01T20:56:00.004-04:00

Sister, right before her very first soccer game.

The first-ever Upward soccer games in Wintersville were held today, and Lindsey played in the first-ever game, bright and early at 9 a.m. Her team, the Lady Cardinals, took on the Lady Jayhawks. (No one keeps score.)

Princess Lindsey skipped around the field and usually kept right up with the other girls, but when she got near the ball, she didn't know what to do. She's the youngest on her team, and one of the smallest, so she'll get better as the season progresses. She was very proud of the blue star she earned for best effort. "I don't know if I like it yet," she exclaimed when I asked what she thought of her first game.

Ethan played his third baseball game today, against the Giants. He had two hits and a strike-out. Surprisingly, his team won 11-4. His next game is slated for Friday.

Baseball Time

2010-04-30T08:55:00.005-04:00

Baseball days are here.

For whatever reason, Ethan doesn't like baseball. It does seem to be the most difficult sport for a young child to learn because it requires a tremendous amount of hand-eye coordination and strength to swing the bat hard enough to get the ball to travel any distance. I can't do it, for sure.

His team, the Cubs, have played two games. The first game resulted in an 11-9 loss, while last night's game ended in a 10-5 loss. In both games, Ethan made it to first base each of the three times he was up to bat. In the first game, he sat out two innings instead of playing outfield and yesterday he sat out three innings. With 12 kids on the team, it seems like no child should sit out more than one inning per game. (Perhaps I'm just used to Upward sports in which all kids get an equal amount of playing time. How else will they learn if they're not given a chance to play?) The upside, though, is that Ethan can't be held accountable for errors if he's not on the field!

I joke with Dwayne that our baseball league needs a woman in charge. After all, last week's game began 30 minutes late—one of the coaches groomed the field and they gave the kids a lot of warm-up time. (Honestly, at these kids' ages does it help that much?) The rain kept getting steadier and most likely prevented the teams after us from playing. We also seem to find out about things at the last minute.

Lindsey's first soccer game was rained out, so hopefully the weather will cooperate this Saturday. Thankfully, none of Lindsey's and Ethan's games overlap.

Easter 2010

2010-04-29T08:35:00.002-04:00

Easter Sunday—the best dressed you'll see my kids unless it's another Sunday.

Lindsey picked out her own Easter dress. I'm sure she chose this one because of the matching doll dress.

I'm back...finally! My computer had a nasty virus, but so far the fix seems to have worked.

We had a bright, beautiful Easter. The kids and I attended our own church for Easter services, the first time in about 10 years. . My mom went to my sister's house for the holiday, and Dwayne was at work, so I seized the opportunity to stay home. It was nice seeing the church so crowded, but I wish it were like that every Sunday.

After church we headed to Dwayne's aunt's house for Easter dinner, followed by an egg hunt for the kids. Ethan hopes next year to be part of the "big kid" egg hunt—they get money for their eggs. Still, he was pleased with his prizes, including a soccer goal. Caleb broke his play golf clubs on the first few swings. Linds received some beads and immediately set to work making a necklace for one of her cousins.

Beverly Cleary D.E.A.R Day

2010-04-08T09:42:00.002-04:00

My favorite childhood author, Beverly Cleary, will turn 94 on April 12. The date also marks D.E.A.R. Day—Drop Everything and Read!

If you're like me, you read lots of her books in grade school: The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beezus and Ramona, Ribsy, Henry Huggins, and many, many more. I especially loved the Ramona Quimby books. Remember when Ramona sat in the basement and took just one bite out of every apple down there? Or when she told her dad to turn on the dawnzer? (It gives a lee light.) Or how about her herculean efforts to convince her dad to stop smoking?

I checked out The Mouse and the Motorcycle from the library yesterday, in hopes of instilling in my children a love for Cleary's books. Ethan and Lindsey were enthralled with the first chapter, all we've read so far. Cleary has also published two memoirs, which I'm adding to my reading list.

You can see the big screen adaption of Beezus and Ramona this summer. Ramona and Beezus (the title is reversed) will hit theaters July 23.

Read more about Beverly Cleary here and more about D.E.A.R. Day here.

The Joy of Potty Training

2010-04-07T09:10:00.002-04:00

Little Caleb is finally learning how to use the potty, though he often doesn't like to stop playing. I convinced him to try, by taking the potty outside. A typical boy, now he loves to go potty outside. "I pee on rocks?" he asks. At Grandma's house he can't wait to "pee off the porch." A few days ago, the dog was resting at the bottom and got a little wet. Definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Caleb's treat for accomplishing #1 is a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's. #2 is the challenge now. Caleb has decided he wants to go see Thomas the Tank Engine if he is successful. (Groan!)

Lindsey's Smiley Pizza

2010-04-06T07:29:00.002-04:00

Sister loves to help in the kitchen. She loves to put the ingredients in macaroni and cheese, her favorite, and she runs to the kitchen whenever she hears I'm making pizza. She helps spread the crust (notice the unevenness) and came up with her own pepperoni design.

Ethan is 7!

2010-04-05T11:18:00.002-04:00

My big guy is 7! Last month he had a birthday party in between snowstorms. The weather was still a little questionable, so not as many friends were able to come. I accidentally ordered a half sheet cake instead of a quarter, but we were all able to finish it off within a few days. With some of his birthday money he bought the new Super Mario Bros. game and Sonic and the Secret Rings for Wii. He also received several Lego sets, his favorite!

Books and Money

2010-03-25T13:53:00.003-04:00

I heard it from a friend (who heard it from a friend who...oh, never mind!): Millionaires have one thing in common: On average, they read a non-fiction book each month.

In the interest of financial security, I've decided to test the theory. Here's what I've read so far:

1. A Simple Christmas by Mike Huckabee

2. Open by Andre Agassi

3. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

4. Have a Little Faith

I'm also nearly finished with Superfreakonomics and Game Change.

At the end of this month I will have made $320. Hmmm. Maybe I should read 10 non-fiction books a month.

4-H Gets Underway

2010-03-18T22:40:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday I attended the annual 4-H Volunteers Conference in Columbus. This is my second year as an advisor, so I'm always looking for new ideas to share with my club.

I wasn't disappointed in the variety of workshops. I was, however, disappointed in the number of attendees from my county—just five total. You'd think advisors would want to know how to make their clubs better or what new 4-H curriculum is coming, and so on.

At any rate, I learned a lot of activities to keep my Cloverbuds busy. I also learned some new songs. My favorite, and I'll know you'll be singing this all day, was singing nursery rhymes to the tune of "We Will Rock You." It starts out with "I'm A Little Teapot" words sung to the "Buddy, you're an old man..." part. The chorus, the "We will, we will rock you," part goes, "I'm a Little Teapot (echo: teapot) teapot (echo: teapot)." You can sing just about any nursery rhyme to this tune. The chorus is always "I'm a Little Teapot (echo: teapot) teapot (echo: teapot)."

It took days to get this out of my head. Enjoy!

The Personal Is Political

2010-03-15T14:10:00.006-04:00

Back in 1985, a board member had a problem with a school principal. (I don't know if this board member was a man or woman. My guess is it was a woman, since men seem more likely to let things roll of their shoulders. So I'll use "her.")

This board member didn't take her child out that particular school and move on with her life. Nope. Instead, she changed the school of residence for her household and the surrounding area. Students in that area, even though they lived closer to the original school, were now required to be bused to a bigger elementary school with twice as many students.

