Self Publishing Resource

I know that many moms could be great writers! With all of the exposure to stories for children and ideas of stories that children need to hear, moms can be great writers!

If you are interested in writing and are looking to self publish, you should do some research on Author House Book Publishers. The have a AuthorCentric Self-Publishing Process that can help you reach the goal of being a published author. They help with marketing too to help you be successful. Now is the time to start reaching for that goal and write that story you have been creating in your head! A perfect work at home job for a creative mom.

Rotten Bananas or Overly Ripe?

I am one of those that does not keep bananas that turn brown and if I do, I freeze them, only to never unfreeze them! But tonight, I pulled some brown bananas out of the refrigerator to make banana muffins and I could not decide- is there a major difference between rotten and overly ripe.

I know you want the overly ripe, but is there a time when it gets to be too much? I went ahead and made the muffins, but I cannot tell still if thy are actually good. it could be that the recipe was bad since I "adapted" it- I never make a recipe the way it says too.

I guess my husband will be the judge! And we may just throw them out!

Be Oyster Aware

As a preschooler, there were many occasions that I had oysters for dinner or an appetizer without hesitation. My dad would shuck them and lay them on a cracker. I would slip it down my throat. It is just what you did as a kid in the panhandle of Florida- you ate Gulf oysters.

As I got older, I learned that oysters could contain a pearl inside. What a wonderful adventure for a young person to think they just might find a pearl in those shells!

What if you could choose what you would find in an oyster?!?! I bet more people would be farming them and shucking them if they could make a wish and it would appear in an oyster!

As a child, I would have probably wished for something silly- $100, a new doll, some great toy. Now I would wish for the keys to a BMW or a book with the secrets to raising a preschooler!

One key to searching and eating any oyster is knowing how and when to eat oysters. The problem with oysters is warm months. The rule, if you don't know it, is to only eat oysters in the months that have an "r" in it. The reason is because Vibrio vulnificus. This is a bacterium that occurs naturally in warm, unpolluted seawater. "Vibrio vulnificus abundance is positively correlated with seawater temperature, and warmer water temperatures are linked to an increase in Vibrio vulnificus related illnesses, i.e., warmer summer months have a significantly higher number of Vibrio vulnificus related illnesses reported than do cooler winter months." Hence, winter months have "r's" in them.

If you are an oyster lover as I was as a preschooler, check out the Be Oyster Aware website for more educational information on oyster safety. Not to mention they have some terrific recipes!

Preschool Vision Screenings

My son's school did a routine hearing and vision screening a few weeks ago. We got a letter saying my son failed his vision screening. So we made the appointment at my husband's eye doctor (he has had glasses since age 8). Yesterday we went to the appointment and his vision is fine. His focus is not. He has two levels of an astigmatism in his eyes that require glasses and may be corrected over time. My son is so excited to get glasses! They are only for school work type things, but he could not believe he would have to wait one week to wear them. He kept telling me today that he cannot see the t.v.!

Be thankful for screenings. If you do not have a child in school yet, call your local school districts office and see where they are available. Most of the time, they are free, you just have to schedule an appointment. They can screen for vision, hearing, and speech. Don't delay in getting your child checked out! We are fortunate that our son will get the correction he needs before it got worse!

Making Choices

All children need to feel they can make choices, no matter how old they are. Just think of the 2 year old that already knows what she wants to wear to school. Without being given a choice, the parent has taken away one of the things they can control. So they will take control of something else, whether it is what they eat, when they eat, when they go to bed, or when you go to bed, children that need that control will find it.

A simple way to help your child to feel in control is to give them choice. This does not mean an open ended questions with unlimited possibilities. This is two choices, both of which the parent can live with, in order to give your child some control over a situation.

Which of these two shirts do you want to wear?
Do you want to take a bath before or after the show?
Are you going to have a bagel or cereal for breakfast?

Simple choices can make life a whole lot easier for everyone. And when you do not give them choices, you can have a morning like mine!

Love Your Siblings

Teaching children to love their siblings is easy in the early years, before the youngest touch any toys, take a treasured item, or take over a bedroom that was once the domain of one. Teaching our children to love each other is important in many aspects. Of course, foremost, they should love each other. Secondly, it is important to love our family unconditionally. As my mom used to say, "you don't have to like them, but you have to love them."

With a two year old and a four year old, it is hard to teach them to be kind to each other, especially for the older one. He does not like her to say anything incorrect, touch the toy he "thought of" playing with, or sharing time with his parents. It is a constant reminder of how we have to reiterate the positive times in our household, especially the times with siblings are your best friend.

Help your children love and like each other by being a good example, helping them to learn to share when the time is right, and having special family time to make sure the family is one unit, not many just "living" together.