The envelope please....

And the winner of the LeapFrog LEAPSTER 2 is ...

(drum roll)

ZACHSGRAN!

She was hoping to win this for her grandson and she DID!

Congratulations!

It's almost RESOLUTION time!

So, what will yours be?

Every year since I was 3, I think, I have resolved to get healthy and lose weight. If you have read my blog long enough you have been privy to all of my overzealous plans to get fit.

Well, this year, I MEAN IT! LOL!

I am not a hefty person but I am at a weight that I am uncomfortable being. I need to suck it in a little too much and that can make you lightheaded if you have to do it for too long. It's that weight that makes you feel like parts that shouldn't be are sticking out. When your boobs pop out for your bra when you bend down to pick something up. And with those gosh darned short crotch jeans, your whole backside waves to everyone if you have to bend even a little bit.

It's like a choreographed dance when you are out to impress and you are trying to look skinny when you're really not. Let's face it, no one knows how flabby you are unless you are naked and, I hope, not that many people see you naked.

The dance starts with the PULL AND TUCK. I do this one often...You grab onto the belt loops of your jeans as you stand and hoist them to your throat while trying to tuck in that extra roll as you pull.

Then there's the SUCK IN AND SMOOTH OUT. This step is typically performed in a mirror. You check yourself out, turn sideways, suck it in and readjust underwear, pantyhose and bra until the creases, ridges and rolls have been eradicated. Only attempt this in the Ladies Room, it is not an attractive part of the dance.

And of course we have the SIT TALL AND HOLD IT to round out the evening out. This step gives me gut-wrenching indigestion...but at least I looked thin when I am writhing in pain (before I cut myself out of my pantyhose). While eating, we hear our mother's voice telling us to "sit up straight and stop slouching!" So, we do. And naturally when you do this, your midsection is elongated. You would think this would allow MORE room for food, but somehow the sucking in of the gut makes for tremendous amounts of stabbing pain.

So, in light of this discussion, I WILL ONCE MORE BE RESOLVING TO GET IN SHAPE. I guess if I dust off that Wii Fit my kids got me for Mother's Day and plug my ears when it yells at me for not "stepping on" in about 7 months, maybe I could do this.

Anyone else? Wanna start a revolution? Let me know, maybe we can make a contest out of it!

**Oh, geez, the kids are out of the house...Dr. Phil is coming on....WHERE ARE THOSE FREAKING CHRISTMAS COOKIES??!! What? It's not January 1st yet! I need to get rid of all of the bad food, right? And it would be wasteful to throw it away! My neighbors and friends spent a lot of time on these!**

Christmas Day (LeapFrog Leapster 2) GIVEAWAY!

Well, here I am....sneaking into my studio/office while my kids play with their new gadgets to post about my new favorite toy! The NEW Leapster 2! I can't wait for nap time so I can peel my son's grubby little fingers off of it to see what all it does! The buttons are big, the stylus fits in a little hole the back, the screen is clear and there IS A VOLUME! You can turn it down! And...and...and...a headphone jack if Mom wants complete silence! Check it out! How cute is this?

There is a CD and power cord that you can plug right into your PC or laptop for computer play. Also, you can download games STRAIGHT FROM the LeapFrog website. And right now you can save and amazing 25% on games and accessories!

And, yes, I know what you frugal moms are asking..."But will the old LEAPSTER games fit in the new Leapster?" YES!!! Cha-Ching!

I am talking HOURS and HOURS of learning fun! I listened to my pre-schooler identifying letters while my husband cheered him on as he defeated Darth Vader while learning pre-reading skills! SO COOL!

And the best part of this?

LeapFrog has decided to GIVE ONE AWAY right here on my blog!

Tell your kiddo that Santa dropped this gift in a big snow drift at the North Pole and that's why it arrived late. There is no better deal than a FREE toy (especially a $50+ one) AFTER Christmas!

Leave a comment and on Wednesday I will choose a winner using Random.org to choose a winner.

Peace.

Merry Christmas!

The envelope, please! (and a contest!)

Hi all!

I have run a few contests these past couple weeks and wanted to let you know who our winners are!

The MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL BOOK goes to IrishMama!

and

The CURIOUS GEORGE: A VERY MONKEY CHRISTMAS goes to Bobbi-Jo from The High Family (go check out her photo - you'll see why she won! Too cute!)

There is a LEAP FROG LEAPSTER 2 contest coming up by the end of thise week!!!

Come back to check! That would make one AWESOME Christmas gift and it will be FREE!!!

Happy Shopping.

Peace.

Every kid needs a CYBER POCKET!

...and every mom needs her kid to have it! VTech is the leader in age-appropriate learning toys and the creator of the Electronic Learning Product category. Since 1976, VTech has been developing high-quality, innovative, educational products and learning toys that enrich children’s development. From infant to toddler to grade school, kids learn through fun, smart and active play.

Toys with a purpose that encourage learning and keep kids engaged are at the top of my list this year.

The V.Smile Cyber Pocket Learning System is one of these toys! Small enough to be portable but yet large enough for little hands this (I hate to even call it this because it's so much more) toy is one awesome find!

Children ages 4-7 can play games that enrich language, teach not only problem solving but math, spelling, vocabulary, logic, music and more.

I love that the screen is LCD and very clear. You know sometimes those small screens are pixel-y and remind me of the PONG game from way back when. Not this screen! It's sharp and colorful. I would like for it to be a little larger. I worry about the kiddos with less than perfect vision and think this small screen may frustrate them to the point of putting it down.

The stylus is attached with the short string and has a clip to hold it in place when not in use which is BRILLIANT! I wish my big kids had this option for their Nintendo DSs...they may not go to college b/c of all the money I have spent replacing lost styluses.

The buttons on the Cyber Pocket are colorful and small finger-sized but not to small that they hit more than one at a time. The finger activated joystick-style control buttons will increase hand-eye coordination which is a pre-reading skill. Kids with good hand-eye have been known to be better readers.

The writing pad is cool, too.

The mom friendly features are just as exciting!

• a head phone jack so you are not humming a learning game tune all day.
• a slide off cover to the battery compartment...NO SCREWDRIVER NEEDED!
• not-too-hard-to-remove-from-the-box packaging which can make for mumbled bad words on Christmas morning!
• ENTERTAINMENT that parallels no other system for this age group!

I can't wait for my son to open his VTech Cyber Pocket Learning System Christmas morning, but I think I will make it the last gift, so he can sit back and play right away!

MENTAL NOTE: Open box and put batteries in first! This packaging allows for simple cutting off fused edges and then placing protective clear cover back on and sliding it back into the box! LOVE IT!

The angels are singing to this one! Go out and get one of the best kids won't bother me while I am grocery shopping toys on the shelves this year!

More reviews on the way soon.

Peace.

Score your own MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL BOOK

When I spoke with Annie Fox on the phone a couple months ago, we clicked! Both being so passionate about kids, we talked and talked and the ideas flowed and flowed! It was like a geyser of "save the world starting with the kids" conversation!

So, a week later when BOOK 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind arrived in the mail, my oldest son happened to be dealing with the stress of a tryout for the Christmas concert soloist. He wasn't concerned with not getting the part, he was concerned that some of the other boys in the class would make fun of him for WANTING the part.

He explained the scenario when the teacher asked, "Who would like to try out?"

"Mom, I heard her ask the question and before I even had a chance to think about it, my arm shot up! It was automatic. I didn't even realize I was raising it until she called my name."

"That's great, bud!"

"But when the teacher called my name, "J" and "M" both said, 'Yeah, you SHOULD do it!'"

"And....what's wrong with that?"

"I think they were making fun of me. I think they want me to try out so they can make fun of me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't know."

So...I pulled out Annie's book, handed it to him (he LOVES graphic novels) and said, "I will be back in a little bit, you can tell me what you think when I get back."

The books are filled with honest comments from kids in that "tween" bracket. But on-going through those comments is a scenario that reads like a comic book, a scenario about Real Friends and how to deal with those who aren't. Annie's website is split into three parts: For Teens, For Parents, For Educators. BRILLIANT!

Now, you see WHY I handed him this book!

