Did Pencader's Football Coach Lie About QB's Stats?

The News Journal today is reporting that the Pencader Football Coach is inflating his Quarterback's stats:  http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309300060&nclick_check=1

When will the deception stop?  Another stinging blow to Pencader's reputation.  Note: Coach Harrison-Dixon is also listed at an administrator at Pencader.  Whatever happened to integrity?  Who will set the examply for the our students? 

Thanks to NJ for being so diligent as to actually get the tape and watch it themselves.

[Continue Reading]

Celery Science

This is a great science experiment that is sure to have that 'WOW' factor we want from kids. It teaches them about the life cycle and that plants need and draw water for survival.

Here is how it's done.

Begin with the following key items for this experiment. 

Add 10 drops of food colouring to each of the cups. 

Add 1/4 of a cup to each cup. Mix. 

Place one stalk of celery into each of the cups. 

You'll notice that the colouring begins to draw up the celery almost immediately. 

I placed each cup in a container to hold them still and fastened each cup together using sticky tape. 

Waiting, waiting, waiting. 

Possum gets to enjoy some left over celery. 

TA-DA!!! 

The celery leaves have changed colour because of the water. This is after 12 hours. 

Yellow

Green

Red

and Blue! 

Enjoy

[Continue Reading]

WE ARE HUNGRY! Students Rebuff Michele Obama's Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010

Under the new school lunch guidelines, high school lunches cannot exceed 850 calories.  Secondary students are now fighting back against these school lunch size reducations with a HHFA 2010 video parody.

Commentary by The Young Turks, full video parody follows in second video.




"Michelle Obama's childhood obesity initiative has been the subject of conservative criticism for some time, and now there's another group joining in on the attack. In a four-minute YouTube video called "We Are Hungry," a troop of Kansas high schoolers take on the restrictions mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which limits the calorie count of school lunches to 850. The policy, which was intended to not only wipe out hunger and malnutrition among American students but to encourage healthy eating, also calls for more fruit and vegetables and fewer sweet and fatty foods...".* Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room), and Kimani David (TYT Community Ambassador) break it down on The Young Turks.

Full Parody:

Published on Sep 17, 2012 by blk5348

A parody on the national school lunch policy mandated by The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which humorously shows the results of the limitations in carbohydrates and proteins.

No copyright infringement of original song "We Are Young" by Fun. was intended.

To help repeal the new guidelines, please visit https://www.facebook.com/NutritionNannies

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kake.com%2Fhome%2Fheadlines%...

To make your voice heard contact:
Undersecretary of Food & Nutrition Services
Kevin Concannon
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
or
Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Lyrics:
Give me some seconds
I, I need to get some food today
My friends are at the corner store
Getting junk so they don't waste away
My lover ate her 2 grams of meat
Just about to starve
My bread was taken by some school bully
Askin' bout s'more
And i know i gave up on food months ago
I know i'm trying to forget it
But between the milk and feta cheese
The pains in my tummy sing
You know I'm trying hard to find
nourishment

So by the time you go to practice
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home

Tonight
We are hungry.
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

Tonight
We are hungry
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

Now i know that this is not
All that you got.
I guess that I,
I just thought maybe we could find a
way not to starve today
But our friends are back
They are filled right up
Cause they found somewhere to find lots of food

Tonight
We are hungry
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

Tonight
We are hungry
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

Crawling home tonight
Just crawling home tonight
Crawling home tonight
Just crawling home tonight;

The cooks are on my side
But I have no energy to run
So will someone come and carry me home tonight
No nourishment arrived
But i can taste mom's meal
So will someone come and carry me home

Tonight
We are hungry
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

Tonight
We are hungry
Set the policy on fire
It can burn brighter
Than the sun

So if by the time that it's all over
And you feel like falling down
I'll carry you home tonight

[Continue Reading]

Did Pencader Violate FOIA Again?

Reports coming out of last night's Pencader board meeting indicate that board member, Steve Quimby, a teacher rep, resigned his board position and was subsequently appointed Interim School Leader. 

