Truth or Lie?

Opinion Polls & Market Research

SM and NT came home from school angry yesterday with their clothes, boots, and backpacks soaked and a waterlogged game system. The neighborhood second grader had come up behind them and shoved them off the road into a stream below for no apparent reason. And then he lied about it to his mom this morning saying our kids had started it when they kicked him in the nuts.

When questioned, my kids' mouths dropped open and they started yelling he was a liar, all while I'm on the phone with his mom who believed her son was telling the truth despite that she knew he tended to lie. And then she said the defining issue that often goes unspoken but is the core of many two-family parent arguments. "I think I can tell when my son is telling the truth."

There began a delicate conversation about chronic lying and our abilities to read our kids' truth meters. Can you say Can of Worms? All I can say is, thank God I'm friends with her and she loves Jesus too.

The truth is, some kids are chronic liars and many parents instinctively want to believe the best about their kids, or at the very least, that they are good enough parents to be able to ascertain truth from lies coming from their children. What parent wants to face that maybe they can't or that maybe they aren't smart enough to keep from being deceived by an imp? It threatens us with the back pedaling topic of "bad parent."

But maybe we can't always read our kids. Maybe some of them have become so skilled at lying that they can get by even our toughest defenses against deception.

Oh no! We might be deceivable, just like that darned woman in the garden of Eden. God forbid--because if we're deceivable, we're penetrable and can be humiliated.

Nope, we counter later in the day of questioning while our kid tiptoes up behind another unsuspecting peer on the way home. I can read my kids. I'm not a stupid parent.

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Tech Tags: kids lie lying truth parenting poll

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Slip Sliding Away

I awoke to my 13-year old asking if school was canceled. Freezing rain had made our road sheer ice and it was raining. He'd tried to catch the bus, but he fell several times along the way. By the time he got to the bus stop, the bus had come and gone.

IJ, CJ, an SM piled into the car and off we went in first gear, sliding in every direction. The car skated down the hill despite brakes. I dropped off IJ's brother and sister for early jump rope practice and then hauled him to the next town over to middle school. Roads were fine.

Upon return, halfway back up the hill the car got stuck and I realized I had made a huge mistake in leaving NT home the first trip out. I walked home to get kindergartener NT. I wished I had ice skates.

NT and I walked gingerly back to the car, spreading dirt ahead of us from a bucket with a cup I had filled at our dirt hill that came from digging the house's recessed first floor. I never realized three gallons of dirt weighed so much. My arms ached under the load as I tried to step carefully on the watery ice.

We reached the car and buckled up. Reverse. Sliding. Brake. Dumb, Brandy.

The car fishtailed into the bank and stuck caddy corner across the road. Good thing I had called the school before we left home and told them NT would be late.

No dirt left, I grabbed my bucket and retrieved some from the bin fifteen feet back up the hill Jim had put there during our first winter there.

On the way back, I fell on my butt and slid ten feet toward the car, stopping just short of the front corner. NT watched from the back passenger window. Cold wet pants clung to my backside. Ew. But I wasn't hurt.

Thank God for gloves, and cell phones. Dirt under our studded snow tires failed to get our Kia Spectra out so I called home for help. Jim would drive down with the tractor.

I wondered if it would slide into the car and what would happen if it did. My imagination supplied a few ideas. Best not to remain in the car. I decided to walk NT to Kindergarten, usually 10-minute walk from that point.

Dumb move. The bottom of the hill was more dangerous that the top. It took five minutes to cross a seven foot section. We would be better off trekking home through the snow beside the road.

As I contemplated the idea, the tractor inched toward the car. Even with chains, it almost slid into the car. Glad we weren't still in it.

Our neighbor came home as I wondered what to do and he offered to drive NT and I to school. By the time we returned, the car was at the bottom of the hill ready to go to Wal-Mart, and Jim had spread sand. I hoped the ice would melt in the day's unusual warmth while I was gone.

And that began my first two hours of the day.

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ ice ^ slippery road ^ hazardous driving conditions

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Devastating Vehicle Accidents Today

My heart is breaking today.

