JulieC's blog

Friday Funnies: A TEENAGER IS...

2008-11-14T09:15:04-06:00

A TEENAGER IS...

A person who can't remember to walk the dog but never forgets a phone number.

A weight watcher who goes on a diet by giving up candy bars before breakfast.

A youngster who receives her allowance on Monday, spends it on Tuesday, and borrows it from her best friend on Wednesday.

Someone who can hear his favorite singer 3 blocks away but not his mother calling from the next room.

A whiz who can operate the latest computer without a lesson but can't make a bed.

A student who spends 12 minutes studying history and 12 hours studying for her driver's license.

A connoisseur of 2 kinds of fine music--loud and very loud.

An enthusiast who has the energy to bike for miles but is usually too tired to dry the dishes.

A young woman who loves the cat and tolerates the brother.

A romantic who never falls in love more than once a week.

A budding beauty who never smiles until her braces come off.

A boy who can sleep till noon on any Saturday he suspects the lawn needs mowing.

An original thinker who is positive that her mother was never a teenager.

-Joke Source

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Image Credit: JulieC

National Adoption Day

2008-11-13T22:41:53-06:00

November is National Adoption Month, and this Saturday November 15, is National Adoption Day. National adoption Day is a collaborative national effort to raise awareness of the 129,000 children who are in foster care waiting for their permanent, loving families to find and bring them home.

National Adoption Day has been making thousands of foster children’s dreams come true in the last eight years by working with courts, judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies and adoption advocates to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children who are waiting in the foster care system.

Each year there are more than 300 events held throughout all 50 states as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico to finalize the adoptions of children in foster care, and to celebrate all families who adopt. To date, more than 20,000 children have been adopted into permanent families on National Adoption Day.

Goals of National Adoption Day 2008

Finalize adoptions from foster care in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
Celebrate and honor all families who adopt
Raise awareness about the 129,000 children in foster care waiting for adoption
Encourage others to adopt children from foster care
Build collaboration among local adoption agencies, courts, and advocacy organizations
Communicate availability and need for post-adoptive services

*Traditionally, National Adoption Day is celebrated on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Out of respect for the nation's remembrance of the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, the National Adoption Day Coalition elected to move the celebration of National Adoption Day this year only, to the Saturday prior.

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Image Credit: Crystl

Hump Day Hippie: Gold Rush Party’s for Extra Cash and Recycling Lessons

2008-11-12T19:16:59-06:00

Looking for a way to teach your family about the importance of conserving resources and recycling, while still putting a little extra cash in your pocket? Why not attend a Gold Rush Party? If you are thinking along the lines of a Tupperware or Pampered Chef party you are on the right track, only instead of spending money you will be making money? Now how many parties can boast about putting you ahead financially?

Since you are going to be getting rid of the jewelry and coins that are no longer worth more than anything but their cash value to you, the first thing you are going to want to do is to gather up all of your old, gold, silver, and precious stone jewelry that you no longer desire. Its condition matters not, as the buyers will be melting it down so bring on the broken broaches!

There are companies who will help you with your party by supplying you with the basic kit to host a party, or you can do some quick searches online to find out how to host your own party without using one of these specialized services. Check out the related articles below for more information on Gold Rush parties.

If you aren’t quite up to hosting a party yourself the first time around, do a google search and see if there are any parties being hosted in your area. This will give you a chance to check out a party before investing any real time or money into the idea. Take a ring or two and give it a try, if nothing else it will make a great story for you and your family to share!

Image Credit: Bucklava

How to Tuesday: How to Write an Autobiography for Your Adoption Home Study

2008-11-11T22:21:50-06:00

There is an astonishing abundance of writing as one trudge's through the adoption process, overwhelming even those who find enjoyment the art of recording their brain's creations. Besides the “Dear Birthmother” letter, the autobiography would be 'the other' big writing stressor of the adoption process. Each agency will have their own guidelines as to what specific topics they would like to see included in your autobiography.

