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January 2008
Tell a child his weakness?
Do you tell a child his weakness or let him figure it out? Which approach is more beneficial to the child?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve been watching that show “Jon and Kate plus 8” a lot lately. It’s a TLC show about a Pennsylvania family who had a set of twins and then wanted one more baby and ended up with sextuplets. (Yes, they used fertility treatments.) The show is a documentary about their lives and how they handle eight kids.
In the show, Jon and Kate also narrate the action and sort of give analysis about what is going on with their kids. Often Kate will say things like, this one is the loving one, or this one is very stubborn or this one is very dramatic.
She seems to have their personalities pretty well figured and is probably pinpointing traits that will give their children trouble later in life. She says her children’s faults so freely to the camera I wondered if she ever shared them with the children themselves? I also wondered: Is it more beneficial for a child to be told early on “Hey, you do X and you might want to work on that.” Or is it better for a child to figure his faults out on his own?
I’m sure my mother has known my faults for years but I don’t ever remember her saying to me “Hey, you’re a little pushy, you might want to work on that.” I feel like I’m just now going “Oh hey, people may not like that about me. I’d better tone that down.” Would it have been to my benefit for her to have told me sooner?
Should we tell a child his weaknesses or let him figure them out for himself?
Permalink | Comments (30) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
Do you talk politics with your girlfriends?
One book I partially read, says we don’t, and I think I know why.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have been trying to read for weeks now this book “If They Only Listened to Us: What Women Voters Want Politicians to Hear,” by Melinda Henneberger.
While I was fascinated by the topic, I found the book awfully hard to get through. (I’m not sure if that’s my fault or Melinda’s. Oh, who am I kidding, totally her fault — she needed to organize by conclusions instead of conversations!)
Although I didn’t finish it, one of the big points I did glean in the first few chapters was that women DON’T talk with their girlfriends about politics. I’m not sure if the book offers reasons why (because I didn’t finish it), but I of course have my own theories.
I don’t want to talk politics with the ladies I am seeing every day because they are essentially my co-workers. (Many are my friends but they are also co-workers.). Most people know better than to talk politics at work because you don’t need to be uncomfortable while you’re trying to do your job. I don’t need ladies mad at me in the preschool car line because we disagree about how to deal with healthcare. I don’t want the moms at the birthday parties I attend to be P.O’d because they don’t like my candidate’s plan for the economy. Sadly, the strife that could potentially arise from the discussion is not worth the value of that discussion — at least not for me.
I do have two main girlfriends that are my political release. Both of them worked on campaigns and are political junkies. Even though we rarely agree, I think they are both smart and I am interested in their take on events. I don’t see these ladies on a daily basis, so if we happen to make each other mad, we can step away from the phone for a few days until it passes. You can’t do that if you’re on a PTA committee with someone.
What do you think? Do you talk about politics with your girlfriends? Why or why not?
Permalink | Comments (39) | Categories: What kind of Mom are you?
Have you heard ‘The Mom Song’?
A new You Tube video shows in less than 3 minutes all the things a mom says in 24 hours.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wrote about my adventures of buying organic for this week’s column. Since we recently discussed buying organic, I’m giving you guys a different topic if you want it.
My husband showed me this You Tube video yesterday. (The sound pops on automatically so be ready with your headphones before you hit the link.)
You may have already seen it. I’m often a little late on these things. It’s a mom singing to the tune of the William Tell Overture all the things a mom says in 24 hours. Her version lasts 2 minutes and 55 seconds.
It is kind of loud so use your earphones so your boss/children won’t know you’re fooling around.
Tell us what you think? How true is the song? How many of these items do you say on a daily basis?
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: General Frustrations of Motherhood
Making the move to organic
Are you thinking about changing the food you buy? How does organic compare on cost?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ever since our baby started eating real food, I have been struggling with whether I should be buying organic for my family.
In the past when I considered buying organic, I always wrote it off to something only hippie mothers did in California. But as the movement has gone more mainstream, I started feeling guilty that I wasn’t offering my family the most natural, least processed food available.
We’ve talked about it a couple of times on the blog. Does organic help prevent allergies? Does it improve children’s concentration and behavior?
A lot of mothers think so. And while I don’t have any scientific proof either way, it would seem to make sense that the more natural a food is, the fewer problems it could cause.
While I knew intellectually that organic was probably better for my family, I always felt like going organic was cost prohibitive. Every time I would look at the organic produce at my normal grocery store, it was just too much higher in price for me to justify spending the overage.
