To Cell or Not to Cell

With 8 and 6 year olds in this house I thought I had a few years before worrying about cell phones, I guess I was wrong!

My 8 year old reports that many of his school friends do indeed have cell phones but they all know they may not use them at school. My question is, why? Where is my 8 year old gonna be that I need him to call me on a cell phone? Am I just living in the stone age or what?

Talking to other parents, the kids that seem to have the phones are very active and attending multiple after school activities. The phones help in case Mom is late or kids get out of practice early. OK, I can see the point but there are adults at all of these activities that have there own phone, right? Yes, my friend admits, but having her child have his own phone gives her a level of comfort that he is safe. Ah so in that case at least it is just as much about the parent as the child.

Now the question is, "How do you control the beast?" There are a few guidelines that every expert agrees on!

• Choose a cell phone and plan the parent can control. Like the ones on www.kajeet.com. Parents can control minutes for phone and text plus set limits on who can be contacted, incoming and outgoing messages!
• Pick a phone with a GPS. The almost all have them now. Get to know how to use it, become familiar with the computer interface. 2AM, when you are worried about your teenager, is no time to be figuring it out!
• Educate your child about cell phone safety. Calls and texts can be intercepted. Teach them to limit personal information when using a wireless device.
• Think of this Cell phone as a mini computer. Monitor your kids activity, either by occasionally picking up the phone and checking out the call history, or using online tools from your cell phone provider.
• Most importantly, keep communicating face to face with your child. Let them know this is just a tool. Encourage them to share any concerns, fears, or questions they may have. Good advice for cell phones and life in general!

So will my munchkins be toting around a cell phone anytime soon? Maybe. But I'll be sure to do my research first!

How do you handle cell phones with your kids? I want to know!

This post was written as an entry in a TwitterMoms blogging contest in partnership with Kajeet.com. Check out TwitterMoms.com, I love it!

Earth Hour

Tomorrow, March 28th 2009, you have the opportunity to take part in world wide event designed to show your support for the global conservation. At 8:30 local time "VOTE EARTH" by turning off all your home lights for one hour.

Now to think of a few things to occupy the family while the lights are out! No TV, Video Games (even handhelds!), computers or phones! OK don't panic, take a deep breath and lets think about all the wonderful things you can do.

• Play a card or board game, come on you gotta have a couple lying around. Last year we played UNO, this year we have graduated to Apples to Apples.
• Make some S'mores! My friend Eileen suggested this and I plan on stocking up on all the ingredients and making sure we have a Sterno cup around!
• Play hide and go seek! Try flashlight tag in the house, try not to get hurt.
  
• My number one and favorite is READ! Grab a couple of candles, settle in and read aloud or alone, enjoy a really good book, an old favorite or something brand new. Ahhh I can feel the happy already!

Now for some book recommendations! Earth hour really gives me a start time for Earth Day activities. I'm getting ready for a couple of festivals and parties to celebrate the Earth and try to make a difference. Barefoot Books has a couple of beautiful books to help set the mood!

Earth Tales: BRAND NEW! I love the multicultural stories in this book coupled with fun earth friendly activities to do as a family or a class.


Whole World: A super favorite among the Pre-School set! I have customers coming back over and over to give it to every little person in their lives! Sing along and take the "Whole World in our hands!" while enjoying the amazing bright and bold illustrations. So inviting that Oprah put it on the "O" list!

There are more...and more good news! This weekend only, you get free shipping on EVERY order! So before you turn off those lights, skip over to Barefoot Books and pick up some super Eco-Education books for the whole family!

I'm Hooked! - The Dress

A month or so ago I started thinking about crocheting an Easter dress for my 6 year old daughter. I had an idea of what I wanted, drapey with cap sleeves, light and easy! I searched for a pattern and finally found one in a book. We choose yarn and I started.

I made one BIG mistake...I told of my closest friends (who also have daughters) about the pattern. Before I knew it I had committed to 2 more!

Surprisingly they each came out better than I could imagine, but also each has a unique look and feel! I just had to share!