I thought it was all just a story. After all, it seemed so petty and selfish. How could someone be so angry to make a decision that would uproot dozens of children and families and decimate the school's population?

Turns out it's true.

Since that time, many families in the affected area chose to send their students to the original school. Their parents filled out intra-district enrollment forms and were granted permission. However, busing was offered only at the convenience of the bus garage schedule, meaning children would be picked up an hour and a half before the start of school and dropped off that long after school—unless you can figure out the logistics of random special needs buses.

We are one of the many families affected by that ridiculous argument 25 years ago. And now, because there could be upward of 30 children who will be starting kindergarten in the fall, which is too big of a class, my kids might not get to attend this school—because we live eight-tenths of a mile from the so-called dividing line.

We share the same town and township as the school my kids attend and have the same phone exchange. Plus, my oldest has already been there for four years. Basically, it makes no sense that we would be required to switch. Apparently the school is having budget problems and by refusing entrance to these kids, they'll save money by not hiring a second teacher. BUT, won't placing 10-12 kids at the other school, whose classes number around 25, require the addition of an extra teacher anyway? Plus, Gov. Strickland wants K-3 classes to be no bigger than 19 students beginning this fall—though education budgets are being slashed. The one temporary bright light is the availability of federal stimulus funds. Between fiscal years 2009 and 2011, our school district will receive an increase of 3.62 percent in state aid. I found this information here. (Click on the "State Aid for Schools" link to download a spreadsheet listing every Ohio school district's state and federal aid for FY 2009-2011.) I haven't heard how our district will be spending this money.

Now, I'm playing a waiting game to see how this all ends up. I'm frustrated that the long ago school board member took her personal frustrations out on others. She made the personal political.

Different Kids, Different Talents

2010-03-10T13:33:00.004-05:00

It's so nice when my kids actually want to learn something new. And it's a great reprieve from the "No! Never!" shouts from the 3-year-old who refuses to sit on the potty.

Last night Lindsey found a child's Sudoku puzzle in one of her dry erase books. Dwayne showed her how to do it—and she loved it. Then this afternoon when we played Uno Moo I noticed she was winning most of the games. I pulled out the "real" Uno deck for players age 7 and up. She's only 5, but she already understood the basic rules. She won the first game! I narrowly eked out a 3-2 victory. Lindsey is also a whiz at Guess Who, another 7 and up game.

Ethan is progressing nicely with his piano lessons. There's still the usual sigh, followed by "Fine. I'll just do it," when I ask him to practice. But the past few nights after practice he's been voluntarily sitting down at the piano and playing a few songs. Dwayne and I are still reeling from the shock.

Then there's Caleb. He can't seem to master the potty and isn't interested at all. BUT, he is working on other things. He's drawing some excellent circles and can play a few learning games on the computer, using the mouse without our assistance.

It's been fun watching their interests develop and imagining what their strengths will be. (I sure hope potty training is somewhere on Caleb's list!)

No Oscar Picks From Me in '10

2010-03-08T12:37:00.002-05:00

For the first time in nearly 15 years, I forgot to make any Oscar picks. Sure, I had some in my head, but they don't count unless they're in fixed form.

As usual, I watched some of the telecast. Whether the critics agreed or not, I though Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were funny. I miss the old days of Billy Crystal, though—I loved it when he "starred" in the clips of the nominated pictures. My favorite was way back in 1997 when he inserted himself in The English Patient. Ralph Fiennes character, Count Alsmay, had placed the badly injured Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas) in a cave to keep her safe. She says, "Promise me you'll come back for me." The count replies, "I promise. I'll come back for you." Instead, Billy Crystal's character hilariously replies, "You? Why is it always about you?"

For the 2010 Academy Awards, I wouldn't have picked The Hurt Locker for best picture, though I wouldn't have picked Avatar either. Inglourious Basterds is the only nominated film I had seen—and that wouldn't have been my choice either. I guess I didn't have a choice. I was rooting for Christopher Plummer to receive an award for best supporting actor. However, Christoph Waltz was a great choice. I think I would've picked Sandra Bullock, Mo'nique, and Jeff Bridges in their respective categories.

Looks like there are a lot of movies I should add to my list. Except for Avatar. I can't imagine being interested in that.

Cloverbuds 2010

2010-03-05T17:05:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the first meeting of Friends & Neighbors 4-H Cloverbuds, year two. I'm excited to have my buddy Shannon as co-advisor this year. Our club is growing quickly, so the extra help is greatly appreciated. A set of triplet girls is joining our club, as is a brother and sister from another family, plus another boy from a third family, which brings our total to 15, nearly double from last year.

The food groups are on tonight's agenda. Remember when it was The Four Food Groups, then later The Five Food Groups? Now the food groups are known by a Food Pyramid that includes dairy, vegetables, fruit, breads and cereals, meat, and fats and oils. For hands-on activities we'll be playing "Food Pyramid Bingo" and making pizza.

Jefferson County offers "J-Fit" activities to help get our members and families moving. These extra activities have been lots of fun for our Cloverbuds. The schedule this year includes things like bowling, Glo-Putt golf, and even a bicycle rodeo. The Cloverbuds are also eligible to attend three two-hour day camps throughout the year. When they're in third grade, they'll be old enough to participate in "regular" 4-H in which they prepare projects for judging.

Call your county's Ohio State University Cooperative Extensive Service for more information about 4-H. It's a great way for kids to learn by doing, which just happens to be the 4-H motto.

The Olympics are Here!

2010-02-18T06:21:00.002-05:00

My first Olympics memory is watching the 1980 Winter Olympics—but only ice skating. I remember seeing Roslyn Summers spinning one ice and my parents telling me she was from the United States, and I have a vague memory of hearing Scott Hamilton's name mentioned. I was not yet six years old.

I think Ethan, especially, and Lindsey will have some memories of these games. I imagine they'll remember the names Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Apolo Ohno (what happened to the Anton part?) Since we've had snow days all week I've let the kids stay up a little later than usual so they can catch these amazing athletes in action. Caleb will have to wait until the next round of Olympics to develop some memories. He mostly jumps on the couch or swings his hockey sticks (Gator golf clubs) while we're watching.

Like the last set of Winter Olympics, I keep falling asleep right around 10:45 p.m., missing all the gold medal rounds. Next time I'll be lucky to make it past 10.

Breaking Out

2010-02-12T08:29:00.002-05:00

The two younger kids and I are breaking out today. (Thankfully it's not a rash!) Actually, we're breaking out of our house and headed to the library, our favorite hangout besides Riesbeck's.

The library was my favorite destination as a child. There weren't as many fun programs for kids as there are now, but anytime something exciting was offered, I was there. Every summer I participated in the summer reading program and earned myriad coupons to Sea World—which we never redeemed because our family had been there twice, and I didn't want to ask to go again.

I hope to instill in my kids the same love for reading that I have. Lindsey looks like my best candidate so far. A few nights ago she had me read eight (yes, 8!) books to her at bedtime.

I'll write more later, but for now the library beckons.

Snow Day

2010-02-11T08:59:00.004-05:00

I took these pictures last Saturday when the snow finally stopped and the sun came out. We didn't mind being snowed in, not one bit!

Caleb got used to the snow. Here, he is standing! He kept saying, "Too deep! Too deep!"

Happy Birthday, Aunt Melinda

2010-02-10T08:57:00.001-05:00

Aunt Melinda is 34 years old today—just a year younger than me now. I'm starting to love it when people think she's the big sister.