Ready, set, reflect. A social worker could interview you and find out everything that you are going to put into the autobiography, and actually will do so at some point before the home study process comes to conclusion. You aren’t really writing this for them while they do benefit from it; you are doing it for you. The autobiography is a chance for you to reflect on the events that have occurred in your life, and how those events as well as your rejoinder to them have fashioned you into the individual you are today. Subsequent to your first meeting your social worker has an impression of your persona, it’s their job is to interpret people’s personalities after all, so what they are looking for in your autobiography besides the information they requested in their guideline is how you view, and feel about yourself.

Make an outline. Make a list of the events, and facts you want to write about, then go back and write a few key details about each entry, including it’s specific point. You don’t want to be eight paragraphs deep about your exhilaration over receiving your first puppy, before realizing you put Fido on the list to illustrate your first experience with death and grief.

Talk to friends and family. Talking about old times will help you remember forgotten details of the past events, such as how you actually felt while going through them. Examine each event from the perspective you had in the moment, as well as from your current one.

Don’t Jump around. Once you are done creating content, you can arrange the items in the order. When you begin jumping around back and forth from childhood to adult to teenager, to child, your point can become lost as the reader tries to keep up with the timeframe instead of the events within it.

Details. You want details in your writing to accurately describe a thought or event to someone else so they can grasp completely what is it you wish to convey. Keep in mind that some aspects warrant more details than others. Spending two pages describing being arrested as a teenager, or how it felt growing up with an alcoholic parent: good idea. Spending two pages going on in great depth about the first time you remember picking a flower and that's why you like daisies so much, or why you chose “Gilbert” as the name of your first puppy, bad idea.

Tie it together, and wrap it up. Don’t just talk about aspects of your life up until now, that's a timeline. Pick stories from the different times of your life that hold meaning to you, these are the stories that stand out in your mind when you think of yourself as a child, as a teenager, and as a young adult because these are the events that helped shape who you are, the defining moments of your life. Once you've worked your way through to the present, don't forget to wrap everything up. The last paragraph is the Reader's Digest version of everything you've stated prior to it. It's pretty much your philosophy, or outlook, on life. You've already exposed the details of you, now it's time to examine what they mean, what it is that you stand for, who it is you truly are.

Read your life. Don't just assume because you live it you actually know what you just put down on paper. Read it, and read it again. Don't just read for spelling and grammar errors, listen for your tone and your angle, both will be there, intended or not. Do you sound happy with yourself and your life? Do you sound as though you have coped well with the events that have been thrust your way? Did you learn from mistakes and hold yourself accountable for them? Are you confident in yourself and your abilities? If the answer is no to any of the above, you have more thinking to do about yourself, before you start thinking about a child.

Image Credit:-bast-

Adopting for the Money?

2008-11-10T08:23:22-06:00

I am convinced that it must have been negative 62 this morning while we stood, teeth rattling like ice cubes around an empty glass, waiting for the school bus. As I was huddling as closely as humanly possible to my young hand warmer, I mean child, son, warm blooded offspring of mine, I happened to overhear some of the intermediate school kids stammering out a conversation in between involuntary body convulsions from the cold, and jamming their hands in their pockets while jumping in place for warmth.

Moving away from the conversation was not an option, as they were serving as wonderful windbreakers against the gusty gales of the morning, so I listened to them talk about report cards, grades, and teachers, when the conversation ended up taking a detour into adoptionville, as one of the children stated that his teacher had been absent on Friday because she had to be in court, because she was adopting a child.

Instantly my head shot up, and I was getting ready to say something about it being National Adoption Awareness Month, when I caught a very condescending look come over his face, as he continued the story, “she already has four other kids, four! I think she’s just doing it for that thousand dollars they send her every…” now at that point I am assuming he said month, in fact I am fairly certain I heard him say month as the bus came clamoring to a stop, the doors screeching in protest as they swung open.

I had just enough time to get out of the way of the children climbing out of the cold, and kiss my own little thermostat goodbye, before the doors let out another scream of protest, the brakes hissed, squeaked, popped and whined, as the bus rattled off down the hill to collect the next group of youngsters huddled together like emperor penguins.