Needless to say, he tried out for the solo and was shocked when those two boys patted him on the back and said, "Great job!" The fear he had of them wanting to make fun of him was created out of his insecurity of BEING who he really is. I truly think, had I not had Annie's book to use as a guide, he may not have listened as clearly to another one of Mom's "when I was a kid" stories.

Annie's characters are REAL and RIGHT NOW!

You can win your own copy of this book to give to your favorite TWEEN for Christmas! Simply leave a comment (and a tween scenario if you like) and RANDOM.ORG will choose the winner.

Peace.

Where did November go?

Is it just me or did someone do the "rip the table cloth out from under the dishes" trick with the calendar? I feel like I just erased October from my dry erase calendar and added all of our November to-dos. Yesterday I had dejavu as I erased November to fill in December! Is it because I will be 40 this year? Is this what they mean when they say the older you get, the faster time goes? I had no idea it would be THIS sudden? I was just going along, minding my own business in October...November hit and B L A M! It's DECEMBER! I did the math... I am technically 39 1/2 as of this month! I am wondering if that "1/2" has done something to the universe, at least MY universe, to click my life into overdrive! I can't do my life at super speed! HELP!

Peace.

A Very Monkey Christmas THE CONTEST!

When PBS contacted me to see if I would have a Curious George party to announce the release of the FIRST CURIOUS GEORGE CHRISTMAS MOVIE, I agreed. I love kids. It would be fun!

The preview of the movie is on PBS today! To learn more about what's going on with that rascaly monkey...CHECK HIM OUT HERE!

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, finds George and The Man with the Yellow Hat having a very merry time counting down the days until Christmas. There’s only one puzzle: neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present. The Man is having trouble reading George’s wish list and George doesn’t have a clue about what to get for The Man who has everything. Maybe you can help!

We had a blast at our party! My favorite part was the contagious giggling from the other room when George would get himself in those typical Monkey predicaments.

The movie held their attention (until the last short bit) which is AMAZING for a room full of kiddos 5 and under! WOW!

We are headed out of town and taking MY COPY with us in the car to ring in the Holidays as we go...over the hill and through the woods to Grandmother's house!

Post a picture of your cutest Curious George fan on your blog and leave me a link and I will have my impartial judges pick the most creative photo to win the DVD, not yet released. The 2n drunner up will receive the Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas soundtrack!

POST THOSE PICTURES NOW!!

Athol Dickson LOST MISSION review

I am not much for historical fiction, I am a children's writer. So, when I got my hands on LOST MISSION by Athol Dickson I wasn't sure I would enjoy it, but I had offered to review it for LitFuse Agency so I dove right in.

I was taken aback by the gorgeous illustrative prose. Instantly I could SEE the Southern California landscape. This story of faithfulness and God's calling to be just that had me captivated. This book made me think! THIS I liked...historical fiction drew me in and I liked it.

Four characters who strive to do something great for God learn big lesson in what God truly wants of His followers.

A story set almost 200 years ago focuses on the trials and tribulations of Lupe de la Garza, a shopkeeper in a mountain village in Mexico, and her fellow characters. These trials are nothing history hasn't seen before; as they say, history repeats itself.

Moral mistakes, forbidden desire and lost faith in Dickson's LOST MISSION will keep you captivated with the premise that our seemingly unavoidable mistakes as a human race may not be truly be unavoidable. Maybe this cycle can be broken.

I am giving THIS book as a gift this holiday season! Go out and grab yours...even if you think you don't love historical fiction...I'm its latest convert!

Peace.

My Favorite Thanksgiving Message...

For: You

From: Me

...because I DON'T EAT TURKEY ON THANKSGIVING!

Peace (to the turkeys!).

GlassesUSA hooked me up!

UPDATED SALE INFORMATION!! Friday GlassesUSA is having an AMAZING Black Friday sale - 25% off ANY order. It's a one-day only sale followed by an almost as good sale on Cyber Monday (17% off any order).

I remember being a teenager and thinking it was so cool when I got my first prescription for glasses! Wearing eyeglasses was going to be SO cool! A couple years later my frames were huge compared the the latest styles and I never had time to go get new frames...picking them out took a lot of time and I just didn't have that kind of time. I stopped wearing them.