I have several friends who do shop organic but live close to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Supposedly those stores are less expensive to buy organic, but they are also both 30 to 45 minutes away from us.
Did I mention I have three kids that are ages 6 and under? I need convenient, less expensive and then organic.
Then I started talking with a girlfriend who lives in Decatur. She said she buys most of her organic food at the DeKalb Farmers Market, and that she felt like the prices were pretty reasonable.
As a child, we went to the DeKalb Farmer’s Market all the time. My mother worked in Decatur so it was easy to stop there. I used to love seeing all the exotic fruits, vegetables, spices and interesting people.
So I decided to check it out. I had my 4-year-old and 10-month-old and took along my mom for reinforcement. I hadn’t been in a few years so I had to get a check approved to pay later and had to figure out the lay of the land. Even doing all that, it only took about an hour and 15 minutes to get through the store.
Four-year-old Walsh had a wonderful time looking at the all varieties of mushrooms and hot peppers. He liked seeing the squid, the live crabs crawling all over each other, and the cooked lobsters.
I liked being able to find exactly what I wanted — a lot of times in my regular grocery store I would have to make substitutions for a less common veggie or cut of meat.
At the market, the meats were all natural, no antibiotics or hormones. And, I loved that I could get just the combination of cuts I wanted — like four chicken legs with 2 breasts — tough to find a chicken like that in a regular grocery store.
We bought brown eggs — the kids had never seen them before — and our milk had cream on top.
I ended up getting all my fruits and veggies, five days worth of meat, two gallons of milk, orange juice, a dozen eggs, baby yogurt, cheese and olives — all organic except the olives, for $95. That should last us a week to two weeks. (I did go to my regular grocery store the next day to buy Coke and jarred baby food. I didn’t see those things at the market.)
I was really surprised at how low the market’s prices were. In fact, I actually think I would have paid more than that at my normal grocery store just for non-organic food.
I was so proud of myself for buying all organic. When i got home, I called all my girlfriends to tell them. One of them said, “Well that’s great, but what about all your snack food?” Another said, “What about just buying local?”
My friends have some high standards, and I’m working on it. I’ve made the first big step and I hope I can keep it up. Now I know buying organic isn’t cost prohibitive, but I’ve just got to make the time to go to the market. It’s a little further than my regular store but a lot better for us.
Are you still wearing maternity clothes?
Why yes, yes I am. But I have good reason for it!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you still wearing your maternity clothes? If so, is it because you never lost your baby weight, you just like that particular item or because they are simply more comfortable?
I have to admit I am still wearing some of my maternity clothes, but I have good reasons! I am NOT fat - I am in fact lower in weight than before I got pregnant, but …
My bikini maternity underwear are the newest underwear I own. Because they were bikini, they pretty much fit the same as regular bikinis. But technically they are maternity.
I like a few of my maternity shirts because they are longer than normal shirts so they don’t ride up. The new maternity shirts are all made of Lycra so they stretch as you get big, but look like normal shirts. So I don’t think anyone can tell they are maternity.
I am also still wearing my maternity tights. I hate wearing pantyhose or tights of any kind, but sometimes you have to and the maternity tights are sooo comfortable. They don’t pinch or squeeze. I think they’re how kids’ tights must feel. However, I did notice at church the ankles seemed a little bunchy — a sad development.
Are your still sporting your pregnancy apparel? Is so, why do you keep the items in your rotation?
Permalink | Comments (14) | Categories: General Frustrations of Motherhood
Stepmother in crisis: What role does she play?
How much role do you play with your stepchildren? How do you navigate the relationship with the first wife?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We had a cry for help last week from one of our fellow moms.
Jasmine wrote: “Teresa, could you do a column on second families and what the mothers of second families go through dealing with being a stepmother and a biological mom and dealing with the mom of the children from the first family?”
Jasmine I don’t have any experience with this, so I’m throwing it out to our wise group of mothers out there.
Ladies, what are your experiences with being a stepmom and being the biological mom? How do you coordinate with the new family? What role should the stepmother play in caring, disciplining, rearing the children? What can make this process go more smoothly?
Permalink | Comments (57) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
When to exercise modesty at the Y?
Does it matter if a 4-year-old boy changes in front of a 6-year-old girl?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When we finished our swimming lessons last week, we walked into the women’s family locker room with another 6-year-old girl and her mother. We were chatting with them while the girls were getting changed. My 6-year-old daughter, who is not particular shy about changing in front of others, just stripped right down. The other little girl’s mother held a towel around her daughter while she changed.