Adopting for the money? Seriously? Where does this come from? A teacher, someone who obviously loves children enough to desire working with them as a day job, adopting a child is honestly seen as a means of making money? Well heck if that is the case perhaps in these economically trying times, each of us should pick up a child or two from the foster care system to generate a little cash flow to the family!

Next time I see the child who was speaking, I will explain what adoption subsidies are for, so he understands that his teacher is not making a profit off of her newly adopted child.

Image Credit: JulieC

Signs of Depression in Teens

2008-11-08T20:27:18-06:00

Depressed teens will exhibit noticeable changes in both their thinking and their behavior. They may show little to no motivation and can become withdrawn even from the family, secluding themselves behind their closed bedroom door for hours at a time.

Difficulties within the family, losing a loved one, short comings at school, or in a relationship can all begin as negative feelings but can turn into full blown depression in your teenager.

Depressed teens often see their problems as completely overwhelming and the pain associated with those problems as utterly unbearable.

Depressed Teens May:

Sleep excessively,
Have a change in eating habits,
Exhibit criminal or rebellious behaviors
Exhibit apathy

Complain of pains, including headaches, stomachaches, low back pain, or fatigue
Have difficulty concentrating
Have difficulty making decisions
Have excessive or inappropriate guilt
Engage in irresponsible behavior -- for example, forgetting obligations, being late for classes, skipping school
Have rapid weight loss or gain
Memory loss
Have a preoccupation with death and dying
Show feelings of sadness, anxiety, or hopelessness
Begin staying awake at night and sleeping during the day
Have a sudden drop in grades
Use of alcohol or drugs and promiscuous sexual activity
Close their bedroom door after school and stay inside for hours.
Withdrawal from friends

Image Credit: lanuiop

Another Blogger Returns

2008-11-06T21:10:34-06:00

Like Lisa, I too have been off doing a bit of traveling recently. We have been down in Texas celebrating my grandmother’s 80^th birthday at a Shakespeare festival. Anyone who is a fan of him, his work, or literature in general would have had a blast attending this event. Even my six year old, to everyone’s amazement and utter delight sat on the edge of his seat for the entire performance of The Taming of the Shrew, completely engrossed in the action that was in front of him “live on stage.”

The picture is one I snapped with my phone while walking from one house to another, this butterfly garden was only one of many breathtaking gardens on the grounds. I had just as much fun snapping pictures of the grounds as I did attending the lectures workshops and tours!

While being surrounded by family and all of this natural beauty, we also sadly discovered that my oldest son has been up to his old habits, lying about homework, not doing class work and as a result has failed a very important class. I trusted him, I believed him, and he was just lying day after day without so much as a blink. Now not only did he fail the first quarter, he is completely lost in the class. He still refuses to help himself, and has yet to approach the teacher for help. It's all very disheartening.

It’s heartbreaking to watch him toss aside opportunity after opportunity. He has a lot of work ahead of him if he hopes to salvage the year, we know he is capable of doing it, the question is; is he willing? Only time will tell.

Honesty would have been a whole lot easier.

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Image Credit: JulieC

10 Things Your Adopted Child Needs to Know About Being Adopted

2008-11-01T09:00:05-05:00

Below are ten things that your adopted child should know either through direct discussions with your child, or through your actions. Check the list and see how many items you have already taught to or discussed with your child, and what you may have left to teach.

1. That they are loved, valued, and treasured.

2. That both their biological, as well as their adoptive parents love them.

3. That they did not cause their adoption to happen.

4. That they have just as much value and worth as anyone else.

5. That adoption does not define who they are as a person.

6. That it is okay for them to love both their adoptive and their biological parents.

7. That it is okay for them to have feelings about their biological parents, good or bad.

8. That it is okay for them to be curious about their biological roots.

9. That it is okay for them to talk about their adoption as well as their biological parents.

10. That it is okay for them to have mixed emotions about adoption at any time, but especially around holidays and birthdays.