As a mom, I NEED my prescription glasses! The print on medicine bottles gets smaller each time I fill a prescription! So, I take the kids and go browse through the thousands of choices and can NEVER pick what I like. Distractions or no distractions, it's tricky!

I didn't think I would be able to choose eyeglass frames online. I figured I would need to see them on my face to know what I liked. But at GlassesUSA.com I found a lovely pair that I HOPED and PRAYED would look good! I had just had my eyes examined so I have my new prescription (which is Greek to me).

At GlassesUSA.com, your order is processed quickly, using YOUR prescription, and your glasses arrive in no time packed in their own sturdy case! And then prices...HOLY GOODNESS, they are so economical! This was a SUPERB experience!

Thanks GlassesUSA! They are awesome! I feel like a HOT MAMA in my new specs! ;) Whadda ya think?

Peace.

I love tiny*prints!

I now know where I will be shopping for my HOLIDAY GREETINGS!

Here are a couple samples from the tiny*prints website!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THEIR HOLIDAY SALE! GO! GO! GO!

I just got my Tiny*Prints order and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This website is so EASY to navigate and personalize...I'm not always a "quick learner" when it comes to new sites and ordering and personalizing but this site was a breeze.

Their products are so gorgeous, I found myself looking through other styles and cards for events and holidays I wasn't buying for but I just kept wanting to see more!

tiny*prints is FIRST CLASS! This company is definitely worth a bookmark in your FAVORITES file!

Check out their deals for the Holidays! This is ONE STOP SHOPPING at its BEST!

HOLIDAY CARDS

CHRISTMAS CARDS

HANUKKAH CARDS

HOLIDAY PHOTO CARDS

HOLIDAY PARTY INVITATIONS

HOLIDAY RETURN ADDRESS LABELS

HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS

HOLIDAY MINT TINS

HOLIDAY THANK YOU CARDS

NEW YEAR'S CARDS

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY INVITATIONS

They are bangin' down my door!

Hey all!

I know it's been awhile, I apologize! I've been feverishly working on a couple books and preparing for a speaking engagement - yeah, ME, SPEAKING! Like a bumbling idiot, probably! I may grace a post with some video of it after it's over - heck, if I can figure it out, maybe I will SKYPE it - we will see!

I love y'all for subscribing and it will pay off in the VERY near future. Listen why.

My inbox has been INUNDATED with companies asking me to review products and some are offering extra items for giveaways! JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

PBS, TinyPrints, VTech Toys, Simon&Schuster and MORE!!

Can you say FREE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING? Enter a contest and win a toy or discount that will help to complete your holiday shopping list!

SO...if you haven't already...SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE!

Peace.

At my art table...

Well, here I am back at my art table (WITH caffeine in my favorite cup - it's my own design!)...ready to dedicate the entire day (well, at least until the pre-school bus comes) to my latest project...

A BOOK DUMMY FOR SIMON & SCHUSTER

I want to thank all of you for supporting me through this publishing journey. So many of you contact me and ask WHERE you can buy my books. I don't have any published but I have many written and even more partially written. I have notebooks FILLED with simple ideas that would make a one-of-a-kind, quirky story! I will never live long enough to write every one of them!

This current project is a first for me. I am submitting as an AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR! Yep, I am taking your advice! I have been thinking all along that I wanted to just concentrate on ONE or the OTHER....writing OR illustrating. Come to find out, it make my writing SO much better when I can use MY OWN illustrations to SHOW the story. It's cleaner. Clearer. It feels like I have found my niche.

I recently had a review with an art rep from NYC who selected a few illustrations in my portfolio and said it was such a unique style that I needed to "run with it!" You can read more about that meeting HERE at my children's book blog.

OK! Back to work (and my coffee!) before I get sucked in chatting with you!

(Not that that's a bad thing!)

Peace.

NAMESAKE Christmas Gift EXTRAVAGANZA

Original, hand painted NAMESAKES on 9 x 12" bristol board: $50.00 each

I sold about 30 of these last year right before Christmas and I am opening my "ORDER PAD" once again but for a SHORT amount of time.