I wondered if she did it because she didn’t want my 4-year-old son seeing her naked and then I wondered if she wouldn’t want her daughter seeing my son undress? So to be safe, I took him around the corner to another area to change him. When I came back her mother offered up that her daughter was just shy about it — she wasn’t worried about my son on either count.
But it made me wonder at what age is it inappropriate for my son to see other little girls change and vice versa?
The Y has a women’s family dressing room and a men’s family dressing room. It is intended for parents to be able to keep their children with them and dress them. I’m usually the one to take the kids so my son usually ends up in the ladies’ dressing room. I guess if my husband were to take them, I wouldn’t want my daughter at this age changing in front of men or older boys or her seeing men getting dressed. I might let my daughter change alone in the women’s dressing room but I sure as heck wouldn’t let my son change alone in the men’s (and I don’t think I would for a long time).
There is a little area by the pool where you can pull the curtains and they could change without showering. That might be a stop-gap solution.
At what age should children exercise modesty when changing clothes?
Permalink | Comments (272) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
10 things to love about a 10-month-old
What do you remember about your babies? What were your favorite stages? What were their favorite ways to be held and loved?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last May for Mother’s Day, I wrote about all my favorite things about our then 2-month old baby. Eight-months later, lots of things have changed, including her mobility, and I think it’s time to once again take a verbal snapshot of our precious little girl.
Even if your children have long since left the nest, I think most mothers will remember fondly those sweet baby days. Here are the top 10 things I am currently loving about our 10-month-old daughter:
She claps for us Every morning when we come in to get her, she’s standing in her crib laughing and clapping just for us. She gets so excited that you’re coming for her and wants nothing more than to be in your arms (and to have her diaper changed). It is the sweetest way to wake up and the best “Good Morning” in the whole world.
The blankie and the thumb We never had a child who sucked his/her thumb or was attached to a blanket, but this baby is. When she’s ready go to sleep, she holds her silky pink blanket in the palm of her hand and pops that hand’s thumb into her mouth. Then she lays her head down on your chest and that means it’s time for bed.
The bath tub I wrote a few months back about how much the baby wants to be in the middle of her brother’s and sister’s fun, and that is never more true than at bath time. At about 7 months she would crawl into the bathroom and pull up on the side of the tub to watch her brother or sister bathe. She would bounce up and down and screech because she wanted in that tub. I thought she was too small, but my husband Michael tried it and she loved it. She’s thrilled to be splashing with the big kids.
She hugs you When my brother-in-law was here for Christmas he was so pleased when he would pick up the baby and she would wrap her arms around his shoulders and squeeze. We can’t get enough of her sweet baby hugs.
The teetering walk The baby started crawling at 4.5 months and started pulling up on things at 7 months. By 9 months she was walking. She’s starting to get faster and steadier, but it is adorable to watch her do the Frankenstein across the room.
She’s into everything While it can be frustrating when I’m trying to get stuff done, I am amazed every day by how much she can get into. She is so curious and wants to explore all day long. Walking has given her a new vantage point on her world and all of a sudden cabinets and drawers that were never noticed before are being investigated. She’s also discovered the dog’s bowls - bad news for me.
Her talking She loves to babble and does it all day long — just like her Momma. “Dadada” this and “Babab” that. But the first word she really associated with the object was “Book”. She says “buh” and points to any book she can get her hands on — including the church hymnal. I think “book” was her first word because she reads with the whole family at night when we’re putting the other two to bed.
She helps me get things out of her mouth She’s always sticking things in her mouth that she finds on the carpet — tiny pieces of paper, twigs, and leaves. I used to have dig in her mouth to get them out but now I say, “What’s in your mouth?” She smiles and then sticks her tongue out proudly for me to see and grab whatever she’s found. It’s a much easier system than before, and I’m impressed she knows what I’m after.
The pastel footed sleepers It’s a sad day when kids are potty trained and don’t wear those one-piece footed sleepers anymore. I love the baby in her pastel footed-sleepers, especially the ones with polka dots. She’s so cozy (she can’t pull them off like she does socks) and her bottom and tummy are so round and cute. Plus, the feet have rubber grips that are helpful for my new little walker.
Her friendly disposition She is just the happiest, sweetest, friendliest little baby. She has the best disposition and rarely fusses. We are so blessed to have such a loving, serene little person in our lives. My sister-in-law said at Christmas if she could be guaranteed to have a baby as sweet as ours she’d go for her third. That’s quite a testament.
