As mentioned previously, I am an advocate of teaching children the correct anatomical terms for body parts. It seems to shock people that my son says "penis" instead of "wee wee" or whatever other silly thing people say. He knows the words "vagina" and "breasts," the latter being much more appropriate from the mouth of a child than "boobies" or "tits" or...whatever other silly thing people say. (I read a FB comment posted by some person the other day about how she told her under-the-age-of-five daughter something about "our coochies." SERIOUSLY?!) The reason I taught him the correct terms was because I feel that, if they are going to be referred to or discussed by children, these words sound much more respectful.
I acknowledge the fact that it isn't exactly "orthodox" to have a 3-year-old boy who knows where a vagina is located, but it's better than him calling it...whatever other silly thing people say. We had a "surrogate cousin" born back in August, so that fueled several questions about the origins of babies. Little E and I have discussed this topic, and I have been very honest about it with him, but he is still missing particulars. He knows that he came from my "belly" and that the doctor "cut" me. I've not really decided how to say "I pushed you out through my vagina" without feeling awkward (and I am not the type to be shy or uncomfortable about these things, so I'm not sure what my problem is, exactly)...
After receiving many side-long glances from people who question my parenting because they would never in a million years be able to say those words aloud in normal conversation due to their own and pre-programmed uncomfortabilities with proper language (You can tell your son he has a d***, but you can't say penis?! COME ON!!!), I have decided that EFF IT. If I am going to raise a knowledgeable and respectful young man, my son will know the correct terminology for his body parts and the body parts of others.
Also, I was reading a post on child safety and talking to your children about strangers, not keeping secrets from parents, etc. As most of us know, the majority of the perpetrators of sexual abuse are people with whom the parent(s) trust their child(ren). Because abuse may not be immediately suspected in those type of situations, other red flags parents have to look for (especially in very young children) is how they refer to their body parts. I think the example was given that if your daughter knows she has a vagina, but all of a sudden starts calling it a "cupcake" or something (sorry, that kind of makes me want to throw up) then you can ask her where she has heard it called that. Although we all hope and pray that our children are never abused in such a way (or in any way), I feel that this is actually a rather excellent reason to use proper anatomical terminology.
The purpose for this post is two-fold, I suppose. I'm sharing my preference with you, but I would also like to know: What are your thoughts on teaching these words to young children? Which words would you prefer to hear coming from not only the mouths of your own children, but young children in general?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Grateful For: Speech
Let me preface this post by saying that, as a parent, I generally have incredibly high expectations for my son. I am told that this is not uncommon for first-time parents. I believe that it's also not uncommon among parents who were high-achieving children themselves, and that probably has a lot to do with my expectations.
It is part of my parenting goal to NOT refuse to talk about subjects that make me uncomfortable. (Granted, there isn't too much that falls under that category.) Little E has a very broad vocabulary and a wide array of knowledge, often pertaining to things that most children don't know much about. He knows the proper anatomical names for body parts on men and women, and he also knows where babies come from (which is something that will be discussed in a later post). He wrote his name for the first time when he was two-years old, and his speech is very developed--E often surprises me by using nouns that I don't realize he knows.
Vocabulary withstanding, there have been times that I've wondered if his pronunciation and speech patterns weren't very developed. Not very recently, but more when he was 2 and 3, there were times when I asked my mother if she thought his speech wasn't very good. (By this, I was referring to the ability to understand his speech...not his vocabulary.) She responded by exclaiming, "He's only two!" or "He's only three!" So. I guess I might occasionally have unrealistic expectations.... :P
For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that I babysat a couple of children for a few weeks this summer. OY. VEY. I was taking care of my own son, who was three at the time, another three-year-old boy, and his one-year-old sister. Now, I am not a parent who compares my child to others, mostly because I've never really been around him while he's interacting with peers (not that I would be comparing anyway...I mean, what parent does THAT?! lol). Babysitting these children actually provided me with an opportunity to do a little compare-and-contrast.
This isn't exactly relevant to the overall discussion, but often, these children were not from the best background: dad apparently likes to get drunk while watching them, and they would usually show up at my house unbathed, with dirty faces and dirty feet. Cleanliness aside, they were sweet kids and I wish that they were worked with a little bit more because they were very difficult to understand--the girl because she was only one, obviously, and the boy because...well...I don't know. His speech really wasn't much better than his little sister's, and it made me kind of sad. I always got the impression that they weren't really read to or talked to when they were at home.
Anyway, all the while I babysat these children, all I kept thinking was just how grateful I am to have the child I have and to have the chance to parent him in a way that nurtures his mind and body.
I am grateful that I have the means to provide him with a home that is clean and safe.
I am grateful that I have the means to provide him with a good education.
I am grateful that I have been imbued with a love of education, art, music, and learning, and that I am able to pass on that love to my son.
I am grateful that I have a college education and that over the course of obtaining my Bachelor's of Science in Education I learned about all of the resources that exist for parents of not only school-age children, but parents of babies and toddlers, as well. (There was a stage a few years ago where I suspected Autism, Asperger's, or something behavioral and had to seek advice and testing from Special Education providers.)
I am grateful that my son is highly intelligent. (Expect a Nature vs. Nurture blog in the future! lol)
I am grateful that my son has very understandable speech.
I am grateful that my son is able to hear me and understand (most of) what comes out of my mouth.
Now, this isn't at all meant to come off as me touting my child's capabilities. This is really just me saying that I am grateful for my situation and my child. If Mr. E. had been a late talker, I would be just as grateful and love him just as much. If your child is a late talker, I truly apologize if I sound like an arse, but I cannot apologize for being honest about something that makes me happy.
If you do have a child who is a late talker, please, do not worry! This is generally a totally normal thing! Some children do not begin to talk until they are three or four years old...some later than that. Many of these children have the vocabulary and the ability but choose to remain silent, often for varying reasons. Two of the more common reasons I have seen for delayed speech are 1) having an older sibling (or parents, unfortunately) who do all of the talking for the child, therefore eliminating the need for the child to talk, and 2) being afraid of making a mistake...many young children are already self-conscious and choose to remain silent until they know that they can speak with 100% accuracy. Obviously there are other reasons, but among the children of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances, those two have been large factors.
If, for some reason, you believe that there is something amiss and believe that your child has developmental issues that are causing his or her delayed speech DO NOT HESITATE TO SEEK HELP! You might consult a family doctor, or if your child is enrolled in school you should always be able to discuss your concerns with a classroom teacher or Special Education instructor (and will most likely end up talking to doctors, anyway). Many school districts have Early Childhood/Early Intervention programs through which they can perform testing on toddlers or pre-school-age children. (I believe they should be available free-of-charge, but I cannot say for certain.) Early Intervention programs exist for the purpose of catching developmental delays in children at an early age and (TA-DA!) providing intervention and assistance to the child and his or her family.
I am going to go ahead and quit here, but I will close by saying that around the time I meant to write this post (July, I think) I was talking to a friend who was concerned that her child wasn't talking early enough and that he was having difficulty mimicking sounds accurately. What I told her was basically what I just said above. Her child is not quite two-years of age, so I told her that it might not be anything to worry about, but if you're a hypochondriac (like she and I lol), you might just want to play it safe (for your child and your mental health) by seeking expert advice.
Blessed be you and your small ones! )O(
It is part of my parenting goal to NOT refuse to talk about subjects that make me uncomfortable. (Granted, there isn't too much that falls under that category.) Little E has a very broad vocabulary and a wide array of knowledge, often pertaining to things that most children don't know much about. He knows the proper anatomical names for body parts on men and women, and he also knows where babies come from (which is something that will be discussed in a later post). He wrote his name for the first time when he was two-years old, and his speech is very developed--E often surprises me by using nouns that I don't realize he knows.
Vocabulary withstanding, there have been times that I've wondered if his pronunciation and speech patterns weren't very developed. Not very recently, but more when he was 2 and 3, there were times when I asked my mother if she thought his speech wasn't very good. (By this, I was referring to the ability to understand his speech...not his vocabulary.) She responded by exclaiming, "He's only two!" or "He's only three!" So. I guess I might occasionally have unrealistic expectations.... :P
For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that I babysat a couple of children for a few weeks this summer. OY. VEY. I was taking care of my own son, who was three at the time, another three-year-old boy, and his one-year-old sister. Now, I am not a parent who compares my child to others, mostly because I've never really been around him while he's interacting with peers (not that I would be comparing anyway...I mean, what parent does THAT?! lol). Babysitting these children actually provided me with an opportunity to do a little compare-and-contrast.
This isn't exactly relevant to the overall discussion, but often, these children were not from the best background: dad apparently likes to get drunk while watching them, and they would usually show up at my house unbathed, with dirty faces and dirty feet. Cleanliness aside, they were sweet kids and I wish that they were worked with a little bit more because they were very difficult to understand--the girl because she was only one, obviously, and the boy because...well...I don't know. His speech really wasn't much better than his little sister's, and it made me kind of sad. I always got the impression that they weren't really read to or talked to when they were at home.
Anyway, all the while I babysat these children, all I kept thinking was just how grateful I am to have the child I have and to have the chance to parent him in a way that nurtures his mind and body.
I am grateful that I have the means to provide him with a home that is clean and safe.
I am grateful that I have the means to provide him with a good education.
I am grateful that I have been imbued with a love of education, art, music, and learning, and that I am able to pass on that love to my son.
I am grateful that I have a college education and that over the course of obtaining my Bachelor's of Science in Education I learned about all of the resources that exist for parents of not only school-age children, but parents of babies and toddlers, as well. (There was a stage a few years ago where I suspected Autism, Asperger's, or something behavioral and had to seek advice and testing from Special Education providers.)
I am grateful that my son is highly intelligent. (Expect a Nature vs. Nurture blog in the future! lol)
I am grateful that my son has very understandable speech.
I am grateful that my son is able to hear me and understand (most of) what comes out of my mouth.
