Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Why You Should Be Talking About Race
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If you have values to impart to your children about equality, it will take more than vague statements about everyone being “the same.” Kids are smart. They know very well that we are not all “the same.” What they need to hear is that we are all uniquely different, and they need reasons to value that uniqueness. You, parents, need to find ways to value people of color. Find ways to compliment and seek out positive statements to impart to your children. Have frequent, open conversations about race. Talk about slavery, talk about segregation, talk about miscegenation, talk about stereotypes and hurtful language…talk, talk, and then talk more! Kids need to know what is acceptable and they need to see with eyes that are wide open, not color blind.Note: Cross posted from curlykidz.
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Gratitude Sunday
I had a really bad day today,
But I didn’t.
It really should have been a really terrible, horrible, very bad day.
- I lost track of time while laundering/web surfing this morning (not totally unusual), and didn’t wake the girls up until 30 minutes before we would need to leave the house to arrive at church on time if we had to make a stop on the way (which we did, my cupboards are bare).
- Needless to say, I didn’t check the dryer till it was time to get dressed, and all the clothes were still damp. Additionally, now that it is no longer 105 degrees by the time the sun rises in my utility room, bras hung up to dry will still be very damp three hours later....
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Sunday, October 24, 2010
Halloween 2010: Batman & BatMom v. Poison Ivy, Squared
It’s no secret that Halloween is a pretty big deal around here. Not so much for the trick or treating, but for the dressing up. We get really into it and usually have a theme every year… fantasy creatures, wizard of oz, racecars, things that fly, Grease, Pirates, ancient Egypt… and we trick or treat for a block or two, then we head to some spooky Halloween festival with friends.
This year, we were supposed to be The BatFam. Unfortunately, my Bat-Mom signal was a little off, and I couldn’t find a ...
read more...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Sorry Willow...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
fall-colors road trip
Gratitude Sunday
Today I am so thankful for my little people. They drive me crazy sometimes (last night being one of those times), but as much as they pretend to hate each other, they don’t. Last night Tyler was about to knock out an obnoxious, (unflattering description) girl at the ASU Women’s Volleyball game. All the kids wanted to see Sparky, and she kept pushing up to the front and getting in his face yelling. She almost knocked Daija & another of the younger girls from our team down in the process, and Tyler was poking tapping her arm, “Little girl. EXCUSE ME. Little girl.” Once he could finally get up to Sparky, he got his ticket autographed with Halle’s number....
read more at curlykidz.Permalink
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Spiral Piggy-Back Braid & Three Strand Twists
Daija is spending the week with Biker Grandma & Grandpa… this is the hairstyle she went with. From what I hear, it’s holding up really well and has been very popular around town. We'll see how it looks when I pick her up on Saturday! Fingers crossed… you know ...
Note: Cross posted from curlykidz.Permalink
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Dear Daughter
I know you’re being pulled in a lot of different directions. I know that you don’t want to disappoint me, but you don’t want to look like a baby to your friends. I know that sometimes it’s easier to go with the crowd than create a conflict. I know that sometimes it’s easier to let someone else take the lead rather than make a tough decision. Sometimes it might seem like if you let someone else set the pace, then they’re responsible for whatever happens.
...
Dear Daughter
Black Women Like Their Books Trashy
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Sometimes people say some shit that’s so stupid, you actually catch a case of stupidity yourself. It’s like the stupidity flowing out of their mouth infects you. There you are, in a state of shock, trying to figure out what the FUCK you can say to cure them, except you’re mouth is hanging open and you can’t speak. It’s like you’ve been hit upside the head with a stupid stick.
...
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Cyndi has a PSA for little & not so little boys...
Kid's Crest Sparkle Fun toothpaste will NOT disguise the holes you put in the living room wall while playing with the samurai swords that belonged to your great grandfather.
Blue gel doesn’t turn white. It just stays blue, and stains the wall. It will also cause your mother to spew obscenities, after which you will get a lecture from your father that lasts a solid 45 minutes (and counting)....
Wordless Wednesday
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thanks for stopping by!
I've been blogging over at wordpress for a while now, but decided to start putting my feed here as well since I've been following some blogspot bloggers pretty actively of late... as you can see you can subscribe via RSS or email subscription. I'm also working on importing the archives from my blog at myspace into my wordpress blog, so you'll see some oldies but goodies cropping up here several times a week.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
she slays me...
Friday, October 06, 2006
ADHD: history of the "overbalance of fire over water"
A-D-H-wut? Oh, ADHD. It means attent.......hey that cloud looks like cookie monster!
"How many ADHD people does it take to screw a light bulb?"
Only one, but it took several light bulbs and several months to get it done because the ADDer.....
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Paid for the lightbulb then left it in the shop on the counter.
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Dropped another light bulb out of a hole in his/her shopping
bag didn't notice and ran over it with a truck. -
Bought the wrong sort of lightbulb because s/he couldn't be bothered checking which sort of light bulb was needed cause that's boring.
-
Left the light bulb under a pile of clothes for several weeks before s/he got around to trying to put it up.
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Couldn't remember who s/he gave the ladder too so decided they had to go buy another.
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Took the old light bulb down put it on the floor next to the new light bulb got distracted by an idea in his/her head.
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Ran to get notebook to write idea down idea forgot about light bulb for an hour as other thoughts came to mind, remembered lightbulb couldn't figure out which was the old light bulb and which was the new light bulb
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AARRRRRRRRRRRRRG
Who invented such an inhuman thing as a light bulb?!
-
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
OK, enough with the jokes. A fellow blogger who I've found inspirational, AnGeLa, posed a question about the prevalence of ADHD outside the US that I think will wind up inspiring a series of blogs.