This action was not noticed on the Agenda for the September 27, 2012 meeting, nor was the agenda ammended prior to the meeting to provide notice to the public that the board would be voting on a new or interim school leader.

Was the inadequate posting another communication failure or was this an intentional move to deny the public access to important school business? Will the motion even show up in the minutes - given the board admission to the AG that they failed to keep adequate minutes of previous meetings?

The board also accepted two resignations last night - Quimby and Dr. Jones, bringing the membership count to five.  With five, three makes a quorum.  Wonder if those frequent gatherings at the local bar will come to an end now? 

Also, noteworthy, DOE's John Carwell was absent from the meeting.  Charter Junket to Texas, maybe?

[Continue Reading]

50 Shades of dumb

I've just been reading a blog link-up of people adding their stupid things to say. Not sure I qualify to join given I AHEM never! And I mean NEVER do stupid things. You know, given that I'm totally sophisticated and all that. But here's an attempt anyhow: ;)


Many many years ago, in my stupid scrawny days of complete immodesty coupled with immaturity and heart desires to be at the beach, daily... My sister pulled out of the linen cupboard my little white dress! Thinking it was a pillow slip. A pillow slip?! Nar! That dress is definitely bigger than a pillow slip.

On measuring said little white dress she was in deed correct. It was the size of a pillow case. Go on, pull out a pillow slip and measure it for size. I'm short if that helps *blush*

While wearing said little white dress one time, standing in an overly crowded cafeteria at our local male-dominated TAFE centre I managed to in-slow-motion drop my pencil case. Pretty sure it looked on purpose. Stuck in a dilemma of how I was going to get that thing without flashing my undies I asked my completely covered, totally modest, absolutely prepared friend to please pickit up. How gracious she was. Saved me. Several times actually ;)

Haha

Another time, while also wearing a dress... We were walking through a group of bratty male TAFE students when we hear a wolf-whistle. My friend replies thank you and keeps strutting her stuff. A soft reply from some bloke 'uhm I wasn't whistling at you' *giggles* what cool friends I had right!! I'm fairly certain the dress was blue. Incase your wondering ;)


During labour with my first child, almost to the end, I suddenly realise in my delirious state that the baby kicking in my womb has plans to exit out *down there* kidding right! Deciding that exit wasn't appropriate not realisibg it was crowning I suddenly yell out "push it back push it back". Hubby, totally cool, calm and sleep deprived says "that ain't going back" and pop that baby was OUT. You know, he still laughs about that. And I was SERIOUS!

But the biggest, most stupidest thing I've ever done, that I never shared at those girly sleep overs when you share your most embarrassing moments.. *deep breath*
When I was in Grade 3 my mummy gave me a signed note to give my teacher. So I did. She told me something and I didn't listen. Properly. But I said the right words to her. The teacher asked me if that was everything mum gave me. I said yes. She asked if there was $40 dollars in it, I said yes. She asked where the $40 was I said in the envelope. See, I was born at the end of the year, so I didn't understand much. I was still a baby! I should have been kept down a year, then I'd have been a tiny bit smart. But I wasn't. I knew there was 2x $2 coins. 2+2=4. She said FOUR-ty. Yep. That's what was in it. Four-Ty dollars.
They searched my bag, the questioned me, they searched my tray, they searched my pockets. They lined every child up in the block. Grades 1-3. Four classrooms worth. They told me $40 was a LOT of money (news to me). They searched everyone's bag and tray looking for the missing $36 dollars. They never found it.

I thought about how I would be coming to school on my own from now on. How all the other kids would be in jail for the missing money. If be the only student. They told me that kids who steal go to jail. You know something? They lied to me!

Finally! The principle returned. They'd called my mum. My mum said there was only $4 in it. She'd pay the $36 later. I remembered the message "mum will pay the rest later".
I had to apologise to the class and other classes for 'lying'. I wasn't impressed, I hadn't realized I had lied. Stood up in the front of a bunch of kids who had no idea what was going on either. When had I lied? I don't remember.

