The start of {toy} shopping season! Scary!

This year's shopping will be so much different than previous years....now more than ever I really am going to go the handmade, artfully {thoughtfully} crafted route. The information on unsafe toys has given me plenty to think about this week as I start looking for that special something to put under the tree. Our kids know that they will get maybe one or two of their most special "wants" even though their lists are usually very long. This year the older two went through the all the "toy" books that have been delivered to the house. I was flipping through it the other day and was like, "No, probably not, nope, probably has lead, oooh, maybe, oops, that's been recalled...." and so on.

This will probably be my one post this week now that the kids are home for vacation. I had to check a few things off my to-do list for my son's cub scouts group. One of which was to prepare for next weeks collection of Toys for Tots. I set out to do a little research so I could put together a reminder flyer....the official website and other communities across the country clearly put emphasis on toy safety this year more than ever.

I discover that the list for recalled toys is incredibly scary! More so than I thought. So as I am reading through the various recalls when I notice one of our polly pocket toys is on the list {that one's gone from the toy box}. One statistic I read was that 80% of the toy market is in China. Not everything from China is bad news of course, but that number is way higher than I ever thought.

So I think my "reminder" flyer ended up sounding more of a public service announcement for the parents of our cub scouts. {I just hope no one thinks I am being preachy}

I decided on including a list of resources and links they could go to for more information and I also added a little blurb about what not to get.

With this year’s growing concerns over unsafe toys for our children we ask that everyone continue to be diligent in carefully selecting appropriate toys. There is a huge amount of information on the internet regarding unsafe toys and what to look for. Here are some of the tips:

Sometimes the toy will show the following labels that indicate the product met testing standards. Look for signs that the toy met standards...American National Standards Institute (ANSI),ASTM International (ASTM)

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Choose from responsible companies; those doing a lot of quality assurance. Stay away from toys with small parts, magnetic pieces, Aqua Dots, and toys containing play jewelry or charms. After reading the lists on several recall websites I would also recommend you check labels of craft kits very carefully and stay away from “dollar type” stores or discount toy stores.

Who are the responsible companies, I thought? Brands I trust? Two of the names I didn't see on those recall lists were Hasbro, and Playskool. Well, I hope this is a serious wake-up call for the toy giants. There are those being extra stringent now, but what about during the production and manufacturing process??? I also hope that this opens up more doors, somewhere in the future for the folks here in America and Canada who are making wonderful handmade toys.

Helpful Resources for Parents [The following helpful resource is from lists that were already complied on several of the websites below. I found it very useful and I added my own at the bottom.]

Federal Govt. Recalls | Recalls.gov

Toy Hazard Recalls | CPSC

American Academy Of Pediatrics Recalls

Lead Poisoning: What It Is | WebMD

Toy Information | ToyInfo.org

Toy Directory Recalls | TDmonthly.org

Mattel (Fischer-Price, Barbie, Hot-Wheels)

RC2 (Thomas) Recalls

About.com Toy Recalls

Toy Safety Tips | Toytips.com

Toy Safety Tips | Dr. Toy

Spot Lead Posioning Signs | Parents.com

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

Toy Wishes Magazine

Toy Industry Association

Some additional sites I found useful:

www.toysfortots.org

www.greenlivingideas.com

www.thebostonchannel.com/toy-troubles

www.wbztv.com/consumer

lil bit about music

I don't really ramble on about my fave music or anything like that, and normally just like to have the music on in the background while I'm doing something else. You know I belt out a few of my favorites when they come on and hope that no one is listening. So today's background music is the TV. Don't know how, little guy must have played with the remote, but we are "watching" vh1's "40 most sensational soft-rock songs"

But he's letting it stay on, which surprises me because if its not a girl with a monkey, a guy with a semi-talking dog or some grown man calling himself a wiggle, it just doesn't get a high approval rating by three year old standards.