"My son was just diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. I just don't understand . . . We pay plenty of attention to him!"
First, I must give props to Google... I didn't find http://www.ritalindeath.com/ until page three. It usually comes up in the top ten links in other search forums. There are others like http://www.adhdfraud.org/ use similar scare tactics, and of course there are those that claim adhd can be cured or that your child can unlearn ADHD and those that offer free lawsuit information. One of my favorites is the one that tells parents that ADHD is a result of parents not raising their children by biblical principles for the last 100 years or so.
There was never a reason for creating the labels ADD and ADHD in the first place, unless you include expanding drug-company profits and a plan to drug and debilitate millions of children.
www.nomorefakenews.com
There aren't enough 'highly qualified' medical professionals who specialize in ADHD... not just to diagnose, but to provide ongoing treatment beyond refilling prescriptions. In addition, the information available to parents who attempt to research ADHD is often questionable, conflicting, and confusing. Finding a support base is challenging, both in your community or online.
ADD and ADHD are fake "diseases" created so parents can legally sedate their children. Your child is not special, your child is just a shithead.
~ response on an internet bulletin board
There is a wide misconception that ADHD is a drug company driven disorder, or a result in lax skills in modern parents. I've spoken with people who think ADHD has only been around since the 1980's. Most ADHD websites will indicate that ADHD has been a diagnosis, under different names, for about 100 years... but I found a source even older than The Story of Fidgety Phillip (Dr Heinrich Hoffman, 1845).
There is, however, considerable evidence to suggest that ADHD is not a recent phenomenon. 2500 years ago, the great physician-scientist, Hippocrates (493 BC) described a condition that seems to be compatible with what we now know as ADHD.
He described patients who had.... "quickened responses to sensory experience, but also less tenaciousness because the soul moves on quickly to the next impression". Hippocrates attributed this condition to an "overbalance of fire over water". His remedy for this "overbalance" was "barley rather than wheat bread, fish rather than meat, water drinks, and many natural and diverse physical activities".
An interesting description from "The Father of Medicine", huh?
A lot of people will make the argument because there's no blood test or x-ray to diagnose ADHD, that it's not real, or that it just got made up recently. But there are a lot of medical conditions throughout history that existed LONG before there was a test to diagnose them, or a way to treat them. Does that make them any less valid?.
We've had diabetes for hundreds of years, and we've had hypertension for hundreds of years, and we've had asthma for hundreds of years. . . . We've had cancer. We've had lots of things for hundreds of years. That doesn't necessarily make it a good thing. And when you sit back and you allow yourself to be informed by research . . . our studies show that these kids have bad outcomes when we don't help them.
So, what's our responsibility as a society if a child has a bad outcome for untreated asthma? Should we treat it? Yes. If he has a bad outcome for untreated ADHD and we can do something about it, would it be ethical to withhold treatment or say, "Well, just let parents handle it?" I took a Hippocratic Oath that said that if I could intervene and help in a medically responsible way that was safe and effective, that was my job. And that's my job as a medical scientist, as well.
Dr. Peter Jenson, former head of psychiatry at the National Institute for Mental Health
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
ATA SmartBrief
| Cyndi Whitmore (cynthia.whitmore@americawest.com) thought you might be interested in checking out an excerpt from ATA SmartBrief. |
| If you have any doubts that we live in a society controlled by men, try reading down the index of contributors to a volume of quotations, looking for women's names." --Elaine Gill, American author |
| Designed specifically for aviation executives like you, ATA SmartBrief is a FREE daily e-mail newsletter. It provides the latest need-to-know news and industry information that maximizes your time, giving you an edge over your competition. Sign up for your very own free subscription to ATA SmartBrief. | |
Air Force One
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Friday, September 29, 2006
Reflecting Versus Reacting
From: "Ellen C. Braun" Ellen@RaisingSmallSouls.com
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Imagine with me for a moment that you have just arrived home from a
party.
"Honey, I'm so hungry, do we have anything good to eat?" you ask
your spouse.
"Hungry!" Spouse exclaims, "How could you possibly be hungry; you
ate tons of food at the party!"
Or, how about this scenario:
"Sweetheart," you begin as you turn towards your spouse to express
yourself, "I'm really very hot. Would you lower the thermostat
please?"
"Hot!" Spouse practically shouts, "I'll tell you what hot is- go
outside in the sun, then you'll feel hot! When you come back
inside, you'll realize that it's very comfortable in here."
{End of imagination exercise.}
Reflecting an emotion- towards a child, spouse, or friend- will make
all the difference in the world in how their self-esteem and
relationship with you will develop.
I can honestly say that if I had to choose one article that is the
most essential for parents to read, it would be this one! Read
more here:
http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?QDllMHE2OflnvdrPssCiZw
To our children's success,
Ellen
43 Remson Ave, Monsey, NY 10952, USA
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Live, from the kitchen...
Yes. I am JUST SO TIRED of Halle.
Why are you tired of your sister?
Because I told her two times to clean up the poop.
Daija... what poop?
THE POOP.
Daija, where is the poop?
In you room.
Daija, can you show momma the poop?
O-tay...
Damn dog. Anyone want a Shih Tzu? Ms. Fab Res Agent declined as politely and professionally as one can while choking on laughter.
Queenie Mama
- curlykidz
- PHX, AZ, United States
- I’m a thirty-something Unitarian Universalist-urban-professional-hippie-ghetto-trailer park-country-anti-racist-pro-choice-standing on the side of love-1983 station wagon driving-single-ADHD-volleyball/boxing/wrestling mom of three multiracial children and two bad-ass dogs.