Lightening storms with your kids

I've taken a break for a while from the blog...spending time working full time and being a mommy full time.... which means no time for blogging! But tonight I had to post something my daughter and I just shared.

Living in Florida there are always terrible thunderstorms every summer. I don't know about your kids, but my daughter has always been terrified of lightening and thunder. So to help her get over her fears I wrote this little poem (maybe it will be a book one day!) Every time it storms, Kaylea asks me to read it with her and then we make some kind of snack for God. Tonight its Macaroni and Cheese (Kraft!)

Enjoy this poem and feel free to share it with your kids during your next stormy night!

The BOOM in My Room

by Summer Martin

copyright 2008 by Summer Martin

I was lying in bed,

late at night,

when all of a sudden,

I got such a fright.

I heard a loud noise.

It went BOOM, BANG and CRASH!

I called for my mom,

and she came in a flash.

"Whats that noise?" I said

as it BANGED and it BOOMED,

My mom said, "Its thunder,

banging outside your room."

"Thunder? What's that?

Oh, I'm really scared now!"

"Don't be scared", Mommy said,

"Its just a silly sound."

"Its God up in heaven",

My mom said to me.

"He forgot to eat dinner,

He's just hungry you see!"

That is pretty silly,

I thought to myself.

Now how do I make him stop

rattling my shelf?

Whenever I'm hungry,

My mom makes me food.

Peanut Butter and Jelly,

Gets me in a good mood.

So I asked my mom,

If it was okay,

If we made God a sandwich,

...a PB&J!

So that's what we did.

We made one for me too.

I left one out for God,

then I went to my room.

Sure enough it had worked.

No more BOOM! It had passed!

God's tummy was full,

No more thunder at last!

So if you hear thunder,

in your bed late at night,

just make God a sandwich,

and you'll be alright!


copyright 2008 by Summer Lea Rogers-Martin

Repeat after me moms, "It's OK to Work!" & you can be happy doing it!

According to an article just posted yesterday by CNN, working moms say they are busy, but happy. I agree completely. Being a working mom is hard, but it has its positives. Sometimes its hard to see the positives, because as working moms we feel guilt for not being at home. The grass will always looks greener on the other side, but for now, here are a few thing great things about being a working mom:

1.) Working moms get a break

• That's right, working moms get a break from the norm and all the everyday duties at home. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be a stay at home mom just once, to see what its like. But, I also enjoy going to work and taking a break from the insanity of running a household.

2.) Working moms have an opportunity to create a strong bond with their kids

• You're thinking, "How can we bond, when all we do is work?" Well, its kind of like the old saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." In families with SAHMs, their lives are filled with everyday activities, chores, errands, lists, and duties. Bonding time gets set aside quite often. One would think that having more time to spend with one another would help that bond, and it may. I can't say for sure, because all I've known is working, except when I was on maternity leave for 2 months. But I believe, as working moms, if we take one "Mommy and Me Day" a week and dedicate it to having fun with our kids, it will help us bond with our kids. I mean a day with no pressure or strict rules, just fun. These are the days our kids will remember. I encourage Stay-at-Home Moms to do the same, as they need to take time to bond as well.

3.) Working moms are setting a positive example for their kids

• I feel lucky because I grew up in a very hardworking, entrepreneurial family. I grew up understanding the need to work hard and give your best. I was always taught to try hard and do my best every day. Maybe I am lucky, or maybe society has just changed. A few years ago, I went through a string of college interns that were appalling. It amazed me that they would call into work or show up an hour late. It was as if they had been taught book smarts (even those seemed skimmed over), and that nobody had taught them life lessons or business skills. As working moms, setting a responsible example of going to work and doing our job with a positive attitude, helps our kids think positively about work. This will ultimately help them in the future. After all, we can't depend on our schools to teach them everything, it is our responsibility as parents to instill things like good morals, healthy eating, and a good work ethic in our children.