Anyway, 70s, 80s and 90s stuff. And the realization that, Oh. my. god. ALL of the top soft-rock 70s and 80s songs are songs I remember .... I mean I was a kid and didn't know what they all really meant but I remember them. But as I got older I guess all we listened to was Top 40 radio. My mom always tells me the story of my first favorite sing-a-long "Angel of the Morning" yeah, I was like 7, are we not talking about a one night stand in that song now that I hear it again? Maybe inappropriate? Fast forward to 2007 -- my lil' future popstar wants to sing along with my Michelle Branch cd. hmm. Could be worse - I guess. Still I'll have to pay attention to that. Might mean mom and dad were not listeners of only geeky "old people"music after all, or maybe because English was not their first language they just didn't get it. [note to self: make sure music my kids are hearing through my choices are okay for their little ears]. hmmm. Last time in the car the kids heard "hell" in a John Mayer song. "uh, Mom, that guy just said the H word" and then my mr. smartypants proceeds to spell it. "You know H-e-l-l." smart ass.

They are almost down to #1, they are on #5 as I type this. The ultimate "Oh MY GOD I remember that song/concert..." moment, said in my waaaaaaaaaaaay too excited voice was
#15 - Journey - Open Arms. Okay I have to say it -- still a cool song. End of my music review. :)

and I don't like the this green after all. going back to white.

colors of the blog

how about this one? [green]

Go figure, too many color choices but not one that is the right shade of vintage-sage-green that I was looking for.

And gosh darn it, I still wish I could figure out how to put a banner on my blog.
There is a tutorial in blogger's "help-me" section now, unfortunately I still don't get it even though I'm sure its in plain English -- but its techie plain English. So I still don't quite get it.

back in the swing of things

There will be some slight changes in the blog....I just figured out I can customize my colors - duh?

Yeah it was looking a little dull.

About a month since my last post, and there is alot of stuff knocking around in my head. Sometimes when I login I don't even know what I am going to type in that small white rectangle staring at me. Blinking. I just know it must be good enough to remember if its still hanging out in the memory files after a month. At school, the kids are being taught about writing using a "BANG Beginning" So something pops into my head...what would my bang beginning be if I was going to write at this moment? I wonder...

"In the first month of my 40th year......" I crack myself up. I imagined a big voice-over saying that.

But its not that far from where I would like to start -- seems like since I turned 40 all I can think about is my health. What's that pain? I feel it here too. Is chest pain always bad? Why does this fat not go away? What about my heart? When was the last cholesterol check? I think about moms that die too young. and so on. Oh yeah, the list goes on. But I keep feeling like my glands on my neck are achy or swollen and slight chest twitches come and go. Mostly I love it when they go and I get to forget about it again. So I guess its time to stop putting off going to the doctor. I am the classic case of not going to the doctor, taking care of everyone else's appointments first. My usual excuses.... "cuz I'm just not that sick" "they can't give me anything anyway."

All month its been slammin' me in the face...reports about women and heart disease on the news, in the news, good teeth health=good health, on the radio, in my car, while shopping for scrapbook supplies, on msn. Oh yeah and then one day, one day where I wasn't even thinking {obsessing} about it...a bright { and I mean really bright neon} neon pink flyer in the mail "Free Health Screenings in your Area" hmmmm, okay, okay could all be someone just trying to give me a sign. I hate going to the doctor. There I said it. I'm a baby.

So I decide i have to have a grown up attitude and remember to think about the relief that will set in once all the bad thoughts have been put to rest. Or maybe some new ones will take their place.
:)

I linger in the white rectangle a bit.....sure I want to post some crafts I have been working on, or cute pictures of the kids. But I can do that next time. The little one needs me. I have milk being sploshed all over the table in the living room. On purpose. The little one needs me --- yep, they need me. What better reason to suck it up and just go to the doc. What better reason do I need? why have I waited this long?

