controversy and a message

 There has been controversy in certain circles... Some  eating establishments (sorry, my spell checker isn't doing me any  favors today) are banning families with children under 6. Well, I belong to that classification of folks and I don't care for these blanket rules, especially when my kids aren't typical.
There are many theories as to why but I'll stick to 2 or three trains of thought.
Some adults really don't enjoy having kids running wild, making a lot of noise and just generally being animals. You know, the type of kids you see running around, chasing each other, running under tables, going up to strangers.. Generally their parental units either are unaware or are hiding underneath a table because they really don't know how to fix the behavior.
My kids have rarely done this. Two things. One we enforce rules with behavior and we'll get up and leave if our kids decide to actually act out of character. We'd like to live our life and take our kids with us.  I'd love to enjoy my time out without being made to feel like a wild animal handler.
Yes, occasionally my kids have their off days, but generally we are aware of this before we leave to go anywhere. Normally when kids are acting out like I mentioned earlier, typically all they get are dirty looks...No one bothers to step up and say anything.
....
But then again this is just  discrimination...it's discrimination against the young... Yes, I can choose to go other places, but this sets a really bad precedent.
1. Maybe it's me and my severe dislike of people classing parents and their kids into a global group, instead of seeing these families as individuals and treat them according to their behavior. Banning the whole group of us as if ALL kids are evil little brats is wrong.
 It would be like me saying ALL men are evil, when ALL of them aren't. Just a few are and making a blanket statement like that is unfair to everyone that is good. Maybe you  should ban on a case by case basis, because some people I know do try and succeed to teach their kids how to behave in public.
2. It is our belief that is a parenting issue, not a legislative issue.  Some people need to be told the truth about how their kids act in public. Sometimes hearing it from someone they don't know shakes them  out of their denial.  But please don't just tell the parents how bad or disruptive it is, give some suggestions. Otherwise it's just a grumpy old man or woman telling me how awful my kids are being.
Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?

3. You don't teach your kids anything in a hypothetical situation. This isn't what would you do in this situation and when they turn 20 get to go do what ever. You have to give ground rules and go experience life outside and be seen.  Mistakes are a given, but the rewards and the teachable moments are clearly what wins out.
How else are we supposed to train our kids to behave in public if we're banned from being there? Just sayin' but I can see both sides.

Haven't we learned from history yet that telling a group of people where they can go or do, doesn't work and creates problems and divisions.
I follow the belief that someday our kids will be deciding where we will be going for our rest home, so maybe we should be teaching them respect and manners so that they realize they need to respect others. Otherwise who knows where we will end up.
Sound funny enough or something? Our kids will someday have kids of their own and if we don't do a great job now, they will perpetuate the mess, because it's ok? Scary...but thats so generational.
 We have to fix it now, so the future's better.
Go Be blessed

Dear Anonymous: Please tell me how you meant this "Sounds to me like you're getting everything you deserve! Yay!!" 


If you meant it out of a good way then, YAY... but if was bad come out and explain yourself.
Either way I am totally confused and would like to know. 
I love my readers.
especially Anonymous ones.

