Check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4
Friday, December 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Snow
HEHEHEH! it snowed a little last night big flakes with nothing sticking and it is flurring now while I sit in the computer watching out the window. I love it! I am in kind of a funk and not sure why but as soon as I saw the flurries my mood lifted. I am looking forward to the snow! Lots at least this year. And then it can slow down. I think we are prepared with woolies, gloves, hats, scarves, boots and big winter coats that the kids hate. But need to have :) It is too bulky too itchy too scratchy too everything and very warm!
I am seeing more flakes!! Yiippee!
I am seeing more flakes!! Yiippee!
Friday, November 07, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
how could I not post something political this week of all weeks?
If by a “liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “liberal.”
President John F. Kennedy
BTW, we still dont have cable here at out house on PRESIDENT GEORGE Washington Street . Not a big bother except my friend Kim gets to see the probably one of the greatest speeches of all times when this country actually may elect some one other than an old white guy to lead us....speech up close with her 75,000 closest friends in DENVER and I won't even get to see it on the cable news highlight reels. oh bother!
President John F. Kennedy
BTW, we still dont have cable here at out house on PRESIDENT GEORGE Washington Street . Not a big bother except my friend Kim gets to see the probably one of the greatest speeches of all times when this country actually may elect some one other than an old white guy to lead us....speech up close with her 75,000 closest friends in DENVER and I won't even get to see it on the cable news highlight reels. oh bother!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
some more fodder....
here is an excerpt from something else I was reading...
I likey... a la Carrie Bradshaw...
....‘Ad creators are increasingly able to focus on children,’ write Rowe and Ruskin. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to write a letter of complaint to absentee parents. Parents need to raise their children themselves, and not shove the imparting of norms and values onto the babysitter, school or television. Those who leave it to ‘the culture’ to educate children about what we consider important, shouldn’t be surprised if that culture sends kids to the shopping mall. And those who consider earning money more important than raising children, shouldn’t become indignant if those children fill up the emptiness with spending money.
.....We also discovered what we called the ‘Ikea effect’. That became a family expression. We noticed that we always ended up in a bad mood after walking around a department store, no matter how happily we had started the excursion. Again and again, we went in full of expectation and excitement… only to leave a little while later in a combative mood. We analysed it and reached a conclusion: Ikea deludes you. So do all the other alluring department stores with their unrealistic promises: ‘Everything you always wanted is right here, and it will make you happy’. But even if I entered with money in my pocket and in a generous mood, that promise was never fulfilled. This is because what your heart’s desires cannot be bought, it’s as simple as that. Warmth, relaxation, pleasure, mutual understanding and fellowship are not things you can simply pay for and wrap up. So every actual purchase comes with a little disappointment. At first you might think that having yet another desirable object will fulfil that promise. But no, it doesn’t. Finally, disappointment creeps in and with it, irritation and friction.
When we recognised and labelled the Ikea effect, it lost its power over us. And with that the store – not coincidentally – lost a lot of its appeal.
I think a consciousness of abundance means that every time you want something you ask yourself if you really need it. And I mean ‘need’ in a broad sense. You may need it for your body or for your soul. An ice cream, for example, can be a very wise purchase. (I’ve even noticed that at times, ice cream can even heal children’s tummy aches.) But eating ice cream all day long won’t make a child happy. Girls around age seven sometimes also need a princess costume: a shiny satiny dress with so many frills and bows that I could never make one as nice. But constantly buying clothes won’t make you a princess. It is often a question of finding the middle ground.
I likey... a la Carrie Bradshaw...
....‘Ad creators are increasingly able to focus on children,’ write Rowe and Ruskin. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to write a letter of complaint to absentee parents. Parents need to raise their children themselves, and not shove the imparting of norms and values onto the babysitter, school or television. Those who leave it to ‘the culture’ to educate children about what we consider important, shouldn’t be surprised if that culture sends kids to the shopping mall. And those who consider earning money more important than raising children, shouldn’t become indignant if those children fill up the emptiness with spending money.
.....We also discovered what we called the ‘Ikea effect’. That became a family expression. We noticed that we always ended up in a bad mood after walking around a department store, no matter how happily we had started the excursion. Again and again, we went in full of expectation and excitement… only to leave a little while later in a combative mood. We analysed it and reached a conclusion: Ikea deludes you. So do all the other alluring department stores with their unrealistic promises: ‘Everything you always wanted is right here, and it will make you happy’. But even if I entered with money in my pocket and in a generous mood, that promise was never fulfilled. This is because what your heart’s desires cannot be bought, it’s as simple as that. Warmth, relaxation, pleasure, mutual understanding and fellowship are not things you can simply pay for and wrap up. So every actual purchase comes with a little disappointment. At first you might think that having yet another desirable object will fulfil that promise. But no, it doesn’t. Finally, disappointment creeps in and with it, irritation and friction.