Image Credit: Claudecf

Your Adopted Stepchild and the Holiday Season

2008-10-30T09:00:13-05:00

The holiday season can be emotionally trying on adopted stepchildren, especially if they were adopted at an older age and had previous contact with their now absent birth parent. With the stress and focus of the holiday season being one of family togetherness, the holiday season can be a tough, trying, time when thinking about the parent whom chose not to be involved in his or her life. The end of the year can elect strong feelings and emotions in adopted children, such as abandonment fears, loneliness, confusion, curiosity, frustration, and bitterness can arise.

Many adopted stepchildren possess early memories of their now absent birth parent, of their birth family being together in the past for the holidays, and of long lost traditions of a family that is now no longer in tact. It is extremely difficult, if not down right impossible for a child to get into the holiday spirit while constantly dealing with overwhelming feelings such as these constantly restraining them from relaxing.

If your child is emotionally open enough to speak about his or her absent parent, it is important for the adoptive stepparent to listen, and allow him or her to speak without fear of being judged, or put down for, or treated differently because of thoughts and feelings. Your child needs a safe place to vent trapped emotions, or he or she will find less constructive ways of getting those pesky negative emotions out.

Including older traditions that your child may be used to, or perhaps secretly longing for can help to get your child through the holiday season. The blended family can combine older traditions with new ones, respecting the child’s feelings as well as the feelings of the family. The adoptive stepparent can also initiate a conversation with the child about the holidays, acknowledging the fact that it can be an emotionally draining time for the child.

The family can also find ways to help out in the community, volunteering, or donating used items to those who are less fortunate. Experiences such as these can help show the child that each and every family struggles in their own ways during the holiday season, and that life is not perfect for everyone else except the child.

Some adoptive stepfamilies have their child buy a card for the biological parent, letting the child fill it out, and put it in a special place to save. This is a spectacularly supportive way to show that the adoptive stepparent cares about their child’s feelings, regardless of whom or what they are about. It is little gestures such as these that go a long way in reaching into, and helping heal the broken heart of an abandoned child.

Image Credit: Mysza831

Hump Day Hippie: Carpools and Public Transportation

2008-10-29T09:04:00-05:00

Want to teach your children how to be environmentally friendly? Then throw them on the school bus! Well, okay, don't throw them, but you can sure as heck have them ride it to and from school instead of being driven by their personal chauffeur, uh, I mean parents, by their parents [wink, wink.]

Older kids who can drive to school, and absolutely positively cannot be caught dead riding on a [gasp] bus, can help out the environment by setting up their own carpool and giving rides to several of their friends in the mornings and afternoons. This will not only help to teach them to be responsible, as they must be on time or everyone depending on them will be late, but it will also help cut down on the amount of car exhaust being let into the air on a daily basis.

But, is car exhaust really that bad? The answer my friends is yes, yes it is. Let’s use the great state of California as an example, and take a look at this snip-it of information about car exhaust, carpooling, and the environment shall we?

Carpooling reduces emissions, which helps clean up our air. According to the California Air Resources Board about 50% of all air pollution in our state comes from cars and trucks. Driving as little as 10% less can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 metric tons per year depending on the vehicle. EPA studies have shown that trips lasting under 15 minutes cause the most emissions per mile because the vehicle’s emission systems are not completely warmed up and functioning at their best. So even short trips contribute to poor air quality.

-southvalleyrideshare.com

Parents can get in on the action too, and use public transportation to get to and from work, set up a carpool with friends, neighbors, and co-workers, or join an existing carpool by searching sites such as eRideShare.com, and carpoolworld.com to connect with others in your area who travel similar routes and don’t mind sharing space and gas expenses.

Which of course brings us to the next point of public transportation and carpooling; it is much cheaper to do either of the above mentioned, than it is to drive oneself. When you drive yourself, you alone are eating every expense. However when you utilize public transportation and carpooling, you are sharing the costs involved with those whom you are riding with, and with gas prices still as high as they are, and the economy in constant danger of getting worse who doesn’t want to find ways to save cash here and there?

According to the American Automobile Association’s annual Your Driving Costs study from 2004, “…The cost of fuel is the third largest expense incurred by vehicle owners. AAA estimates vehicle owners will pay about $975 per year for fuel.” Commuters who carpool can share many of these costs and also save on parking fees.

