We try not to let any out of state visitor get away without going to White Sands,
no matter how windy the day! Despite being sandblasted, we had a great time!
Topper and Fam
20 May 2008
More Fun with Grandma
We took her "up the hill" for some window shopping. Here is a view from the way down.
We try not to let any out of state visitor get away without going to White Sands,
no matter how windy the day! Despite being sandblasted, we had a great time!
We try not to let any out of state visitor get away without going to White Sands,
no matter how windy the day! Despite being sandblasted, we had a great time!
Dress Up
The girls were playing dress-up with one of the young women from our ward after school one day. Yippy-Skippy is even pinching her cheeks so they'll be rosy. Very silly!
01 May 2008
Are you a Helicoptor or a Cowboy?
On the spectrum between "Helicopter Parenting" and having "Free-Range Kids," I definitely fall
more toward being a hovering Helicopter Mother. My kids live about 1/4 mi from their school,
they walk as a pack of three sisters, and still 85% of the time I walk with them or follow them
2/3 of the way there. Their front yard boundary is two houses down from us. They never play in
the front yard alone (without another sister with them). We live in a small town, on a residential
street only 2 blocks long. (Can you hear the rotors from the helicopter?) Perhaps you have heard
some of this debate recently. I find it very interesting and it has been occupying much of my
thoughts these days.
Being an independent sort of person, I find independent thought and action a worthwhile trait to
instill in my children. How can I do this while keeping them safe from harm at all times? Of
course, I can't. But how much "hovering" is enough?, too much? There is no easy answer. Here
are a list of links that I followed (on another such night when I should have been sleeping), that
introduce the debate. I would love to hear others thoughts on the matter, I'm curious to see
what views are similar or different from my own.
This sight is an article that introduces the basic debate.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/133103/page/1
A follow-up story with additional theories as to the change in the parenting style.
http://www.slate.com/id/2189375
Lots, and I mean LOTS of anticdotes from people weighing in on the issue. Beware, the language
in a few, and don't follow any links to 'bad stories' before you go to bed at night. (They could be
largely why we "hover" in the first place.)
http://www.metafilter.com/70753/Free-Range-Kids
Although I promised myself I wouldn't blog late at night because I always read it later and
lament my grammer, speling, and puctuation, -not to mention my logic at times, I am not tired
yet, so I'll share some of my thought on the topic.
1: Yes, this generation of parents tend to hover way too much, for way too long.
2: Yes, this is largely because we have been scared witless by Dateline :), Law and Order, missing
persons pictures everywhere, and sensational media reporting.
But: bad stuff happens, and you don't want it to happen to "your kid."
3: No, we don't know our neighborhoods like back-in-the-day. Our neighbors, even if we know
them on the other side of the block, are probably not home cooking dinner and glancing out their
windows watching a pack of kids playing 4 square in the driveway. No one is home, not kids, not
neighbors.
But: Our kids have been taught what do if a stranger offers to give them a ride, they know how to
bite, kick, scratch, scream and run. They have to learn to trust their own abilities, instincts and
insights.
Furthermore, as Latter-Day Saints, hopefully we have taught our kids to recognize the spirit
when prompted, and respond accordingly. And we have to trust our own parental intuition and
revelation about individual circumstances. We know the Lord answers many of those prayers for
safety that we are always saying. :) And if not in the way we might like, well, the kids still have to
live, grow, and learn, and we have to let them. If they fall on the way to school, they can hobble
to the school nurse and get a band-aid! (Even if I won't be there to kiss it better.)
Not to reduce child rearing to playing odds, but how many of us still eat raw brownie batter and
cookie dough even though the increased likelihood of salmonella contaminated eggs is higher
than it used to be? Are the odds of getting salmonella poisoning from a raw egg more than the
crime rate in your town? More questions. Answers???
more toward being a hovering Helicopter Mother. My kids live about 1/4 mi from their school,
they walk as a pack of three sisters, and still 85% of the time I walk with them or follow them
2/3 of the way there. Their front yard boundary is two houses down from us. They never play in
the front yard alone (without another sister with them). We live in a small town, on a residential
street only 2 blocks long. (Can you hear the rotors from the helicopter?) Perhaps you have heard
some of this debate recently. I find it very interesting and it has been occupying much of my
thoughts these days.
