Webkinz World Welcomes Spring!

Webkinz New Pets:

Webkinz world is welcoming spring an little early this season.  They have just introduced their new Spring gang.  I was happy to see that the Webkinz duck from last year will be waddling back into the spring picture this year.  They have added a few new pets to love also.  This year they are welcoming the shy Lil’ Kinz Lamb, the Webkinz Lamb and the Cotton Candy Bunny.

Personally I love the bunny.  I think that she is just too cute.  I am very excited about all of these new pets to adopt.  I hope that the Easter Bunny pops on by the Chester Greenery and picks us up a few!  I know that the kids will be looking forward to it if he does!  Well happy spring in the world of Webkinz!

Becca

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BFF Best Friends Forever???

Growing up I had my BFF.  Not only was she my BFF but she was my only true friend.  I was not hated by all but she was the one.  She was the person that I visited after school, slept over all weekend and had a blast with.  We were not the most popular girls in school nor did we want to be.  We were fine with that.  We were ourselves.  We played Barbies until we were older then I am willing to admit.  We were two peas in a pod.  We went for walks around the neighborhood and stayed up all night watching movies such as Dirty Dancing!  She was my escape from everything else and the ONLY person who really knew me.  This was all fine until one day it changed.

One Summer afternoon my BFF told me that she was moving.  I was all of a sudden broken.  As I think back on it now I wonder why it was so untactful.  Either way it was the worst moment of my life and one I carry with me.  I felt abandoned and alone.  She was my friend, she was my BFF she was part of me.  I remember thinking that this could not be happening.  My mind raced with ways around it.  Could I go too… Perhaps she could stay… perhaps it was a dream and I would wake up soon… QUICK some one pinch me!

It was no dream.  She was off to start a new life and I was left here alone.  We had plans that in the summer I would come and visit.  I looked forward to it for the rest of the school year.  I could not wait.  I missed my other pea.  I needed to have my BFF back!  While waiting to go and see my BFF something happened.  I met a new friend.  A boyfriend!  I was so anxious to have someone to tell all of my secrets to.  Someone to love me no matter what.  Someone to share me with.  And so it was.  By the time I went out to visit my BFF I had a BFF (boy friend forever!).  This made things tough that summer.  My BFF who had moved had changed as had I.  We spent three very hard weeks together and it ended us forever!

Over the years I have been sad about this loss of a BFF.  Can someone really be a BFF or is it childhood dream.  I remember having the heart necklaces together.  You know the ones where one person had the “best” and the other had the “friends”.  At what point is all of that lost?  I think that we grow and even in that short amount of time in 9th grade that we were apart we each changed.  The change was not a bad thing.  It was just something that neither of us expected.  As teens I think that we were not able to share that knowledge that perhaps we were growing apart.  We abruptly stopped talking to one another and have lived our lives for the past 17 years without one another.  The weird part is that she is always there in my head.

Recently I reconnected with this BFF of the past.  I so want to be 14 again and try again but it is just too late for all of that.  I have to live in the now.  I am a mother of three now.  I have new BFF’s (I think I am too old to call them that), I have changed so much as a person over time.  In my head she is still the same person she used to be.  I know in my heart that this is silly to think but I want it to be true.

So I am beinging a new journey with my BFF of the past.  I am not sure how it will go.  Perhaps we will have nothing in common.  Perhaps she has not thought about me at all in the past 17 years.  Perhaps I am just trying to cling on to a past that I have not resolved.  Either way I am thrilled to have found her.  To be able to tell her how much I think about her.  To be able to show her the new me.  Perhaps the journey will be a great growing experience!

Becca

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Addicted??

All this makes me think of is: might as well face it your addicted to… love, right?  Well not in this case.  My family is addicted to TV.  If the boob tube is on they are off.  I find it to be very amazing.  How could three people be so addicted to something so stupid?  Don’t get me wrong.  I love a good show or movie as much as the rest of them.  There are just a few things that I do not understand about the television and it’s powers!  Some examples of my lack of understanding are…

1. Why is it that once the television goes on it cannot go back off.  They all just sit there.  It is like they have a been entranced and will be hurt if they were to look away even for a moment.
2. Even though there is often nothing good on they will still watch.  I flip through the channels and see that nothing I want to watch is on and then I do something quite odd… I turn it OFF!
3. WHy does it have to be on all of the time and loud?  This is perplexing to me.  I just do not understand why three people, with perfect hearing, need to listen to the television so loud.  This is such a problem that I even had Abigail’s hearing tested.  I really thought that she was deaf.
4. Why can’t they hear?  I call and I call and I call and nothing.  It is not until I turn the television off that they seem to be able to hear again.  Once I have done this tensions are running high in our house again!
5. Once I turn the television off, you know after I have called them all for about a half of an hour.  This causes arguing close to a person who is addicted to crack!  The thing is that this is usually the only way I can get their attention.