[Continue Reading]

Pencader Not-Rumor - 2011-12 DPAS-II Teacher Evaluations Were Non-Compliant

Sometimes bloggers deal in rumors - sometimes we deal in fact. 

Fact:  Pencader was notified in Spring that is was non-compliant in the utilization of DPAS-II, the states mandated teacher evaluation system.  No digs on teachers, this was a failure of administration.

At the heart of the issue - the administration scheduled a meeting with the DPAS-II Department of Education Team to occur over spring break 2012.  When the team arrived at Pencader, the school was closed.  The Team scheduled a second meeting and arrived at the school to find the school leader off-campus and unavailable.  Key staff members were unaware of the scheduled visit and were unable to provide necessary documentation. The administration then missed a reporting deadline with DOE on March 3rd.

Following these three strikes, the DOE notified the School Leader of it's status of non-compliance.  In another email regarding the concerns, the school leaders writes: 

"I wanted to let you know that we are in compliance and after our response to the State, we fully expect a letter stating so."

 

 

Early this week, I emailed the PIO officer for DOE, Alison Kepner, to request a status update on this concern.  Today, I was notified that the DPAS-II issue with the school "has not been resolved" and the department "will be scheduling Pencader for a fall edition of DPAS-II Monitoring in November to follow-up."

 

Guess the letter, like the March 3rd report, got lost in the mail?

 

Pencader has some excellent teachers who have executed exceptional performance driving academic achievement, all in good faith. All the while, unbeknownst to many of them, these teachers been used as pawns, manipulated in a game of emotional warfare meant to protect the now dismissed school leader. To point - last month, school's auditors informed the board that six Pencader staff members were paid over/under scale. My question - Who was paid under so that someone else could be paid over? Who authorized it? And then, further, has Pencader's Board authorized the raise and potential back pay due to their hard-working, self-sacrificing teachers. If Pencader's charter states that its teacher's will earn 90% of Christina School District's Scale, (and it does), then the PCHS teachers are due a raise and retroactive pay as CSD finally resolved its union negotiations last school year and brought its teachers' local share to scale.

 

We've heard the cries of parents and the frustration of students.  We've seen the support of vendors for the school leader reported by the News Journal last June.  We've witnessed a minor uproar of athletic parents when their students were told there would be no football if the school leader was discharged. The state-wide education community looks at Pencader with little respect. And that DOE and SBE have even offered their opinion - Formal Review.

 

Where are Pencader's teachers?  Why are their voices so silent?  Do they realize that they have been victimized?  Do they even know their DPAS-II evaluations were non-compliant.  What does that non-compliance mean?  Probably very little.  But, in a day when teachers are sweating Componant V and the influence of student testing data on their ultimate evaluation, school leadership has every obligation to make sure DPAS-II evals are performed with fidelity.  Someday, their pay or even their jobs may depend on it!

 

[Continue Reading]

Pencader Rumor of the Day:

Rumors swirl.  And don't expect them to stop any time soon.  Some of them are too incredulous to believe.  Others are too crazy to ignore...

So, I am stumped by this one and I want to open it up to readership to debate:

Pencader Board plans to hire from within to fill its open school leader position. 

 

1.  Should a school board on FR be permitted to hire the next school leader while on FR?

2.  Should a school on FR with such obvious deep internal issues hire from within?

3.  Is it in Pencader's best interest to hire from within?

4. Should a school board whose legality is in question be permitted to continue to operate or make hiring decisions?

 

 



Now, I want to be fair - CSD had a history of hiring from out-of-state.  I was one member of a board of seven that recently hired a new superintendent from within our district.  I couldn't be prouder of my district for moving quickly, foregoing the nationwide search, and finding talent from within the district.

I can only suggest that as far Pencader goes, the meeting's agenda has been posted and not ammended.  There is no public discussion of the school leader position on the agenda, nor is there any discussion of the school's formal review listed.  For the record, there is also no line item addressing the recent FOIA finding that demands the school correct and post its past minutes online.

Further, parents report not having received a formal notification of the previous school leader's departure, nor has anyone been able to produce a public posting of the now-open position. 

I wonder who's on the other end of that speed dial?