The Kids' First Hockey Game

2010-02-09T08:33:00.005-05:00

The kids and their friend Jordan with Spike, the Nailers' mascot.

Down on the floor between periods, watching Spike and Buck skate.

Buck, Wesbanco's mascot. Ethan was too cool to be in this picture.

A few weeks ago, we were in a brave mood. We took the kids to see their very first hockey game. The Wheeling Nailers took on the Elmira Jackals. The kids' friend Jordan and her mom Shannon joined us.

It was pretty tough for our clan to sit still—and the man sitting at the end of the row was pretty annoyed with us. (He let us know.) Surprisingly, Ethan sat through the entire first period without getting up. All the kids seemed to enjoy the activities between the periods.

We capped off hockey night with a quick walk to DiCarlos Pizza, where we were wowed by "awesomeness" of their product.

Upward Basketball 2010

2010-02-08T07:09:00.000-05:00

Ethan's first basketball game, Jan. 2, 2010. This was one of the few times he has had the ball. The younger kids, being kids, don't usually pass the ball too much.

Snowed In

2010-02-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Since it's only 2010, I think it's safe to call this the Storm of the Century. We got around 15" of snow and were really, truly snowed in. All of us, except for Hubby, who made the 20-minute drive to work in an hour and a half—without four-wheel drive. Finally, at 10:00 last night, our subdivision was plowed. That, after Hubby couldn't make it up our hill and had to park on the backside of our subdivision and walk home.

So today we're planning for another quiet day. Church has been canceled so we won't be venturing out at all.

Yesterday the kids and I went nowhere. And it was really nice.

The basketball game was canceled and there was a Level 3 emergency in Jefferson County, which means (supposedly) that drivers can be arrested for being on roadways.

We played out in the snow for nearly two hours and came in and drank hot cocoa. The kids built houses with Lincoln Logs while I walked on the treadmill.

Today we'll probably do more of the same. The older two have already made out their valentines so maybe we'll make some valentine crafts and special cards for their teachers, aunts, and grandparents.

Have a good day, everyone!

Piano Lesson Time

2010-02-06T18:32:00.002-05:00

Ethan started piano lessons last Tuesday. When I signed him up for lessons the previous Friday, we ran into the piano teacher who picked out a beginner book for Ethan. Over the weekend we started going through the book—and made it to page 17. I think the teacher was pretty surprised.

Today was the first day this week that he practiced without shedding a tear. It was refreshing and made the 25 minutes pass much more quickly. We've made it to page 28 in his book, about halfway through. Luckily for him he seems to catch on quickly. Plus it doesn't hurt that I had nine years of lessons and can help him out. I think if my parents knew piano it would've been much easier for me.

I've been digging through old piano books, looking for music to salvage. I have all my John Thompson books, first through fourth grade, plus a number of Edna Mae Burnham books. Wayne, the teacher, said he can use what we have, although I'm definitely not averse to new ways of teaching. I want things to make sense for Ethan and for him not to struggle like I did.

Other moms whose kids take lessons at the same place have told me there are four recitals (!) throughout the year but students don't have to participate in all, or any of them. I think one or two sounds about right. My piano teacher had a recital every two years, and it was a very big deal.

I'm excited to see how far Ethan can go, and I'm wondering how long his good attitude will last. On the way home from the first piano lesson he asked, "How many more lessons do I have to take?" I didn't have the heart to tell him he'd be taking lessons for years. Piano lessons will no doubt provide a great foundation in case he wants to play guitar, violin, or an instrument in band.

Say No to Food

2010-02-04T08:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I caught a few minutes of Dr. Mehmet Oz's show.

I was appalled and incensed.

Dr. Oz was trying to help an overweight family change their eating habits and activity levels and warn them about the dangers of childhood obesity. He was especially concerned about the couple's four-year-old daughter.

The little girl—who wasn't very little—weighed 80 pounds and had a 33-inch waist, the waist size of an average adult male! The pediatrician who examined her said her cholesterol numbers were elevated, she exhibited signs of sleep apnea, and she had pre-diabetes. The morbidly obese mother had tears rolling down her face. "I'm so ashamed," she sobbed.

"You should be ashamed," I said back to the TV, right as Dr. Oz said, "Don't be ashamed." Apparently the remainder of the show would be spent showing the family how to trim down with exercise and a better diet. I turned it off, still annoyed.

I just don't see how parents could let this happen to their child. Was their own pediatrician afraid of offending the family and kept quiet? The girl was waaaaaaay off the growth chart. A child in the 90th+ percentile would have weighed no more than 50 pounds. This child weighed a whopping 30 pounds above that.

To me, it's common sense that you eat a balanced diet filled with a combination of fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy. Sweets should be kept to a minimum. I'll admit that I don't always follow healthy nutrition guidelines, but I know when I've overindulged. My waistline tells me. My clothes don't fit well. I don't have as much energy. That's a big clue to cut back.

It's one thing to do this to yourself, but to overindulge your child is unfair and unhealthy. In my opinion, this borders on child abuse. The parents are setting their child up for ridicule from classmates, poor health, and low self-image. Why? Because they can't tell their child "no" from time to time? In lieu of jail time or other criminal penalty, parents could be enrolled in health and nutrition classes and be required to document efforts to change terrible habits. Their children must lose weight. Hate the idea of government getting even more involved in private life? It shouldn't have to come to this. Parents need more education, and pediatricians need to impress upon parents the importance of proper nutrition and staying active. Get out and get active. Throw away the video games and television if you must. Take a hike instead of playing the newest Mario game.

If the child has a medical condition that causes them to be overweight, fine. When it's a case of parental laziness or stupidity, that's simply dangerous. Childhood obesity is increasing at record levels. We don't want our children to die before we do.

2010-01-30T08:36:00.002-05:00

I'm marking two years of blog-keeping this weekend, and I've noticed my posts becoming more endangered.

The first year I posted something nearly every day. I remember feeling as though I had to. The next year I posted half as much. Either life got in the way or I didn't feel I had anything interesting to say. Or maybe Facebook got in the way.

I'll try not to continue that downward slide this year though I may just hold steady. I'm looking forward to what 2010 brings, though! Here are some things I'm anticipating:

• Ethan starts piano lessons this Tuesday at 5 p.m., coincidentally the same day and time I took lessons as a kid. The major difference is price. My lessons were $5 each; his are three times as much!

• Lindsey will graduate from preschool and become a kindergartner in the fall. I'm trying to talk her into playing Upward soccer in the spring. I know she will want to cheer at Upward games in the fall and/or winter.

• Caleb will go to preschool in the fall. That is, he will go if I can get him potty trained in the next six months. For now, whenever I mention the potty he says, "No! Never!"

• Nephew Elijah will celebrate his third birthday and niece Elizabeth will celebrate her first birthday.

• We'll start up Cloverbuds again in a month, this time with double the members—16—including a set of triplet girls. This will be interesting!

Let the third year of Zifzal Zoo begin!

Ear Infection Week

2010-01-26T22:37:00.002-05:00

I'm batting about .800 for diagnosing my kids' ear infections.

Poor Caleb had a double-whammy diagnosis today, bilateral ear infections. They all start the same: congestion and cough, followed by a lingering fever. My little monkey was complaining that his mouth and teeth were burning too—and has a fever blister to show for it.