What do you remember about your babies? What were your favorite stages? How did they greet you in the morning? What were their favorite ways to be held and loved? L
Do you need a wedding do-over?
Looking back, is there anything you would change about your wedding?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My husband recently forwarded to me a photo of a woman who had her wedding cake made to look exactly like her. (Here’s the photo.) I mean in every way — including her height. I can’t say for certain but I think that may be something she could regret later in life.
But it made me start thinking: Is there anything you regret from your wedding? Is there anything you would do differently if you could have a wedding do-over?
I think there are maybe two things I would change from our wedding. We married very young and hadn’t been to too many other weddings. I think I would have had a sit down dinner instead of a buffet. I had never been to a sit-down dinner wedding at that point. I also think I would have done our music differently. But other than that nothing is keeping me up at night.
What would you change about your wedding?
Permalink | Comments (32) | Categories: Relationship
Are over-processed, non-norganic foods causing food allergies?
One mom in Colorado thinks so and she’s fighting to be heard.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Where do food allergies come from?
One mom in Colorado has a theory and she’s fighting to get the word out to parents. The New York Times wrote on Jan. 9, about Robyn O’Brien, a mother of 4, who believes that because our food supply is being changed with additives, genetic modifications, hormones and herbicides that allergies, autism and other disorders are increasing.
While her theory is not supported by leading researchers, she thinks that reveals a further conspiracy. Read the full story here.
How does she think allergies can be reduced?
The story says that, “Ms. O’Brien encourages people to do what she did: throw out as much non-organic processed food as you can afford to. Avoid anything genetically modified, artificially created or raised with hormones. Don’t eat food with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Once she cleaned out her cupboards, she said, her four children started behaving better. Their health problems, which her doctor attributed to allergies to milk and other foods, cleared up.”
What do you think? Does this theory ring true to you? Does your child have food allergies? Do you think processed and altered food could have caused the allergies?
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Health
Does hovering halt launch to independence?
Are you a 'helicopter parent'? At what age should you start to back off and give your child more room?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Am I helping or am I hovering?
I have been asking myself this a lot lately as my 6-year-old daughter becomes more independent. When should I step in and offer assistance and when should I back off and let her handle things on her own?
A few years back, “hovering” became a bad thing for a parent to do. It was what over-involved “Helicopter Parents” did. Originally, the term applied to late-generation Baby Boomers who were micro-managing their college students’ lives — calling professors to discuss grades, mailing clean laundry to their kids. But then “Helicopter Parents” started to be used to describe those with young children as well.
I don’t know about you, but I think parents should hover over small children. They need you close by for physical safety and for emotional security.
I am proud to say I am the mother you see walking behind her toddlers on the playground ready to catch them if they fall from the slide.
But how long do you spot for your children? When do you step in to catch them and when do you let them fall — emotionally or physically?
Last Saturday I had two experiences — one where I think I hovered and one where I think I helped my 6-year-old.
My daughter started winter swimming lessons and Rose’s teacher was asking the class to do a lot of things in the water she had never done before — scary things. He was asking the class to swim down to the deep end and tread water. He was asking them to jump off the diving board and swim the length of the Olympic-size pool. He was asking them to crawl down a pole and touch the bottom of the deep end of the pool. He was asking them to do a sitting dive into the deep end.
I was standing close by during the class so I would know how to reinforce his lessons when we were in the pool later. Each time he asked the class to do something scary, I blurted out to the teacher “She’s never done that before.”
This was bad in so many ways. I’m sure it let my daughter know that I was nervous and scared for her, which only added to any anxiety she already had. It also may have embarrassed her in front of the other kids.
I was scared, but I should have kept my mouth closed and just watched to see if she needed me.
It turns out she didn’t need me. She was a little pro and handled it all swimmingly. That was hovering in a bad way.
That afternoon she had a skating party to attend. I kept thinking about what I had done that morning. I wasn’t sure how much she wanted me around at the rink. I didn’t know if she wanted to skate with me or just with her friends. And when I would see her friends skate off, I didn’t know if I should rush over or if she was OK just skating alone.
I made a conscious effort to give her a little space. I would check in with her to see if she wanted me and then would skate off to the periphery. I was close enough that she could signal if she needed me, but I wasn’t cutting in on her time with her friends. I think I found a pretty good balance that afternoon.