All in all I just have trouble figuring out what makes the television so addictive?  I just do not get it.  I would so much rather be playing a game with them.  I would rather be doing just about anything with them.  This television addiction has become so bad that we have had to establish some rules in our house.  These rules are followed most days although I am not perfect.  There certainly are days that it is just not worth the fight!  So here are the rules which yes as I had stated are sometimes lax.

1. NO television in the morning before school.  I think that without this rule we would never make it to school on time.
2. In the evening they can watch 2 30 minute shows. after this the television should go off.  The problem seems to be when I turn it off they get angry.  I mean ANGRY!!!  Abigail will start screaming and throwing a fit, Rob decides that I have committed a sin and will not talk to me and Emma whines.  I know it makes you wonder why I turn it off at all!  Some days I wonder too.
3. The television cannot be louder then 30.  If this rule is broken it is simply turned off.
4. The kids are only aloud to watch certain channels and only certain shows on those channels.  They can watch Disney channel, PBS, Nickelodeon (depending on the show), and HBO family.  Rob is not allowed to watch anything rated higher then pg when the kids are awake. I know that this seems to be a no brainer but you would be amazed that the things he tries to watch when they are running around!

All in all I have to say I hate television.  I wish that we could cancel cable and just be done.  I think that it would make my life so much easier!

Becca

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What Are Schools Really Teaching????

I had an odd conversation with Abigail the other day which made me wonder what are schools teaching my child.  Abigail, who is now 8, and I were driving in the car and she said the oddest thing to me.  This is how our conversation went…

A.  “Mommy, I hate that Daddy smokes”

Me.  “I know I do too but he only smokes once in a while and never around us.”

At this point I figured that the conversation would end but with Abigail the conversation never seems to end.

A.  “Well why do people smoke?”

Me.  “I think that people start because they think that they look cool and then it is hard to stop.”

A.  “Well Daddy must be stupid then.”

Me.  “No Abigail a lot of people used to smoke.  They did not know a long time ago that it was bad for you.  Even your grandma smoked right up until mommy was in college.  It was just something that was not thought of as a bad thing for your health like it is today.”

A.  “Oh wow mommy, did grandma do drugs the whole time you were growing up?”

OK this is where I am questioning what my kids are learning in school.  Since when is smoking considered being a drug addiction?  From this point I quickly tried to explain that people who are called drug addicts do drugs that are not legal.  Cigarettes and alcohol are legal but you have to be an adult to buy them.  So by the end of this conversation I was wondering if she raised her hand in the middle of class and told them all that her dad is a drug addict?  You never know with that one.  I am walking on eggshells just waiting for the school to call about my drug addict husband.

Perhaps this makes it clear that 3rd graders are confusing the messages that they are getting.  Perhaps their young minds are just not ready to tell a difference between a smoker, a drug addict and an alcoholic.  My concern comes in that no one is clearing all of this up for them!  They walk around thinking that their father is a druggie because he smokes a cigarette every few days.  Oh and to top it off Emma, my 5 year old, hates Obama because he smokes.  She has learned in school that this means we should not respect our president.  Oh the things that they are learning are astonishing to me.  I would settle for some good old reading skills.  I think that this is an important lesson in assuring that your children get the messages being pushed on them.  You do not want to be a druggie in their eyes like my husband apparently is!

Becca

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Webkinz News

For those of you who have not noticed the Webkinz Newz has a new name. It is now called the Kinzville Times. Nothing but the name has changed. It is still your place to grab a sneak peak of all of the Webkinz World happenings. I know I know why would they do such a think… Becca has the answer!

Webkinz has started a sister site titles Webkinz W Newz.  On this new site there is up to the minute newz, contests to be won, a store to buy new things and information about Webkinz foundation.  This site is new and worth exploring.  I hope that they add more on this page.  I think that it will have a lot of resources for parents and kids alike!

Becca

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The Castle Personality Test

This test was quite cute… I am not sure that I agree with all of it although a lot of it was true.  I just think the part that my life is calm and steady!  Perhaps they so not know what they are talking about in that respect.

Here is how mine came out:

You Are A Thoughtful Idealist

You are scared of new experiences. It’s hard for you to break outside of your comfort zone. You like to think that people are impressed by you. You know that you have a lot to offer. You are a very romantic person. You can’t help but see the world as it should be. Right now, you feel like the whole world is open to you. You see lots of possibilities. Overall, your life is calm and steady. Not much stirs you, and each day is full of joy. You are extremely optimistic about the future. You feel like things are always getting better.

Let’s see what you come out looking like… Visit the Castle Personality Test today and let me know!