I couldn't help but giggle today in the doctor's office when the medical assistant opened the door and called Caleb's name. He took one look at her, screamed, and ran the other way sobbing hysterically. It was the same woman who held his legs during his H1N1 shot a few weeks ago. Pretty good memory for a three-year-old. I kept telling him he wouldn't be getting a shot today, and he kept repeating, "No shots, no shots!"

He was still crying when the nurse wanted to get his temperature and listen to his heart. Very clearly he said, "My ear hurts." (It was pitiful, but it was a tiny bit of a proud moment for me because he doesn't speak clearly is extremely hard to understand.) He said it over and over and even told the doctor that.

He has the typical 10 days of antibiotics, and for the first time Caleb was prescribed analgesic ear drops. Surprisingly, he let me put those in his ear but he hated it. "I'm done," he declared.

Disney on Ice: Cool Fun

2010-01-16T08:19:00.004-05:00

Lindsey and her pal Jordan at Disney on Ice.

A scene from the Finding Nemo segment.

A few weeks ago my friend Shannon and I took our girls out for a special treat at Wesbanco Arena, the Disney on Ice: Celebrating 100 Years of Magic show. Shannon secured our tickets just three days before the event—and we were amazed at how close we were to the action. The "next cheapest seats" placed us six rows behind the action, directly in front of a pedestal where many characters acted out their storylines.

The girls loved watching dancing genies from Aladdin, most of the Disney princesses, army men from Toy Story, characters from the Magic Kingdom ride, It's a Small World, and much more.

The show was so enjoyable that we think this is a tradition we'll have to continue.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-14T07:17:00.000-05:00

Caleb's big present.

Christmas 2009 started out rough, but by the time New Year's rolled around, we were all in good shape.

On Christmas Eve, we all went to church, as usual, at Mt. Pleasant Friends. After that, we headed to Aunt Anita's for a quick bite to eat. The kids, surprisingly, fell asleep shortly after we put them to bed and Mom and Dad were both in bed by midnight.

"It's going to be a short night," I told Hubby, thinking the kids would awake at the crack of dawn.

It sure was a short night. Poor Caleb screamed around 3 a.m., and I found him covered in vomit. Lindsey made it to the bathroom at 6 a.m. Ethan had been sick three days before, so apparently the stomach flu incubated well in our household. Great.

By morning, the kids were awake and excited to open presents. The kids' big present was a Wii, and they each received several games. Caleb's big present was a 12-inch bicycle. Lindsey big item was an American Girl knock-off, and Ethan's big present was a Power Miner's Lego set.

For awhile, the kids were happy. But after lunchtime, Caleb got fussy, and Lindsey started to drag. She laid on the couch for the remainder of the afternoon, fevered.

The next day all were fighting and calling each other names, so we knew they were much better.

Of all the days to get sick, it had to be Christmas. We're hoping 2010 will not be a repeat.

Changes to Education...

2010-01-13T03:03:00.001-05:00

Last summer while most of us were outraged at budget cuts to Ohio's public libraries, the new state budget, passed in July, included several other "big ideas" that escaped the public's notice. I hadn't heard of many of them—and Google wasn't especially helpful either. I found the best rundown in this Columbus Dispatch article.

Among the changes for Ohio schools will be the reduction of calamity days from five to three for the 2010-11 school year. These days will be whittled down even more in the future. Gov. Ted Strickland had asked for 20 additional school days, but Ohio Dems said no and instead offered this idea. Every day lost to a calamity is a day of instruction lost, lawmakers say.

Also passed was a requirement that all schools offer all-day kindergarten and a mandate to reduce class sizes in the 2010-11 school year. In kindergarten through third grade, classes must be no larger than 19. By the 2014-15 school year, classes must be no larger than 15. However, the budget provides no additional funding to create these smaller classes.

The budget included many more issues, including the okay of video slot machines at Ohio's horse tracks. But these two are of greatest interest to me now since I have young children.

My opinion?

On the issue of reducing calamity days, I'd like to remind lawmakers that we all reside in Ohio—not exactly a winter hot spot. Will school superintendents decide to have school regardless the weather and risk our children's lives? If they continue to cancel, they run the risk of interfering with summer vacation plans when school extends into mid-June.

Regarding Strickland's proposal to extend the school year by 20 days...

If students have great teachers, well, great. But if they have lousy teachers, how is that going to help? In my own public school experience, extra days would have been a waste. Perhaps not in elementary school, but definitely in high school.

How would you have liked to have a teacher who took up most of class time telling us how she woke up drunk in a closet and didn't know how she got there...or that she'd be spending the weekend in jail serving time for a DUI conviction? How about the teacher who showed "Blind Date" and "Die Hard?" instead of teaching algebra? Or maybe you'd prefer the government teacher who showed "Major League?" Would you adore the teacher who bragged about her daughter nearly every class period for at least 40 of the 50 minutes and lamented that she didn't study abroad in Switzerland and instead got married?

Sound like I made this up? Sadly, it's all true. And there's more but I don't want to have to pick your jaw up off the floor. Basically, what I'm saying is that if the school year is extended, there'd better be some darn good teachers instructing my children. Otherwise, I could do a better job myself by taking them on an educational vacation to Colonial Williamsburg.

On the second issue, I think reducing class size in these grades is a great idea. Ethan's kindergarten class had 32 students last year. The district refused to hire another full-time teacher and instead opted to hire two c0-teachers. The students rotated between their "home" classroom and an "overflow" classroom that was split by a divider. This created "classes" of about 10 students each. While the teachers did the best they could given the circumstances, I think the students would have benefited from a smaller class and more one-on-one time with ONE teacher.

I don't know where school districts will find the money to fund these extra teaching positions, but I could see school districts trying to find ways around it by going the co-teacher route. I've heard, too, that school districts may be able to beg for leniency based on financial hardship.

What are your thoughts? Do you like the current "snow day" set-up? Do you favor smaller classes? Is 19 students a good cut-off number? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Lindsey is 5!

2010-01-12T09:20:00.002-05:00

Little Lindsey's birthday was last month. Because she loves Disney fairies, I pictured a Tinkerbell cake for her 5th birthday, a small momentous occasion. Because I suggested it, she screamed, "No!"

What did she want? "My Friends Tigger and Pooh." The good Kennedy's Bakery in Cambridge didn't have that style. Her second choice? Butterflies. An artist hand drew the butterflies for an additional $8.

Needless to say, she loved the cake design, but not the cake. Little Lindsey just likes icing.

From now on, she'll have a birthday cookie. And even then, she'll probably still just lick off the icing.

A Movie Winter

2010-01-11T09:03:00.001-05:00

My husband and I had a rare night out without kids a few weeks ago, so we dined at the Gaslite and decided to rent a movie at Blockbuster.

I hadn't been there in more than a year, maybe two, so I qualified as a new member. A sign on the window said new members could get 50 percent of movie and game fees. Since I had a $25 giftcard, I was more than happy to comply.

Movies at Blockbuster are expensive ($4.99 for new releases!!), which is why I had been borrowing from the library. (Lots of other people had that idea too: Typically, I'd be #40 or so in line for a new release. Now I'm #800-1,000 in line.) Wii games are two for $15 or $8.99 apiece. Sheesh! If you suspect you might like the game, you might as well buy it for $40.

I allowed my kids to rent some movies too, so here's what I rented so far, with about $3 remaining on my card.

• Public Enemies (boring and a waste of $)

• The Proposal (funny, clever, and cute)

• (500) Days of Summer (clever, but not very funny. Zooey Deschanel always seems manic-depressive to me)

• Julie & Julia (cute, clever, and fun)

• Defiance (haven't watched yet, but it's based on a true story so most likely I'll enjoy it.)