When we recognised and labelled the Ikea effect, it lost its power over us. And with that the store – not coincidentally – lost a lot of its appeal.
I think a consciousness of abundance means that every time you want something you ask yourself if you really need it. And I mean ‘need’ in a broad sense. You may need it for your body or for your soul. An ice cream, for example, can be a very wise purchase. (I’ve even noticed that at times, ice cream can even heal children’s tummy aches.) But eating ice cream all day long won’t make a child happy. Girls around age seven sometimes also need a princess costume: a shiny satiny dress with so many frills and bows that I could never make one as nice. But constantly buying clothes won’t make you a princess. It is often a question of finding the middle ground.
loved this too and it was a good excuse to post a photo of Sissy
We don't need no supervision
Kids may find it harder to grow up if adults over-regulate their lives.Tim Gill January/February 2008 issue
There’s a widespread belief that children grow up faster today. In fact, though they may adopt adult cultures and attitudes, their daily lives are far more controlled and overseen than a couple of decades ago. Consider these UK statistics: In 1971, the average 7-year-old went to school on his own; by 1990, children had to wait until they were 10 before being given this “right.” The trend appears to be continuing. In a survey in 2007, nearly half of adults said children should not be allowed to go out with their friends unsupervised until the children were 14 years old.
Why have the horizons of childhood shrunk so much? While parents set the limits, their actions are just the beginning of the story. Many social and cultural trends—traffic growth, longer working hours, more fragment- ed communities, greater fear of crime and a pervasive climate of anxiety—all reinforce the logic of containment.
Perhaps parents’ greatest worry is the fear of child abduction or murder. These are among the rarest of crimes. In the UK, where I live, some five to seven children are killed by strangers every year. Of these, around two are in primary school. That is absolutely terrible for them and their families. Yet the figures are no higher than they were when I was a child 35 years ago. However, many believe the threat is serious and growing, a predictable result of emotive media coverage.
Whatever the reasons, we now have a norm of parenting that equates being a good parent with being a controlling parent. We do not just ferry children everywhere, we also supervise nearly every move they make.
The over-regulation of children’s lives has a big downside. Many experiences children used to enjoy—boisterous physical play, street play, verbal jousting, even climbing trees—are now seen as deeply troubling. The parents who allow those activities are labelled irresponsible. But children need everyday challenges and adventures if they are to learn how to manage their own safety and sort out their problems for themselves. Today, many pre-adolescent children don’t get those opportunities. How will they develop the skills they need to deal with the wider world?
I don’t think parents are solely to blame. Most are well aware they should be preparing their offspring for life as autonomous adults. I speak as a parent myself. We do not need more experts telling us what to do. One thing I have found helpful is simply to share views with other parents, looking back on our own childhoods to remind ourselves of the value of tasting freedom. While we cannot recreate our childhoods, we can reject the culture of overprotection and come up with practical steps to give our children more responsibility. This could be walking to school once a week with an older child on the street, or trying to sort out minor spats for themselves or simply climbing trees in the park.
This is not a job parents can do by themselves. Parents, teachers, child-carers and providers of organized activities all need to accept that children do not need adults watching their every move. As a society, we need to move from a philosophy of protection to a philosophy of resilience. The role of adults in childhood is not just to protect, but to help children build their coping mechanisms and take on more responsibility for their everyday lives.
This will not be easy. I believe government leadership is needed to reverse this trend. Alongside new policies in schools and services, politicians should be making the creation of more child-friendly communities a high priority. By these I mean neighbourhoods that are safe, supportive, welcoming and tolerant as children gradually extend their lives beyond home and school.
Ultimately, this is a question of balance. Of course we need to protect children from serious threats, but we also need to give them the freedom to learn how to get to grips with the world for themselves.
Kids may find it harder to grow up if adults over-regulate their lives.Tim Gill January/February 2008 issue
There’s a widespread belief that children grow up faster today. In fact, though they may adopt adult cultures and attitudes, their daily lives are far more controlled and overseen than a couple of decades ago. Consider these UK statistics: In 1971, the average 7-year-old went to school on his own; by 1990, children had to wait until they were 10 before being given this “right.” The trend appears to be continuing. In a survey in 2007, nearly half of adults said children should not be allowed to go out with their friends unsupervised until the children were 14 years old.
Why have the horizons of childhood shrunk so much? While parents set the limits, their actions are just the beginning of the story. Many social and cultural trends—traffic growth, longer working hours, more fragment- ed communities, greater fear of crime and a pervasive climate of anxiety—all reinforce the logic of containment.