The Allison
This is done in a medium weight yarn, rose color. It is heavier than the other two but the color and structure gives it a classic romantic look, much like the little lady modeling it! Perfect for spring and hopefully will still fit in mid-fall.


The Leah
She is a true free spirit! She dances and sings, draws and writes poetry and that's just before breakfast! She choose these vibrant colors, I choose a light, sport weight yarn. The combination is this breezy, flowing shift dress that can match her energy and creativity! Perfect for this little artist!



The Dori
Pretty and Preppie! Classic fit with bright bold colors. The added polk-a-dot ribbon is the perfect preppie touch. A little more fitted through the chest and shorter for this younger girl, this was customized just for her. Just like her Mommy's undeniable style, these watermelon colors in sport weight yarn fit in on the playground or out to brunch!







I am just blown away that this one pattern could create 3 different looks!

I am taking orders if you are interested...let me know what you are looking for and I will quote a price!

St Paddy's Day Winners!

Sorry for the delay, the household was held in the grips of the evil tummy bug...no details I promise, but it was not fun!

So with out Further delay,

First Prize: Tales of Celtic Lands hard cover with Story CDs read by Niamh Cusak will go to MJ!

Second Prize: Tales From Old Ireland paperback with Story CDs will go to Granny Nan!

A selection of beautiful artist note cards will be sent out to all others who left comments!

Email your snail mail addresses to barefootreston@gmail.com

Thanks to all who entered, come back next month to enter our Earth Day give-away!

The 4th "R" - Recess!

Just the word recess brings back a flood of sensory memories! The smell of freshly cut grass on the soccer field, cold hard metal monkey bars, the sound of random squeals of delight as friends ran around in small packs, and warm sun or cold winter air on my face. Even just 30 years ago very little kept us inside during recess. If it wasn't raining heavily, you went out. Everybody needs that break, the kids and the teachers alike.
Flash forward to today, schools are starting to remove recess from the school day in order to cram in all the required academics. A friend recently mentioned recess being abolished in her local elementary school even for kindergartners. On what planet does it make sense to keep 25-30 five year olds cooped up in a classroom for an entire day?

We have, luckily, not encountered such a strict or sweeping removal of free time from the school day at our school. But winter is a continual struggle. If the weather is too cold, muddy or slippery the kids have inside recess (remember that?). What that has meant is every child in that grade level gathering in the common area to watch a video! Recess is supposed to be a release of energy, a break in the "sit down and stay quiet" environment. But with indoor recess the kids are required to do that even more. I just love it when I hear my son has had indoor recess and then is in trouble for talking or not paying attention in the afternoon. The teachers are sure to get an email cced to the principal for that one!

Since I think this is basic common sense, I was not surprised to read a New York Times Article reporting research that supports the need for recess. The research stresses that downtime is as important to success as active learning time. Read the entire article here. It is, of course, comforting to get some academic muscle back up on what I've been saying as an educator and parent for a while now.

How is recess handled with your kids? How does recess time or lack of it impact your child's day?

I'm Hooked!

Since December I've been exploring the craft of crochet. It started with just the need to do something with my hands. I saw a "Teach yourself to crochet" kit on sale at Michael's and dove in! It's in the genes you see. My mom has been a crocheter since before I was born. She makes the most amazing afghans! I remember a small stuffed bear she made for me as a child named John Bear.

So I bought some cheap yarn and grabbed my hooks and went to work. I learned single crochet, double crochet and half double crochet. I tackled popcorn stitches and broom stick stitches. The month of January I made and gave away a dozen or so hats!

AND THEN I found a great book called Tiny Yarn Animals by Tamie Snow. They were so cute and funky I had to give it a try. Later I realized I had become a fan of the Japanese art form called Amigurumi.

Amigurumi is the art of crocheting animals and figures. The patterns call for crocheting in the round, or in a spiral, adding and decreasing stitches to create forms, stuff and add detail, and voila! So much fun, not to mention a quick and cute project.

I have since acquired Mr Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful (thanks to my MIL!) and have expanded!

So yes I have entered a new area of geekdom! I am a yarn geek!

Check out all my creations on Facebook

The Luck of the Irish!