Recent rentals at the library include:

• Last Chance Harvey (a good movie for middle-aged couples)

• Paul Blart, Mall Cop (horrible waste of time)

• The Soloist (haven't watched yet...)

Good movies seem scarce these days. I wandered around Blockbuster trying to find something that remotely piqued my interest. Have any recommendations, anyone?

Better Late Than Never...

2010-01-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

As homeroom mom for Ethan's first grade class, we made these glasses at the kids' Christmas party.

And I'm just getting around to posting a picture. Chances are good that the next few days of pictures will be of "old" material as well. But you've never seen it, so like a used car it's new to you!

Cheap Fun

2010-01-09T08:51:00.002-05:00

I love to hit after-Christmas sales. Even more rewarding, if there's anything left, are the after-after-Christmas sales when merchandise is 75 percent off.

Kmart always seems to have an exorbitant number of gingerbread houses at this price. Lindsey decided, as she did last year too, that she would use some of her birthday money to purchase one. At 75 percent off, it cost her $2.50. (Who would pay $10 anyway for a gingerbread house?)

Like last year, Ethan took over the project. He insisted we had to wait for him to come home from school before we could start. This year's house was a bit more successful. The icing was thick, but I resisted adding too much water. (The icing dripped off last year's house.) Pictured is a modified version of the "Enchanted Cottage" design. I gave up making icicles and squiggly patterns on the roof; there were too many holes in the icing bag.

Word is, Ethan wants to buy a gingerbread house next year, too, and have a contest. I hope Caleb doesn't get that idea too. All he wanted to do was eat the candies.

Snow Day Memories

2010-01-06T17:45:00.004-05:00

When winter rolls around, I'm thankful to be a stay-at-home mom. I can't imagine trying to arrange childcare for a snow day or two-hour delay.

Our school district seems to be in love with two-hour delays. Apparently they don't count toward the "five allowed snow days" policy. If they did, we'd be in trouble. I'm all for the safety of students, but there's a point at which it becomes ridiculous.

We haven't reached that point this winter...yet. Before Christmas, we had a two hour delay. This past Monday was a snow day, Tuesday and today were two-hour delays, and for tomorrow they're trying something new: early dismissal. Indian Creek will begin dismissing school at 1 p.m. Our elementary will dismiss at 2 p.m.

I recall several early dismissal days when I was in elementary and middle school. At that time, News 9 (to my knowledge) didn't broadcast early dismissals, and of course, there was no Internet. I imagine parents heard the news on the radio or by word of mouth. Or perhaps school administrators called each family, as there was no "one call" system either.

I particularly remember an early dismissal in March when I was in the fourth grade. My mom was working as a substitute teacher, so Melinda and I would ride the school bus to the old junior high school where we'd hop on my dad's school bus. The bus passed our house and made a right turn to go up Country Club Road. Midway up the hill, the bus slid into a ditch. Fred, the bus driver, radioed the bus garage, which was less than a mile away. A few minutes later, my dad's bus came down the hill. Everyone cheered because they thought he'd come to the rescue, but he had to make his way to the junior high. My dad stopped and took the Kilzer family, since they lived nearby, my sister Melinda, and me with him. I remember Tammy, the youngest, falling and hitting her head hard on the road, and her brother Paul checking her head and saying she'd "have a goose egg."

Headed back down the hill, we saw a school bus employee waiting on the corner by the bus garage. My dad stopped and the man said my grandfather had a stroke, and a substitute took over the rest of dad's route. My vivid memory ends there—I think we probably went back to our house, which was just up the road, and waited for my mom to come home so Dad could head to the hospital. Grandpa survived a few days after his stroke; he was 91 when he died.

When I was in second grade, there were so many snow days that we had to go to school on a Saturday. I doubt we did much work. I remember making a doll out of a syrup bottle and showing it to my dad when he came to pick up Melinda and me.

Snow days in our household consist of movies, kids fighting, and once in a while, some workbook exercises. We don't have much of a hill for sledding, which is a huge disapointment for me. Not that I would go sledding, but I remember spending most of the day outdoors building snowmen, making snow angels, and sledding down the big hill in our backyard.

What are your memories? Do you love or love to hate snow days?

Baker's Assistant

2010-01-03T00:22:00.002-05:00

On Friday I had the huge job of baking cupcakes for the residents at Mom's assisted living center to help celebrate her birthday.

As usual, the kids were "helping." And when kids "help," that's not what they're doing at all.

Lindsey decided she would stir the cake mix by hand instead of waiting for me to turn on the electric mixer. She and Caleb added the water and oil, and I cracked the eggs and separated the egg whites. As I washed my hands, I saw something yellow drop out of her mouth into the batter. I knew what it and wondered if Linds would 'fess up. "What was that?" I asked. "I lost my gum," Lindsey said with a smile. "Where?" "In there," she said, pointing at the cupcake batter.

Ugh. I couldn't stop laughing, though. Thank goodness I had an extra cake mix. After all, I wasn't baking Christmas pudding with a (chewy) prize inside!

A New Year

2010-01-02T00:05:00.003-05:00

Midway through 2009 my attempts at blogging became fewer and far between. I can't guarantee 2010 won't be different, but I did watch a movie that inspired me to keep on.

I just watched Julie & Julia, based on two true stories. Julie Powell was stuck in a rut and decided to cook everything in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. She blogged about her experiences—and ended up with a book and movie deal. She also has a new memoir out called Cleaving.

I'm in a bit of a rut myself. I really haven't felt completely happy since before my dad discovered he had a brain tumor—around April 2007. It's been a rough few years. Now that my mom's house is sold and she is settled in an assisted living center, I'm slowing starting to pick up the pieces.

I think Julie had a great idea. I need to settle on an idea or goal to put my hat on for this year. Last year my goal was to be published somewhere. I nearly made it: I did write two articles for a local university's alumni magazine, though their winter issue will come out this month. Of course, there's the usual "lose 20 pounds" goal. (I really NEED to do that one.) But my main goal needs to be growing closer to God. In the busyness of life, He too often loses out.

Be a better person. Be a better mother. Be a better Christian. I have a lot of "be-ing" to do.

More Santa pics

2009-12-24T08:53:00.000-05:00

Santa Sitter

2009-12-23T08:40:00.002-05:00

My girl sat on Santa's lap, willingly, for the first time this year. Every other year she has shook with fear, put her head in her hands, or shrunk her little body so he wouldn't see her.

This time was different. Lindsey watched her brothers sit with Santa but hung back. We did a little shopping in Macy's, and I asked her if she would try again when we were done shopping. With a big sigh, she said, "Okay, I will."

Sure enough, she climbed right up on his lap. I even got a picture of all three kids with Santa. Next, she sat on Santa's lap at Literacy Night. And she sat on Santa's lap after breakfast at school last Thursday.

But when Dwayne took her to the mall last weekend, she refused and did her shrinking routine.

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Songs

2009-12-05T07:20:00.005-05:00

While traveling, my kids would rather listen to a Go Fish! CD but I'd rather listen to Christmas/winter music on the radio these days. Rarely I win.