Perhaps parents’ greatest worry is the fear of child abduction or murder. These are among the rarest of crimes. In the UK, where I live, some five to seven children are killed by strangers every year. Of these, around two are in primary school. That is absolutely terrible for them and their families. Yet the figures are no higher than they were when I was a child 35 years ago. However, many believe the threat is serious and growing, a predictable result of emotive media coverage.
Whatever the reasons, we now have a norm of parenting that equates being a good parent with being a controlling parent. We do not just ferry children everywhere, we also supervise nearly every move they make.
The over-regulation of children’s lives has a big downside. Many experiences children used to enjoy—boisterous physical play, street play, verbal jousting, even climbing trees—are now seen as deeply troubling. The parents who allow those activities are labelled irresponsible. But children need everyday challenges and adventures if they are to learn how to manage their own safety and sort out their problems for themselves. Today, many pre-adolescent children don’t get those opportunities. How will they develop the skills they need to deal with the wider world?
I don’t think parents are solely to blame. Most are well aware they should be preparing their offspring for life as autonomous adults. I speak as a parent myself. We do not need more experts telling us what to do. One thing I have found helpful is simply to share views with other parents, looking back on our own childhoods to remind ourselves of the value of tasting freedom. While we cannot recreate our childhoods, we can reject the culture of overprotection and come up with practical steps to give our children more responsibility. This could be walking to school once a week with an older child on the street, or trying to sort out minor spats for themselves or simply climbing trees in the park.
This is not a job parents can do by themselves. Parents, teachers, child-carers and providers of organized activities all need to accept that children do not need adults watching their every move. As a society, we need to move from a philosophy of protection to a philosophy of resilience. The role of adults in childhood is not just to protect, but to help children build their coping mechanisms and take on more responsibility for their everyday lives.
This will not be easy. I believe government leadership is needed to reverse this trend. Alongside new policies in schools and services, politicians should be making the creation of more child-friendly communities a high priority. By these I mean neighbourhoods that are safe, supportive, welcoming and tolerant as children gradually extend their lives beyond home and school.
Ultimately, this is a question of balance. Of course we need to protect children from serious threats, but we also need to give them the freedom to learn how to get to grips with the world for themselves.
Tim Gill is the author of No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society, which can be downloaded free from gulbenkian.org.uk. His website is rethinkingchildhood.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
MOVING SALE
AS the day of the BIG PACK is coming- I am going to post things on here that we are going to slim down in our home....
items that we are going to get rid of include but are not limited to:
Books
Cloth Diapers
A BRAND NEW Medula Pump in Style Back Pack Breast Pump
Numerous Childbirth Education Supplies
CDs (My husband has about 400)
DVDs (children's and adult)
If you know you are looking for something specific just email me- I may have it.
Francie@chris-wood.com
items that we are going to get rid of include but are not limited to:
Books
Cloth Diapers
A BRAND NEW Medula Pump in Style Back Pack Breast Pump
Numerous Childbirth Education Supplies
CDs (My husband has about 400)
DVDs (children's and adult)
If you know you are looking for something specific just email me- I may have it.
Francie@chris-wood.com
Sunday, May 11, 2008
WE are MOVING!!
SO everyone finally knows....So I can tell the rest of the world. The Chris and Francie Wood family is moving from Jacksonville FL. The way things look now 1/7th of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living in NJ and working there. The other 6/7ths of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living near family in MD. And while we will miss the help and silliness of the other 1/7th while he is at work during the week, we think it is best for the other 6/7ths of us to be surrounded by friends and family in a place we are comfortable and happy.
Oh by the way if you are wondering who the other 2/7ths are- NO WE ARE NOT PREGNANT. even though that was the rumor on our street on why we have a for sale sign in our yard that we needed a bigger house.
It is Andre' and Daisy, of course.
Both who will suffer severe trauma with this move b/c Andre' hates the car. It will be about 14 hour drive with the kids from here to MD. And Daisy will probably stop eating and be depressed b/c she won't be living full time with (her boyfriend I mean) Chris.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
So six months since I posted-
Things are good here- Weather in warming or should I say hotting...Sissy turned 1 March 23rd. We had her a birthday party while we were in MD for Easter and to see MAM MA and PAPPY's new cabin. The weather was great up home. I sure do miss it- I will post a few photos of every one here- The top one is the kids at Grandma's being silly, the second one at the Zoo for a preschool field trip with our friend Grace- She is a wonderful little girl. (her dad is an assistant coach for the Jags...but she has no clue really what that means :)) The third one is also at the Zoo for the field trip- it is Chandler and all his girlfriends :)
And the last one is of course Pappy and sweet Fiona. Poor girl, she really loves him- she has no clue yet either :)
I promise to be more forth coming with posts as I news may be changing-
By the way- I love me some Jason Castro on American Idol this year-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