New version of blogger is so cool -- I can label all my ramblings with neat little categories...but what do I label this one --- fear of death? fear of dying? chicken?

It Was Sunny, So I Left My Coat Home...

Just reflecting on the term "bad day".............

Like my cute/ugly/weird little green guy? {mcdonalds happy meal toy}

It was sitting on my desk today and I think his look just sums it up so far today.





Prior to today I thought the worst day ever was the time that I had to walk into my kid's school attendance office to drop-off and sign them in while in my jammies and with toothpaste still sticking to my zits from the night before. But today I laugh at that one.

Because it was way worse today, and yesterday didn't run all that smoothly either now that I'm sitting here looking at my "when printers go bad" prints.

What?????

{big sigh here}

So little girl brings home an assignment for a family tree project the first graders are doing....I was so sure I had all the pictures ready to go....set up a collage on the photo editing software. Ready for printing right ---- right up my scrapbooking alley, right?, sure, except its not supposed to look red!

Printer issues + me not being really techie = big frustration. We eventually had to cut up some already printed pics {but not the ones I would have choosen, ya know} Made it to school with one minute to spare before the bell rings. Whew.

Today we missed the bus again, however we were good with our time, we would have made it before the school bell, but then on the way out the door little girl slips down the front steps and really hurts her shin badly. At the same time I was shutting the door and she was falling I hear what sounds like a big crash coming from inside the house. My mirror and wall shelf from the entrance wall just collapse??? Just fell off the wall?? I'm like what the heck??? Deal with that later.

After about a half hour of calming her down and getting her to try going to school we walk into school [waaay late] but they get what happened and we agree to go ahead with the day I sign her in, go through security check point at main office. I leave, she waves bye bye. What a trooper. {I heart you sweet little lady}

Not one hour back home I get a call from the nurse's office. She needs to be picked up, her ankle is really hurting her. So I get me and the baby back in the car. If you have ever gone to pick up [or drop off] your kid at school nowadays you know that every in and out needs to be documented in the office. Our school now also has a camera and buzzer installed at the main entrance so they can see who is coming in the building and they have to unlock the door. Back in the building, Back to the nurses office, run after two year old who's screaming down the hallway. She is sitting in the nurses office smiling and with an ice pack on her ankle. I say I feel real bad, I thought she would be alright, nurse says don't feel bad, its okay.

Then I get "spoken to" about not signing in at the main office. {geesh, people didn't you just see me an hour ago and didn't you see little wild man make a run for it at the first hallway????] YOu called me to come here, remember??? See, this is where I start to loose it. Cause she is walking fine. Okay, a little limp, fine enough. So we head out, I have to stop at the main office to sign in / sign out again, on the way out she says "but mommy I'm missing the author read her book" she is about to be in tears, I can tell. Today was visiting author day -- It was author and illustrator, Suzanne Bloom -- they had a really fun morning planned she really wanted to stay and now this. We get to the sidewalk. I asked why she thought she needed to come home? She says it was because she couldn't sit with her legs folded and that she bumped her leg while she was in the class room. The teacher said she needed to go home. See, this to me did not really mean she needed to be sent home. It meant she should choose another sitting arrangement. But I guess teachers see it differently.

So I huff and puff my big annoyed self back to the van with a little boy who does not want to get in the car.....there's a struggle for the keys.....he wants to play "open car" I just want to get home. He pulls on the key rope I have, I pull him in the car determined not to let him win. {way to go mom} And now for the really bad part -- what coud make this trip worse?? was it the empty gas gauge? knowing I only had 6$ to work with?

No. It was this....I wish I took a picture of it....the key bent at a 90 degree angle. hmmm. I touch it with the hope and wish that it would just go back into shape. It snaps off. yea. NICE.