Now, this isn't at all meant to come off as me touting my child's capabilities. This is really just me saying that I am grateful for my situation and my child. If Mr. E. had been a late talker, I would be just as grateful and love him just as much. If your child is a late talker, I truly apologize if I sound like an arse, but I cannot apologize for being honest about something that makes me happy.
If you do have a child who is a late talker, please, do not worry! This is generally a totally normal thing! Some children do not begin to talk until they are three or four years old...some later than that. Many of these children have the vocabulary and the ability but choose to remain silent, often for varying reasons. Two of the more common reasons I have seen for delayed speech are 1) having an older sibling (or parents, unfortunately) who do all of the talking for the child, therefore eliminating the need for the child to talk, and 2) being afraid of making a mistake...many young children are already self-conscious and choose to remain silent until they know that they can speak with 100% accuracy. Obviously there are other reasons, but among the children of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances, those two have been large factors.
If, for some reason, you believe that there is something amiss and believe that your child has developmental issues that are causing his or her delayed speech DO NOT HESITATE TO SEEK HELP! You might consult a family doctor, or if your child is enrolled in school you should always be able to discuss your concerns with a classroom teacher or Special Education instructor (and will most likely end up talking to doctors, anyway). Many school districts have Early Childhood/Early Intervention programs through which they can perform testing on toddlers or pre-school-age children. (I believe they should be available free-of-charge, but I cannot say for certain.) Early Intervention programs exist for the purpose of catching developmental delays in children at an early age and (TA-DA!) providing intervention and assistance to the child and his or her family.
I am going to go ahead and quit here, but I will close by saying that around the time I meant to write this post (July, I think) I was talking to a friend who was concerned that her child wasn't talking early enough and that he was having difficulty mimicking sounds accurately. What I told her was basically what I just said above. Her child is not quite two-years of age, so I told her that it might not be anything to worry about, but if you're a hypochondriac (like she and I lol), you might just want to play it safe (for your child and your mental health) by seeking expert advice.
Blessed be you and your small ones! )O(
Monday, November 19, 2012
Big Changes!
Due to some huge changes in my life, I have been entirely absent from my blog and from my YouTube for quite some time now, and I really and truly have intentions of making this up to those of you who follow me (which, might actually be limited to two people :S ). I feel so awful for falling so far behind on the Year and a Day videos I was doing, as well as on my book reviews...and surprise! I have about three book reviews for you when video-making time commences! Woot! (Also, if you write me snail-mail letters, I'm getting to it!)
Anyway...here's a little update on some life changes I've made recently:
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
This past weekend (or the weekend before yesterday? lol) found us moving from our cozy little apartment in western Nebraska to a not-so-cozy apartment in northern Iowa. As of right now, my son and I are living in a one-bedroom apartment that basically consists of a hallway and a few rooms built off of said hallway. It is an incredibly inconvenient living arrangement, but we are making do with what we have. My boyfriend and his brother helped us move my hoarder's apartment 9 hours away with a flat-bed. Bless his heart, J's dad bought some lumber and the boys put up sides on the trailer, so my belongings didn't fly off. My packing skills are apparently not as BA as I had hoped because I was still packing until late last Saturday night/Sunday morning...oops. We got most everything, and I should have insisted on furniture coming over first, but it is mostly still sitting in NE, along with my kitchen and my bed. This weekend Baby E and I are going to make the 9-hour drive back for Thanksgiving with my (hopefully) future-in-laws, which will be another three hours south of the old home with the (hopefully) future-grandparent-in-laws. Oy vey! The man child will stay with his now-surrogate grandparents on Friday whilst the big man and I head back to my still-not-vacated apartment and finish packing my belongings and moving my furniture into storage.
(Here, I do have to say that I am not a hoarder in the traditional sense--my mother gave me everything she'd saved from my childhood, so I have been trying to weed through all of my history, which is definitely not easy for a sentimental soul like me...although, I will admit to being a total bibliophile...packing all of my books was incredibly daunting.)
I will be bringing back all that I can fit into my little car--my dishes, food, teaching curriculum that I somehow forgot.... I think that most of my larger furniture is going to sit in a storage unit until I can sell it on the Facebook garage sale pages. (I've been trying to get rid of that beast of an entertainment center I bought for my witchy items, but nobody wants it...poor thing.) Yours truly should really be grateful to have such great people for potentially future in-laws...J's mother has offered to let me use her basement for storage, and I am definitely taking her up on that offer. My storage unit (which holds my piano and an antique dresser awaiting refinishing) gets unbelievably dusty, so I'll store my furniture in the storage unit and my boxes in the basement.
Oh...but living arrangements. My love has yet to join us, but our goal is for him to be here by the end of December or beginning of January, and this seems to be a very reasonable and attainable goal. He is not really wanting to stay working in foster care because of the emotional toll it takes on him, and I find that completely understandable. However, there is a part of me that wants him to just grow a pair and let all of that slide off of him because he is good at his job and actually gives a damn about where the kids whose cases he handles get placed and he actually gives a damn about their well-being, which isn't the case with all social workers, unfortunately. Regardless of what he decides to do, I will support him...as long as he hurries up and gets here! :P This past week has kind of sucked due to not being able to see his face and love on him, but it hasn't been too awful because I know that I will see him in...OMG TWO DAYS OMG!!!!
When he gets here we'll probably move out of our one-bedroom top-floor apartment with the paper thin walls. Yay! (Also, this will be the first time I have ever lived with anybody, so I'm gonna need prayers!)
EMPLOYMENT
The reason for our sudden move: I will be fulfilling the role as a K-12 music teacher for a small school not far from where I am currently living, as the contracted person has failed to show up for work since February. (WHOA!) I really have a fairly easy schedule for school, and it is very appreciated by my mental health. I'm actually sitting here blogging at the end of the school day. :) Making the decision to take this job opportunity and move my little family was met with much tribulation and many tears. As you well know, I have been unemployed since resigning from my previous teaching post at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, and I have had quite the time affording to maintain a roof over our heads and putting food on our plates. I don't think I blogged or vlogged about it, but I actually applied for a number of jobs in our town in Nebraska, but apparently holding a Bachelor's Degree takes you out of the running for jobs that require a high school diploma. Who knew?
Anyway, I went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth about taking this job. J was very encouraging because of the financial opportunity that it would afford me, but he was also understanding of my reluctance to take Baby E out of his wonderful daycare and away from his home and the people he's known his whole life. (Well, as far back as he can remember, anyway.) While I started to get serious about coming out here, I did apply for a CNA job at a nursing home in Nebraska, and to be honest, I would have LOVED that job, but a few days before it was offered to me, I called the principal at the IA school and told him I would fill this district's need. And hey, wouldn't you know it?!: Within about five days of accepting this job I received three job offers in Nebraska (after months of rejection). Hm. When it rains it pours, eh?!
DIET & NUTRITION
My diet has suffered a bit over the last week or so. I am a person who bakes everything from scratch, cooks everything from scratch, and doesn't consume a great deal of processed food. Having left most of my kitchen in Nebraska, I have resorted to microwavable food *shudders* or sandwiches for both my son and I, and consuming alcohol to eliminate the hunger. I've also been using styrofoam plates and bowls (because my mother brought them to me) and feel like a total whore. (That might actually end up becoming a post of its own).
...anyway. This change in diet definitely affected me--the alcohol not so much, but I ate a tv dinner last week and was sick within thirty minutes. Needless to say, I am not buying any more tv dinners! After I retrieve all of my kitchen utensils, spices, etc. this weekend, I do plan on returning to a more healthful diet!
Also, I am making it a goal to exercise more while I have this time away from my love. Normally, I spend my evenings with my son, and then when he goes to bed I am with my boyfriend. Now, I plan on using that time to exercise or go to bed early so I can wake up early and exercise. Granted, this new exercise plan has not been put into effect yet, simply because of my jet-laggish exhaustion at the end of the school days...I get home and just want to collapse!
SCHEDULING/SLEEPING
My body has forgotten what it's like to be absolutely and completely exhausted at the end of the day, so I have been adjusting to a new sleeping/waking schedule...quite different from that awful habit I got into this summer of staying up until 3am! I started work last Wednesday, and every single night I was 100% drained and felt like dying when my son didn't want to go to bed at 7 pm!
Oh. Sleeping. That also brings up the fact that we have moved to an entirely different time zone. We were living on Mountain Time in western Nebraska, and here we are on Central Time. I suppose that moving right after the end of Daylight Savings Time has helped me, though. In preparation for our move, I didn't set our clocks back, which put us on post-DST Central Time. I really am loving this because it isn't dark at 4:30 here...living on the eastern edge of a time zone during the winter is a bit hellish as far as daylight hours go.
(My boyfriend and my mother have both been calling me to wake me up in the morning, so I suppose I have some more adjusting to do!)
FINANCIAL SITUATIONOkay, so the financial opportunity that has been given to me by taking this position is an absolute gift from above. I will be receiving long-term substitute teacher pay, which will be about twice as much as I made teaching as a contracted school employee at a private school last year. So. I am definitely winning on that front! Part of the plan for the bf moving out here consists of me actually supporting him for a month or so, and truth be told, I would love to be able to support him because he has done so much for me and I don't really know how else to show him gratitude. I don't mean for this to sound materialistic in any way. He has provided for me when I've needed it the most, and he needs some respite from job stress, so I feel that he deserves to be taken care of. Does anybody understand that? Good! :P
So, provided all goes well, I will be able to afford rent and living expenses, afford for Baby E to go to a good daycare/preschool program while I work, and hopefully pay off all of my medical bills and avoid being taken to collections. (Guess we need to figure out something for health insurance, though.)
YAY!