[Continue Reading]

Did DCPA deny students FAPE?

Did the DCPA leadership's failure to implement their own board-approved code of conduct such as policies addressing In-School Suspension and School Dentention lead to a denial of FAPE?

From the inbox:

Consequences listed in our board-approved code of conduct such as In-School Suspension and School Detention do not exist at our school.  Protocols for procedures in the code of conduct such as student removal from classroom do not exist.

And this...

Last Spring, a number of students who were challenges behaviorally were put by the administration on a half-day schedule, meaning some missed reading or math class for the remainder of the year.  This decision was often made without
consulting teachers. At least two students were not allowed to come back to school for the last month; teachers were told to send home weekly packets - no other accommodations were made.

Apparently, it's happened before...  http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/specialed/files/DEDP09-12RStudvsDECPrep.pdf

[Continue Reading]

Wrights Law: What Does IDEA Really Say About IEPs?

Do you know what IDEA really says about IEPs? This may be different from what you have been told!

• Who may be excused from IEP meetings?
• Can I change my child's IEP without a meeting?
• What are the IEP requirements for transition?
• What happens to services when we transfer schools?
• What does the law say about developing, reviewing and revising IEPs?

 http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/12/nl.0925.htm

[Continue Reading]

DIY Sensory Board for Babies

It is so very easy to make your own sensory board for your baby using a few items that are easily found around the house. My little girl, Possum, absolutely LOVES her sensory board, more than any other toy in the house. Also gets her doing tummy time! 

Quite simply I gathered together a few interesting scraps from around the house. I really thought about what they would feel like and how well they would adhere using hot glue. 

Items that I included were -

bubble wrap, straws, cupcake wrappers, clean face washer, non-slip rubber, rock, wood, plastic from a sandwich bag, paper, card and fabric. 

I firstly arranged them and attempted to spread out the various senses. So, I tried not to have all the 'smooth' textured items together but instead with them up so there was variety. 

Using a hot glue gun I stuck down each of the pieces, waited 24 hours for them to fix completely and checked each item for any movement. 

Now for the test! 

Possum was instantly attracted to the board, as you can see. I think visually the board looked inviting because of the colours of the items and textures. 

She instantly began using the board. Touching, rubbing, flicking, scratching and pulling were some of the ways she explored this board. She was exploring what she could visually see, hear and touch. It was a brilliant sensory exploration. 

You can just image how different each piece felt to her. I also found this a great opportunity to talk with her about what was happening and how things felt by using key words to describe each item. Words such as 'fluffy', 'smooth', 'scratchy' were how I described some of these items.  

Of course she even found this board enjoyable enough to play with it on her back. 

Thank you for following this page. 

Feel free to have a look at some of my other wonderful sensory activities. 

RICE PLAY                                                     SPAGHETTI PLAY                                     SOAPY SLUDGE

I hope you have enjoyed reading through this post and you have some more great ways to help develop your child's sensory skills. Feel free to follow us through Pinterest or other forms of social media. We'd love to have you. 

Kate 

[Continue Reading]

Shopping With Kids

The inspiration for this weeks article came from a discussion with my best friend who has a 5 year old girl and a conversation with my husband. 

Shopping with kids can be a daunting task. Many of us prefer going shopping without kids because there are many unpleasant moments when they accompany us. Instead of trying to avoid taking them, I suggest using some helpful tips and turn shopping into an easy, fun learning experience. There are so many skills that could be learned in those trips. You just have to be brave and give it a try. 