My ORDER PAD will be open until November 1st.

Orders will be verified once payment has been received.

I will contact you via email to discuss design options

and special requests for your child's artwork.

Peace.

Sanity's Blogtober TIP Parade: 10/21 ME? Speaking?

So, this post is for you moms who have done speaking engagements before.

I have.

I love them.

But I get real nervous.

And I am always looking for ways to "keep it fresh."

My tip for public speaking? Pretend you are talking to one of your best friends on the phone... under a spotlight... with 100 people staring at you ...and don't snort! Easy, right?

So, lay it on me! What are your PUBLIC SPEAKING tips?! If I get enough, I will post the video of the event here on my blog.

Peace.

Sanity's Blogtober TIP parade: 10/19 HELP.ME.

So.

I'm.

Having.

Trouble.

Blogging.

Everyday.

Tips?

Sanity's Blogtober TIP Parade: 10/14 Childhood Cancer SUCKS!

About a year and a half ago I started a mission...I was going to bring smiles to the faces of every child on the planet with cancer! I started its4thekids! With some very generous artists, we formed a philanthropic organization that sold art to raise money for what I called the human side of cancer. Many people don't know that electric still gets turned off, insurance companies drop your spouse, etc, etc, etc all while you are watching your child battle cancer. I had heard enough and wanted to help. The very first child we raised money for was Jessica! She was diagnosed in 2006, at 7 years old, with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. In her own words:

"I am 7 years old and have alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. I had a bump on my leg one day, and the next week I was at ACH having biopsies. I will be on chemotherapy and other treatment for 43 weeks, possibly longer. I cannot go to school or play sports until chemo is finished, and may lose my right leg too."

Her leg was amputated and she was fit with a prosthetic she affectionately named, Elvis!

This photo (below) was taken at the Arkansas Children's Hospital to celebrate Jessica's last chemo treatment. She was 8 years old!

On Valentine's Day 2007 Jessica got the news that her cancer was in remission. She was thrilled to get a second shot at a "normal" childhood. And she was even more thrilled when her hair grew back!

In November of 2007, Jessica was having some breathing issues and was sent to have scans done to rule out a relapse of the cancer. Unfortunately, after months of waiting and getting test results, doctors revealed that they had found a tumor in her back. Jessica underwent removal of the tumor in April 2008 and started another round of chemo almost immediately. A relapse of this type of cancer has a VERY poor prognosis.

December 3, 2008 and just in time for Christmas, Jessica was told she had achieved a SECOND REMISSION! By this time Jessica had also exhausted her lifetime allotment of chemo and could not afford another relapse.

Jessica and her mom, Teresa, put all the rebounding energy into a BIG project. A cookbook of recipes collected from across the country to benefit Childhood Cancer!

Once again her hair grew back and she was back to the energetic kid she always was. This photo is of her and her sister, Katie, goofing around! What a beautiful smile!

8 1/2 months later (August 2009), Jessica was having trouble breathing once again. The family's fears mounted.

This beautiful 10 year old's body was shutting down. Her mother reports on their caringbridge site, "CANCER BACK, wrapped around aorta and shoving heart up chest cavity, invading spine at T11-12, multiple metastases in lungs and lymph nodes." Jessica spent the next 2 weeks in the hospital.

I saw this on Jessica's facebook page (September 9th... less than ONE WEEK AGO):

"i'm home finally i got home bout 45 minutes ago and i'm here on hospice..i still have the chest tube in and an iv hooked but now all i do is lay and bed and wait till God comes to bring me home!!"

Jessica Easley turned 11 today...she blew out her candles with Jesus!

What will YOU do about Childhood Cancer?

46 children every school day are diagnosed with some form of cancer.

Only a small percentage of them will live 5 more years.

The American Cancer Society gives 0.03 on the dollar to childhood cancers.

Donate to organizations like CureSearch and Alex's Lemonade Stand where ALL funding supports research for childhood cancers.

Sign the Childhood Cancer Petition!

Leave a comment for Jessica and her family here or at their CaringBridge site!

Tips for the TIP parade?

DO SOMETHING! Don't turn away!