When I do, these are the songs I love to hear:

• White Christmas by The Drifters

• Baby It's Cold Outside by anyone but Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton

• It's the Holiday Season by Andy Williams

• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry

• Mary, Did You Know? by Kenny Rogers and Winona

• Jingle Bells by Unknown Dogs Barking

• Mary's Boy Child by B.E. Taylor

• Blue Christmas by Elvis

• Blue Christmas by Senor Pig

• Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) by Point of Grace (I have to bribe my kids to let me listen to this one on a CD, but it's definitely one of my favorites.)

What are YOUR favorites?

A Black Friday Shopper

2009-11-29T21:27:00.002-05:00

I, yes I, got up early on Black Friday to shop.

My alarm went off at 2:55 a.m. But I didn't go anywhere. I sat in front of my computer because I knew Walmart was going to offer a Wii bundle special.

I waited, and waited, and waited for the special to be offered, but Walmart's home page still advertised Thanksgiving Day specials. At 3:30 a.m. I gave up and tried to go back to sleep. Still awake at 4 a.m., I tried again. Success! I bought a Wii with two extra controllers and two games for $249 plus a Phillips portable DVD player for $50. They'll arrive at the Steubenville Walmart next week. I went to bed, breathing a sigh of relief...and went shopping in person at Walmart at 8 a.m. to pick up some toys for the kids' Christmas and birthdays.

I'm anxious to see what specials Cyber Monday will bring. Target is rumored to be offering five items at 70 percent off. I'll be checking its website along with Walmart's and Amazon.com's. I'll probably hit overstock.com as well. Any other suggestions?

Happy holiday shopping, all!

Holiday Season is Ushered In

2009-11-21T08:11:00.003-05:00

Last night we went to the Fantasy in Lights parade in downtown Wheeling. The last time Dwayne and I went, we lived in St. Clairsville—so it was 1998 or 1999.

This time, we had three kids in tow. We parked in the same garage, paying just $1 more a decade ago ($3). We situated ourselves on the corner outside the parking garage and realized, a little too late, that the traffic on 10th street would not be stopped for the parade. We moved, quickly, to Market Street and stood behind spectators in chairs. We had to hold Lindsey and Caleb for the duration of the parade, but there were huge gaps in the lineup so we had an opportunity to rest our arms, backs, and shoulders.

Lindsey seemed to enjoy the parade the most. She kept up a steady wave to parade participants and snagged a few pieces of candy. Ethan liked the bands. He did a crazy dance when they passed. Although Lindsey seemed to love it the most, Caleb was the only one who said he wanted to come again next year.

We learned a few lessons while there. In addition to the traffic situation on 10th street, we learned that we should've parked further down on the "exit" portion of the parking garage. Most importantly, we'll get there earlier next time to snag a prime watching spot.

Holiday Season Activities

2009-11-20T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here are a few free or low-cost ideas to make the holiday season even brighter.

Byesville's Scenic Railway offers Spirit of Christmas excursions. The train will be decorated with lights, Santa will be on board, and old-timer coal miners will talk about old-time Christmas in southeastern Ohio. Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for ages 3-12, and free for under age 3. Rides are Dec. 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 1 and 3 p.m.

Wintersville's Christmas parade is set for Sunday, Nov. 29, at 3 p.m. from Riesbeck's to the village's administration building.

Wheeling's Fantasy in Lights parade is this today, Nov. 20, in downtown Wheeling, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Oglebay's Festival of Lights has already begun and will be on display until Jan. 3, 2010. Stop at the Good Zoo to see more than 35,000 choreographed lights on their back patio, included with zoo admission.

Pittsburgh Zoo is having a Noon Year's Eve celebration, Dec. 31. It's free with your paid admission to the zoo.

It's Not Christmas Yet...

2009-11-16T08:54:00.003-05:00

Christmas is coming. Yep, you'd think it—not Thanksgiving—was two weeks away. Santa Claus will arrive at our mall this weekend, and our neighbors are starting to put up and TURN ON (!!!) their Christmas lights.

Sometimes, department stores' holiday displays go up in mid-August. I was cheered this year when that didn't happen. But it wasn't too long after Halloween that the Christmas commercials started playing on TV. Some call all of this pre-holiday excitement. I think it's due to struggling retailers who want reluctant, penny-pinching shoppers to buy, buy, buy—and buy early.

I'm more of the type to wait and see what deals I can find. But that doesn't always work out either. Walmart's Lego shelves were empty last year when I went shopping for Ethan's gift. And I'm not really one to get up at 4:30 a.m. and stand in line on Black Friday. That may change, though.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're considering buying the kids a Wii for Christmas. And really, it's absolutely not a necessity. The kids have been happy playing games on nickjr.com, playhousedisney.com, thomasandfriends.com, and pbskids.org. Plus, they have a Scooby-Doo and Thomas joystick that plugs into the TV with six or so games each. They've also gone gaming nights at the library just for kids. Perhaps the Wii is more for Dwayne and me. The price keeps dropping, (down $50 since July) and it looks really fun. A great price just might be available on Black Friday, and if so, I might be amongst the early morning die-hard shoppers. (We have shopped on Black Friday around 10-11 a.m., though, and have still found some of the deals.)

But here I am, talking about Christmas...and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Our plans? The kids and I are headed to my aunt Marilyn's home in Beverly. My kids love playing with her grandchildren, and I like catching up with my cousins. Aunt Marilyn reports that Cousin Brad will attempt to fry the turkey this year.

Being with family whom I don't get to see often is fun, and recounting my blessings is even more rewarding. Christmas will have to wait a few more weeks for me.

Free Ride

2009-11-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

Birthday in Heaven

2009-11-10T07:47:00.002-05:00

Today would have been my dad's 77th birthday. We had a big surprise party for his 75th birthday—and he was gone before he reached 76. At the time he was doing so well with his cancer treatments I imagined having an even bigger party when he turned 80. Brain cancer is just too hard to beat.

Lately, Lindsey has been praying for Papo to get better. She doesn't remember much about him. Of the youngest four grandchildren, Dad had hoped at least she and Ethan would have some memories. Ethan does, but he was five when Papo died.

Here's Papo's ornery girl:

Closed!

2009-11-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

My parents' house closed last Friday, praise God! I hope the new owners appreciate the home's character and all the maintenance my dad did since the early 1980s.

Spa Party

2009-11-08T08:51:00.003-05:00

Lindsey was recently invited to a spa birthday party for her five-year-old pal. I don't think she really understood why she was putting yogurt and oatmeal on her cheeks or cucumbers on her eyes, but she did love having her fingernails painted and makeup applied to her face.

Happy Trick or Treat ’09

2009-11-07T19:11:00.004-05:00

Ethan, Lindsey, Caleb, and their friend Jordan, ready to fill their baskets (multiple times!).

Our friends Bill, Shannon, and Jordan invited us to trick or treat this year, and we happily accepted their invitation. Part of their neighborhood includes a "ritzy" section. (Bill and Shannon don't have one of the monster houses in the ritzy neighborhood, but they live very close. They, like me, wouldn't know what to do with a house that big.) It was more walking than we were used to—and also a lot more candy. The kids filled their baskets several times over, even receiving full-sized candy bars, several bags of chips, and juice boxes in that extra nice neighborhood.

The kids loved walking with their friend. Jordan and Lindsey held hands the whole walk back. Awww!

The 'Old' Time

2009-11-06T07:11:00.002-05:00

I loathe Daylight Savings Time and the switchback to Standard Time, which we experienced last weekend. With a passion.

This is the time of year when 6:00 p.m. feels like bedtime. I make an attempt to get the kids to bed earlier so my husband and I have more time for ourselves in the evening, but that doesn't always work.