Learn to say “no”. It might not be the answer your kids are looking for but just because you are afraid of dealing with melt downs and unpleasant behavior doesn’t mean you have to get her everything she is crying about. The stores are super packed with attractive and tempting things for kids and conveniently at the right level. But you have to be the leader and the final decision maker. 
Attend to your child’s needs. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen kids crying in shopping carts and mothers just yelling at them, making them sit still etc. Attend to your child’s needs first. It is not their first choice to go shopping with you, especially when the child is young. Leave them with someone or plan your day around their happy period when there are well rested, fed and have no obvious needs. Cut it short. 
You can validate them by saying things like, “I know it’s that fun for you to be here with me but we are almost done.” 
Set an example. Don’t buy things because it’s a good deal.  Sometimes you can’t help it because it’s hard to resist but remember your own example speaks louder than your words. 
You have to say things you believe in. Never make up lies just because you don’t want to buy a particular toy. It’s best to be honest and remember, kids forget easily once these things are out of sight. Once I heard a mother threatening her toddler with it’s-made-of-cancer-causing-material. This is a big no-no. 
Consider their requests seriously. Don’t just say “no” for the sake of saying “no”. Sometimes they do make great suggestions. I scored great shoes for my kid because she saw that they were $5. 
Make practice trips to stores and buy nothing. Use the motto; We don’t always buy what we see. 
Play Store-store at home. This is one of my child's favorite games. You can alternate being a customer and a cashier. I have mentioned many times that role plays are very powerful and educational. Get a play money set, a cash register maybe a shopping cart and you are good to go. This is also a good way of teaching them math skills.

Observe safety rules. Never let your child roam freely. Have them seated in the shopping cart. 
You can take them grocery shopping by bringing their little toy shopping carts. You can teach about healthy choices. Make your child write the grocery list. Engage them by bringing their attention to things such as which apples you want this week, red or green? Enrich their vocabulary. Name every fruit or vegetable correctly and even attach some adjectives; “These peaches smell fantastically and they look so fresh and delightful.”
Don’t ignore your child. If your child throws a fit, don’t ignore her, pick her up, and calm her down. Take her to the restroom and wash her face. Make sure you don’t say hurtful things and show her that you are on her side. It could be embarrassing for a parent but remember that you are not the only parent ever visiting the store with a difficult child. Don’t disciple your child just to show a bunch of strangers that you are in charge. Seriously, nobody cares. You can also bring some toys or snacks for your child to be busy. 
Never use shopping as a reward;  "If you do this, then I will get you that." 
It's manipulative. It teaches a wrong lesson. We don’t want kids to get the wrong notion that when we buy things for them equals we love them. 
Surprise your child sometimes by getting things for her she loves but she didn't ask for. This one is really powerful. 
Go to a store where there is no kids section. Browse with your child and admire things. Express your opinion about things and mention that there are so many things you adore but you can’t buy everything you like. 
Teach your child about deals, clearance. 
Before going to a store go over a few major rules, state the purpose of your visit, how much money you dedicate to that day’s shopping etc.  Be simple, clear and state your expectations. 
Never give them money with intention to-buy-what-they-want. Children do not work. They don’t earn money. They are not adults and they can’t spend money. You should always maintain the role of a parent but giving your child some choices. My daughter once said, “How come I never make decisions in the supermarket? I want to make some decisions today.” I asked her what choices did she want to make that day and she suggested getting fresh flowers. I gave her the power to choose even though the trip lasted more than expected but it was fun watching her smell and make a selection. She finally chose yellow and pink tulips. 
Shopping, just like any other skill, gets better with practice. 

Teach them to read simple labels, like the age requirement on the toys and the price. Use this opportunity to teach some math. Sometimes my daughter will notice some toy at the store and ask me to buy it but then I point to the age requirement and say that it's for older kids. She puts it back. 

Splurge sometimes. Get what they really want. Don't put on their wish list or wait till Christmas time. 

Remember, it could be educational to go shopping with kids but it could also be a relaxing experience without them. It all depends on your shopping purpose. 

Happy parenting! 

[Continue Reading]

A Mother/Daughter Story of Life

Disclaimer:  Politics have nothing to do with this post.   This summer I posted on my Facebook page a young girl's dilemma and wrote a post about it.   At that time, I received an email from a former student about her mom who tried to abort her when she was 17 but failed.  This post is their story.

I saw a film at the age of 18 about how a fetus develops and it had a profound impact on me.  Remember, I didn't care about natural birth back then, but I knew that pregnancy was a special thing.