Alright, well, now that I've been typing for several several minutes and you've been reading for several minutes, I thank you for caring and suppose it's time I pick up my desk (yay, I have a desk!) and head home...I'll try to come back tomorrow! :)
Anyway...here's a little update on some life changes I've made recently:
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
This past weekend (or the weekend before yesterday? lol) found us moving from our cozy little apartment in western Nebraska to a not-so-cozy apartment in northern Iowa. As of right now, my son and I are living in a one-bedroom apartment that basically consists of a hallway and a few rooms built off of said hallway. It is an incredibly inconvenient living arrangement, but we are making do with what we have. My boyfriend and his brother helped us move my hoarder's apartment 9 hours away with a flat-bed. Bless his heart, J's dad bought some lumber and the boys put up sides on the trailer, so my belongings didn't fly off. My packing skills are apparently not as BA as I had hoped because I was still packing until late last Saturday night/Sunday morning...oops. We got most everything, and I should have insisted on furniture coming over first, but it is mostly still sitting in NE, along with my kitchen and my bed. This weekend Baby E and I are going to make the 9-hour drive back for Thanksgiving with my (hopefully) future-in-laws, which will be another three hours south of the old home with the (hopefully) future-grandparent-in-laws. Oy vey! The man child will stay with his now-surrogate grandparents on Friday whilst the big man and I head back to my still-not-vacated apartment and finish packing my belongings and moving my furniture into storage.
(Here, I do have to say that I am not a hoarder in the traditional sense--my mother gave me everything she'd saved from my childhood, so I have been trying to weed through all of my history, which is definitely not easy for a sentimental soul like me...although, I will admit to being a total bibliophile...packing all of my books was incredibly daunting.)
I will be bringing back all that I can fit into my little car--my dishes, food, teaching curriculum that I somehow forgot.... I think that most of my larger furniture is going to sit in a storage unit until I can sell it on the Facebook garage sale pages. (I've been trying to get rid of that beast of an entertainment center I bought for my witchy items, but nobody wants it...poor thing.) Yours truly should really be grateful to have such great people for potentially future in-laws...J's mother has offered to let me use her basement for storage, and I am definitely taking her up on that offer. My storage unit (which holds my piano and an antique dresser awaiting refinishing) gets unbelievably dusty, so I'll store my furniture in the storage unit and my boxes in the basement.
Oh...but living arrangements. My love has yet to join us, but our goal is for him to be here by the end of December or beginning of January, and this seems to be a very reasonable and attainable goal. He is not really wanting to stay working in foster care because of the emotional toll it takes on him, and I find that completely understandable. However, there is a part of me that wants him to just grow a pair and let all of that slide off of him because he is good at his job and actually gives a damn about where the kids whose cases he handles get placed and he actually gives a damn about their well-being, which isn't the case with all social workers, unfortunately. Regardless of what he decides to do, I will support him...as long as he hurries up and gets here! :P This past week has kind of sucked due to not being able to see his face and love on him, but it hasn't been too awful because I know that I will see him in...OMG TWO DAYS OMG!!!!
When he gets here we'll probably move out of our one-bedroom top-floor apartment with the paper thin walls. Yay! (Also, this will be the first time I have ever lived with anybody, so I'm gonna need prayers!)
EMPLOYMENT
The reason for our sudden move: I will be fulfilling the role as a K-12 music teacher for a small school not far from where I am currently living, as the contracted person has failed to show up for work since February. (WHOA!) I really have a fairly easy schedule for school, and it is very appreciated by my mental health. I'm actually sitting here blogging at the end of the school day. :) Making the decision to take this job opportunity and move my little family was met with much tribulation and many tears. As you well know, I have been unemployed since resigning from my previous teaching post at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, and I have had quite the time affording to maintain a roof over our heads and putting food on our plates. I don't think I blogged or vlogged about it, but I actually applied for a number of jobs in our town in Nebraska, but apparently holding a Bachelor's Degree takes you out of the running for jobs that require a high school diploma. Who knew?
Anyway, I went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth about taking this job. J was very encouraging because of the financial opportunity that it would afford me, but he was also understanding of my reluctance to take Baby E out of his wonderful daycare and away from his home and the people he's known his whole life. (Well, as far back as he can remember, anyway.) While I started to get serious about coming out here, I did apply for a CNA job at a nursing home in Nebraska, and to be honest, I would have LOVED that job, but a few days before it was offered to me, I called the principal at the IA school and told him I would fill this district's need. And hey, wouldn't you know it?!: Within about five days of accepting this job I received three job offers in Nebraska (after months of rejection). Hm. When it rains it pours, eh?!
DIET & NUTRITION
My diet has suffered a bit over the last week or so. I am a person who bakes everything from scratch, cooks everything from scratch, and doesn't consume a great deal of processed food. Having left most of my kitchen in Nebraska, I have resorted to microwavable food *shudders* or sandwiches for both my son and I, and consuming alcohol to eliminate the hunger. I've also been using styrofoam plates and bowls (because my mother brought them to me) and feel like a total whore. (That might actually end up becoming a post of its own).
...anyway. This change in diet definitely affected me--the alcohol not so much, but I ate a tv dinner last week and was sick within thirty minutes. Needless to say, I am not buying any more tv dinners! After I retrieve all of my kitchen utensils, spices, etc. this weekend, I do plan on returning to a more healthful diet!
Also, I am making it a goal to exercise more while I have this time away from my love. Normally, I spend my evenings with my son, and then when he goes to bed I am with my boyfriend. Now, I plan on using that time to exercise or go to bed early so I can wake up early and exercise. Granted, this new exercise plan has not been put into effect yet, simply because of my jet-laggish exhaustion at the end of the school days...I get home and just want to collapse!
SCHEDULING/SLEEPING
My body has forgotten what it's like to be absolutely and completely exhausted at the end of the day, so I have been adjusting to a new sleeping/waking schedule...quite different from that awful habit I got into this summer of staying up until 3am! I started work last Wednesday, and every single night I was 100% drained and felt like dying when my son didn't want to go to bed at 7 pm!
Oh. Sleeping. That also brings up the fact that we have moved to an entirely different time zone. We were living on Mountain Time in western Nebraska, and here we are on Central Time. I suppose that moving right after the end of Daylight Savings Time has helped me, though. In preparation for our move, I didn't set our clocks back, which put us on post-DST Central Time. I really am loving this because it isn't dark at 4:30 here...living on the eastern edge of a time zone during the winter is a bit hellish as far as daylight hours go.
(My boyfriend and my mother have both been calling me to wake me up in the morning, so I suppose I have some more adjusting to do!)
FINANCIAL SITUATIONOkay, so the financial opportunity that has been given to me by taking this position is an absolute gift from above. I will be receiving long-term substitute teacher pay, which will be about twice as much as I made teaching as a contracted school employee at a private school last year. So. I am definitely winning on that front! Part of the plan for the bf moving out here consists of me actually supporting him for a month or so, and truth be told, I would love to be able to support him because he has done so much for me and I don't really know how else to show him gratitude. I don't mean for this to sound materialistic in any way. He has provided for me when I've needed it the most, and he needs some respite from job stress, so I feel that he deserves to be taken care of. Does anybody understand that? Good! :P
So, provided all goes well, I will be able to afford rent and living expenses, afford for Baby E to go to a good daycare/preschool program while I work, and hopefully pay off all of my medical bills and avoid being taken to collections. (Guess we need to figure out something for health insurance, though.)
YAY!
Alright, well, now that I've been typing for several several minutes and you've been reading for several minutes, I thank you for caring and suppose it's time I pick up my desk (yay, I have a desk!) and head home...I'll try to come back tomorrow! :)
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Would You Host an Orphan?
Today I was scrolling through my not-Pagan Facebook page and discovered that another mom blogger had posted this link: http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/47275
I'm not sure that I've ever heard of this before, but apparently this is a thing: families can host an orphan in their home for four weeks, either resulting in adoption (YAY!!!), a long-lasting relationship, a child's heart being broken, or who knows what (*sadface*).
I have no experience with orphans or adoption (minus my mother and aunt being abandoned children in a foreign country who were brought to the US in the '60s), so I obviously don't speak from personal experience when I say that I think this seems like a horrible idea IF you have no intentions of eventually adopting the child you host. Even bringing the child into your home in order to "see how it goes" seems a little heartless to me. I say, forget your own emotions and consider the child you'd be bringing into your home. He or she is most likely going to have expectations of being permanently taken into your home. Also, one of the reasons that children are more difficult to adopt as they get older is that they tend to develop more emotional damage as the years pass. (This probably seems like a gross generalization, but children as young as three and four can be hard to adopt due to psychological/mental health issues.)
I have inspected the website www.kidsave.org, which seems to be at the center of the previous link's ire. It does appear that there is a program called "Weekend Miracles," which appears (to me) as a Big Brother/Big Sister-type program, and seems like a pretty good idea. The "Volunteer" section under "Weekend Miracles" says:
"Volunteers for Weekend Miracles can be host families, mentors or advocates for children. We also need people to help recruit host families among every demographic group — Caucasian families, families of color and families who will support gay, lesbian and transgender youth. Gay families are welcome. Together we recruit people to manage events each weekend so the kids can meet people interested in adopting and mentoring them. We partner with community organizations to host weekend events for kids — churches, synagogues, civic groups. If you have PR skills, website development, photography or social work expertise we can use you, too. If you or your organization are interested, please fill out a volunteer inquiry and a Kidsave staff member will get right back to you."
Like I said, seems legit...I would probably be down to do this. The "Summer Miracles" program seems to be the source of this other mom blogger's frustration. (She is an upper-middle class stay-at-home-mom with a husband and two young daughters, and who is considering participating in this program.) The "Summer Miracles" description states:
"This amazing program gives families to orphans age 8 to 13 who have little chance to be adopted in their own countries. Children aged 8-13 stay with host families who help them experience family life, send them to summer camp and work with Kidsave staff and volunteers to find adoptive families for these children."
