We got a Wii Fit!

LOVE IT! It is a little harsh, but I can take some criticism! You gotta do what you gotta do to get in shape lol. Of course, my 8 yr old has taken it over. My 5 yr old also seems into it, and the toddler tried to draw on it.

I suggest you all get one! It is a good way to see where you are and where you need to be with weight and health. We got it for a large price from eBay, but hubby's work is paying 70%! 

Well, off to try to get it away from the 5 yr old lol. Need to tone up a bit!



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ADHD Tips and ADHD Help

What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. It is a medical condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to concentrate and control their behavior. Without ongoing treatment, the behavioral disorder often interferes with the child’s development of a healthy and normal life.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ADHD is one of the most common chronic medical conditions seen in children, ages 6-12 years, with boys being more likely than girls to be diagnosed.
Signs and Symptoms of ADHD
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests three behavioral signs for ADHD:

• Inattention: Difficulty in paying attention, does not follow-through on tasks, easily distracted, daydreams, makes careless mistakes and loses items.
• Hyperactivity: Seems to be moving all of the time, squirms, jumps and climbs on furniture and talks too much.
• Impulsivity: Acts and speaks without thinking, interrupts others, difficulty waiting for things and calls out answers before question is complete.

Types of ADHD
A child does not need to show all of the symptoms described above to be diagnosed with ADHD. Having one or more symptoms usually determines the type of ADHD.

• Inattentive Only: Not overly active and does not disrupt classroom or other activity. Most common with girls diagnosed with ADHD.

• Hyperactive/Impulsive: Shows both hyperactive and impulsive behavior but can pay attention. Diagnosis is more frequent in younger children.
• Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive/Impulsive: Shows a combination of symptoms in each of the behavioral categories. This is the most common diagnosis of ADHD.

Treatment of ADHD
ADHD must be managed as there is no cure at this time. Once diagnosed, the continuum of treatment is a collaboration of efforts among the child’s parents, educators, physician, additional health care providers and the child. Treatment for ADHD is usually multifaceted and may include:

• Behavioral Therapy: Therapists can help parents and children set realistic goals on behavior and school work. 
• Medication: Your child’s physician may recommend a stimulant to relieve ADHD symptoms.
• Social Skills Training: Training courses can help parents deal with ADHD behaviors in a positive way. Children can learn appropriate behaviors for school, home and various settings.  
• Education: All individuals involved in the child’s treatment need to understand what ADHD is and be fully aware of the child’s symptoms and treatment plan.

If you think your child has ADHD
Every child has moments when they have trouble listening to parents, paying attention or settling down from an excitable activity such as a family birthday party or heading off to a friend’s house to play. Even though these moments are frustrating for parents, it does not necessarily mean your child has a behavioral disorder. Children need to have the symptoms for at least 6 months, in 2 different setting, to meet criteria for the diagnosis.
If you are concerned that your child may have ADHD, ask other caregivers and educators to monitor your child’s behavior. Document your findings and discuss this with your child’s physician. Your child’s doctor may look for other co-existing conditions such as depression, anxiety or a learning disability.
Contact your child’s physician with any questions you have about your child’s health.


Q & A for ADHD (answered by Elizabeth Hastreiter, APRN)
Can my child outgrow ADHD?
A child doesn’t necessarily outgrow ADD or ADHD, but most learn to adapt their learning and working styles to fit into their lifestyles.  There are many successful adults with ADD/ADHD!
What can I do to help?
Keep the home environment simple by eliminating distractions while doing homework.  The tv and music should be turned off, and don’t allow other siblings to distract your child.  Gentle reminders or cues to stay on task are helpful.  Nagging can be counter productive and create unwanted power struggles!
Homeopathic and herbal supplements have not been found to be clinically effective in increasing attention span. Consistent rules, discipline, consequences and a predictable routine are quite helpful in addition to the medications prescribed by your healthcare provider.
 It is also important to find activities at which your child can succeed.  Reward him when he does well in difficult tasks as well as those he masters.



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Toilet and Potty Training Help

Before you begin toilet or potty training, there are some things you should know.  But more importantly, there are some steps you need to follow.  The following tips and guidelines will help you be successful when it comes time for training.
Wait!  Before You Begin Toilet Training

Make sure you and your child are ready for toilet training.  These guidelines will help you determine if everyone is ready and what to do before you begin training.

Starting Toilet Training: The 7 P Plan

Once you have determined that you and your child are ready, this article will walk you through the steps necessary for successful toilet training.
Intensive Toilet Training

If you are fed up with messy pants and diapers, or if your day care insists your child be potty trained, then this may be the trailing plan for you and your child.
Positive Practice For Wetting Accidents

Positive practice involves working with the child in an intensive practice of what he or she should have done – the positive alternative – instead of having an accident.