If you would like to purchase Jessica's cookbook, please email Teresa @ tlradke2@hotmail.com

Peace.

Sanity's Blogtober TIP parade: 10/13 To go or NOT to go?

Last month I had a really sore throat for almost a week...now I am NOT a baby when it comes to pain! Remember, I am the one who had the 11 lb baby! But, I was actually spitting in the sink instead of swallowing b/c it hurt so bad that my entire body would flinch.

Just about the time I was ready to go to the doctors it went away. Then, I got a pretty bad cough...lasted a week then when I had peed myself one too many times from the strenuous hacking, I was ready to call the doctor. Then it went way.

This went on for a month. A WHOLE MONTH! My mom was calling every day to see if I had gone to get some meds but it was a strange pattern of events...just when I thought I had had enough, the symptoms would go away. I would feel REALLY good for a day and then BLAM! I would come down with some other symptom.

So, after not seeing my brand new baby niece for 4 weeks, I broke down and went to the doctors. He heard my plea for meds, jotted down some stuff I said, listened to my chest and said, "WHY on EARTH did you wait a month to come in?"

I had no answer. Like a 10 year old being asked why she has toilet paper in her training bra, I said, " I dunno."

"Well, Michelle, you have PNEUMONIA!"

Nice.

So, I grabbed the Z-pack and the Advair disc (that is disgusting, btw!) and I was as good as new in about a week.

So, this weekend I came down with that same spit-in-the-sink sore throat. Was up by 5am drinking tea and doing shots of honey all the while downing 1/2 a bottle of Advil to kill the pain.

I call my doctor and tell the nurse that I am being proactive and I want to come right in so I can get on some meds and NOT be sick for another month! Of course they can't see me right away and I have to wait a day.

So, today I head in with my responsible big girl panties on. Call my mom from the parking lot and tell her what I am doing! "Yes. No, I am NOT kidding! I am standing in the parking lot! I swear! I will text you a picture!"

I tell the nurse that I was playing it safe and not letting my I-don't-need-a-doctor-I'm-a-mom pride get in the way. I was there for medicine so I could get back on track!

Dr. Lou came in and I sat up straight, took some deep breaths, fished for the pat on the back deserved for coming right in and not waiting.....

He sits back down and chuckles.

"Your throat is barely red."

"WHAT?!"

"I hear NOTHING in your lungs."

"WHAT?!"

"You just have a cold."

With my tail between my legs, I walk out to the nurse's station to turn in my diagnostic paper (after writing SCARLET FEVER and WHOOPING COUGH across it with the red crayon from my purse) and then head to my car.

What a waste of my time.

Today I NEED THE TIP...cuz apparently, I got nothin' out of this lesson!

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU REALLY SHOULD GO TO THE DOCTOR AND WHEN IT'S JUST A COLD? I had the SAME FREAKING symptoms both times!!

Leave your comment/tip along with your blog link. Go back and blog an anecdote or tip for your readers and leave a link to me. Invite your readers to play along and enjoy a whole month of MOMMY TIPS!

Peace.

Sanity's Blogtober TIP Parade: 10/9, 10/10, 10/11, 10/12 Forget the Valium, give me some Velcro!

Did you think I gave up the ship? Or fallen overboard? Nope.

Let me tell you about my weekend and you will see that this whole TIP parade idea is a selfish means to get advice about my life! LOL!

Friday night as part of my volunteer position with the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators, I had dinner with some pretty TOP NOTCH editors, reps and agents who are smack dab in the middle of the Children's Publishing world.

Saturday I had an all day conference where I met with an editor from Simon & Schuster who wants to see a book dummy (a mock up version of a finished book) of the manuscript I had sent her prior to the conference. This is the first book I have proposed that I illustrate as well as write so I was not sure how high to get my hopes.

I then met with a couple of lovely ladies who are art reps and we had some great discussions about my portfolio, what they liked and how to plump it up with one single style (that they loved, btw) to ready it for a trip to NEW YORK for some art rep reviews.