Hmm...also seems legit. But, no lie, I believe that while a lot of good could come from this program, a lot of not-good could come from it, as well. If you are debating with yourself, trying to figure out if this is right for you (or anyone), consider the following:
1. Your own child(ren): How will your children feel about you bringing a strange child into the house, encouraging them to make friends, and then removing the child when his/her four weeks is up. How sad! I would feel awful about both children's hearts being broken upon having to separate them, should they become close.
2. The SAFETY of the children already in your home: I know this seems paranoid, but remember how I said that older adoptees often come with some serious emotional baggage? Some of these children have spent YEARS in an orphanage or in foster care, often being neglected and abused.
Here is a sad example of something awful that could happen: When I was in second/third grade, my family attended an Evangelical Free Church. My stepfather (not a nice man) was taken under the wing by a man named Dean (a VERY nice man whose real name is not actually Dean). Our families ended up spending a lot of time together. Dean and his wife had two biological children--a son in junior high and a son who was one year younger than me. The younger boy, we'll call him "Bobby," and I often played together (as much as we could, since we knew the other one had cooties) at church and/or family get-togethers. You know how you inspect people's family pictures when you visit their house? Well, I noticed that in some family pictures (that didn't look to be more than three-ish years old) there was another boy in the family. I remember asking my mom who and where that boy was. My mother informed me that these people had adopted this older child several years ago, that he had molested "Bobby," and that he had been sent away. Now. Tell me you want to take an older child, sight-unseen into your home around your young children. I can tell you here and now that I would be hesitant!
3. The orphan/foster child: Who wants to bet me money that these children are not being pumped full of fairy tale ideas by orphanage administrators? You know what, I'm almost 100% positive that most, if not all, of these children partake in these four-week visits full of hopes that somebody is going to love them and adopt them...especially the ones from overseas. If I were an 8-year-old orphan and some nice family took me into their home for four weeks, going back to the most-likely sub-standard conditions of an orphanage would probably make me want to run away. OMG. If that were me now, I am imagining that it would probably seem akin to being evicted and being forced to live on the streets. (Obviously, I realize that it isn't the same thing, so don't go getting offended.) I don't think I could do that to a child; if I were to participate in one of these programs, I would probably end up adopting or do it with intent to adopt.
And not to seem overly-negative, but how are the participating children chosen for these programs? Are these children the "best of the best," so to speak? Or the worst of the worst? Can you imagine an Eastern-European, Miss Hannigan-esque orphanage administrator who wants nothing more than to be rid of the children she oversees, and especially the ones who give her fits? Can you imagine doing this and getting Dennis the Menace?! Unfortunately, I can only guess that a situation like that wouldn't end well for any party involved.
3. The host parent(s): How, exactly, are these people vetted? If I want to do this, do I go through the same rigorous interrogative processes that I would go through if I were trying to adopt? Do I go through the same processes as would a foster parent? (I think most of us who are US citizens know that being a foster parent doesn't require a whole lot.) Upon further inspection, these people (at least, if they go through Kidsave) have to pay a little over $1500 in fees, not to mention they have to live in certain geographical locales. (Des Moines is one...I wonder if I'm close enough....)
Okay, provided you are a good and moral person, I don't mind that you want to adopt a child or two, or even have them visit you for a month every year. However, I am just scared out of my mind when it comes to people being unstable or abusive towards their adopted children. Some people slip through the cracks, are okay-ed for bringing an unbiological child into their home, and abuse the ever-loving s*** out of the kid(s). People like that need bad things done to them. Apparently, it is more likely that Eastern European children are the ones who will end up in these abusive situations, and I cannot even begin to tell you how sick that makes me. That said, I'm not really going to dote on this subject, but just keep in mind that not all adoptees are taken into loving and caring homes, even though that is what we all wish for them.
So, in conclusion, I suppose I have to say that I don't think that this type of program is always good for the children involved. There are a lot of emotions and hearts at stake, and many children will end up broken hearted if they are not chosen for adoption--especially since these programs seem aimed at finding these children a home. Could you imagine being one of the children who stays with a family, grows to love them, and is then rejected? The thought breaks my heart! If you are a person who thinks this is something you might like to do, PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASE take all of these things into consideration. If you are a person who thinks this is something you might like to do, I sincerely hope that you do choose to adopt the child(ren) who stay with you--giving a child a home and love is giving a child the world. <3
I'm not sure that I've ever heard of this before, but apparently this is a thing: families can host an orphan in their home for four weeks, either resulting in adoption (YAY!!!), a long-lasting relationship, a child's heart being broken, or who knows what (*sadface*).
I have no experience with orphans or adoption (minus my mother and aunt being abandoned children in a foreign country who were brought to the US in the '60s), so I obviously don't speak from personal experience when I say that I think this seems like a horrible idea IF you have no intentions of eventually adopting the child you host. Even bringing the child into your home in order to "see how it goes" seems a little heartless to me. I say, forget your own emotions and consider the child you'd be bringing into your home. He or she is most likely going to have expectations of being permanently taken into your home. Also, one of the reasons that children are more difficult to adopt as they get older is that they tend to develop more emotional damage as the years pass. (This probably seems like a gross generalization, but children as young as three and four can be hard to adopt due to psychological/mental health issues.)
I have inspected the website www.kidsave.org, which seems to be at the center of the previous link's ire. It does appear that there is a program called "Weekend Miracles," which appears (to me) as a Big Brother/Big Sister-type program, and seems like a pretty good idea. The "Volunteer" section under "Weekend Miracles" says:
"Volunteers for Weekend Miracles can be host families, mentors or advocates for children. We also need people to help recruit host families among every demographic group — Caucasian families, families of color and families who will support gay, lesbian and transgender youth. Gay families are welcome. Together we recruit people to manage events each weekend so the kids can meet people interested in adopting and mentoring them. We partner with community organizations to host weekend events for kids — churches, synagogues, civic groups. If you have PR skills, website development, photography or social work expertise we can use you, too. If you or your organization are interested, please fill out a volunteer inquiry and a Kidsave staff member will get right back to you."
Like I said, seems legit...I would probably be down to do this. The "Summer Miracles" program seems to be the source of this other mom blogger's frustration. (She is an upper-middle class stay-at-home-mom with a husband and two young daughters, and who is considering participating in this program.) The "Summer Miracles" description states:
"This amazing program gives families to orphans age 8 to 13 who have little chance to be adopted in their own countries. Children aged 8-13 stay with host families who help them experience family life, send them to summer camp and work with Kidsave staff and volunteers to find adoptive families for these children."
Hmm...also seems legit. But, no lie, I believe that while a lot of good could come from this program, a lot of not-good could come from it, as well. If you are debating with yourself, trying to figure out if this is right for you (or anyone), consider the following:
1. Your own child(ren): How will your children feel about you bringing a strange child into the house, encouraging them to make friends, and then removing the child when his/her four weeks is up. How sad! I would feel awful about both children's hearts being broken upon having to separate them, should they become close.
2. The SAFETY of the children already in your home: I know this seems paranoid, but remember how I said that older adoptees often come with some serious emotional baggage? Some of these children have spent YEARS in an orphanage or in foster care, often being neglected and abused.
Here is a sad example of something awful that could happen: When I was in second/third grade, my family attended an Evangelical Free Church. My stepfather (not a nice man) was taken under the wing by a man named Dean (a VERY nice man whose real name is not actually Dean). Our families ended up spending a lot of time together. Dean and his wife had two biological children--a son in junior high and a son who was one year younger than me. The younger boy, we'll call him "Bobby," and I often played together (as much as we could, since we knew the other one had cooties) at church and/or family get-togethers. You know how you inspect people's family pictures when you visit their house? Well, I noticed that in some family pictures (that didn't look to be more than three-ish years old) there was another boy in the family. I remember asking my mom who and where that boy was. My mother informed me that these people had adopted this older child several years ago, that he had molested "Bobby," and that he had been sent away. Now. Tell me you want to take an older child, sight-unseen into your home around your young children. I can tell you here and now that I would be hesitant!
3. The orphan/foster child: Who wants to bet me money that these children are not being pumped full of fairy tale ideas by orphanage administrators? You know what, I'm almost 100% positive that most, if not all, of these children partake in these four-week visits full of hopes that somebody is going to love them and adopt them...especially the ones from overseas. If I were an 8-year-old orphan and some nice family took me into their home for four weeks, going back to the most-likely sub-standard conditions of an orphanage would probably make me want to run away. OMG. If that were me now, I am imagining that it would probably seem akin to being evicted and being forced to live on the streets. (Obviously, I realize that it isn't the same thing, so don't go getting offended.) I don't think I could do that to a child; if I were to participate in one of these programs, I would probably end up adopting or do it with intent to adopt.
And not to seem overly-negative, but how are the participating children chosen for these programs? Are these children the "best of the best," so to speak? Or the worst of the worst? Can you imagine an Eastern-European, Miss Hannigan-esque orphanage administrator who wants nothing more than to be rid of the children she oversees, and especially the ones who give her fits? Can you imagine doing this and getting Dennis the Menace?! Unfortunately, I can only guess that a situation like that wouldn't end well for any party involved.
3. The host parent(s): How, exactly, are these people vetted? If I want to do this, do I go through the same rigorous interrogative processes that I would go through if I were trying to adopt? Do I go through the same processes as would a foster parent? (I think most of us who are US citizens know that being a foster parent doesn't require a whole lot.) Upon further inspection, these people (at least, if they go through Kidsave) have to pay a little over $1500 in fees, not to mention they have to live in certain geographical locales. (Des Moines is one...I wonder if I'm close enough....)
Okay, provided you are a good and moral person, I don't mind that you want to adopt a child or two, or even have them visit you for a month every year. However, I am just scared out of my mind when it comes to people being unstable or abusive towards their adopted children. Some people slip through the cracks, are okay-ed for bringing an unbiological child into their home, and abuse the ever-loving s*** out of the kid(s). People like that need bad things done to them. Apparently, it is more likely that Eastern European children are the ones who will end up in these abusive situations, and I cannot even begin to tell you how sick that makes me. That said, I'm not really going to dote on this subject, but just keep in mind that not all adoptees are taken into loving and caring homes, even though that is what we all wish for them.