4.) Working moms are helping their family during hard times like the recession

• As much as it sucks to go to work, and spend your day in a retail store watching other "soccer moms" shop with their kids (can you sense my personal grudge here?), look on the bright side: You Have a Job! So many people right now aren't that lucky. Some moms are at home because they can't find a job, and their family is struggling even more than you to make ends meet. Its hard to stay positive, but everyday I tell myself, "I'm thankful I have a job. I have more than many people right now."

The article on CNN says, "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 66 percent of women with children age 17 or younger work either full or part time. Among those mothers, nearly three-quarters work full time." Working is a reality now folks, whether you are a mom, a dad, or even a teenager. The recession has blinders on and let's face it: everyone has to chip in! Its OK though. Working is not evil. Its not even a bad thing. Working is a part of life, and is what I believe God created us to do. After all, after making Adam, the first thing he did was give him a job to name all the animals and take care of them. That's right, the first job in the world was a Zookeeper. Working "is what it is". What our work "becomes", depends on how we choose to have an attitude about it. I choose to be positive and help my kids find work to be a positive thing.

Repeat after me moms, "It's OK to work! IT'S OK TO WORK!" (Believe me I have to tell myself this every day!)

1 in 15 women have PCOS yet most women have never heard of it!

Did you know that the most common cause of infertility that affects 1 in 15 women is something most women have never heard of? Its called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS for short. So many women who are having problems getting pregnant may have no idea they have PCOS. If they did, they could start on a path to reverse its symptoms. I am a success story and my beautiful little girl is proof that women with PCOS can have children. Here is my story:

At 26 years of age, I had never heard of PCOS. When I began college, I expected to gain the "Freshman 15", but ended up gaining 30 pounds. My hair began thinning so much, that when my roommate (and best friend) and I got into a brawl she refused to pull my hair because she felt bad that I was already losing it! (Thank you Sabrina!) I was always plucking hair from my chin or trying to dye my mustache. It was a part of my every day life that I had become accustomed to. I simply chocked it up to "bad genes", and little did I know that I was right.

It wasn't until I spoke with my cousin Jennifer a GYN otherwise known as Dr. Hayes, that it all began to make sense. Jennifer knew the symptoms I had and begged me to come into her office to see if, in fact, I had PCOS. After nudging from my mother, my aunt and my cousin, I surrendered and went to her office. She was right. I had a hereditary condition called "Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome", often called "PCOS". Not only does it cause symptoms of irregular periods and hormone level changes, causing facial hair etc., but it also can cause problems in ovulation, making it hard to conceive. The news was devastating. I was married and starting to get serious about having a baby. I remember thinking, 'Will I ever be able to have kids?' For a while I was depressed, but Jennifer was encouraging and put me on a course to help reverse my PCOS symptoms. Within 3 months after seeing my cousin, Dr. Hayes, I became pregnant my "miracle baby".

That's my story, in a short abbreviated version. Its been a long road, and it still is. My hair is thinner than ever, and its been a constant struggle to keep my weight down. But the good news is if you know about PCOS, you can manage it to some degree. September was PCOS awareness month, but unfortunately I did not get around to this post. Going to see Dr. Hayes this week to talk about my PCOS issues reminded me how important it is to share my story with others who may not know they have PCOS.

PCOS Event in Tampa Bay on October 22nd:

Board-Certified Gynecologist Dr. Jennifer Hayes will be doing a FREE Lunch and Lecture on PCOS at St. Anthony's Carillon Outpatient Center in Largo on Thursday, October 22 from Noon to 1:00 pm. If you or someone you know suffers from irregular periods, facial hair growth, or you easily gain weight, you can find out more information at this free lecture. To reserve a space call (727) 825-1111. You can also visit her website: http://www.visionarycentreforwomen.com

One, Two, Free... Funny things kids say even when they don't mean to.

Lately we've been working with our 4 year-old daughter on her pronunciation. Like many kids her age she has a problem with a few sounds like S and TH for instance. She always says, "One, two, free" or "I'm Firsty." It's definitely cute, but its important to teach them the right way to say it so that when they start school they aren't "that kid with the lisp", and even more so they can do well in school. When she concentrates on it she can say "Three" using her tongue in between her teeth.