Being an independent sort of person, I find independent thought and action a worthwhile trait to
instill in my children. How can I do this while keeping them safe from harm at all times? Of
course, I can't. But how much "hovering" is enough?, too much? There is no easy answer. Here
are a list of links that I followed (on another such night when I should have been sleeping), that
introduce the debate. I would love to hear others thoughts on the matter, I'm curious to see
what views are similar or different from my own.
This sight is an article that introduces the basic debate.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/133103/page/1
A follow-up story with additional theories as to the change in the parenting style.
http://www.slate.com/id/2189375
Lots, and I mean LOTS of anticdotes from people weighing in on the issue. Beware, the language
in a few, and don't follow any links to 'bad stories' before you go to bed at night. (They could be
largely why we "hover" in the first place.)
http://www.metafilter.com/70753/Free-Range-Kids
Although I promised myself I wouldn't blog late at night because I always read it later and
lament my grammer, speling, and puctuation, -not to mention my logic at times, I am not tired
yet, so I'll share some of my thought on the topic.
1: Yes, this generation of parents tend to hover way too much, for way too long.
2: Yes, this is largely because we have been scared witless by Dateline :), Law and Order, missing
persons pictures everywhere, and sensational media reporting.
But: bad stuff happens, and you don't want it to happen to "your kid."
3: No, we don't know our neighborhoods like back-in-the-day. Our neighbors, even if we know
them on the other side of the block, are probably not home cooking dinner and glancing out their
windows watching a pack of kids playing 4 square in the driveway. No one is home, not kids, not
neighbors.
But: Our kids have been taught what do if a stranger offers to give them a ride, they know how to
bite, kick, scratch, scream and run. They have to learn to trust their own abilities, instincts and
insights.
Furthermore, as Latter-Day Saints, hopefully we have taught our kids to recognize the spirit
when prompted, and respond accordingly. And we have to trust our own parental intuition and
revelation about individual circumstances. We know the Lord answers many of those prayers for
safety that we are always saying. :) And if not in the way we might like, well, the kids still have to
live, grow, and learn, and we have to let them. If they fall on the way to school, they can hobble
to the school nurse and get a band-aid! (Even if I won't be there to kiss it better.)
Not to reduce child rearing to playing odds, but how many of us still eat raw brownie batter and
cookie dough even though the increased likelihood of salmonella contaminated eggs is higher
than it used to be? Are the odds of getting salmonella poisoning from a raw egg more than the
crime rate in your town? More questions. Answers???
17 April 2008
1yr Online
So I realized the other day that we passed our 1st Blogging anniversary. Apr. 6 2007 was our debut
and can you believe it's been that long already?
My friend showed me this link on a friend of a friend of a friends blog, and I think I'm going to try
it. But if any of you actually get around to trying it before me ('cause we all know I'm more than a
bit of a procrastinator) let me know what you think. It's a company that takes your blogs and
prints and binds them into a book. So much for thescrap-bookers. :)
-and they use the word 'slurped' in their headline; what is this world coming too? They must be
Generation Xers.
and can you believe it's been that long already?
My friend showed me this link on a friend of a friend of a friends blog, and I think I'm going to try
it. But if any of you actually get around to trying it before me ('cause we all know I'm more than a
bit of a procrastinator) let me know what you think. It's a company that takes your blogs and
prints and binds them into a book. So much for thescrap-bookers. :)
-and they use the word 'slurped' in their headline; what is this world coming too? They must be
Generation Xers.
13 April 2008
World of Competitive Geography
Our Chickadee had a great time at her Geography Bee. Her and I got to go up the night before and stay in a hotel, and have treats, braid hair, and watch lots of How It's Made on cable! She represented herself extremely well during the competition and enjoyed her experience. She's planning a return next year! Go get 'em!
(The picture is of her and some other kids from schools nearby.)
Of 100 possible participants, only 96 competed, 20 were girls, <10 were 4th graders. The first round of questioning attempts to thin out the field to 10 students, but usually there is a tie-breaker round before the final round. Chickadee answered 6 of 8 questions correctly, but failed to make it to the final or tie-breaker rounds. But what an experience! You go girl! Well Done!
(This picture shows the first round scores. The girl who answered 7 correctly made it to the tie-breaker round, but we don't know how she did beyond that.)
Adults!
Since I've been playing the married-but-single parent game for a bit now, I sure appreciate it when I get some help. I have a crew of loyal local friends who regularly bail me out of a pile of dishes, laundry, or take me out to play. They are true staffs to lean on. I 'm so grateful to have them!