So, in conclusion, I suppose I have to say that I don't think that this type of program is always good for the children involved. There are a lot of emotions and hearts at stake, and many children will end up broken hearted if they are not chosen for adoption--especially since these programs seem aimed at finding these children a home. Could you imagine being one of the children who stays with a family, grows to love them, and is then rejected? The thought breaks my heart! If you are a person who thinks this is something you might like to do, PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASE take all of these things into consideration. If you are a person who thinks this is something you might like to do, I sincerely hope that you do choose to adopt the child(ren) who stay with you--giving a child a home and love is giving a child the world. <3
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
You Can Count to Potato? Awesome. I Can Count to You're-An-Asshole.
Has anybody else seen this horrible meme that says "I Can Count to Potato?" I hadn't even heard of it until tonight. An old schoolmate had this posted as her profile picture, and I got right pissed about it, so I Googled to see what the deal is. Apparently, it's a line from "The Ringer," which is a movie I stomached about ten minutes of before turning the channel. Some horrible, cruel-hearted, and possibly soulless people have put these words on pictures of mentally retarded people (children, no less!) and posted these pictures to the internet. How f***ing disgusting. I don't often swear on my blog, but holy s***. Who raised those people?! I know that kids can be mean, but this crap is seemingly being promoted by adults.
The "Ermahgerd" girl is one thing (a meme that makes fun of a girl with head gear; the girl in that meme no longer has head gear and actually seems to think it's funny that she's become a meme), but making fun of people who cannot defend themselves or who may not have the capacity to understand that they're being made fun of is absolutely shameful. I must say that I am incredibly disappointed in this "friend" who has the Potato profile picture. Not that anybody really has to answer to me or anything, but I expect more from the people in my life. Perpetrating jokes that are aimed at humiliating or making fun of people with honest-to-goodness disabilities is not funny. They are not actually jokes, they are hate speech. Apparently, Facebook is doing nothing to stop the spread of this vile meme. I tried to report my friend's photo and it appears that I would have to block her (which I don't want to do) in order to report it. What rot!
I would be horrified if my child had a disability and somebody made fun of it. It's bad enough that I have a friend whose husband makes racist comments about Native Americans and black people in front of my son and I. (Because, you know, it's not like we're either of those things!)
Below I have included a link to the Know Your Meme page that talks about the Potato Meme. If you click on it, you will see there is also something called "Ching Chong Potato." Racism and ableism in one meme?! F*** me! You will also see that the girl in the picture has been identified, and neither she nor her family find any humor in this "joke."
Anyway. I'm off to stew in my growing disdain for the human race.
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-can-count-to-potato
The "Ermahgerd" girl is one thing (a meme that makes fun of a girl with head gear; the girl in that meme no longer has head gear and actually seems to think it's funny that she's become a meme), but making fun of people who cannot defend themselves or who may not have the capacity to understand that they're being made fun of is absolutely shameful. I must say that I am incredibly disappointed in this "friend" who has the Potato profile picture. Not that anybody really has to answer to me or anything, but I expect more from the people in my life. Perpetrating jokes that are aimed at humiliating or making fun of people with honest-to-goodness disabilities is not funny. They are not actually jokes, they are hate speech. Apparently, Facebook is doing nothing to stop the spread of this vile meme. I tried to report my friend's photo and it appears that I would have to block her (which I don't want to do) in order to report it. What rot!
I would be horrified if my child had a disability and somebody made fun of it. It's bad enough that I have a friend whose husband makes racist comments about Native Americans and black people in front of my son and I. (Because, you know, it's not like we're either of those things!)
Below I have included a link to the Know Your Meme page that talks about the Potato Meme. If you click on it, you will see there is also something called "Ching Chong Potato." Racism and ableism in one meme?! F*** me! You will also see that the girl in the picture has been identified, and neither she nor her family find any humor in this "joke."
Anyway. I'm off to stew in my growing disdain for the human race.
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-can-count-to-potato
Small Update
 |
| My soaping orders for last weekend. |
I got myself on the substitute list for the public schools in town, so that will pay well when I am able to sub, and I also took a job babysitting two children while their mother goes to work at a local bar. As far as that is concerned, I start tomorrow and I am very excited! However, I think it's going to have to be temporary because it still won't make me enough to live off of and I won't really be able to sub if I'm sitting at strange hours that start at 10a.m. or 2p.m. I think I will have every Monday off from sitting, so I think I will sub every Monday I am able to. Other than that, it's going to have to be mornings. (Oh, and did you know that if I were to substitute teach for the public schools five days a week, I would make more money than I did with a regular teaching contract at the local parochial school? Damn shame, it is!)
In other news, it has been a successful week in business for me. A woman in Scottsbluff ordered enough soap and salts to cover all of my expenses for this next month's soap supplies...woot! She is a repeat customer, and I hope that she keeps returning--I had so much fun getting all of my orders ready! :) I have also been working on making some malas (prayer beads) and just finished another box last night! Actually, I posted a picture of it burned and unfinished, but now it is burned and painted and it looks amazing! Well, I think it does, anyway. :)
Monday, September 3, 2012
Car Rides With My Baby
It seems my son has been saying the darnedest things lately, so I thought that I would keep track of a few little gems on this blog :) Most of these happened in the care and in the last day or so, but I just haven't gotten around to typing them up. A few are a little older, but still pretty good (or so I think, but perhaps I am biased).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While driving home from daycare the other day, he asked me, "Can a cow hang out with us?" When I asked him where we would put the cow and said that we didn't have enough room, he replied, "Yeah, because it will toot a lot and it will be stinky!"
While laying in bed, reading a bedtime book, I noticed that he had a small toy in his hand--something that isn't allowed at bedtime (I'm afraid he's going to inadvertently choke or poke his eye out in his sleep). I held my hand out for him to give it to me, and in an attempt to not be in trouble (which he wasn't, anyway) he said, "Would you please hold my item? I don't want to lose it." I made him repeat himself. I'm like, "Item???"
My son is known for being a bit on the gassy side. Yesterday he kept letting silent-but-deadly fluffs in the car. After I asked him (probably for the tenth time) if he'd just let one, he asked, "Mama, why am I tooting so much?!"
DS has been on this whole "him vs. her" kick. He's constantly asking, "Am I a him? Are you a her?" He generally accepts the fact that he is a "him," but sometimes whines about it. When I replied to his question by telling him that he is a "him," he started crying "Noooo!!!" from the backseat. When I asked if he was a girl and he said yes, I started to argue and was told, "But I'm a pretend girl!"
Here I have to admit something shameful and bachelor-like: I pretty much hate wearing clothes when I'm in the house. I am not a nudist, by any means, but I often lose the pants when I walk in the door. I also take a while getting dressed after showers, provided I have nowhere to go. Yesterday, I was putting on my make-up in my underwear, and the girls were kind of hanging out the way they do (you ladies probably know what I'm talking about). DS walks in the bathroom, bats at Mrs. Right like he's a cat pawing a mouse, and says, "Your breasts are so lovely!"
A couple days ago, we were getting ready to go somewhere, and when I started the car, NPR was on the radio. (This is pretty normal--I don't listen to much besides classical if my son is around.) I don't even remember what was playing...I think it was probably a Romantic-era symphony. Baby says, "I LOVE this song!" Aww...warmed his mama's musician's heart <3
DS has been asking me fifty times a day, "How do you spell _____?" Yesterday I got asked to spell the following (so short) words:
When we are listening to NPR, either in the car or at home, I often ask my son to identify the type of instrument that is playing. Yesterday in the car he identified a clarinet (Mama's second-favorite instrument to play!) and then asked me, "What comes after clarinet?" Last night, while laying in bed and listening to the radio, he identified a guitar and asked "What comes after guitar?" I am starting to think we need to quit playing the "What comes after Tuesday, Wednesday, etc." and "What comes after twenty-six?" games. Not everything is sequential.
Or is it?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While driving home from daycare the other day, he asked me, "Can a cow hang out with us?" When I asked him where we would put the cow and said that we didn't have enough room, he replied, "Yeah, because it will toot a lot and it will be stinky!"
While laying in bed, reading a bedtime book, I noticed that he had a small toy in his hand--something that isn't allowed at bedtime (I'm afraid he's going to inadvertently choke or poke his eye out in his sleep). I held my hand out for him to give it to me, and in an attempt to not be in trouble (which he wasn't, anyway) he said, "Would you please hold my item? I don't want to lose it." I made him repeat himself. I'm like, "Item???"
My son is known for being a bit on the gassy side. Yesterday he kept letting silent-but-deadly fluffs in the car. After I asked him (probably for the tenth time) if he'd just let one, he asked, "Mama, why am I tooting so much?!"
DS has been on this whole "him vs. her" kick. He's constantly asking, "Am I a him? Are you a her?" He generally accepts the fact that he is a "him," but sometimes whines about it. When I replied to his question by telling him that he is a "him," he started crying "Noooo!!!" from the backseat. When I asked if he was a girl and he said yes, I started to argue and was told, "But I'm a pretend girl!"
Here I have to admit something shameful and bachelor-like: I pretty much hate wearing clothes when I'm in the house. I am not a nudist, by any means, but I often lose the pants when I walk in the door. I also take a while getting dressed after showers, provided I have nowhere to go. Yesterday, I was putting on my make-up in my underwear, and the girls were kind of hanging out the way they do (you ladies probably know what I'm talking about). DS walks in the bathroom, bats at Mrs. Right like he's a cat pawing a mouse, and says, "Your breasts are so lovely!"