Well a few days ago my daughter and I were having lunch with her "Mimi and Gada" (a.k.a. Grandma and Grandpa) at Arbys. Kaylea noticed that the chair my father was about to sit in was broken, and worried she yelled out, "Gada Don't Sh*t There! DON'T SH*T!" Every eye in the restaurant was on us! It was quite funny, but Kaylea had no idea what was so funny, rather she was worried about him sitting on the chair!

These funny moments are one of the best parts of being a parent and they definitely help you get through the week!

A Mommy and Me Day Making Art from the Heart

Last weekend we were invited to a birthday party at a pottery painting studio. The theme was princess and there was so much creativity going into it. What I loved is the idea of having it revolve around an art activity! All of the girls were dressed as different princesses from Ariel to Cinderella and even a full Bridal costume. Each girl painted a piece of pottery and had to leave it there to pick up the next week.

Well today we decided to take some "Mommy and Me" time to pick up her princess box from the "Art from the Heart Cafe" and while we were there we painted some pieces. Pottery Painting shops provide a fun and creative afternoon of fun for Mommy and Me Days. Kids can pick out the piece of pottery they want to paint and the colors and go to town creating their very own masterpiece. Its a great way to be creative and see what your kids are inclined to pick for a pottery piece or what colors they are drawn to use. Not only does it help encourage a child's creativity, but its also a way to get your toddlers working with their hands! (A great way to help fine tune those writing skills.)

With the holidays approaching its a great way to get your kids involved in giving at Christmas. They can make unique holiday gifts for grandparents and relatives by putting their hand prints on plates or painting a coffee mug for their grandma. They will be so proud to give them as gifts because they were made "from the heart".

Our local shop "Art from the Heart Cafe" even has their own Mommy and Me Night on Friday nights where moms who bring their daughters get a discount! This doesn't have to be a Mommy and Me event just for Moms with Toddlers, its a fun thing to do with "grown-up" moms and daughters too!

Friday Fun Video: Baby dances to Beyonce's All the Single Ladies!

This video will make everyone laugh it is soooo adorable! My 4 year old daughter told me to watch this video this morning. She said, "That lil' baby 's got a Groooooove to it!"

Shelly Seale is a Mom on a Mission to Travel with a Purpose

Most moms like to travel for fun, a vacation here, a Mommy Spa Day there...

Shelley Seale is a mom whose motto is "Travel with a Purpose".

Most of you have probably seen the recent movie "Slumdog Millionaire". Sometimes, when watching a movie like that, we still feel detached. Shelley traveled to India well before this movie came out, and she told us, "I’ve seen plenty of things like what happened to the characters in that movie happen for real to kids I’ve gotten to know."

When Shelley traveled to India, she saw how many kids were orphaned and left living on the streets to deal with issues like HIV, child labor or the sex trade. It was during that time that she developed a deep compassion for these kids and wanted to help give them a voice in a world where they seemed invisible.

Over the next three years, Shelley worked on her book "The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India". She spent hundreds of hours researching and took four trips to India to meet more children and interview social workers, doctors, and locals living there.

Shelley decided to take her daughter with her in 2006 and it was an experience that helped them bond as mother and daughter forever. Shelley said, "I took her to India with me in 2006, when she was 15 years old, and we spent a week working in the orphanage. It was great for our relationship, as well as an incredible growth experience for her. She wants to go back so badly!"

Check out Shelley Seale's book "The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India" and visit her website for great tips and advice for how people can follow their passions, get involved and make a big difference with even small actions.



About Shelley Seale:
Shelley is a freelance writer, based in Texas. For much of her life she has had the opportunity to be involved in nonprofit work and social activism, many times having to do with children. Growing up, her family fostered many children and even adopted her sister Katie. As an adult, she volunteered to help abused and neglected children and became a mentor for at risk teens.

In 2004, she read Caroline Boudreaux's story of how she journeyed to India and saw hundreds of kids living in hunger and it changed her world forever. Shelly was compelled to sponsor a child in India through The Miracle Foundation that Caroline Boudreaux began. In 2005, Shelly travelled with Caroline to work in the orphanage and meet the children in India. Needless to say, it changed her world forever too.