I've also been treated to a few visitors from out of town who have come to help out. First, our favorite GI Joe Uncle returned from a 15 month deployment in late January. He came for a week last month and helped us clean up our horribly trashed backyard. He also built us some benches, and hung out, worked out, and wrestled with the kids. What a guy!
Our other distinguished visitor was my 'sister' and her son. They came to spend a week and distract my girls on their spring break with all of the little guys grand cuteness! We played and hung out and walked the baby, and had a grand old time.
Plus while Sis took the kids to the park, I got my garage put back together! For months my would-be attic storage has been living in my garage, and even seeped into the kitchen. Left over Christmas stuff that was missed, winter coats, winter clothes, easter stuff, shoes, boots, you name it. But now it's all back where it should be, and I've reclaimed my entire kitchen floor.
We had a really fun visit. Perfect for an at-home spring break!
Thank you you guys for coming down! We love you.
And thank you to those who can't make it down to visit, but who call to check up on us. All adult conversation is welcome, even if we mostly talk about kids. :) We're grateful to everyone who's watching out and praying for us. Love to all, Happy Spring!
I've also been treated to a few visitors from out of town who have come to help out. First, our favorite GI Joe Uncle returned from a 15 month deployment in late January. He came for a week last month and helped us clean up our horribly trashed backyard. He also built us some benches, and hung out, worked out, and wrestled with the kids. What a guy!
Our other distinguished visitor was my 'sister' and her son. They came to spend a week and distract my girls on their spring break with all of the little guys grand cuteness! We played and hung out and walked the baby, and had a grand old time.
Plus while Sis took the kids to the park, I got my garage put back together! For months my would-be attic storage has been living in my garage, and even seeped into the kitchen. Left over Christmas stuff that was missed, winter coats, winter clothes, easter stuff, shoes, boots, you name it. But now it's all back where it should be, and I've reclaimed my entire kitchen floor.
We had a really fun visit. Perfect for an at-home spring break!
Thank you you guys for coming down! We love you.
And thank you to those who can't make it down to visit, but who call to check up on us. All adult conversation is welcome, even if we mostly talk about kids. :) We're grateful to everyone who's watching out and praying for us. Love to all, Happy Spring!
Puzzles and General Conference
Those of you who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints know that last weekend was our General Conference. Well, I only caught the last half of the first Saturday session cause I had a friend arriving from out of town to visit me. (More on that later.)
Well this weekend, as it so happens, was our Stake Conference, and our stake center is about an hour away, which is usually no big deal, but I was being a bit of a whiner about it and then I ended up getting sick anyway, so we didn't go. -Instead...I had a marathon day of listing to 8 hours of General Conference from last weekend online. (Technology is cool.) I worked a puzzle, and let the kids go in and out and we took breaks for meals and such.
Among the many things I gained from this experience was a puzzle/life analogy. OK
We are trying to put our lives in order. the puzzle
We are doing some things well. the pieces we already have put together
We have a lot to fit in, and it looks overwhelming, and like it won't all fit. the scattered peices
But... We have the Savriors example, scriptures, and prophets, and prayer, etc to guide us. the puzzle cheater key
It's a loose analogy, but Conference has a way of making you feel good about what you're doing and pointing our what else you need to work on. This Conference was exceptional, I'm so glad I made it a point to listen. Can't wait 'til it comes out in print.
Well this weekend, as it so happens, was our Stake Conference, and our stake center is about an hour away, which is usually no big deal, but I was being a bit of a whiner about it and then I ended up getting sick anyway, so we didn't go. -Instead...I had a marathon day of listing to 8 hours of General Conference from last weekend online. (Technology is cool.) I worked a puzzle, and let the kids go in and out and we took breaks for meals and such.
Among the many things I gained from this experience was a puzzle/life analogy. OK
We are trying to put our lives in order. the puzzle
We are doing some things well. the pieces we already have put together
We have a lot to fit in, and it looks overwhelming, and like it won't all fit. the scattered peices
But... We have the Savriors example, scriptures, and prophets, and prayer, etc to guide us. the puzzle cheater key
It's a loose analogy, but Conference has a way of making you feel good about what you're doing and pointing our what else you need to work on. This Conference was exceptional, I'm so glad I made it a point to listen. Can't wait 'til it comes out in print.
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