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Sleepless in Parentville!

Sleep deprivation. It’s something I’m sure you’ve experienced more than once since your baby came home. Losing sleep is part of your job description as a parent. And it doesn’t matter if you have a toddler or a teen.
Feeding a hungry infant in the wee hours of the morning, rocking a sick child to sleep in the middle of the night – these are the moments that keep you awake at night.
According to most sleep specialists, if you try to take a catnap here and there to makeup for sleepless nights, you won’t get the real rest you need. As a result, you may start experiencing memory loss, diminished alertness or illness.
So what is a busy parent to do? Here are a few strategies to help you get that much-needed shuteye:

• If you have a spouse, take turns being the on-call parent at night. While one gets a night of uninterrupted sleep, the other has a bonding experience with baby.
  
• If Mom is breast-feeding baby, she can use a breast pump to prepare extra bottles. Having extra bottles ready means Dad can handle overnight feedings a few times a week.
  
• If you’re a single parent, ask a grandparent, sibling or close friend for some relief. Their help, even one or two nights a week, can give you some rest. If possible, you might consider restructuring your job. Maybe you can work from home part of the week or take advantage of flex time.

Your life has changed, and your schedule will have to revolve around your new priority – your child. That doesn’t mean you have to be sleep-deprived the rest of your life. Manage the changes to your lifestyle. Ask for help. Delegate responsibilities.
You might just find you have the time to get the sleep you need.


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Video Game Guidelines Create Peace

Video gaming is a favorite way for kids to spend their free time. However, as a parent you need to set guidelines with your child.
Decide what your video game guidelines are and then have clear communication with your child. Discuss all the guidelines, scenarios, expectations and consequences so no one feels misled when it comes time to play.
Parenting.org would like to help you set guidelines for video game play. Here are some guidelines for you to think about:

Time of play
For the most part, kids will play video games all day if you let them. But since most kids are in school during the day, this is not an option. Therefore, you need to determine the best time of day for your child to play video games. The options are: before school, after school or before bed. Depending on your daily routine, the best time for your child to play video games might be different than other families?. Again, discuss this before hand so that there are no surprises.
Prior to playing
Regardless of what time you choose for playing video games, it is best to require that your children finish their homework and/or chores before playing. If video gaming is your children?s favorite activity, this can be used as a great motivator to get the important tasks completed. Do not let your child rush through their work. Check over your children?s work to make sure it is done correctly and to the best of their ability before allowing them to play.
If a child?s grades are suffering, eliminate all video game time on school nights. Explain to your child this privilege will be reinstated after the teacher's weekly report confirms all homework was handed in and the overall quality of work and grades are improving. Explain you are doing this to help him or her better structure his or her time.
Length of play
In general, excessive amounts of television viewing can be harmful to a child. It decreases active time that could be spent playing with peers, daydreaming, thinking, participating in sports, music and other activities. Heavy viewing can reduce school performance by interfering with studying and reading.
Video gaming is not all bad for a child, since it requires them to think, memorize, imagine, strategize and be creative. Video games can even help develop some hand and eye coordination.
Still the most important issue is the length of time that your child is in front of the television. Two hours a day is a reasonable limit. Or allow one hour per day on school days and two to three hours on the weekend days. Again, be clear with you expectations.
Video game content that is acceptable in your house
For parents, staying current with appropriate video games and inappropriate video games for kids can be difficult. However, it is up to you to determine which games are good video games for children. Play the games with your son or daughter. It takes time to stay on top of it all, but it is worthwhile.
Once you have your guidelines down, stay informed. Know about the content of games and pay attention to the latest information on video gaming and its effects on kids. The National Institute on Media and the Family puts out an excellent annual Video Game Report Card. Check out what video game ratings mean and search for individual game ratings at the Entertainment Software Rating Board website. To look at video clips and read video game enthusiasts? game reviews, you can go to sites such as GameSpot or IGN. Let your children know that games with excessive violence, bad language or pornography will not be acceptable. Set guidelines and stick to them.
Sharing a video game system
Sharing a video game system can create a great learning opportunity for kids. More than likely, you will need to be involved in teaching kids how to share. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: equal amounts of playing time, equal amount of turns, alternating days of play, taking turns as the first player, taking turns selecting the game and so on. Discovering how to cooperate and getting along with others is imperative throughout life. Use this opportunity to give kids a head start on these skills. By teaching kids how to share, simple prompts and reminders may be all that is necessary for peaceful video gaming.
Playing video games at a friend?s house
Often, kids like to get together and play video games in groups. If your son or daughter is heading to a friend?s house to play video games, call the other parent(s) and ask what games the kids will play. Share your family?s video game guidelines and ask about theirs. Pass on anything new you?ve learned about the vast world of good video games, as well as bad video games.
Setting clear guidelines improves communication and helps you and your child to avoid confusion and arguments later. With good guidance from you, your child will know exactly what is expected in regards to playing video games. Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide if it will be GAME ON or GAME OVER.