No extra key with me. No chance of fixing the now broken metal. Hubby at work -25 min away, with little flexibility in leaving to go save his flustered wife. It will be funny later when I think about it I'm sure. But as I was sitting in the car looking at the thing I was wondering .... if I just had me some duck tape and a paper clip and maybe knew how to start a car without the key I could get meself out of this mess. Where was my McGyver mojo?????

The irony here is that before leaving the house I thought "its so nice a day, no coat for me." hahaha. Had I brought my coat along -- the extra key was in that pocket.

I mean the rest was just downhill ---I went through my whole purse and car glove compartment looking for the extra key. Then I decide I just can keep the kids in the car in the school parking lot so.... back through the 13 levels of major security clearance. Ring buzzer. Look at camera. "Yes, can I help you?" "Um, yes, I um need to use the phone in the office." "Just a minute." Assistant principal comes to door. He has no idea what is happening so I tell him I just need to use the phone -- office lady sees me "You're still here?" I show her the key "oooooh" she says, then says "you need to sign in and out first" Wow. {i'm all over that list today} I guess If I have to make a positive comment I'm sure glad she does her job well. Because on the day something really whacky is going on I know she will have that sign in sheet!! You can tell she is puzzled so I fill her in a little more. I have to call my neighbor. And thank God, I mean really, really thankyou! she was able to come get us.

So here we are at home, without our car, and one seriously broken key.

That is one fine day huh? I know, I know, this is nothing compared to other awful, horrible things but I just had to vent. whew.

Now how to explain this all to hubby???? He is not going to believe it I swear.

bye now.....off to fix a shelf.

A sad week for journaling

Its been a down kind of week. I find it hard to want to journal or even log into check email and such. I have never figured out why but I just find it hard to write about things that are making me sad. I like to stay upbeat and positive, as a way to remind myself of all that is good around me. That is being thrown out the window today.

I have journaled for a long time, privately, at least, but blogging is different -- for me its been more about exploring a creative side that has long been "at rest." If I think back to times that have been tough -- I did journal quite a bit about the things that effected me. I also have a tendency to summarize the "unsettling things"in my blog entries into categories, like a list. So I think I do this so its down on paper and off my mind and that I have explored {at least a little} the reasons for feeling sad. Then I move on. I admit I like to skim over those sad thoughts quickly.

Keeping a journal is a good way to explore why you are feeling a certain way -- by doing such you are supposed to help yourself get over what is troubling you, by doing such you are making yourself look deep into what really matters and what is good in your life. But you know life just happens sometimes, that there is no getting better, its just about getting over it in the best way you can. In the most positive way you can. Coping with changes and sadnesses that enter into our lives is just in fact, part of life itself. So I love this part. And hate this part.

Not sure when it started, but I can totally categorize it into "losing people in our lives" mostly. Its been going on in my head for several weeks now.

A close friend's Dad not doing well, and in his last few days. I can't imagine that last troubling week for her and her family. These are things I have never had to go through in my own family yet. Receiving the communication from her this week that he had passed on early in the week made me feel sad all over again. For her, for them, for all that have to go through losing a loved one. A sort of relief for her that his painful time is over. But pain that she has to struggle through more grief at losing a parent. I keep her in my thoughts.

The news of killing and fighting overseas. Any of it. All of it. Why children? Why? What those families are going through no one should. I keep them in my thoughts.

The news of a kindergartener in our district with an inoperable, stem cell brain tumor. The email says P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens...
"Her tumor is inoperable and resisting treatment. Her days are numbered, ..." She is the same age as my kindergartener going into first grade. Today is Alyssa's birthday. She turns six. Happy sweet birthday little Alyssa!! You deserve so much more time. Your mommy and daddy deserve to have so much more time. Can't even imagine having to face the prospect of losing one of my children. Can't even imagine. I keep the family in my thoughts.

All of sudden I get a rush of warmth to my cheeks and tears in my eyes. I can't wrap myself around the thought of not having one of my babies. I realize why I write their stories. Why I jot down silly words. Why I keep the pictures and drawings, even the not so adorable ones, near my bed, in my purse, in books, in albums, in random places. Because there is no random space in my heart. All space is taken by the love and bonds that exsist.