I had a friend that got pregnant our freshman year of college and I went with her to the health clinic for a pregnancy test.  As we walked out, I remember saying to her, "Your baby might already have a heartbeat!  That's around day 18!"  She told me to STOP talking about it.  She was going to drive to Lubbock for an abortion.  As naive as I thought I wasn't,  I thought that stuff only happened in the movies.  I couldn't believe I had a friend that was going to have an abortion.  Well, she did, and she was pretty depressed the rest of the school year.  It was pretty awkward after that.  Neither of us knew what to say and it just hung there.   I don't know if she dropped out, transferred to a different school, or what.  I never saw her again.

I am fortunate I never ended up pregnant as a teenager.  I always said it was the only thing that would have made me quit smoking though.  Like I have said before, I was irrational and compulsive as a teenager.  Like Brad Paisley sings, I couldn't "see past Friday night."  I think most teenagers are this way.  They can't see the effects of their actions on others or on their life down the road.  

I work with the 14-15 year old girls at church and one of them made a very mature statement the other day.  She said that she believes that things always work out - if they haven't yet, you just aren't to the end.  I loved that.

I wanted to share this post because I know the daughter in this story.  She is a truly a beautiful person - inside and out.  I know so many other people that are adopted and others that want to adopt.  I believe that life is precious.  And that things can work out with love, patience, and understanding.

Esmeralda’s Story 

I woke up with a high fever, sore throat, and my whole body ached. My mother insisted on taking me to see my doctor. At the doctor’s office they gave me several tests and the nurse came back to tell me that I had strep throat and that it was an easy fix with antibiotics but that she also had some other news. She told me that I was expecting a child. I was excited but scared of the unknown. At the age of 17 I wasn’t sure how I was going to be responsible for a baby. On top of that I was terrified that I was going to disappoint my father who had high hopes for my future. 

While lying in bed crying trying to figure out what I was going to do, my mind was going one hundred miles per hour. I was only 17 and I had my entire life ahead of me. Abortion came to my mind but I immediately dismissed the thought because that was something I could never see myself doing. 

One afternoon when I came home from school my mother had her friend over. When she saw me she asked me if everything was okay because I looked sick. I started to cry and she assured me that she could help me. My mom had already talked to her about my pregnancy. She insisted that it wasn’t a baby yet and she would go with me to a doctor in Mexico who could inject me with a drug that would cause my period to come. I felt relieved by the information she gave me because it made it seem like I wasn’t going to have a real abortion. To me at the time I thought, “well hey it’s just an injection versus the process of an “abortion”...not realizing it was the same thing. 

While waiting in the doctor’s office in Las Flores, Mexico I started questioning myself about whether this was the right thing to do. My mother’s friend continued to assure me that it was not a big deal and that everything would be normal again. When the doctor called me in he didn’t even check how many months I was or my medical history. He told me that the injection was going to cause my period to come. He said I would feel some cramping and discomfort. He said if I started bleeding a lot for me to go to the emergency room. After the first injection I asked the doctor if my period was going to come and then he then told me that he could give me a second injection to make sure. So that’s what we did. The whole process made it seem like there was a problem with my menstrual cycle not the fact that I was pregnant. 

I cried all the way home. 

That evening while lying there waiting I started to feel the discomfort, pain, and cramping. The pain was there but nothing was happening. I kept going to the bathroom but still no period. That’s when regret hit and I started to ask God, “What have I done?” I asked God to forgive me. I felt like it was the wrong decision and that it was irreversible now. While lying there confused I was watching an episode of "The Little House on the Prairie." It was an episode of a lady giving birth. To me that was beautiful and made me realize that it could be okay to have this child. That’s when I began to pray again and said, “Please God let this child live and I will name her Grace.” 

About 4 years ago in a conversation with my daughter I told her that I felt bad because I promised God that I would name her Grace but ended up naming her after Elvis Presley’s wife (Priscilla). LOL Then my daughter proceeded to tell me that I did name her Grace. And I said, “What do you mean by that? And she told me that her middle name Ann meant “Grace.” God is good! 