Researching the phenomenon of “Helicopter Parents”, I found several online quizzes which rated if you were helping your kids in a healthy manner or in a way that would prevent them from learning to do things for themselves. (Click here to see if you’re a Helicopter Parent.)
Two quizzes I took said I was giving my daughter enough freedom to learn to make decisions but was there if she needed me. So, I guess I’m doing OK, despite the swimming pool scene.
Maternity leave for high school students?
Do absences really matter when there’s a child at stake?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pregnant students in Denver have asked their high school for at least four weeks of maternity leave “so they can heal, bond with their newborns and not be penalized with unexcused absences,” reports the Denver Post. (Here is the full story.)
The paper explains that normally Colorado public schools use specialized programs or individual education plans to deal with pregnancy.
“Two counselors from East High School approached the school board last month, saying the policy at their school is unfair and inconsiderate because it forces new moms to return to school the day after being discharged from the hospital or face being charged with unexcused absences,” reports the Post.
“East High School administrators could not be reached for comment over the winter break, but district officials say they are reviewing the policy on absences to make it ‘friendlier’ to new moms, said DPS spokesman Alex Sanchez,” the article says.
The more I thought about this, the more it angered me. Can you imagine being asked to return to an 8-hour day of work after leaving the hospital after giving birth?
First off, you’re generally bleeding heavily and your uterus is still contracting. Your breasts are leaking milk. You’re exhausted and freaked out. And this little person needs round-the-clock care. Who do they think is going to take care of that baby if the mother goes off to P.E.?
We, as mothers, know how physically and emotionally tough the transition can be after giving birth — much less for a young girl who has no idea what she has gotten herself into.
It’s a terrible situation. We need to prevent teen pregnancy, but once it’s happened we have to help these young women take care of themselves and their newborns. And I don’t think giving them some time off from school to recover and bond with their infant is going to encourage some girl to go out and get pregnant.
So now you know where I’m standing on this. Tell us what you think? Should schools give maternity leave? How much time?
Permalink | Comments (215) | Categories: Ethics of rearing kids today
What’s the sign you want some?
How do you let your husband know you’re feeling frisky?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What’s the big sign that you or you husband are interested in getting some?
The other night I was like rubbing my husband’s back and then went upstairs to our bedroom. He appeared a few minutes later and it occurred to me that maybe he thought I was trying to tell him something (but I wasn’t — I was just being nice). I asked him, “Did you think I was coming on to you? He was like, “Uh maybe?”
I had a friend in college who told me when her boyfriend wanted to fool around he would always ask, “Do you want to go look at my baseball cards?”
How do you let your husband know you’re receptive to sex? How does he tell you? (Keep it clean people!)
Permalink | Comments (42) | Categories: Battles between Mom and Dad
Passing on your political views?
Are the primaries presenting teachable moments? How much do you share about your political beliefs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you talking with your kids about today’s primary? Are you talking with them about the election process in general?
Are you sharing with them your views of the candidates and what you think the country needs or are you keeping it strictly a factual discussion of how our government is set up? Do you worry about your kids sharing your political views with others?
We’ve been talking a lot with our 6- and 4-year-old about the primary season and identifying the parties and the candidates. My husband has been very neutral in his discussions with them. I wondered if he was worried about our eldest daughter sharing his personal views with others but he said, no, he just wanted her to decide for herself.
Our 4-year-old likes watching the political talk shows with me. I had taped all the Sunday morning news shows while we were at church and he watched them with me Sunday night. I’m not sure how much he understood or retained.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Categories: Education
Skating my way back in time
Did you love skating as a kid? Have you taken your children skating?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every now and again you run across something — a food, a scent, a sound — that takes you back to your childhood.
Last Sunday afternoon, I was vividly transported to my elementary school years.
I took my 6- and 4-year-old skating at the rink where I spent half my youth. Almost every weekend from 1978 to 1984 you could find me at Skate-A-Long U.S.A., off Beaver Ruin Road in Lilburn, shaking my Gloria Vanderbilt-clad booty and sporting my beautiful white boot skates with giant floppy pom-poms. Just walking in the joint, I felt like I was 10 again— so free and so happy.
For better or worse, Skate-A-Long hasn’t changed an iota since I started going there. OK, the carpet must be new, but I swear everything else looks exactly the same. The orangy-red laminate booths in the snack bar where my brother and I celebrated our birthdays; the window where we waited to get our rental skates; the “pro” shop where we bought our skates; the neon disco lights over the rink, the Boston Celtics-style parquet floor, the sliding window where we would line up to request music — all looked the same! And God bless them, the staff was even happy to accommodate all the mothers’ requests for old-school Michael Jackson in between Fergie and Soulja Boy.