A couple days ago, we were getting ready to go somewhere, and when I started the car, NPR was on the radio. (This is pretty normal--I don't listen to much besides classical if my son is around.) I don't even remember what was playing...I think it was probably a Romantic-era symphony. Baby says, "I LOVE this song!" Aww...warmed his mama's musician's heart <3
DS has been asking me fifty times a day, "How do you spell _____?" Yesterday I got asked to spell the following (so short) words:
Phineas and Ferb
Peanut Butter Ball
Compost
Wallace and Gromit
Vitamin
Vitamin
Clarinet
Guitar
Orchestra
Recycling
Rainbow
Rainbow
What happened to kids asking "How do you spell milk? How do you spell cat? How do you spell dog?" I'm sorry, but I am getting tired of the alphabet.
When we are listening to NPR, either in the car or at home, I often ask my son to identify the type of instrument that is playing. Yesterday in the car he identified a clarinet (Mama's second-favorite instrument to play!) and then asked me, "What comes after clarinet?" Last night, while laying in bed and listening to the radio, he identified a guitar and asked "What comes after guitar?" I am starting to think we need to quit playing the "What comes after Tuesday, Wednesday, etc." and "What comes after twenty-six?" games. Not everything is sequential.
Or is it?
Saturday, August 4, 2012
My Current Situation
It's been nearly a month since I last posted. My apologies, but I have been doing a lot of job-searching and trying to survive. This isn't going to be a super-Pagan post, but I just thought I would give everybody an update about what's been going on in my life the last couple of months.
As I think you all know, I resigned from my teaching job in February, intending to go back to nursing school. (Oh, and don't worry--I finished out the school year...can't be breaking contracts, now, can we?) Well, the nursing school plan fell through because I realized that I didn't have near enough money to take classes, and I had three prerequisites that I would have had to take over the summer. Academically I would've been on-point, but financially I was--and am--still struggling.
If you don't like to hear about financial problems, now would be the time to exit my page. The only reason I am putting this here (as opposed to YouTube or Facebook--although, I probably will link this to The Pagan Mama Diaries FB page as usual) is because I don't want to seem like a whiner or like a charity case (because, let's face it, it's hard to not think those things about people who talk about their financial problems). I figure I have a smaller following on my blog, so I guess I feel safer sharing these things here--hopefully I don't get much backlash! Anyway.
My teaching job was at a parochial school, and I was salaried at $20,000 my first year, and $21,500 this past year. After all of my deductions (insurance, etc.) I was making about $1,400 and $1,600 a month, respectively. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a child to parent by myself (I have not received child support since May), or if I had a partner helping me with bills. However, this salary has not been enough to support us as far as housing, paying my student loans, paying other monthly bills, and paying for daycare.
A little back story: I had my son a year-and-a-half before I graduated from college, so I was a broke single mother (his sperm donor basically abandoned us) living on welfare and using my student loan money to pay bills. I had food stamps, daycare assistance, practically free housing, and my son had Medicaid. As soon as I got a job, I no longer had any of that. (Well, my son does have Medicaid still--paying for him to be on my insurance policy would have cost me a couple hundred a month!) Almost overnight I went from having about $300 a month in food stamps that were always spent on healthy foods, to having to figure out how to grocery shop more frugally without having to feed processed crap to my son for every meal. I went from not paying ANYTHING for daycare to having a $400/month daycare bill. I went from paying $20/month for public housing to paying $450/month for a house.
If this sounds like I'm all "woe is me," I guess it kind of is. I just wish that there were some kind of weaning program--something to help wean you off of welfare, because DAMN, was real welfare-less life a shocker! I did reapply for assistance my first year teaching, and I was informed that $1,400 a month is not enough to get help with daycare. Mind you, I was paying $400 for daycare, $450 for rent, plus electric, gas, utilities, diapers, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. (You all know what those bills look like, I'm sure.) I had MAYBE $200 left at the end of the month for incidentals (gassing up the car, etc.) if I was lucky. I actually quit taking my epilepsy medication so I could save money. OH! And I was paying down a $500 bill (after insurance) from my last office visit to the neurologist>>>OMG. So, I basically quit taking my Topamax, quit taking birth control (didn't need it), and tried to get down the bare minimum of what I needed to stay healthy. I do have WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) assistance, so that helps a bit with groceries, and it's wonderful that they have changed the program to include fresh fruits and vegetables--we get $6 worth of those each month. Of course, they last about a week, depending on what we get, but still, it's money that I am not having to pay out-of-pocket.
I did find a new daycare provider, and you know what? My son's daycare provider is one of the most Christian women I've ever met. She knows how little I make and hard I struggle, so she has been charging me half of what she normally would, and she is the definition of a G-d-send. Unfortunately, I think what started The Horror of Summer 2012 was that I tried to pay off my daycare bill in May (because I was still a bit behind), and then I was threatened with eviction because my landlord hadn't cashed my April rent until the end of May (along with the check for May!), and--stupid me--I didn't realize it wasn't out of my bank account. Grr.
So, starting in June, I had to have help paying my rent. My boyfriend loaned me some money, for rent, and then a few weeks later I was getting lonely and distraught over missing my son, so he loaned me money to retrieve him from my mother's house (which was a state away). I was hoping that that would be all I had to borrow, but then he loaned me money for my July rent. Now, here I am, jobless, one more paycheck coming at the end of the month, and no money to pay my rent that was due three days ago. Double grr.
My community and surrounding area have several online garage sale pages on Facebook, so I've been trying like mad to sell half of the stuff we own. I really am trying to hang on to things that have meaning to me as a mother, because I hope that one day they will have meaning to him (and possibly his children). There is no way that I am selling my mom's, my aunt's, or my old toys--they're mostly considered antiques now! And books? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Speaking of antiques, I had two antique babies that meant a lot to me, and I sold one in June while my son was gone, trying to get money to go get him. My 1924 Singer Treadle Machine went bye-bye, and my boyfriend got pissed off at me for not telling him that I needed help (I tend to be a proud person). Now, I'm trying to get rid of my nice, solid oak dining room table and my 1890s piano--that baby is in storage because I moved into an apartment to try to save money, so I am now trying to clean out the storage unit to eliminate a bill. Maybe I'm a Scrooge, but I don't price my stuff as low as a lot of people in this town. Lo siento, but I am not going to sell you twenty of my son's board books for $10, and I will NOT NOT NOT just GIVE you my piano! I feel awful for selling some of my baby's toys, but apparently people only want to buy kid's stuff. The ratio of adult to children's items that I've been selling is probably 1:4.
So, as I've been typing this over the last two hours (thank you for distracting me, YouTube people!), I've started thinking about how all of this monetary lacking in my life has spilled over into my spirituality and my emotions. I have been very unproductive the last couple of months, and I know that it's due to not knowing what I'm doing with my life. Although I am not the type of person who "plans" things--I would much rather be spontaneous--motherhood is making me very nervous about how I will provide for my child. If I sold my table and the tote full of baby's outgrown clothing in the next day or two I would be ecstatic.
Last month I did a few money spells and burned some money-drawing incense (which I LOVED!), and it seemed to help. I admit that I did spend some money on Business Oil, and it seems to work a little, but I don't know what else to do. I mean, I am not solely relying on Magick to aid me--I'm legit working to make ends meet and find a job right now. I'm selling my belongings, books, dishes, etc. online, I listed some stuff (for free) on ebay, I have several books and movies on Amazon, I have my etsy store, I sell my soaps locally, and yet I have nothing! All of my money is going to pay medical bills--I had a $700 root canal done in April, and I'm still paying for it, and several "womanly" appointments (due to a lump in my breast an pre-cancerous cells on my cervix) that are costing me a ton, as well. Ugh. I feel like I can't catch a break!
So in short (for a not-short post), I am just asking that everybody reading this would send some prayers, positive energy, love and light our way, because we are very in need right now! I don't really know what else to say right now, so I will just leave you with that request...thank you in advance! I really believe that the Pagan community has a great heart and when the community prays together, truly amazing things happen! <3
Love and Light to all of YOU!
)O(
As I think you all know, I resigned from my teaching job in February, intending to go back to nursing school. (Oh, and don't worry--I finished out the school year...can't be breaking contracts, now, can we?) Well, the nursing school plan fell through because I realized that I didn't have near enough money to take classes, and I had three prerequisites that I would have had to take over the summer. Academically I would've been on-point, but financially I was--and am--still struggling.
If you don't like to hear about financial problems, now would be the time to exit my page. The only reason I am putting this here (as opposed to YouTube or Facebook--although, I probably will link this to The Pagan Mama Diaries FB page as usual) is because I don't want to seem like a whiner or like a charity case (because, let's face it, it's hard to not think those things about people who talk about their financial problems). I figure I have a smaller following on my blog, so I guess I feel safer sharing these things here--hopefully I don't get much backlash! Anyway.
My teaching job was at a parochial school, and I was salaried at $20,000 my first year, and $21,500 this past year. After all of my deductions (insurance, etc.) I was making about $1,400 and $1,600 a month, respectively. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a child to parent by myself (I have not received child support since May), or if I had a partner helping me with bills. However, this salary has not been enough to support us as far as housing, paying my student loans, paying other monthly bills, and paying for daycare.
A little back story: I had my son a year-and-a-half before I graduated from college, so I was a broke single mother (his sperm donor basically abandoned us) living on welfare and using my student loan money to pay bills. I had food stamps, daycare assistance, practically free housing, and my son had Medicaid. As soon as I got a job, I no longer had any of that. (Well, my son does have Medicaid still--paying for him to be on my insurance policy would have cost me a couple hundred a month!) Almost overnight I went from having about $300 a month in food stamps that were always spent on healthy foods, to having to figure out how to grocery shop more frugally without having to feed processed crap to my son for every meal. I went from not paying ANYTHING for daycare to having a $400/month daycare bill. I went from paying $20/month for public housing to paying $450/month for a house.