I have an amazing daughter who is my best friend who has given me a wonderful grandson and is currently pregnant with her second child. But what I’m most proud of is that she has a heart for God that will lead this generation toward its purpose! I believe everyone has a purpose and I hope that this story will help someone make a decision that will allow the life growing in them to have a chance to fulfill their purpose.

My story could have ended just like millions of other women that made the same decision I did. As you read this story I hope that it will encourage you to make the decision that gives life. 

Priscilla’s Perspective
 
Someone told me that they were shocked that I did not harbor anger towards my mother for going through with an abortion. The fact is, is that she was dealing with so many issues that had nothing to do with me. She was a teenager and thought she was going to be alone and was misinformed about the life growing in her. 

I believe that there are countless women who have made the decision to abort and live with regret everyday of their life. And on top of that are demonized and made to seem like monsters. My mother at 17 was no monster she just did not know what to do. I fully believe in everyone’s right to life, and by some miracle I got to have mine even though from the beginning my right was taken away. Information is key and every women should know that what grows inside them will feel, will love, will marry, have children and dreams just like the women that carries them.  

As someone who shouldn’t be alive, I am so happy that I am! My husband and son and this little baby growing inside me I am sure would second that. My mother lived through being a teen mom and learned as she went. And I know other young women who knew motherhood as teens would not work out for them and made the very brave decision of adoption. I hope that this story will reach the hearts of the conflicted and cause a pause before making a decision that is permanent. 


Thank you to Priscilla, and especially Esmerelda, for sharing your story.  It is sure to touch someone's life and give hope where there may be none. You are both strong women and no matter what someone is going through, your story gives hope that through hard decisions, wonderful things can come to pass.  

[Continue Reading]

Transitioning Your Baby (or Toddler) to Table Foods {Part 2}

This is part 2 of transitioning your baby to table foods, since I had so much to say on the subject!  In the last post, I reviewed starting off with puffs and moving to soft cubed foods like bananas and cooked vegetables, if you missed it, check it out here. In this post,  I will lay out how to completely make the transition off of baby food, avoid choking hazards, and what to do when it isn't going well.  

Bye Bye to Baby Food

After your baby has had some practice eating, in most cases a few days, start to regularly serve at least one crunchy but meltable food, like puffs or towne house crackers during meals.  Encourage your baby to feed themselves these finger foods, but certainly give help as needed.  If they are managing these types of food well, it is time to move onto some softer foods that require a little more chewing.  How do you know they are managing foods well?  When they are chewing it with little to no coughing, choking, or  gagging, and swallowing easily (not hard gulps), consistently, for a week or two.

Some examples of softer foods to move onto are (increasing in difficulty): avocado, banana, scrambled eggs, boiled potatoes, muffins, pasta, deli meat, cheese.

At this point you can also try pairing crackers and other crunchy foods with spreads like jelly, hummus, and cream cheese to maximize exposure to table foods and different textures.  Spread right on the cracker or show them how to dip it into a glob on their tray.  Then, start giving them these foods first at a meal and allow them to eat as much as they want.  If you feel they haven't eaten enough of the actual table food then give them some of the baby food.  Keep presenting more table foods slowly and as they eat enough of them give less and less baby food.  There will come a meal when you will say, "I think they ate enough of the toast, eggs, and strawberries.  I don't think they need the baby food."  Once you reach this point, it is okay to dip back into baby foods for a meal here and there, but ultimately you have to take a leap into letting go of the security baby food gives.  Keep trying different table foods.  If you are looking for inspiration, see my Mega List of Table Foods. 

I have been mostly focusing on actual cubed food that babies can easily feed themselves, but as they eat those softer foods and the spreads well, you can start to slowly experiment with mixed textures like soups and casseroles.  Again, you will want to keep this slow, maybe starting off with macaroni and cheese, and then moving to spaghetti and meatballs and then chicken noodle soup.  The latter has a lot more changes in consistency in one bite of food.  You can give baby a couple of pieces on the tray of these types of food, but will probably be mostly feeding by spoon.    

Helpful Tips

• The best way to present most of these foods is in a small cube shape.  This will make it easier for them to pick up and control the size of the bites they are eating.  Babies will often choke as they are learning to eat, it is normal, but we can minimize risk by giving them smaller pieces until they are ready to manage more.  