Becca

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Pirate Cake

No pirate party is complete without a pirate hat cake.  This cake was so simple and so fun.  It is a must for any pirate party!

Here’s how I did it:

1. Bake 2 round cakes
2. Let the cakes cool
3. Ice the top of one cake
4. Place the second cake on top of the first
5. Cut about 1/4 of the circle off
6. Cut the smaller piece in half
7. Place cake up vertically
8. Ice and decorate

Please visit family fun for more detailed directions to this cake.  This cake is sure to please.  Let me know how yours comes out!  To check out a tea pot cake for your little princess please click here.

Becca

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Too Many Toys…

And Too Little Floor:

I feel like everything in my house is coming in on me. As I mentioned earlier this week the house is awful. I keep putting things off for the weekend and it just doesn’t get done. This morning I had had ENOUGH. I cannot change the baby. I cannot walk in the kids rooms. It was time. Mom had hit the breaking point and that is never a good thing.

The first room to tackle was Emma and Analiese’s room. As you can see this was a huge mess. Emma and baby Liese like to play in my living room (which I hate) and at the end of the day the toys just get thrown into the room rather then put away. As a result we have a room that we cannot move in. This has to be a stress and I would not have let it get this bad if I were the one who had to sleep in it. So being that we had today off from school I thought that this was a great day to tackle this room! This room was gone through right before Christmas. We have a deal in our house that you have to clear out the old and make room for the new. This leaves me wondering why Santa felt we even needed new. We have a place for everything it was just a matter of figuring it out, reorganizing and doing it.

So here it is. I feel so much better about it all. This room took hours and I have to admit that there was some crying. Emma did not want to part with the toys that I felt should be parted with. Either way I think that by getting rid of some it has left room to really play. The next venture will be Abigail’s room which I do not think is nearly as bad. Wish me luck!

Becca

Outside Will Get You?

As a child I can remember going out to play.  Yes it is true!  We would play in our yard or a friends yard.  We would even take a walk around the neighborhood.  We would do anything to get out of the house.  You know we would be kids!

What is going on with the world today that a child can no longer be a child?  Why is it that we do not feel that our children need outside time?  Why have we let the media taint how children grow up?  These are all things that I have become passionate about.  There really is no more risk for bad things then there used to be.  There are just as many bad people out there but lets get real.

1. The bad guys do not out number the good guys.  I know that the news that we watch would make us think that the bad guys are all just waiting for us to open our doors and let our kids out.  The truth is that they are not!  I do not want you to misunderstand there are bad guys.  There are men and women who take and hurt children.  How many are there really though and why do you think that they want your child?  Statistics do show though that these men and women who abduct children often know the children!  So where is the danger?
2. The kids are safer inside.  Oh here is an arguement!  You are right it is much better to have your kids cooped up in the house playing video games or watching TV then it is to open the door and tell them to go play.  I do not know the exact numbers here but I am pretty sure that the number of kids who die a little everyday from childhood obesity are much worse off then the kids who are out climbing trees.
3. Kids will go with anyone.  I am sorry but I know that Abigail and Emma are smart.  I know that they would not talk to anyone or approach a car.   This is because I have taught them if there is stranger danger to say no then go and tell someone you trust.  They have street smarts and are a pair.  They use the buddy system daily.  They know what to do and I am never all that far away.  Not to mention I peek outside from time to time to see where they are, what they are doing and why!

Now I know that some of you will come back and have a lot to say and for you, all I can say is remember.  That is right, take a moment and remember when you were a kid.  You played outside until you heard your mom calling you for dinner.   I think that it would be fair to say that we are keeping our kids back by not affording them the same opportunity.  So if you need to call DSS go ahead but my kids will play outside without me… EVERY day!

Becca

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Company Behavior

I know what you are thinking… What is company behavior.  Company behavior is the most important behavior that there is.  It means that for company your child wears a halo.  I know that many people complain each day about their kids misbehaving.  All kids do it the trick is to assure that they have good company behavior.  I am saying this as a mother of a child who rages.  She tries to jump out of windows and throws things at people.  All of this is behind closed doors.

Do not get me wrong I find this to be a terrible thing.  My child is difficult and most days are exhausting.  The great thing is that most people do not know it.  This is because she has great company behavior.  She works very hard to display this company behavior at school and at other people’s homes.  She is the sweetest girl you will ever meet! 

You see that is what it is all about.  I know you are thinking why is this acceptable?  For me it means that they get it.  All of those times that I sit down and explain why we do not act a certain way.  All of the times that I tell my kids to like people for who they are not what they look like.  All of those times that I tell my kids to respect adults.  All of these times they have heard me.  They even seem to get it.  Kids will be kids.  As long as they can behave for company you are a great parent in my book.  They will eventually be great adults!

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