-southvalleyrideshare.com

Now if you adjust for the current average price of gas in 2008 that $975 jumps to just under $1500! That is a lot of money to fork out, so if you are feeling the pain at the pump, why not help out your wallet and the environment while teaching your children about helping to reduce air pollution at the same time!

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Image Credit: Bucklava

What Petitions Can I File to Remove my Children From Foster Care?

2008-10-28T11:36:00-05:00

Filing against an Extension of Placement

When children are removed from their home and placed in foster care, they are legally allowed to remain in the system for approximately 12 months. If the agency is not ready or willing to return the child home after the time limit has been reached, then it must file an Extension of Placement with the court, detailing why it is felt that the child should remain in care, rather than be placed back home with his or her biological parents.

If you believe that your children should not continue to be held in foster care, and can show proof to the courts that you are ready for your children to be returned home either on a trial, or final discharge from the system, then let the court know that you are opposing the Extension of Placement. A hearing will be set for the agency to prove why your children should remain in care, as well as for you to prove that you are now a fit and able parent ready to handle your children on a full time basis.

Petition to Terminate Placement

Before filing this petition you must first formally request the return of your child or children, either in writing or in person, to your caseworker. If your request is denied, or if 30 days pass without receiving an answer to your formal request, then you may file a Petition to Terminate Placement, in which you will clearly outline the reasons why your child should no longer remain in foster care, the primary reason being that you have completed everything that has been requested of you within the specified time limited in order to have your children returned to your care. If your child’s needs are not being met while they are in foster care that too should be addressed in the petition as well.

Habeas Corpus Petition

This ties in with the Extension of Placement. As was stated above, children can legally remain in the system for 12 month. Every 12 months the agency must go back to court and petition for an extension. If it has been more than 12 months since your case has been to court, there may very well be a lapsed placement. What does that mean? It means that the agency no longer has the legal right to hold your child in foster care, because they did not get permission from the court to continue doing so within the allotted time frame.

If you believe that your case has lapsed, contact your attorney or go to the courthouse and file a Habeas Corpus Petition, which will request that the agency bring the child to court immediately, so that the court can decide if there is still legal authority to keep the child in foster care. The agency may try to file a new neglect petition to keep the child in care, but they would then have to prove that they child would be in imminent danger if he or she were to return home.

Image Credit: F.S.M

How to Tuesday: How to Get Your Kids Back From Foster Care

2008-10-28T11:17:45-05:00

Examine and work your case plan! Working through your case plan is the single most effective way to get your children back from foster care. It is important to follow the plan closely, and to not just start the items but to complete each item in the plan. A caseworker is not going to be impressed that you merely signed up for parenting classes; they will be impressed after you complete them.

Keep in contact with your worker. Don’t dodge phone calls, and don’t skip appointments! Take any and every chance of contact, as a chance to show your worker how far you have come, and how well you are doing. Ask your worker what else you could be doing to improve your home life and parenting skills to help bring your children home. Your worker needs to see that you are committed to changing the bad habits that initially caused your family to be separated and that you are focused completely on your children and their well-being.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. They may have removed your children, but your worker it not the enemy. If you are having trouble completing part of your case plan, or making it to appointments, get in contact with your worker. Do not whine and make excuses for yourself, which will only show your worker that you are still not ready to take responsibility for yourself and your children. Instead let your worker know that you are having trouble and need assistance to solve the matter. If you do not have transportation to get to appointments, your worker can help you find someone to take your, or even take you him or herself. Admitting that you need help to complete your plan, without whining or placing blame, shows your worker that you understand what you can and cannot handle on your own, and that you know when to step back and seek assistance to complete a difficult task at hand.

Speak to your Case Planner about creating a plan for your children’s return home. Once you have completed, or have almost completed your plan for reunification by showing up to your appointments, passing drug screens, completing parenting or anger management classes, or whatever was specified in your case plan, talk to your worker about creating a plan for your child's return home. Be prepared to explain the changes that you have made both to yourself, and to your life, that would make returning the children a good idea.