~M

My Time v.s. Morning Chaos

not sure what set me off today.......up since 5:30am and feel like I haven't accomplished much and now the kids are up and arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! I feel like screaming.

list of possibilities:

was it hubby waking a 6am {totally breaking my morning mojo of logging into the blog} to say he wanted to go for a bike ride "early"; however at 7:40 he was still here, all the bills laid out on the table. Checkbook open. Calculater out. I comment that Saturday morning shouldn't be for checking bills. Bills we can't pay all at once. Bills that give us both grey hairs and make us worry for the future.

then he logs me off the computer. now he's asking for it.

his shorts were gone...that's right, gone. oh dear, being washed, how inconvenient.

Then his leaving coincides with the children waking.
"I'll be gone an hour" I believe were the parting words.

From now on I'll be washing all your shorts and underwear with extra heavy duty laundry soap laced with something so as to give you a nice rash on your butt, I believe those were my parting thoughts.

or perhaps one child waking at 6:45am - on a Saturday! This is the child that NEVER wants to wake up during the school week. Nice.

maybe....

or was it finding out that all the dishwasher soap was out, with a machine full of sinky dishes, all the sliced bread gone too. so no toast this morning. no toast?

enough to send me over the edge right there.

was it noticing that the cleaning fairy didn't happen to arrive. Shoes tossed all across the front entry. Toys everywhere. Polly Pocket parts in places they shouldn't be.

Then the realization that I had too much cleaning up to pack into one morning. One morning that was already going downhill fast.

perhaps, but wait...

the baby yelling out "MOMMY" at the top of his lil'lungs until I could get him from his crib. {cause I was in the bathroom, just a little time is all I ask......} I think the older two were trying to get him out of his crib by using various devices for climbing. None successful, thank God. And all dangerous from my inspection when I did go there. a little plastic chair, on top of the my little pony stool, pushed up against the side of the crib. oh and some books for "balance" ???

was it the "make me breakfast" command from child #2 as she waltzed into the kitchen at 7:45
nope - I get that every morning, I redirect and ask for them to ask nicely, that usually helps.

there was alot of grumpiness for a little while, alot of yelling, crying, then magically...

little ones were fed, diapers were changed, laundry was put in dryer, children were dressed for the day. I got my blogging done.

Hubby comes home. 8:45am

"How's everything?"

I look up from this post and say. "Good." and let that be the end of it.

I realize that just like me being in a foul mood because my Saturday morning routine was messed up, he would have been in a more foul mood If I had asked him not to go on the bike ride. And truthfully, he is not that calm during the Saturday morning rush of children demands.
So it worked out for both of us.

but I have to get out that after he came home he did his situps, ate his breakfast and then asked when I would be done with the computer. hmm.

so


I


am


taking


my


time.


"my time"

I love when a title just pops out at you while typing.

So on to tackle the rest of the insurmountable chores around here. Chances are, even if two get done and crossed of the mental list. I'll be happy. Because its about having a good Saturday. I'm trying.

but I'm sure there is going to be another me v.s. him moment in the very near future since in the distance I hear the TV turned to a channel that is "exploring" the myths of the loch ness monter and crop circles. He is totally not going to watch TV is he? Can't think of anything else that needs to be done?

lysol to the rescue

probably the worst time of day to type in a blog...hungry kids, no plan for dinner, a list of demands for DS games, websites he wants to order from, {but you don't have a credit card sweetie, you're 7. but you do mom. oh. well.} if ever there was a time that a mommy just wanted to {needed to} lock herself in a room to just type or write or scrapbook her little heart away it would be today. now. just look at those starving faces.