On the news, I saw that an eight-year-old girl was seriously injured this morning in a nearby town when an 86-year-old man lost control of his vehicle after dropping off his wife for Super Tuesday voting. His vehicle pinned the second grader to the outside wall of her elementary school. Worse, her classmates saw it and are coping today with the fear and worry for their friend.

Everyone, including the man, must also be devastated. According to reports, his gas pedal stuck. If he were wearing clunky boots, that can happen easily.

And then Jim calls me from travel on the interstate this afternoon. (Slushy ice storm last night made roads a mess today.) A tractor trailer truck lost control of his truck this morning, hit guard rails on a bridge, and part or all of it went over. I don't know if his truck first dangled on the edge allowing him to escape before he plummeted to the street below. If he was unable to escape, he is certainly dead.

(Update: Jim just came home with reports from someone who lived nearby who said he heard the man screaming for help, but no one could reach him before he burned to death.)

I just passed that intersection last night on the way home from errands and recalled a dream I'd had as a young girl where I drove off the bridge to visit a friendly monster at the bottom of a whirlpool. As I drove by (it was a different section of the Interstate), I prayed God would never let my vehicle go over the side because it would be instant (hopefully) death. I feel like kicking myself. Why didn't I pray that God not allow any vehicle to go over at any bridge of the highway. Did I? I might have. And if I had, would it have made a difference?

How was I to know that very thing would happen the next morning--today? I feel awful. Awful for the driver, awful for the girl and her family and friends and school, awful for the elderly couple. I know none of it is my fault, and I could not have foreseen the bridge accident today on my own, but it still hurts to see such pain and torment. And I feel like I should have taken the memory more seriously than just a recall and prayed harder.

All I can do now is pray and hope.

Funny how prayer seems so helpless sometimes. I know its the best thing we can do in all circumstances, but it's so hard to do only that when we want to rush out and fix things ourselves. We have to submit our concerns, worries, and fears to God and trust that He hears us, listens to our requests, sees our requests as valid and important, and will act. And then we have to trust God's response and timing in His response.

How much easier it is to do things ourselves. But we can't. Even when we can, God still asks us to pray and trust Him alongside what we can and should do to help. How hard. But how important.

God does move in response to our prayers. I can only hope He will do a miracle in this little girl's body today.

Please pray for these people.

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Technorati Tags: tragedy ^ accident ^ kids ^ vehicle ^ prayer

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RECALL: Aqua Dots Dangerous!

The As Seen on TV product Aqua Dots turns out to be a dangerous craft set for children. If children ingest any of the beads, the chemicals in the beads break down into the date-rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) and can--will likely--cause unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma, and death. The product was first recalled in Australia and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled Aqua Dots in the US yesterday.

If your children, play groups, or daycare have Aqua Dots, please remove them from use immediately and contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or through www.aquadotsrecall.com.

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Technorati Tags: recall ^ Aqua Dots ^ family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ crafts ^ dangerous

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BYB Sunday: Hunting, Ticks, NaNoWriMo

Welcome to Blog Your Blessings Sunday.

I have three blessings to post today.

1. IJ, now almost 13 years old, went hunting with his dad yesterday morning for youth weekend and he saw a buck. Jim said it was about 140 pounds, old and gray. Not many get to see or shoot one of those. IJ said he didn't shoot it because he didn't have a good shot and he thought he wasn't allowed to shoot a doe. But he regrets it.

Jim and IJ are out again early today for another round and hope to see that deer. IJ says that this time if he sees the gray doe, he's going to shoot it. He has a good chance because the deer are bedding down on the bank just beyond our playground (the old llama pen extension).


2. Apparently, deer isn't all IJ saw yesterday morning. Later that day, he came to us with a tick on his neck and another crawling up the front of his shirt. He freaked a little seeing how earlier in the week we had to dig one that had sunk itself deep into his hip.

Then CJ found a tick crawling up her leg, so it looks like they carried the buggers home. Yuck. There aren't many things I hate, but ticks are one of them.


3. Lastly, I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. That's where you write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days in the month of November. (Don't be alarmed if the website is slow. There is a ton of traffic hitting the site this week.) It's my birthday present to myself.) I'm working on a middle grade novel for girls and doing terrific. I'm very pleased. I have 4,031 words.