Show up to and ask for increased visits. It is very important to keep up with your visits with your children while they are in care. It may be hard to see them for a limited amount of time, and many parents are tempted to skip visits because they fear it will be too painful to endure, but your children need to see you, and your worker needs to see the effort. Hiding from your children or the situation will not help to bring them home but instead will insure a longer stay in the system, and can even lead to termination of parental rights (TPR). Show up on time to all of your visits, and once you have begun successfully working through your case plan request more visitation time with your children. If you have supervised visits, your goal is to work up to unsupervised, then to overnight visits.

Be prepared in court and know you can file petitions too. If you and the agency are unable to successfully work out a reunification plan, or if your children were removed under the premise that they will not be returned unless ordered so by the court, then at some point you will end up dealing with a judge instead of a social worker. If you cannot afford to hire an attorney to represent you, ask for a court appointed attorney the first day that you are in the courtroom.

You have to prove that you are ready, willing, and able to have your children returned home with you, so bring all the documentation that you have showing the positive life changes that you have made such as; recent, dated pictures of your living environment, certificates of completion to any classes you were required to, or volunteered to take on your own, proof of passed drug tests, proof of employment, etc. Any steps that you have taken to better yourself and your life for the sake of your children needs to be presented showing the court physical evidence that you have done everything it takes to become capable of properly caring for your children.

Parents have the right to petition against an Extension of Placement, to Petition to Terminate Placement, as well as file a Habeas Corpus Petition.

Image Credit:-bast-

Reducing Emotional Triggers During the Holiday Season for your Older Adopted Child

2008-10-27T13:44:30-05:00

The holidays can be a tough time for both traumatized as well as older adopted children. Most have bad memories of years past, and all will at some point begin thinking of their birth families and the fact that they are not together, which may be a relief to some children and an extreme void to others. Here are some simple ways to help make the holiday season a little less emotional for your child, which in turn will help to make the season pass by a little easier for you!

Keep holiday decorations to a minimum. Children who have severe emotional issues during the holiday season can feel very invaded by a swarm of holiday paraphernalia everywhere they go. If you must decorate for the winter holidays, make sure that the entire house is not decorated; your child needs somewhere to escape to where the reminders of the season are not constantly staring him in the face. Make a compromise and decorate the outside of the house and not the inside, or only the room where the holidays will be celebrated in, instead of the entire interior of the home.

Incorporate the memory of your child's birth family into the holidays. If your child is having a hard time with grieving the loss of their birth parents and or siblings during the holiday season, you can do your best to include the memory of the child's birth family into your holiday traditions. Your child can write out a card for their birth parents and keep it in a special place, or light a candle each night in honor or memory of the family members that are no longer in the child's life, but remain in their heart.

Give the child a choice of participation. Now I understand that some family traditions are going to be non-negotiable, with everyone playing along like it or not. However, when there is a child in the home who hasn’t room to hold the holiday spirit in his heart because of overwhelming anger, loss, and grief: exceptions need to be made, or fits will be had! While everyone may need to participate in the opening of gifts, perhaps the child can sit out on decorating the Christmas tree, or the house. Or the child can help out in different ways, like bringing hot cocoa to those decorating outside, working the video camera instead of singing carols, taking pictures of others opening gifts, and opening up his or her own later on in private.

Don't overbook the holiday season. Again, older adopted, and traumatized children need to have an escape from the holiday season and all of the reminders that it brings, so dragging them from one holiday party another is a recipe for disaster. When feelings and emotions are running high and behavior is knowingly well below par, its just not the best time to be continuously removing your child from his or her comfort zone.

Don't overwhelm your child with too many gifts. Children who struggle with abandonment issues often struggle with low self-esteem and low self worth as well. Your child may have a hard time accepting that all of the new and thoughtful gifts that they received for the holidays are truly deserved, and may end up intentionally destroying them. Not only does this keep them from feeling worthy of material possessions and love, but it will serve as a wedge between the child and bewildered family, an added bonus in the eyes of the child who now feels comfortable in familiar and tumultuous setting.