Céad míle fáilte romhat!

St Patrick's day has always been a fun and meaningful day in my family. While our Irish heritage has been....sketchy, its still a whole heck of a lot of fun!

My family has been involved with the organization of the Holyoke, MA St. Patrick's Day Parade for over 25 years. I would lie if I didn't admit that this time of year my home sickness is hard to handle. I am simply not getting enough corn beef, soda bread or Guinness needed to sustain my Irish cred!

So help me out here, leave me some Irish, St Patty's day love and enter to win one of 2 books!!

First Prize: Tales of Celtic Lands hard cover with Story CDs read by Niamh Cusak

Second Prize: Tales From Old Ireland paperback with Story CDs

Every one who enters...(YES I SAID EVERYONE!!) Will receive a special Artist card from Tales From Old Ireland featuring the art of Niamh Sharkey


To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post
Drawing closes at midnight EST on March 17th
My Leprechauns will randomly draw comment #'s from the pot of gold!
Winners will be announced here on March 18th

Slán agus beannacht leat

Gaelic translations thanks to Irish-sayings.com

To Bribe or Not to Bribe

Spring clean up time is here and I really don't want to think about it. The lawn and porch are covered with leaves and debris, blah!

Ah-Ha! I have two little sprites that can help...but how to motivate them?? Hmm, money?

I have offered my 6 and 8 year old $0.50 per bag filled of leaves. I felt guilty, but you should watch them clean! There is even a little fun competition as to who can get the most leaves. As a bonus, I told them if the porch and yard were completely leaf free I would let them go buy trading cards. I am going to parenting hell!!

They each have a regular chore chart that they check daily. We have pressed upon them that each of the members of this family help out in their own way because we are members of a family and that's what family's do. We do not offer allowance based on performance of these chores. We feel chores are about contributing to the household in which you live, making it a better and more comfortable place for all of us.

So what do you do? Do your children do chores? Do you pay a flat allowance or for individual tasks? What could I have done differently, short of doing the work myself?!

Love and Pain

Please forgive me while I take a break from my regular book loving to talk about the last few weeks of my life...

For months now we have been gearing up for my husband to have back surgery. Arranging for insurance, time off from work, people to watch the kids, gadgets to help once he was home.... the list felt endless. It did distract from the thoughts that this was major surgery, that always carries risks. And also that he would be in pain, I had not thought about the pain.

Matt came through his surgery just fine! Everything went better than expected...if you would like to know the geeky and a little gory details you can read his post here. Afterward he suffered from some minor but painful complications.

That's the thing that I was really not prepared for, watching the love of my life, my rock, my beloved in excruciating pain. I could sit by his bed, help him drink or wipe his brow. I could call the nurse, ask questions and request more pain killer. I could encourage him to get out of bed, walk down the hall and even try the stairs. But I could not really make the pain and discomfort go away.

Watching while he grimaced, all I wanted to do was take it away, make it end. I envisioned drawing the pain out and taking some on myself so he wouldn't have to bear it all. I would go home at night and dream that it had magically vanished but in the morning I could tell just by looking at his tired face that the night had not been kind.

Someplace along the way, sometime in a quiet moment while Matt slept as I sat beside him I had an overwhelming feeling of love. I have always loved my husband, through the good the bad and the ugly, but like any couple there were days of doubt and fear. But in that moment and since, there has been no doubt. If doubt comes crawling back in I all I need to remember is that moment to send it running. Because in that moment I knew that all I wanted was my husband to be happy and healthy and free from this pain. I wished above all else that I had the power I had envisioned and that I could rescue him with just my love.

And now I have him home and he is feeling better every day! I am thrilled and proud of his every little achievement. More and more I am looking forward to going for walks, exploring museums, and taking day trips. I can see the light at the end of the pain tunnel!

All in all I know this was not a life threatening illness, that it could have been worse and it could have been better. But it has had the unexpected side effect of refueling my love for my husband. He is my beloved, the love of my life and I am never letting go of him!

Thank you for indulging my mushy feelings. Back to my regular silliness next time I promise!