Now if you break down 50,000 words per day, that's 1,667 words and I'm technically about 1,000 words behind, but that's easy to catch up. I'm most happy, though, because I have a nearly complete story line including three acts (no middle slump!) and I know where I'm going.

The last time I participated, in 2004, I had to restart a week in after a bad first run that wasn't worth salvaging. (Trust me on this one.) But after that, I went on to catch up and complete my 50,000 words. That was the year I learned I could pound out 5,000 words per day, a few days on end. It was the largest body of work I've completed to date, and I aim to do it again. Only this time, better quality. I'm aiming for publishable on this one. :)


So, there you go. My three blessings for this Sunday. What are yours?

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ hunting ^ kids ^ youth weekend ^ deer season ^ ticks ^ NaNoWriMo ^ write novel

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Shocker

My 23-month old just burped. And said, "Excuse me."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ manners

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Back to School Safety Checklist

This is our kids' last week of summer vacation. They return to school next Tuesday, and for the first time, one of our kids is out of elementary school.

Something in the school prep info we received for middle school surprised me. Upon arrival, students must check their backpacks in their lockers for the day. They are only allowed to carry notebooks between classes.

This is drastically different from when I attended the same school several (ahem) years ago. Everyone carried their backpacks. It got me thinking. Why the change? And it hit me.

School security.

School isn't safe anymore, so much so that our schools now feel the need to remove any means by which students can conceal weapons. Suddenly I'm thinking about returning to homeschooling. Not only does safety concern me, but so does communication.

In the event of an emergency, would I be able to reach my kids? Defywire gave me a healthy dose of reality. Probably not. And that makes me feel ill and incredibly glad at the same time--glad there's a God who knows me and my kids and watches over them to keep them when I can't, who comforts us should we ever be forcefully parted.

But I also learned through Defywire that there are ways to connect with my kids when disaster hits and cell lines are jammed. Here is Defywire's Back to School Safety Checklist to help us parents and grandparents keep our kids safe at school.

BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY CHECKLIST

1. Designate an out-of-town person for your child to call in the event of a crisis. When emergencies happen, cell sites in the local area get completely overwhelmed, and a call from one local tower to another is unlikely to be completed.

2. Tell your child to use a short text message code with an agreed-upon meaning in an emergency. A pre-set word such as “stars” could quickly and safely convey the message, “I am in danger at school.”

3. Choose a social networking website as a back-up way to communicate when all else fails. When cell phone lines were jammed at Virginia Tech, students reverted to Internet sites such as Facebook to tell loved ones that they were safe and where they were located.

4. Make sure that the school has all of your up-to-date contact information. In today’s world, cell phone numbers and email addresses change frequently, but parents often forget to update this crucial information with school officials.

5. Know the school’s emergency plan and practice it. Go to PTA meetings, open houses and other school events where emergency procedures are likely to be presented as a handout.

I might not be able to come sweep my kids to safety right away should they need it, but I can make all the necessary preparations to make communication as easy as possible when the window opens.

See Defywire for innovative ways they are seeking to keep kids safe at school.

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ safety ^ school ^ back to school

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You have to read this eBay listing

Had a bad day? Your kids drive you nuts? Just need to unwind with some humor? Then you have to read this eBay listing for Pokemon cards. This woman speaks the truth, I tell you!

I sooooo relate.

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ funny ^ Pokemon

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Teaching Kids about Money

One of the most important aspects of parenting is teaching kids about money, but I have to wonder, are parents actively teaching good money management or just letting kids learn by trial and error and observation? With the high debt rate, especially in North America, do parents even know good money management themselves?

Those struggling to get out of debt know how important it is to stay out in the first place--debt not only kills our pocketbook, but it puts pressure on our health, emotions, and marriages.

Teaching kids good money management should be a high parental priority. Good money education starting in elementary school years will give your kids a head start for when they reach adulthood and better prepare them for marriage seeing how money is a top marital problem.

http://choresandallowances.blogspot.com is a terrific site for parents to get a jump on the money and kids issue. We can even learn a little something for ourselves along the way.

One of the things we're going to do to teach our kids about money is issue an allowance based on how many days the kids stayed on level seven of the privilege ladder and give them a weekly prorated allowance accordingly. This way they get a realistic sense of earning wages.