Keep your expectations low. The holidays are an emotional time, and when children are still processing their grief over the past, not even they are going to be able to predict what their reactions and their behavior are going to be like during this highly charged time of the year. Pushing your child to enjoy the holidays when they are not yet ready to do so will only lock the two of you into repeated power struggles, arguments, and one heck of a rotten holiday season.

Image Credit: Klearchos Kapoutsis

Reconnecting as a Family

2008-10-24T15:42:17-05:00

Yesterday the boys and I packed up the car with a few essentials and headed out for a day in the country to take some photographs and spend some time together. Between homework, favored games and friends both online and in the flesh the boys have been pretty busy, and the same goes for my husband and myself only we have been dealing more so with work, and chores than fun and games, but busy we have all been nonetheless. I had been planning to take the trip by myself initially, as it was not intended to be one for fun, but a photography trip, but I changed my mind after realizing just how little time we have gotten to spend with each other lately.

We drove for about two and a half hours or so, before reaching the area that I wanted to scout for photos, and I tell you I did end up getting a few great shots, but I cannot be photographer Julie and Mommy at the same time, so I knew going into it that this was going to be more of a fun day with the kids, than an amazing photography day. We talked the entire way there, and we talked while we drove around the area taking in the sites that we had never seen before. The kids got to see some very old, and very giant Hemlock trees, beautiful mountain views, small historic towns, mountain top mansions, and dilapidated farms where the families were obviously living way below the poverty line and struggling to get by.

Being a photographer as well as a writer I have several cameras, so each of us were able to take a camera with us, and take pictures. I love it when we do this because even though we are all looking at the same exact stuff at the same exact time, we all see it completely different. Each of us comes home with different photographs and stories to share even though we were together for the entire day.

Admittedly at first I was entirely against the idea of pulling them out of school to essentially play hooky for the day, however after thinking about the educational value of the trip since we were stopping by a state park, historic sites and buildings, learning about coal mines pollution, and the environment, as well as poverty, what poverty means, and how we can help (we are going back with donations of clothes, blankets, and educational toys) I figured that they would be learning just as much if not more than they would at school. I am glad that I changed my mind and took them along with me, we made memories that each of us will carry with us for a lifetime.

The only one missing was my husband, who definitely noticed that he was missing out on the family fun and bonding. And while he was not able to do anything about that yesterday, he was able to work from home today which allowed the two of us to at least see each other during daylight hours, a rare treat during budget season! Not only did I actually get a chance to remember what he looks like, but he will now be able to attend the PTA Spaghetti Dinner this evening, which he unfortunately missed out on last year. Even the teenager, who should by all rights be moaning and complaining by now about all of this family togetherness mumbo-jumbo hasn't said a negative word, however one of his best friends will also be attending the dinner this evening, so that may have something to do with the lack of complaining!

Our little impromptu day trip has been a great way to break up our routine (have I mentioned how quickly I get tired of the same old, same old?) and spend some extra time catching up with one another. Who would have thought that playing hooky could be such a good thing?!

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Image Credit: Will Hybrid

Hump Day Hippie: Make an Egg Carton Garden

2008-10-23T00:35:14-05:00

Here’s something that you may remember from your own childhood, making an egg carton garden. It may seem a little silly starting a garden in the fall, but it is actually a fun activity that gives your kids something to do while being cooped up in the house during those long, cold winter days. Not only that but seeds are pretty cheap this time of year back in the garden department, and just about everyone has an egg carton sitting in their refrigerator. Add a little bit of potting soil and you have yourself an egg carton garden.

All you need to do is fill in each segment of the bottom half of the egg carton with potting soil.
Poke a seed in the middle of each segment, making sure to cover it completely.
You can use a marker to write the names of what is growing in each segment on the inside of the top half of the box.
Place it near a window where it can get lots of sunlight, and be sure to follow the watering instructions on the back of the seed packet.
Kids can keep a daily observation log about their garden to track its progress throughout the winter.

Growing a garden teaches children so many valuable lessons, including how to be self-sufficient. They will feel great pride in eating a salad with their own homegrown tomatoes perfectly ripe and delicately sliced mixed in!

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Image Credit: Bucklava