I'm so lost even My GPS won't save me

It seems everywhere I go right now, even if I've been there before I've gotten so horrifically lost, even my gps can only half of the time get me out of the mess I've driven into... It takes prayer to find my way anywhere anyway.
Last week I went to take Jonathan to register for Kindergarten at his assigned school. It's nearly 6 miles away and it takes 2 freeways to get there but that's just the area.  Like all great stories that I've heard about getting lost...It either involved the weather or how much gas was in the car.
In our case it was only the temp outside. it was at least 104 degrees outside. gas was not ever an issue.
Okay so we were lost, and as I was trying to get us onto a road I needed to be on (going back to the freeway and trying this again was an option) I found a park next to a big ditch.
Drove through a residential neighborhood and got back onto a main road just a couple of blocks shy of the school.
we arrived and began the process of de-boarding our car.  There were about 25 people and their kids standing in line.  Since the only shade was next to the building and Sarah was definitely sweating and turning red...I immediately ditched the line and went into the shade... Later I went to the back of the line and did not regret my decision to get into shade.
The time came for them to open the doors and we waited there for 7 minutes.
Never did I know until now I moved to the land legalism (an all the bureaucracy and all the needless paperwork that comes with it).  There were Papers explaining the papers that all it said was the normal stuff, name address, birthday, etc.  But do I REALLY need to fill out a SPOKEN language survey 3 times?
and doesn't your phone and car insurance just as legal as your electric bill since they all say what your address is?
I didn't have a copy of our lease to prove we live here...so they said here's the paperwork, come back when you have it all filled out with the lease.  We did not at the time have a copy of the lease so it was a good thing to go get our copy.
It turns out that we needed to come back this last week for a meeting so they could say they needed to test him.Blah blah...
They don't have IEP's here but ARD's(but the idea is the same)
We are glad we got a medical diagnoses last year because without one we would have been ineligible for services when he turns 6.
The rest I don't understand and I really without a reservation, DOUBT Andrew knows(even though he says he does).  These people weren't speaking plainly and were talking over our heads.  Just do the paperwork FOOLS...Call it what you will it's the same. Apparently, they didn't expect us to know so much about the IDEA law, and didn't expect us to have the paperwork we did (with his diagnosis)... and certainly didn't know we knew they are trained to CUT services and not add them.
Thank you to the lady for emailing me to tell me ahead of time to be prepared for a battle. Helped us to get prepared and prayed up.
They didn't think we could get a pediatrician that fast , but we did that morning and got a solid MD that's got my back on this who will hold these people to what they say so Jonathan and Daniel get what they need to succeed.
Don't mess with....
Okay you're thinking TEXAS
BUT
It's MOMMY

Even when I'm hopelessly lost... I know my child and I know what I need to do to get it done.
We saw a great pediatrician with a hyphenated last name at a practice called MyChildren's.  We were able to get both Jonathan and Daniel in within 1 day. (totally unheard of here to get a new patient appointment. Usually this takes several weeks and maybe there is an appointment available.  God knew I needed that appointment to get everyone settled back with specialists etc and medication.  Sarah will go at the end of September for her 9 month appointment. (thanks to Dr. S for buying us some time)..

Be Blessed

Cherished Children and Starting School

Being a Pal Mommy and having kids of the age of starting school. I thought I might just take this as an opportunity to  explain what a cherished child is.

 What makes a cherished child: A cherished child is in many circles I travel in , any child that was either born or adopted after a loss. They are known by many names: Pal baby, Pal kids etc. Of course all kids are special... but to a PAL mom our kids are cherished

PAL- Pregnancy or Parenting After Loss.  And yes you CAN call yourself a PAL mommy without ever having to be a part of  the webMd or the grad forums. At least here with me and my friends.

I know several in real life (IRL).  One special Mommy to me is in her PAL pregnacy...she's having a girl. Due just after Sarah's birthday after having suffered 8 or more miscarriages and one failed adoption!
I am pretty sure she'd take any and all prayers for her and her baby.

I'm of course looking forward to Jonathan's first day of school. For us this is a long awaited milestone.  We tend to celebrate a lot of things in our family because well, why NOT?
I'm going to take my camera and some tissues because I will definitely be shedding some happy tears.

I posted earlier on Facebook a question and I have friends who will be sending their kiddos off to school for the first day of school...


Kids Starting Kindergarten in 2011

Jonathan (8/22) My Child
Benjamin- Kristy's son
Cheyenne-Alisa Schmoak's daughter Cheyenne
Paul- Kela's Son
Kaden- Heidi's son
Warner- Beth's Son
Amber- Lori's Daughter
Dillon-Amanda's Son
Shayli- Toni's Daughter 




Pre-School or Pre-K
Daniel- (my son) (after he gets tested)
Jordan- Amanda
Derek- Dawn's son (who missed the cut off for registration for Kindergarten by ONE day. What GIVES?)
Athena- Kelli's Daughter
Memphis- Alisa's Daughter

Patrck- son of our friend Brooks and Cynthia (who intentionally missed the cut off by 2 weeks) (whom I consider family)
I know Christy was trying to get Sarai into a preschool.  I hope Patrck got her into one...

Now you know I won't be the only one shedding tears this year  so I'm blessed!

As a praise report a friend of mine named Jennifer started her new job today...I am anxious to hear how it went..