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Transitioning Back to School

Can you believe it’s time for your kids to trade in their bathing suits for backpacks? The bell is about to ring on another school year – are you ready?
Some children are eager to return to the classroom. Some miss their friends, others miss the food. But, not every child has found a reason to be excited about school. It can be especially difficult for tweens.
Transitioning from summertime fun and freedom to classroom structure and stress can be a big adjustment. To help your tween handle the change, be positive and supportive. Here are a few suggestions that parents have shared with us that can make a difference in your child’s outlook:

• Be positive about school. Talk to your children about the good things that happen at school. Tell them about your positive experiences.
  
• Set the expectation that education is important and that your children need school. They should be made aware of your expectation as early as possible.
  
• Be understanding when they tell you about their frustrations. Expect your children to feel some stress related to subjects, tests, peers, assignments, and even teachers.
  
• Listen to what your kids tell you about school. Sometimes all they want is for you to hear about what their day was like and what’s going on in their lives. Be supportive and attentive.
  
• Visit the school. See what happens during the school day. Chat with administrators and teachers.
  
• Praise your children’s effort and their accomplishments.

These are just a few of the simple steps you can take to help your children start the new school year off on the right foot.


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Going home!

We are on our way back to NC! The week went too fast. Hopefully we can see everyone again very soon!



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The kids at the bar!

Yup that is right, my kids got to hang out at a bar. Hey mama used to! And then Gramma and Papa came to the cabin.



















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And of course, Chris's grandmother! And their Uncle Jason,

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Tips for Reading Aloud With Babies

Read aloud so babies can:

• Associate reading with warm, pleasant feelings.
• Hear sounds, rhythms, and words.
• Use their senses--listening, seeing, touching.
• Make their own sounds--cooing, gurgling, babbling--which will eventually become talking.
• Point to pictures that you can name.
• Begin to understand that pictures represent objects.
  

Choose books that babies like:

• Very young babies love to hear your voice. You can read anything to them, but they especially like nursery rhymes and other stories with set rhythms.
• Choose board books with simple, bright pictures against solid backgrounds.
• As babies learn to grasp things, pick light, washable cloth and vinyl books.
• When babies are older enough to hold things, provide brightly colored board books featuring only one or two objects per page.
• As babies become interested in what's inside a book, read books with bright pictures of animals, babies, and familiar objects.
• As babies begin to do activities for themselves, read simple stories about routine events -- eating, taking a bath, or going to bed.
• As babies begin to talk, read books that invite them to repeat rhymes, words, and phrases.
• When older babies want to join in, read books with textures, things to touch, flaps to lift, tabs to pull, and holes where they can poke their fingers.
• Babies of any age enjoy homemade books and family photo albums.
  

Try these read-aloud tips:

• Hold the baby in your lap; make sure he or she can see the pictures.
• Play with words, sing, and make up rhymes; include the baby's name.
• Expect babies to touch, grasp, and taste -- that is how they learn.
• Offer the baby a toy to hold and chew while listening to you read.
• Read one or two pages at a time; gradually lengthen the number of pages.
• Let the baby turn the pages if he or she is more interested in the book than listening to you read. He or she will still be learning about books and enjoying your company.
• Point to, name, and talk about things in pictures. Describe what's happening.
• Ask the baby: "Where's the...?" "What's that...?" Wait for a response.
• Encourage a baby to join in -- moo like a cow or finish a repetitive phrase.
• Stay on a page as long as a baby is interested.
• Put the book away and do something else when the baby loses interest.

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We also had fun with my parents! They love being able to spend time with the kids!

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Wedneday: We went to the zoo!

This was Wyatt's first time at a zoo as well! They all had a great time!!

















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Our trip to Albany!

Nick and Michele had a blast seeing their old friends from Albany. We also had fun visiting. Hopefully we will be able to do this again next year!

















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Or first full day in NY!

We had fun! The kids love the cabin. Nick has more memories of it then Michele, and this is Wyatt's first time in NY.


















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Going to Syracuse from tomorrow to the 9th!

We are getting ready to leave at 4am!! Yup we are crazy. But luckily, the kids are great in the car!



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