Instead of giving money, I've made passbooks. We'll record deposits like a checkbook register. When the kids want to buy something, they have to make a withdrawal from the book for cash from the parent bank (me or Jim).

If they owe someone money for something, or want to hire a sibling to do a chore, they can withdraw it from their passbooks to deposit to another's. And if I have to do one of their chores, I make a withdrawal. But all transactions must be initialed by me or Jim for it to be valid.

Being in debt is no fun as Jim and I discovered fourteen years ago. One of the best things we can do for our kids is help them conduct their money wisely.

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ money ^ money management ^ finances

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Surprise Find

I'm really glad I looked before I stuffed my quilt into the washing machine this morning. Twenty-month old NT apparently knows how to open the door, for inside I found a slipped down and still taped together wet diaper.

At least she knows where to put soiled garments.

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Technorati Tags:  family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ washing machine

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RECALL: Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, other children's toys

Fisher-Price issued a recall of several licensed character toys today, about 967,000 of them. The involved toys were manufactured between April 19, 2007 and July 6, 2007 and sold in the U.S. from May 2007 through August 2007.

The recalled toys contain excess lead in the surface paints and could cause lead poisoning in children--manufacturer: China.

I've been seeing many recalls due to lead poisoning, and most of them are produced in China. I don't know China's production policies, but until they stop producing products containing lead these many recalls should be loud signs that it's time for the U.S. to stop using China to manufacture their products.

Having had a child lead poisoned at a young age from lead paint, I can't understand why China continues to allow products with lead off their assembly lines when they are aware of the health hazards to people. (They must be aware with the number of lead recalls in the past few years.) Do they really use these products themselves thinking the lead hazard is malarky, or do they keep them off their own shelves but settle for using inferior/harmful materials to keep prices cheaper for export or maintain foreign commerce contracts?

I tend to think the best about people, so I hate to think they ship stuff on purpose, but it's hard to think otherwise when they can't not know. Maybe they let this stuff in their stores, but it seems lead poisoning should be important enough to them to stop producing it completely.

I'll probably never know why they do what they do. In any case, check out the CSPC website for full recall information, but in the mean time, if you can't get there right away or the site is too busy, here is a list of the toys involved in the recall:


From the CSPC's bulletin:

The model names and product numbers for the recalled toys, which are all marked with "Fisher-Price," are listed below. The toys may have a date code between 109-7LF and 187-7LF marked on the product or packaging.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Fisher-Price. Consumers will need to return the product and will receive a voucher for a replacement toy of the consumer's choice (up to the value of the returned product).

Fisher-Price (800) 916-4498 anytime


Product List:

33662 Elmo Light Up Musical Pal
33664 Big Bird Light Up Musical Pal
39038 Elmo Tub Sub
87946 Elmo Keyboard
90609 Elmo Collectible
90612 Zoe Collectible
90614 Big Bird Collectible
93068 Elmo Boom Box
93307 Press N Go Elmo
93492 Cookie Saxophone
93615 Splash Tub Puzzle

B7554 Count To Beat Elmo
B7987 Elmo In The Giggle Box
B9620 Dora's Talking House
C6908 Dora, Backpack, Perrito Figure Pack
C6909 Diego Figure Pack
C6911 Boots, Tico Figure Pack
G5112 Sing With Elmo's Greatest Hits
H2943 Grow With Me Elmo Sprinkler
H3344 Birthday Dora
H5570 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Zoe, Bigbird)
H4628 Water Fun Tote
H8237 Blue 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9124 Chef Dora
H9186 Giggle Grabber Ernie

J0338 Diego Talking Field Journal
J0344 Go Diego Go Deep Sea Rescue
J0346 Go Diego Go Talking Rescue 4 X 4
J5936 Giggle Grabber Chef Cookie Monster
J6537 Sesame Street Giggle Toolbelt
J6763 Royal Boots And Tico
J7983 Sesame Street Tub Pots & Pans
J9692 Dora's Talking Pony Place
K3414 Diego - Talking Gadget Belt
K3580 Fairytale Adventure Dora
K4140 Toucan Motorcycle Rescue