this has been the week from the bad place. one week ago last night was when middle daughter started infecting the rest of us with some sort of stomach bug. whatever it is spreads like wildfire. nausea, vomiting, the runs, headaches, stomach cramps, everything nicely packaged up together that lasts approx. 48 hrs. ever try to explain to a two-year old that throwing up is okay - not to cry hysterically, or hyperventilate and make it ten times worse? yeaaah.

yesterday I washed every single bedsheet in the house, washed surfaces with bleach and water and sent sweet hubby to buy Lysol disinfectant spray. he askes what kind? what scent?. i say--the kind that kills, you know like 99.9% of whatever is f**king breeding here. bathrooms were sanitized. i was like a fiend with the lysol spray. summer breeze is my new favorite smell. every doorknob got blasted, every pillow, every- thing. nothing was left unsprayed. i was a monster. i never cleaned like that. i was exhausted. it was germ phobia to its highest extent. it was like was a neat person must go through in their mind when they enter messy places. the freaky neat lady on desperate housewives. the kind of neurosis i never knew i could channel in myself.

today is much better.

i watched shrek 2 with the kids and had a lot of laughs - left the dishes in the sink - - love when the characters get busted coming out of the forest -- ala "cops" and puss-in-boots gets caught with the catnip and says "its not mine"

What Happens Right Before the Family Trip?

Quick. Answers please.

I'll wait.

Nope none of those -- the results have been tabulated and the survey says....

Sickness.
Earaches.
Fussiness.
Nose Blowing.
Using more kleenex than can fit inside those cute little pocket packets you can buy.


So I had to post this pic because its what's in my house now. While I was cleaning up the kitchen last night I saw all these lined up it was just too funny. One different medicine for each person, extra strength for mom and dad.




The extra strength stuff is for me and my husband to help curb the headaches from the frequent whining and complaining. We're not sick.....yet.

Three hours in the car tomorrow....do they sell extra extra extra strength? But I bet I can buy really good drugs (as in "cold medicine") in Canada!

Ditchin' My Chores, and other bad mom things

I've been spending a fair amount of time these last few weeks working on learning software, scrapbooking ideas, getting started as a independent consultant and getting those last minute Easter cards done and thus the lack of time spent on housework shows. Oh, it shows.

This morning my son informed me that "there are no more clean underwear in my drawer!!" {What? Didn't I just buy a brand new pack to make up for me not doing laundry more often??} No really...it couldn't be...I mean I had a good schedule I was keeping up with. Every morning run down, throw a load in. Just a really quick one...then later in the morning {or while junior is napping} run down and dry it. Then quick run the dry clothes up later that night or the next morning. Okay so somewhere between March sometime and now this schedule has fallen apart. Ick. I hate when it gets like this. Now I have to do like 6 loads a day to catch up. And...of course, we are going to Canada this weekend for a family Easter with my relatives. So no choice. No slacking. I have to do the bleep-ity, bleep laundry.

Way too many cluttered up spaces. Name it -- it has clutter around it. I just looked at the bathroom -- that is unnaturally clean & tidy at the moment. But just wait.

I have to stop obsessing about the consultant business and trust that the ideas will come to me. As they always do. Just not when I want sometimes.

I took some quick pictures of the cards I made --- though not downloaded off the camera yet. New camera in bag waiting to be used. Software downloading has to happen first, plus we have sooo many photos on our hard drive. I'm surprised nothing awful has happend to it. Hubby and I have been burning the photos to CDs and DVD (more storage capabilities). Our new camera is 5.0 Mp with 10x zoom (or something like that) It takes really nice photos and now I even have a "portrait" setting which I did not have before. I can really see the difference from what we use now, which is 4.0 Mp with 3x optical zoom. I wanted the 6.1 Mp -- hope we made a wise choice. {:~{

I was a craft fair this weekend and I always gravitate to the paper-crafts {naturally} I found two really talented crafters that just inspired me to go forward with my own ideas. The tastefully simple food party was...welll tastey!

night.