I love roller skating, but I hadn’t been in such a long time. My daughter’s friends started having roller skating birthday parties last year, but I couldn’t go because I was pregnant. So this was my first chance to see what my kids could do and teach them all my skills. My 60-something father, who is also an excellent skater, came along to help. My husband never learned to skate and therefore doesn’t.
We had the greatest afternoon. Dancing and shaking our booties. Requesting songs. Clapping and hopping to the Cha Cha Slide (This generation’s Hokey Pokey. It’s the song the kid dunks apples to in the McDonald’s commercial.). The kids loved it.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s hard work learning to skate. There was lots of falling, lots of frustration and even a few tears, but by the end of the three-hour session my daughter went from skating on the carpet to making it around the rink with very little help and my son made it around once holding my hand. They were proud of how much they accomplished in one afternoon.
While it was truly joyful teaching them how to skate, it also felt fantastic to skate off on my own when they were taking a break. I would zoom around the rink — dancing, twirling, skating backwards and chatting with other moms and dads my age who love skating just as much as I do.
We had so much fun that we went again on Wednesday with some little buddies. The girls did great and by the end were skating around the rink at will. Our boys did well too, but got a little distracted by the video games. (At least they kept their skates on while they pretended to play.)
The rink even held races just like they did in the ’80s. I entered the adult category and beat out five other parents. And one guy was really trying hard to win. The kids cheered me on from the carpet. They were proud of their mom. Plus, I won a child-size Coke.
One dad even asked me if I ever taught skating lessons. I might start — the rink charges $20 an hour for them.
We’ll be going back again soon, of course, and I simply can’t wait. I would encourage any mom and dad who loved skating when they were young to take their own children. It is truly the Fountain of Youth for our generation. You’ll lose weight. Hang out with your kids. Talk with them. Dance with them and impress them with your skills.
We want snow! We want snow!
Have your kids ever seen snow? Are they fascinated by it? If you’re a transplant, do your kids miss the snow?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know you’re really from the South, if you’re demanding snow!
My kids are desperate to see, touch and play in snow. They talk about it all the time. They watch the outdoor temperature monitor in the kitchen and in the car to see if it is cold enough the make snow. The stare out the window for any sign of precipitation on a cold day. They have high hopes for this week — since it’s supposed to be pretty frigid.
My 4-year-old begs us to move to a state with snow. He has developed this odd partiality to Michigan. We’ve never been there. I have no idea where it comes from, but he’s obsessed with the state and knows he could have snow there.
My daughter has seen snow twice in Georgia and once in Connecticut in her short six years. My son doesn’t remember the two times he’s seen it.
We used to get snow in Georgia it seemed like at least once a year. I recently went though a family photo album at my mom’s house and from 1977 to 1984 (the years in that album), I counted snow five different years. (5 of 8 for the math impaired). Definitely not happening that frequently now!
We’ve been trying to decide how far we’d have to drive for the kids to play in some snow. Would Tennessee get the job done? Kentucky? North Carolina?
Are you kids obsessed with snow? Do they miss it if you moved here from up north? Would you take a trip just to expose your kids to snow?
Permalink | Comments (28) | Categories: Family Life
Are you sad Christmas is over?
I hate it when the holidays are over and we have to return to the real world.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some people get depressed during the holidays. I get depressed after the holidays. I’m so bummed out our special family time is over!
Rose goes back to school on Thursday - too soon!! And Michael has to go back to work also on Thursday. He’s been off for nearly two weeks with use-it or lose-it vacation time. I still have my other little buddies with me at home, but it’s just not the same as having everyone nestled in the house with little to do. We have to get back to the real world with real bed times and real wake up times. We haven’t used an alarm clock in two weeks.
But besides the getting up early, I’m sad the excitement of the holidays is over. We had so much fun preparing for Christmas and trying to make it such a memorable time for them. The kids loved the special music, food and cuddle times. (We only have a week or two more that we can listen to the Chipmunks Christmas album before Michael bans it from the car!)
And I’m so bummed about taking down the tree and the outside decorations! I’m wondering how long I can get away with leaving the wreaths on the windows and the pretty red bows on the white picket fence - it’s just so cheerful in the wintertime. (Maybe, I can leave the bows? They kind of work for Valentine’s Day too!)
Are you sad about the holidays being over? What will you miss the most? What will you repeat next year? What will you omit?
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