L3194 Surprise Inside Diego Eggs
L3488 Sesame Street Birthday Figure Pack
L3507 Sesame Street - Super Boom Box
L5202 Birthday Dora
L8905 Pablo & Pals
M0352 Dora Figures Diego & Bear
M0527 Sesame Street Giggle Doodler
M2051 Lets Go Rescue Center
33663 Ernie Light Up Musical Pal
34658 Elmo Stacking Rings
39054 Sesame Street Shape Sorter
90267 Ernie Splashin' Fun Trike
90611 Cookie Collectible
90613 Ernie Collectible
90745 Construction Playset
93107 Action Fire Engine
93308 Rev & Go Cookie Monster
93493 Elmo's Guitar
93780 Music And Lights Phone

B7888 Shake, Giggle & Roll
B7989 Silly Parts Talking Elmo

C6910 Swiper Figure Pack
G3825 Dora Talking Vamonos Van
G9717 Giggle Doodler
H3343 Cousin Daisy
H5569 Elmo & Pals (Elmo, Cookie, Ernie)
H4187 Dora Figures In Tube
H8236 Dora 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H8238 Sponge Bob 3 Pack Figures In Tube
H9125 Bedtime Dora
H9188 Giggle Grabber Oscar The Grouch

J0343 Go Diego Go Antarctic Rescue
J0345 Go Diego Go Mountain Rescue
J5935 Giggle Grabber Soccer Elmo

J6762 Queen Mami
J6765 Prince Diego
J9518 Sesame Street Giggle Drill
K0617 Twins Nursery
K3571 Go Diego Go Mobile Rescue Unit
K4139 Go Diego Go Dinosaur Rescue
L0305 Dora Figure

L3215 Sesame Street Elmo Jack-In-The-Box

L5813 Diego Tub Trike
M0351 Dora Figures Dora & Kitty
M0524 Go Diego Go Talking Gadget
M0732 Dora's Talking House
M2052 Fairytale Castle

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ toy ^ recall ^ China

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A Little Help from my Friends

Every now and again someone helps me do something that probably should be done, but sits by the wayside as I tend to more urgent or blaring matters. This morning was one such day.

When I grabbed the ricotta cheese for an omelet breakfast, red Juicy Juice decorated the cover. Looking at the bottom of the refrigerator, I discovered nearly everything sat in a red puddle. As I started to take stuff out to wipe off, the juice seeped under the glass, down the back of the refrigerator underneath the crisper drawers.

I was shocked and displeased to find an empty Juicy Juice bottle yesterday when it had been full the night before. Now I know they actually didn't drink it all like I'd thought.

The bottom of my refrigerator is now shiny white, and I managed to get off the soda box parts that adhered themselves to the glass several weeks ago. Thanks, boys.

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Technorati Tags: family ^ parenting ^ kids ^ spills ^ refrigerator ^ cleaning ^ mess

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How to reduce a fever

Welcome to Works for Me Wednesday, sponsored by Rocks In My Dryer.

This week since I'm currently sporting a fever, and so is at least of of my kids, I decided to post doctor-suggested tips to bring down fevers, particularly stubborn fevers.

I developed this arsenal when NT's fevers wouldn't go down and he began to hallucinate. Not a fun experience for any parent. NT is also our son who has body regulating temperature problems; if it's too hot, his body overheats, and if it's too cold, he gets too cold. Maybe he's part amphibian.


How to reduce a fever:

1. Alternate back and forth every two hours between ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
2. Feed ice chips regularly.
   
3. Give Popsicles periodically if your child's stomach can take it. The sugar helps keep his or her body from dehydrating, which can happen if your child feels too ill to eat or drink much.
4. Give your child a warm bath. As the water cools, so will your child. If not home, do #5.
   
5. Soak a t-shirt in water a tad hotter than your child's body temperature and put it on your child. As the t-shirt dries, it wicks the extra heat from your child's body and brings the fever down.
6. Let your child sleep. It will let your body focus on fighting off the sickness.
   

I hope you won't need these tips often, but if you do, may they help your kid get back on his feet soon. And speaking of #6, I'd better follow that advice now.

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Technorati Tags: fever ^ sick ^ kid ^ tip

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