Yesterday is when it hit me...the sore throat that had my spitting in the sink instead of swallowing for the last 2 mornings @ 5am kicked me in the butt. Of course, I am the mom of 3...4 if you count my husband who is getting over being sick, too. I just wanted to climb back in bed after church and sleep the day away. But my daughter, the only NOT-SICK person in the house had to cheer at a football game so my husband took her and I was the parent in charge at home with the two sick boys. One thought he was dying and the other just bounced off the walls in hopes of making himself feel better by way of knocking himself senseless, I suppose.

So, then there is today. Columbus Day. ALL the kids stayed home b/c school was closed. (I even called to plead with the janitors to let them come in for some community service - no go!) Mommy is still sick. Oldest son needed a doctor's appt and I needed milk and butter from the store. Laying in bed all day and snurfling and moaning was not an option ONCE AGAIN! *sigh*

My daughter could stay home while I took my son to the appointment, but I couldn't ask her to watch my little hell-on-wheels so he came along, too. After he licked the chair and made out with the bottom of his shoes in the waiting room, I decided this germ-panic thing was useless...what could I do besides make him gargle with Germ-X? I said a, "please sanitize his innards prayer" and was done with stressing about it.

The doctor did a strep test and I briefly thought about asking her if she would do one on me so I wouldn't have to go to the Doctor's tomorrow when they are all back at school. I said another little prayer for strep...b/c I was thinking if it WAS strep I could just call MY doctor and tell him and he MIGHT just call in a prescription without making me come in....that day all snuggled in bed was on the horizon...I reached out to grab it when.....POP! The doctor returned, shook her head and uttered the V-word. VIRUS! Well, chicken crap, no hope for antibiotics now!

I came home feeling sorry for myself and looked at my calendar...my daughter has an ortho appt @ 10:45, I have a 1:30 dr appt and my daughter has gymnastics @ 4. I slumped to the floor and cried. Well, not really, because I have had no energy for the last week, the floor is DISGUSTING!

My tips?

I told the receptionist at the pediatrician as I was chasing my youngest in and out of exam rooms and through the stacks and shelves of files that they need a velcro wall and a couple massage chairs. You know, an entire wall of velcro. Each wild child receives a velcro suit upon checking in. VOILA! They spend the entire time trying to free themselves while you round the corner to the spa-like massage room where you sit and do NOTHING until your child has been seen and is ready to be checked out.

Does that make me heartless? I am sure to 1st time moms, the thought of not accompanying your child into the room while the doctor pokes and prods sounds horrifying. Well, let me be the first to tell you, it's overrated. The kids just want the sticker and lollipop when they leave. They could care less who walks them through the appointment.

Forget the Valium, hook us up with a Velcro-lined pediatrician's office and I believe we have found Utopia!

What are your Mommy sick day tips?

Go back and peek at some of the other tips, leave a tip that links back to you, post an anecdote to a mommy issue on your blog, link to me and tell your readers to join Sanity's Blogtober TIP parade!

Peace.

Sanity's BLOGTOBER TIP PARADE: 10/08 Respect!

The past week we have enjoyed a laugh or two with some silly anecdotes and funny posts regarding motherhood and all it's "woah is me" moments. Thank you to those of you who have joined the TIP PARADE! I have enjoyed knowing that you are all at least having fun with this.

Well, this TIP POST is going to be a little more serious....actually, A LOT more serious....thanks to Dr. Phil. Did any of you watch his show yesterday? TEEN SEX TRENDS should be something EVERY mother, father, aunt, uncle, teacher, administrator, doctor, nurse, counsellor, coach, Sunday School teacher, pastor watches. Yes, it will turn your stomach. It might even make you cry. But it could save a child's life!

I want to publicly THANK Dr. Phil for doing this show. His concern for children and their welfare is astounding and even though I am sure a show like this was less than "fun" he did it to get the word out about what is going on INSIDE our schools and AT HOME and EVERYWHERE you can imagine.

In his own words, Dr. Phil says, "We’ve made a commitment here at the Dr. Phil show to keep parents informed. I have said that I want you to be ahead of the curve. You don’t want to be the last one to find out what teens are up to in this day and time," he says. "If kids are coming up with new games, new drugs, new habits or patterns that are putting them in harm’s way, I’m going to find out what it is. I’m going to bring it here. I’m going to tell you about it. You’re not always going to want to hear about it, but I am going to tell you the truth."