If this sounds like I'm all "woe is me," I guess it kind of is. I just wish that there were some kind of weaning program--something to help wean you off of welfare, because DAMN, was real welfare-less life a shocker! I did reapply for assistance my first year teaching, and I was informed that $1,400 a month is not enough to get help with daycare. Mind you, I was paying $400 for daycare, $450 for rent, plus electric, gas, utilities, diapers, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. (You all know what those bills look like, I'm sure.) I had MAYBE $200 left at the end of the month for incidentals (gassing up the car, etc.) if I was lucky. I actually quit taking my epilepsy medication so I could save money. OH! And I was paying down a $500 bill (after insurance) from my last office visit to the neurologist>>>OMG. So, I basically quit taking my Topamax, quit taking birth control (didn't need it), and tried to get down the bare minimum of what I needed to stay healthy. I do have WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) assistance, so that helps a bit with groceries, and it's wonderful that they have changed the program to include fresh fruits and vegetables--we get $6 worth of those each month. Of course, they last about a week, depending on what we get, but still, it's money that I am not having to pay out-of-pocket.
I did find a new daycare provider, and you know what? My son's daycare provider is one of the most Christian women I've ever met. She knows how little I make and hard I struggle, so she has been charging me half of what she normally would, and she is the definition of a G-d-send. Unfortunately, I think what started The Horror of Summer 2012 was that I tried to pay off my daycare bill in May (because I was still a bit behind), and then I was threatened with eviction because my landlord hadn't cashed my April rent until the end of May (along with the check for May!), and--stupid me--I didn't realize it wasn't out of my bank account. Grr.
So, starting in June, I had to have help paying my rent. My boyfriend loaned me some money, for rent, and then a few weeks later I was getting lonely and distraught over missing my son, so he loaned me money to retrieve him from my mother's house (which was a state away). I was hoping that that would be all I had to borrow, but then he loaned me money for my July rent. Now, here I am, jobless, one more paycheck coming at the end of the month, and no money to pay my rent that was due three days ago. Double grr.
My community and surrounding area have several online garage sale pages on Facebook, so I've been trying like mad to sell half of the stuff we own. I really am trying to hang on to things that have meaning to me as a mother, because I hope that one day they will have meaning to him (and possibly his children). There is no way that I am selling my mom's, my aunt's, or my old toys--they're mostly considered antiques now! And books? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Speaking of antiques, I had two antique babies that meant a lot to me, and I sold one in June while my son was gone, trying to get money to go get him. My 1924 Singer Treadle Machine went bye-bye, and my boyfriend got pissed off at me for not telling him that I needed help (I tend to be a proud person). Now, I'm trying to get rid of my nice, solid oak dining room table and my 1890s piano--that baby is in storage because I moved into an apartment to try to save money, so I am now trying to clean out the storage unit to eliminate a bill. Maybe I'm a Scrooge, but I don't price my stuff as low as a lot of people in this town. Lo siento, but I am not going to sell you twenty of my son's board books for $10, and I will NOT NOT NOT just GIVE you my piano! I feel awful for selling some of my baby's toys, but apparently people only want to buy kid's stuff. The ratio of adult to children's items that I've been selling is probably 1:4.
So, as I've been typing this over the last two hours (thank you for distracting me, YouTube people!), I've started thinking about how all of this monetary lacking in my life has spilled over into my spirituality and my emotions. I have been very unproductive the last couple of months, and I know that it's due to not knowing what I'm doing with my life. Although I am not the type of person who "plans" things--I would much rather be spontaneous--motherhood is making me very nervous about how I will provide for my child. If I sold my table and the tote full of baby's outgrown clothing in the next day or two I would be ecstatic.
Last month I did a few money spells and burned some money-drawing incense (which I LOVED!), and it seemed to help. I admit that I did spend some money on Business Oil, and it seems to work a little, but I don't know what else to do. I mean, I am not solely relying on Magick to aid me--I'm legit working to make ends meet and find a job right now. I'm selling my belongings, books, dishes, etc. online, I listed some stuff (for free) on ebay, I have several books and movies on Amazon, I have my etsy store, I sell my soaps locally, and yet I have nothing! All of my money is going to pay medical bills--I had a $700 root canal done in April, and I'm still paying for it, and several "womanly" appointments (due to a lump in my breast an pre-cancerous cells on my cervix) that are costing me a ton, as well. Ugh. I feel like I can't catch a break!
So in short (for a not-short post), I am just asking that everybody reading this would send some prayers, positive energy, love and light our way, because we are very in need right now! I don't really know what else to say right now, so I will just leave you with that request...thank you in advance! I really believe that the Pagan community has a great heart and when the community prays together, truly amazing things happen! <3
Love and Light to all of YOU!
)O(
Friday, June 8, 2012
Flogging Molly, Arbor Day, and Crystals!
'Ello! I know I've been MIA for quite some time now, and I would tell you that I plan on making up for it, but I'm sure you are all beginning to see what happens when I "plan" things. This is why I have always been a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of gal! I get things done when I get them done, and usually at an unnecessarily leisurely pace! :P
I'm sure that the title of this post gave you a "WTF?!" moment if you don't follow me on Facebook or YouTube! I've been trying to play catch-up on YT lately...today I posted a video for the first time in weeks! Oy! Anyway, the above title pertains to what I have been doing with myself lately, and more specifically, the past week.
I believe the entire purchase cost me about $13, so...not bad! I was very impressed by the store's prices and employees. My boyfriend and I were headed to a wedding, yet we were still dressed like bums and needed to find a place to change, and a couple of wonderful employees offered us the use of their restroom. The BF was a bit hesitant, but I was like, "Oh my gosh, I love the Pagan community! Everybody is so welcoming!" and he softened up. He'd actually sat in the car during my shopping excursion (all the while texting me to hurry up), mostly because he didn't (and probably still doesn't) fully understand exactly what a metaphysical shop is. I was really trying to not use the word "occult" in explaining it to him, but he finally seemed to grasp the concept a bit better once that word came out of my mouth!
(Just to clear this up: I have not 100% explained to the man the depth of my interest in Paganism and Witchcraft. However, I do have all of my occult books sitting out in the open on a shelf in my bedroom, so he is more than welcome to browse and ask questions--nothing is being hidden from him, but I have been slow to talk about my religious beliefs.)
Okay. I'm actually getting tired of typing right now. So. We attempted to go to a wedding, but were slowed down by stupid highway traffic. (Traffic on Nebraska's [or other Midwestern state's] highways usually consists of ending up behind a tractor or trailer going ten or fifteen below the speed limit, FYI.) Since we missed the wedding, we hit up the reception, which was held at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, home of Arbor Day, biotches! I ventured out into the Arbor Day Farm's "forest" area and made a short video and took pictures for YouTube. (Go check it out!)
For those of you who care enough to still be reading at this point, we left the reception at 9 pm because I didn't feel well, spent three hours driving before we found a hotel with any vacancy, and I went to bed with a fever and chills. Happy Birthday to me--I was sick!
When we got home the next day, I had a package waiting from Fairy in the Forest Jewelry! I'm sure some of you know (or are lol) Alice the Red Rose Fairy from YouTube--she makes some absolutely beautiful jewelry! I ordered three pairs of earrings from her and could not be more pleased--they are so wonderful to behold! (I will have to upload a picture at a later date, though, because my blog is being a butt.)
Aaaand that about sums up my weekend, I guess. Congratulations if you survived all the way to this sentence--you're a trooper...bless ye!
I'm sure that the title of this post gave you a "WTF?!" moment if you don't follow me on Facebook or YouTube! I've been trying to play catch-up on YT lately...today I posted a video for the first time in weeks! Oy! Anyway, the above title pertains to what I have been doing with myself lately, and more specifically, the past week.
This past weekend was my birthday, which I celebrated by going to see Flogging Molly in Omaha with my boyfriend, my brother, and one of my best friends. A few other friends came out afterwards, but I must say that I wasn't really able to continue my drunk fest--oh, I'm getting old! (Either that or I had entirely too much to drink at the concert!) I came away from the night with a new beer-and-smoke-scented t-shirt, so it wasn't a total bust, eh?
The next day we (the BF and I) awoke, checked out of our hotel, and cruised Omaha and went to see one of my best friends from high school. I decided after driving around for an hour that I wanted to search for a metaphysical shop I'd seen online, so I undertook THAT task, not realizing that it would take me an hour to find it! Let me tell you, my search for Next Millennium was time well spent! I didn't spend very much time or money in the store, but I am sure I'll make up for it some day! I have been having a lot of financial difficulty lately, but I couldn't leave without making a purchase, so I bought some Nag Champa and three crystals: a citrine, an amethyst, and a clear quartz.
I believe the entire purchase cost me about $13, so...not bad! I was very impressed by the store's prices and employees. My boyfriend and I were headed to a wedding, yet we were still dressed like bums and needed to find a place to change, and a couple of wonderful employees offered us the use of their restroom. The BF was a bit hesitant, but I was like, "Oh my gosh, I love the Pagan community! Everybody is so welcoming!" and he softened up. He'd actually sat in the car during my shopping excursion (all the while texting me to hurry up), mostly because he didn't (and probably still doesn't) fully understand exactly what a metaphysical shop is. I was really trying to not use the word "occult" in explaining it to him, but he finally seemed to grasp the concept a bit better once that word came out of my mouth!
(Just to clear this up: I have not 100% explained to the man the depth of my interest in Paganism and Witchcraft. However, I do have all of my occult books sitting out in the open on a shelf in my bedroom, so he is more than welcome to browse and ask questions--nothing is being hidden from him, but I have been slow to talk about my religious beliefs.)
Okay. I'm actually getting tired of typing right now. So. We attempted to go to a wedding, but were slowed down by stupid highway traffic. (Traffic on Nebraska's [or other Midwestern state's] highways usually consists of ending up behind a tractor or trailer going ten or fifteen below the speed limit, FYI.) Since we missed the wedding, we hit up the reception, which was held at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, home of Arbor Day, biotches! I ventured out into the Arbor Day Farm's "forest" area and made a short video and took pictures for YouTube. (Go check it out!)