• Puffs have next to no calories.  They are great to use when they are just starting on table foods, but as you pull away from baby food they don't offer enough to fill their little bellies.  

• I am using the word "transition" intentionally.  Getting your baby onto table foods is a  process that is a little like a dance, taking a few steps forward and then one back.  Many parents find this to be a challenging time.

• Hot dogs, grapes, marshmallows, large dollops of nut-butters, nuts, lettuce, popcorn, hard candy are all potential choking hazards.  Hot dogs, grapes, and marshmallows can be cut into small pieces.  Spread nut-butters thinly on foods.  Food larger than a pea could get lodged in the airway.

If You are Having Difficulty Making this Transition

Some children have a hard time moving onto table foods.  Often these babes were pros at baby food, but turn their noses up and refuse many or all table foods.  It is common for this to be related to sensory defensiveness and/or difficulty chewing.  Generally speaking, as every child has specific instances and circumstances, it would be helpful to encourage play with food.  If there is sensory defensiveness, this will help break it down.  Try bins of dry foods like rice, beans, and birdseed first.  As they tolerate this, move onto wet bins such as cooked noodles (Check out Sensory Bin ideas here).  Depending on the age of your child, this will require close supervision.  Also, try playing with their food during a meal. Take the pressure off of eating and make a game out of those bananas they won't touch. See Exploring New Foods for more help on this.

Lastly, your baby watches you closely and will be motivated to imitate.  Show them how to chew by leaving your mouth open and dramatically chewing for them to see.  Be positive about foods they try, even if they refuse or spit it out. Keep presenting it over and over, at least 12 times.  

If you continue to struggle with moving forward with this process, consider my consulting services.

Do you feel like your ready to tackle table foods?  Need any more specifics or have questions? Let me know!  

[Continue Reading]

Egg Carton Learning

Have you ever wondered what you could do with your empty egg cartons? No! Well I can help you turn them into exciting learning and teaching tools. 

Begin with an empty egg carton.

Depending on the mathematical ability of the child, add numbers for them to add or subtract. Remember, the larger the number the more challenging the task. 

Drop in two paper clips. Add more if you want to increase the level of difficulty. 

Create an attractive cover for your carton. 

With the paper clips inside, shake, shake, shake. 

Check to see where the paper clips have landed and create the problem based on the given mathematical rule. 

28 ADD 12

28 SUBTRACT 12   etc

Here is another empty egg carton. 

This time we are going to help children identify colours.

And the paper clip has landed on RED! 

We can also use this approach with literacy too. 

ENJOY!

[Continue Reading]

Is insulting the only way?

I read the other day a bunch of young 20yr olds make statements on why they no longer have friends.. Being young teenage mums that is ;)

One statement decided that 'they [non-mothers] are still in high-school'.

Over the past 6-7yrs of being a parent myself I've discovered that often other mothers 'lose' friends, or rather they don't seem to have the relationships they once had. They are no longer 'in the scene' at the pub or parties every available night.

I don't think it's so much as 'losing friends' or even 'they weren't really true friends anyway' as it is different seasons in our lives.

Some work, others think they can't disturb you cos the baby is asleep or they don't feel they can just drop in like maybe they used to. Perhaps they've got so much going on in their own life that they are trying to keep up with their own stuff, or perhaps they are genuinely busy and it's out of their control.

Just like you can't necessarily drop by anyone's place with a baby or small children when your free and available, you can't always just drop your life to go visit others.

I think motherhood isn't so much as losing friends as it is gaining others. Relationships take work, whether friends or partners or family.

Motherhood isn't just some casual job, it's a permanent lifestyle change that lasts until death.

Motherhood shouldn't be the end of relationships, but more the begining of new ones. New relationships formed with children and life that sets a new pace for our lives.

I guess this is where Titus 2 steps in where older women teach younger women how to love their husband and love their children ;)

Yep, it's all friendships and relationships. Are you building yours today?

[Continue Reading]