In short, this show was outlining the new sex trends for teens and tweens...yes I said tweens! Did you know over 50% of boys AND girls between the ages of 15 and 19 have participated in oral sex? Do you know that a reality at school dances and Prom is to engage in intercourse ON THE DANCE FLOOR! When I heard this I texted a friend and said, "WTH?" She knew first hand that this was happening at one of her local schools.

I bet you are wondering HOW.... How can you secretly be having sex on a dance floor without a chaperone knowing? If you can't figure it out then you haven't been present in enough of the activities your child is participating in. Dancing has changed. Society has changed. So much so that the gyrating and bump-n-grinding that was NOT acceptable 10 years ago, is just brushed off now as "just how they dance." Shame on you! Shame on ME! Shame on everyone who is responsible for how out of hand this epidemic has gotten!

Ironically enough, the day before watching the Dr. Phil show I spent almost an hour on the phone with Annie Fox. If you and your teen/tween don't know her, YOU NEED TO! This woman is AMAZING and has a heart for middle and high school students that is bigger than most of the hearts that actually touch these kids lives on a daily basis INSIDE the schools! Annie is changing the world one kid at a time! She has even made one of her books a FREE downloadable e-Book that I think everyone should print out and make sure your guidance counselor has it! Go check out The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating! She should join Dr. Phil the next time he does one of these teen/tween topics.

So, my head was already filled with ideas and my passions were flaring for this age group I used to teach in public school and currently teach on a volunteer basis. I decided I needed to somehow use my gifts of speaking/writing/teaching/art to make a difference. Then, yesterday I was enjoying my youngest's longer-than-usual nap with a cup of coffee and the remote...something we moms RARELY do. I heard the "have your children leave the room" segment before the TV had even warmed up enough to show a picture. My curiosity was piqued. I put the remote down.

The book they discussed was THIS ONE. Yep. Reality sucks! Sharlene Azam did a fantastic job writing this and producing her documentary.

An hour later my sister, a HS guidance counsellor, texted me, "Get the kids out of the room and turn on Dr. Phil." Her curiosity was piqued as well, and she sat through the second airing of the TEEN SEX TRENDS show. I waited for the phone to ring. She was astonished that even though she is with HS kids everyday and thought she had seen/heard it all, there were still things she would never DREAM kids would be brazen enough to do.

Bottom line... my sister and I decided that the missing piece is as simple as R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Why are we not teaching this? Why are 12 year old girls having sex at parties? Why do I see thongs for sale in teeny-bopper stores? Why do I cringe when I overhear the way girls "come on" to boys...in MIDDLE SCHOOL? Because, we, as parents, are failing an entire GENERATION!

Let me say that again!

WE, AS PARENTS, ARE FAILING AN ENTIRE GENERATION!

Sound harsh? Well, reality usually is!

I will soon be launching a blog where teens can spill their guts, confess, share their hearts, get mad, fight back and BE HEARD! We are NOT LISTENING! When it gets tough, it's easy to just chalk it up to "changing times."

I will also be interviewing students (anonymously if they prefer) about what makes them tick. What makes them associate SEX with fitting in? What makes them go that ONE STEP TOO FAR?

I have 1/2 of a notebook filled with what needs to be said in auditoriums across the country to smack on sense into these floundering children...for crying out loud they are children!

Don't pass the buck. WE ARE TO BLAME! We allow our kids into a world they have no business being because we are too freaking busy at work or too freaking lazy to care! No one is home. They are taking on the world ALONE because we chase the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR!

Don't look away. This travesty is just around your corner. I promise. Don't deny it. Look deeper. Get involved. Save a life. It might just be YOUR child's life you save.

Whew....anyone got tips? Leave 'em. I've got a travelling in-school program to plan!

If you have a teen or tween in your life...take this post VIRAL! Send it to anyone who needs to CARE! And pray they will!

(Go to a previous post to find out the guidelines of how to join in the TIP PARADE, I am too exhausted to type any more....)

Peace.