For those of you who care enough to still be reading at this point, we left the reception at 9 pm because I didn't feel well, spent three hours driving before we found a hotel with any vacancy, and I went to bed with a fever and chills. Happy Birthday to me--I was sick!
When we got home the next day, I had a package waiting from Fairy in the Forest Jewelry! I'm sure some of you know (or are lol) Alice the Red Rose Fairy from YouTube--she makes some absolutely beautiful jewelry! I ordered three pairs of earrings from her and could not be more pleased--they are so wonderful to behold! (I will have to upload a picture at a later date, though, because my blog is being a butt.)
Aaaand that about sums up my weekend, I guess. Congratulations if you survived all the way to this sentence--you're a trooper...bless ye!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
My Secrets Tag Video
Right now I am going to share a video I posted on my YouTube channel last week. It was a Secrets Tag video made in response to AliceTheRedRoseFairy (check out her channel!). I swear, a million people made these videos, and what they included was totally up to them. Many people kept it on a rather impersonal level, while others shared some deeper secrets. I chose to include a mixture in my video, but I didn't get TOO deep--I think I chose to give "just enough" information so that you know more about me. Anyway, that is why I am sharing this video on my blog--I think that it's one of the fastest ways for you to get a glimpse of my true personality. Not to be conceited, but...without further ado, here I am! :D
Saturday, May 19, 2012
She's Finished!
A while back I showed all of you a picture of the Spiral Goddess I was working on. It took me almost a month, but I finally got it together and finished her! Hooray! She's for sale on etsy, but I'm not decided on whether I want to sell this particular one. I'm thinking that I would rather list this item as made-to-order so that I can keep this one :) 
I also started working on a tarot box/trinket box. I'm not sure what to do with it, quite yet. I think it looks good the way it is, so I might add a coat of varnish and call er' good. What do you think??? This is also listed as made-to-order, so I guess what I like isn't that relevant. Oh, I will be so happy if some of my stuff sells!
On a side note, I learned that Dandelion root and Valerian expand a LOT while tincturing, so they have been moved to larger jars.
Umm...that is all for now! :) Have a good day and Blessed Be! )O(
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Productivity FTW!
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| I allowed my tinctures to leave the closet for a short period so that they could attend this photo sesh. |
I will try to get everything up on my etsy store and link you to it by tomorrow, mmmkay? :D
Also, I finally received my "crystal ball" yesterday! Okay, so it's not really a crystal ball--it's a FOSSIL BALL! I am sooooo in love with this thing--I swear that when I saw it online it was calling to me through the computer screen! :P As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it! It is an Orthoceras fossil, and the Orthoceras used to be a cephalopod during the Ordovician to Triassic ages, but...well...things just didn't pan out for my fossilized friend, here. This specimen is actually from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and is dated back to the Silurian Age, 400+ million years ago! "What is the Silurian Age?," you ask. Why, it is the period of time during which jawed and bony fish first appeared, and moss-like, vascular plants began to appear near bodies of moving water! (Thank you, Wikipedia..... ;) )
You wouldn't believe what it is to hold this thing in your hand--it's like holding the universe in your palm...ahhh....I am just in ecstasy over this fella!
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| My Orthoceras specimen, a.k.a. The Pocket-Sized Universe. |
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
New Herbs on My Shelf
Yesterday was the delivery date of a huge (to me) shipment of herbs from Mountain Rose. Oh, was I ecstatic! I made a video for my YouTube so I could show them off, but I made a total tool of myself at the end. I had about twelve different herbs and resins, and I was mostly giving information about the medical uses of each, and then, on my last herb, I totally blanked! For no good reason (other than being a ditz) I totally blanked and couldn't remember what Hawthorn leaf and flower are used for...ugh. Due to that stupid screw-up I now want to re-film, but I don't have the time. I have about four videos to make right now, and haven't been able to find time for a one of them. *sadface*
(And, in case you're wondering, Hawthorn leaf and flower can be used for a number of ailments. Notably, it can be used for cardiac issues, as well as immunity.)
Here I'm including a picture of the new herbs on my shelf. Please, note that Mountain Rose Herbs does not send their product in Ball jars, though! LOL I moved my resins and dandelion root to mason jars, not only to save shelf space, but to make my bedroom look a little bit better. I bought ten pounds of bulk herbs, and some are obviously more voluminous than others, so I didn't move them to jars--I don't really want three quart jars of Lady's Mantle sitting on my shelf...mostly because I have bath salts to put in my jars! ;) I let Elijah smell the copal, frankincense, and myrrh that I bought, and he exclaimed, "Mmm!!! That smells wonderful!!!" (He is three years old, though, so everything is "wonderful!" :P )
Later this week I will be getting my product labels that I had special-ordered last week. I'm so incredibly excited to start my little business--especially since I've been wanting to do this for so long! I did start working on my own website, but it's so ridiculously far from being ready that I've only given two people the link so that they can check my progress. Hopefully someday I'll be able to share that with you fine people, but for now you'll probably just going to be relegated to my etsy store :P
On a side note: What lovely weather I experienced today--temperatures in the 50s and a shining sun--what more could a person ask for?!
(And, in case you're wondering, Hawthorn leaf and flower can be used for a number of ailments. Notably, it can be used for cardiac issues, as well as immunity.)
Here I'm including a picture of the new herbs on my shelf. Please, note that Mountain Rose Herbs does not send their product in Ball jars, though! LOL I moved my resins and dandelion root to mason jars, not only to save shelf space, but to make my bedroom look a little bit better. I bought ten pounds of bulk herbs, and some are obviously more voluminous than others, so I didn't move them to jars--I don't really want three quart jars of Lady's Mantle sitting on my shelf...mostly because I have bath salts to put in my jars! ;) I let Elijah smell the copal, frankincense, and myrrh that I bought, and he exclaimed, "Mmm!!! That smells wonderful!!!" (He is three years old, though, so everything is "wonderful!" :P )
Later this week I will be getting my product labels that I had special-ordered last week. I'm so incredibly excited to start my little business--especially since I've been wanting to do this for so long! I did start working on my own website, but it's so ridiculously far from being ready that I've only given two people the link so that they can check my progress. Hopefully someday I'll be able to share that with you fine people, but for now you'll probably just going to be relegated to my etsy store :P
On a side note: What lovely weather I experienced today--temperatures in the 50s and a shining sun--what more could a person ask for?!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Dear Spiral Goddess, I Had an Accident....
Hi there! I think it's been a few weeks since my first post. I feel so silly--upon starting this blog I was so excited and "Oh, I'm going to be posting once a day, and blah, blah, blah...." Yeah. About that.... :P
So. Since I last wrote, I have started work on a website for my business, which will mostly consist of herbal products, and possibly some pagan home decor, but who knows right now? I started working on a Spiral Goddess earlier this week, and she isn't done yet, but I am IN LOVE WITH HER!
I plan on burning out the rest of her body, and the rest of the plaque will be painted and possibly lacquered. I'm not sure yet. This one will be mine (because I love her so), but I am thinking that I will make a few more and put them up on my etsy--yay! In other news, I got a new witchy shelf (aka an old entertainment center) for storing all of my books and herbs. Unfortunately, though, while moving everything around my bedroom the other day, I dropped my television on a water fountain (one of those small fountains with rocks) and it tipped and spilled all over a stack of BRAND NEW BOOKS. FMMFL. I am still angry at myself for doing that! Grr.... My "Inner Temple of Witchcraft" is still like new (more or less), but I pretty much ruined my "Natural Witchery" and "Every Day Magic" books. Insert sounds of anger: #*@$&)@#%&)^)!!#*(@! Poop.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
My First Post...Woot!
Hey there, everybody! Welcome to my blog, The Pagan Mama Diaries. I'm so excited to be starting this--it's been on my to-do list for quite some time. I finally got my YouTube channel started at the beginning of this month, so I'm doin' work! Next on my list is opening up an etsy shop, where I will be selling handmade incense blends, bath salts, tinctures, malas, and who-knows-what-else! (That's most-likely going to be a summer project, though.)
Anyway, just to introduce myself, my name is Amanda and I am 25 years old. My 3-year-old son and I live in a town of about 10,000 people in the Midwest. I graduated two years ago with my Bachelor's in Music Education, and I really love my job. I've been teaching in a parochial school for the last two years (we'll discuss that at a later date), but I didn't sign my contract for next year, as I will be going back to school to become an LPN. (I was a CNA in college and LOVED it!) Next step on the professional front will include getting my RN, but I'd really like to become a midwife (or at least a doula)...guess we'll see where I am and what I'm doing in another five years, huh?
I think that's about all you need to know about me at the moment. Later this week I will post the history/story of my journey on the pagan path, including where I started and where I am now.
This page will include stories about every-day pagan life, every-day parenting, and probably the occasional political or humanitarian rant. I hope that, as I grow this blog, I continue to grow in all aspects of my life, and that you will come along for the ride!
Thanks for reading!
Blessed Be )O(
Anyway, just to introduce myself, my name is Amanda and I am 25 years old. My 3-year-old son and I live in a town of about 10,000 people in the Midwest. I graduated two years ago with my Bachelor's in Music Education, and I really love my job. I've been teaching in a parochial school for the last two years (we'll discuss that at a later date), but I didn't sign my contract for next year, as I will be going back to school to become an LPN. (I was a CNA in college and LOVED it!) Next step on the professional front will include getting my RN, but I'd really like to become a midwife (or at least a doula)...guess we'll see where I am and what I'm doing in another five years, huh?
I think that's about all you need to know about me at the moment. Later this week I will post the history/story of my journey on the pagan path, including where I started and where I am now.
This page will include stories about every-day pagan life, every-day parenting, and probably the occasional political or humanitarian rant. I hope that, as I grow this blog, I continue to grow in all aspects of my life, and that you will come along for the ride!
Thanks for reading!
Blessed Be )O(
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