What I didn't realize was that the railroads played a role in establishing time zones. Read more here. Supposedly more daylight in the summer decreases energy usage and crime. But wouldn't the converse be true? We stay up later in the evening than our predecessors did. And the criminals don't necessarily hibernate in the winter.

At any rate, I can't change it so I"ll have to grin and bear it.

Swine Flu Fears

2009-11-05T07:41:00.004-05:00

Frustration abounds around the country about the inability to get the swine flue vaccine. Long lines and shortages seem to be the rule, not the exception. (In my opinion, adults my age may as well forget it.) The Jefferson County Health Department said it didn't expect to receive any vaccine until December.

Locally, the Indian Creek School District is offering a clinic next Monday and again in December for its youth aged 4 to 19. I need to check with our pediatrician to see if any vaccine is available for our almost 3-year-old.

I had misgivings about the vaccine because of the rush to get it out to the public. However, there are too many kids dying and ending up hospitalized because of swine flu. Just yesterday, a child at our elementary school was rushed by ambulance and later life-flighted to Pittsburgh after experiencing serious, scary symptoms.

This is a real threat, one I wish we didn't have to deal with.

Happy Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T06:52:00.004-05:00

The kids love Halloween. What kid wouldn't? Candy given out for no logical reason? Dressing up for no logical reason? A kids' dream!

Last night our friends invited them to trick or treat in their neighborhood, which included the nicest neighborhood in Wintersville with ridiculously huge houses (and guest houses). There, the kids collected juice boxes, bags of chips, and full-sized candy bars at most of the houses.

Caleb likely collected the most. Every year that I've taken more than one child trick or treating, the youngest child has cleaned up, due to the "cuteness" factor. Caleb was a firefighter who walked to all the houses without help. I could hear homeowners say, "Oh, look at you, Mr. Firefighter. Aren't you cute?" He came back from one house with two bags of chips and a full-size pack of M&M's. Sometimes after candy was put in his bucket, he still stood there and the owners laughed and put more in.

Shy Lindsey felt empowered in her last-minute Thomas the Tank Engine costume. She was the first at every house to ring the doorbell. Ethan, who was recovering from a bad cold and ear infection, was exhausted after our long walk. "This was way too much candy and trick or treating," he exclaimed. When we returned home, he asked if he could skip reading books and go right to bed.

The older kids are still not old enough to understand they could have slept in today. They've been awake since 6:20, really 7:20—school day wake up time. They chose yesterday to sleep in: 8:40. Perhaps I can convince them that 7:30 p.m. tonight is bedtime. We do like to go to bed earlier in the winter. After all, it will be pitch dark.

Pictures coming soon.

Temporarily Gone But Not Forgotten

2009-10-27T22:13:00.002-04:00

It appears that I've forgotten all about my blog.

Not so. I just can't seem to keep up with my life.

What's new? I have a nasty cold and Ethan has an ear infection. The kitchen cabinets are almost all put in place and the countertop is ordered. Hubby hopes to lay the radiant heat and laminate floor the last week of November. (Hooray! We've had a concrete-floor kitchen for a year now!)

My mom's house is supposedly closing on Friday. The auction went well. I've been meaning to post a story on that, but like most things these days, it's fallen by the wayside.

And now, the Nyquil is starting to kick in. Good night, all!

The Joy of Fundraising

2009-10-10T21:22:00.002-04:00

Our Cloverbud club, Friends & Neighbors, could sure use your help.

On Nov. 7 at Colonial Baptist Church in Wintersville, Monica Lynne Photography is holding a fundraiser for us. We're currently selling $10 coupons that entitle the bearer to the sitting and an 8x10 with the opportunity to purchase a package or additional photos at reasonable prices.

This would be a great day to get your Christmas pictures done and out of the way. Or get a fall shot of the kids. Or a just because picture. The choice is yours—Monica has a number of different backgrounds, including a Christmas one.

If you can't make it on the 7th, how about buying a tub of cookie dough for $10? :) The cookie dough will be delivered on Nov. 21, just in time for Christmas baking.

With the proceeds of these fundraisers, we'll be able to pay for our Cloverbud kids' memberships, buy club T-shirts, and maybe even go on a field trip. I have a great bunch of kids—and the club is growing quickly. Last year we had eight members. This year we have had triplet girls join the club as well as three others. I am thrilled that my little Cloverbuds have been having such a good time.

Please consider helping us. Thanks!

Vote No on Issue 3

2009-09-29T07:09:00.007-04:00

Four times before, Ohio voters have said "no" to casino initiatives. Casino backers can't take the hint.

According to the "propaganda" flyers sent out by the Ohio Jobs & Growth Committee, Issue 3 will create 34,000 jobs, generate $1,226,828 annually in new funding for Jefferson County public schools and $1,990,333 for the county in new annual revenue. Keep Ohio money in Ohio, the television ads proclaim. "For too long we've given neighboring states our gaming dollars," the print ads declare.

Will gambling really help Ohio? It doesn't appear that the Ohio Lottery has solved school funding problems. I argue that Ohio will be hurt badly by the four proposed casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Why? In this down economy, people are looking for a quick fix, a miracle cure to heal their financial woes. In searching for that panacea, families will be hurt and even destroyed. "Sorry kids, there's no supper tonight. Daddy gambled our grocery money." "Need new shoes, son? I'm sorry. Your mom thought she could win big tonight at the casino, but lost everything."

I watched an elementary school friend and her sister suffer partly because of her family's passion—or addiction—for BINGO. (Another factor contributing to their financial hardship was the father's alcoholism that could have been fed by BINGO winnings.) They didn't have a lot of money, but what they had was put at risk by the CHANCE! to win big. Instead, the parents should have saved their money for emergencies and used any extra to further their—or their children's—educations, thus securing a more promising future. Eventually the family broke apart.

Gambling preys on those who are experiencing financial hardship. As I said before, it appears like a miracle cure. Hey, I can win money without going out and doing a hard day's work! I don't have to budget, I might just win big!

In nearby Weirton, West Virginia, gambling hasn't helped the city. A "café" (code name for gambling parlor) sits on every block in downtown Weirton. (Just try to order a coffee and sandwich there.) They've been there for years and nothing has changed; the area is still rundown.

If you ARE for casino gambling, Issue 3 is still not a good deal. Ohio casinos will pay a 33 percent tax, one of the lowest in the nation. Read here for more on that. Plus, Issue 3 calls for four casinos to be built—it doesn't say when. So there may not be a "jumpstart" for the economy anyway. In addition, all other casino gambling is banned, including the so-called Monte Carlo nights that benefit charities.

Here's a quick rundown of a few reasons why you should vote no.

Hittin' Kraftmaid Again

2009-09-27T20:33:00.002-04:00

Just one Zifzal hit the Kraftmaid Outlet yesterday. But both will be there in four short weeks.

Beginner's luck wore off as Hubby's wristband was #209 & they drew #280. He had to wait for nearly everyone else to enter before he could...but he still found a crucial piece of cabinetry we needed, the 36 x 36 base corner cabinet for $90. He also picked up a 9" cabinet at the same price, though it was the wrong color wood. He might be able to pick up a $2 door on the next trip so they match.

We're already making up our shopping list for next month. We need crown moulding, sold for $3 a stick; a wall, sold for $20; some pantry pull out shelves, and perhaps some cabinets for the two bathrooms.

The kitchen is starting to come along. Dwayne has put up all but the 9" wall cabinet on the top and tore out most of the base cabinets yesterday. We discovered that our old cabinets were assembled on Aug. 4, 1967. I'd say it was time for new cabinets!

Band Controversy

2009-09-24T09:27:00.004-04:00

Does a high school band have freedom of speech?

That's the question many parents and students in the Indian Creek School District are asking.

Half of the band's halftime show has been scrapped because of the provocative lyrics of two songs: "If U Seek Amy" and "Don't Trust Me." Supposedly, these songs were chosen because of their current popularity. The band members yell out part of the lyrics to "Don't Trust Me." They say, "Shush girl, shut your lips. Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips." (Watch the WTOV9 story here.)

These aren't your parents'—or even your—band songs. (Remember "Eye of the Tiger," "Oye Como Va," or "Mickey?") I won't try to explain the lyrics of these songs here; click on the links above and judge for yourself.

Wow. That these songs would be considered appropriate is unfathomable to me. I question the judgment of the band director. Did he take the time to read the song lyrics before choreographing the band's routine? "Word" has it that he brushed off parents' concerns even before the football season started, insisting they were reading too much into it.

The purpose of a high school band is to entertain, not offend. The band has to come up with a new routine by tomorrow's game against Buckeye Local.

In 10 years, some of my kids might be in that same high school band. I shudder to think what things will be like then.

Football Season, Too!

2009-09-24T07:31:00.000-04:00

Ethan is giving flag football a try this year. His team, the Storm, practices every Thursday and has a game every Saturday through October. Kindergarten and first grade cheerleaders cheer for the games, too. All the kids' names are announced over the loudspeaker, and they run out on the field and high five their coaches.

Football seems to be a little harder for the younger kids to grasp than, say, soccer. Ethan has been able to pull some other players' flags, but he is still trying to figure out everything. At the first game, he looked very confused. Hubby plans to take Ethan to a high school football game tomorrow and give him some pointers.

2009-09-23T07:52:00.002-04:00

Little Caleb has been sleeping in a big boy bed for about a month now. We thought it was amazing that he never even tried to get out of his bed. Until a few nights ago when Hubby and I caught him—on two different occasions—hopping out to get toys for his bed. Last week he put two sheets of Crayola Magic paper in his bed and woke up with blue hair and a blue forehead.

Yesterday morning, I found him sleeping on the floor. Apparently sleeping there, on top of Ethan's dirty shorts, was more comfortable than resting in his bed. What a goof! :)

Soccer Season Underway

2009-09-22T07:07:00.002-04:00

This is Ethan's third year of playing soccer. This year all the games are on Saturdays, which extends the season through October. He is also playing flag football—and those games are on Saturdays, too. Last Saturday both games were at the same time. Since he couldn't find his football wristband, he decided to play soccer.

Ethan says he doesn't want to play soccer OR football next year and claims he only likes to play basketball. We suspect he says this because he's not playing basketball at the moment. Come basketball season, he'll most likely be complaining about that, too.

So far, his "sport" seems to be baseball, though he insists he hates that, too.

Cabinets A Go-Go

2009-09-21T09:54:00.003-04:00

Day 1-2:

Days 2-3

Day 4

Hubby is doing a fantastic job with the cabinets. He's been working a little each night after work and has finished putting up about half of the wall cabinets. Last night he took down the remaining wall cabinets, but he'll have to unscrew the slate squares on the side wall that were used as a back splash. (They are gross, to put it mildly.)

What a relief it will be when the kitchen is finished...hopefully by Christmas! We (meaning Dwayne) still need to do some touch-up painting, install the base cabinets, purchase the countertop, back splash, and radiant floor heat, and install the laminate flooring.

Mr. Mom's Day

2009-09-19T06:41:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, Hubby managed the household while I made yet another trip to Byesville to continue getting the house ready for auction.

I made the morning school drop off and went on my merry way. That meant Hubby was responsible for loading Caleb in the car when he picked up Lindsey from preschool at 11 a.m., fix them lunch, put Caleb down for a nap, and then load them both in the car to pick up Ethan at 3 p.m.

At 4 p.m. he called me, "Are you going to make it back for football practice?" he wistfully asked. "Sorry, but I'm still at the house," I replied, trying to stifle a giggle. So, Hubby was in charge of fixing supper and loading all three of them in the car to head to Ethan's football practice.

He called again at 6:30 p.m. "Did you forget about Ethan's soccer practice at 7?" "No," I replied. "I thought we were sending him to only one soccer practice a week." I heard an audible sigh of relief.

When I arrived home a few minutes later, he was bathing the two younger kids. "I didn't have any fun today. Not one bit," Hubby remarked. He explained that Caleb had wanted to be held while they were waiting at school for Ethan but Hubby had refused, which caused Caleb to lay on the floor in a tantrum. At football practice, Caleb decided to repeatedly tackle his sister, causing more disruption.

I looked around. Toys everywhere...chicken nugget and french fry wrappers all over the table...and just laughed.

The tantrum and tackling wouldn't have even hit my radar. Those things are all in a day's work. (And he wonders why I rant when he calls from work in the evenings.)

Hubby couldn't make it as Mr. Mom. Thank goodness he doesn't have to.

Fightin' Words

2009-09-15T07:14:00.003-04:00

I love a quiet house in the mornings.

But it won't be that way for long. In 20 minutes, I'll have to wake up my two older kids and get them ready for school. Let the fighting begin.

"Lindsey's sitting in my seat. It's no fair!" "I'm NOT sitting in your seat. I get to sit by Caleb today!" "Quit looking at me!" "She got more whipped cream on her waffle than I did!"

It makes me want to crawl back in bed and put the covers over my head.

And it doesn't end when we get in the car or van for our ride to school. "Quit kicking me!" "Ethan said I'm a jelly belly!" Ad nauseam, blah blah, etc. etc.

When I get home to just Caleb, sometimes it's often more of the same. "No change diaper. No poopie!" "Watch TV!!"

These are fun days, for sure. I think I'll peek in on the kids—while they're still innocently sleeping. Surely no mean looks and words could come from these precious faces...

Pregnant? Flu Shot?

2009-09-13T08:24:00.003-04:00

All the talk about the importance of pregnant women getting the H1N1 vaccine reminds me of my near-futile attempts to get the "regular" flu shot while pregnant.

Before I realized my insurance would cover the flu shot, I stood in a long line at a flu shot clinic at a local grocery store. When I got to the head of the line, the nurse in charge said she wasn't allowed to vaccinate a pregnant woman. I pointed out that the information leaflets she was distributing said pregnant women were in the high risk category, along with senior citizens, and should be given "first dibs." She called her superior and was denied permission.

My next stop was at another grocery store's pharmacy, where I again was refused. I then called my primary care physician's office where I was told I needed to have a permission letter from my OB/GYN before I could receive the shot.

Letter in hand, I finally received the flu shot, about a week before my baby was born.

The current swine flu can be deadly to pregnant women. I hope they will not be denied flu shots like I nearly was...BUT, I hope this vaccination will be 100 percent safe. The 1976 swine flu vaccination was associated with several incidences of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a neurological disorder that can cause paralysis. (Read one man's tragic end due to the Syndrome here.)

To get the flu shot or not is a personal decision. For years I didn't get one. But once I had kids, I realized that my ability to take care of them depended on ME not getting sick. There can very well be complications, but health officials say the risks greatly outweigh the benefits. My advice? Do the research, then make an educated decision.