Maybe you or someone you know can help...

I just came across this post about the conditions in Haiti and a plea for help from the women who run the BRESMA orphanage. They are looking for someone with access to an airplane to transport the children. Click here to read more.

Also a friend of mine posted this link to LDS Humanitarian Services where your donation to help those in the midst of this terrible disaster goes to the relief effort 100%.

My heart aches for these victims. I saw a picture this morning on the news of a mother carrying her child on her back through the rubble. I can't even imagine.

I hope and pray that these people will receive the relief and assistance that they need as soon as possible, and that they will feel the love and comfort of the Savior.

Fishful Thinking Thursday - Movin' & Groovin'

"Hey There, Delilah" is Abby's new favorite song. She first discovered it on our iPod a few weeks ago and then on New Year's Eve, she blasted the Kids' Bop version over and over again while we played a twenty minute game of freeze dance. It was a fun way to ring in the new year with the kids (four hours before midnight) - funny dance moves, silly poses, and lots of giggles.

We've actually been serenaded by this same CD (a happy meal freebie) almost every night this week during dinner. (The kids have figured out how to use the CD player.) And freeze dance has become Noah's new favorite game, especially when he is the one who gets to press the pause button.

As I was browsing around on the Fishful Thinking site, I came across this Mood Music activity that I think they will really like considering all the movin' and groovin' that has been going on around here:

Music and dance are great ways to help express feelings. Choose music that represents different moods: heavy classical music for sadness, pop music for happiness, heavy drumming music for anger. Put on the music and ask your child what feeling the music reminds her of (again, no wrong answers) and then dance to the music in a way that expresses that feeling. A variation on this is to get household items - pots and pans, spoons, bells, boxes of noodles, etc. and make music that demonstrates how it feels to be angry, happy, sad, etc. Some kids like to do this by choosing a card that has an emotion word written on it and others have to guess which emotion they are expressing through the music they make.

I may even let them use the drumsticks...as long as they don't start sword fighting with them.

*Done any Fishful Thinking this week? Link up and share! Thanks!

Makes My Monday - "Mama, Look!"

As Noah and I were in the car on the way to do a few errands this morning, I hear him from the backseat yelling excitedly, "Mama! Mama! Look! That's the cloud that Jesus lives on!"

I wish I could have taken a picture of it. I paused at the stop sign and looked up at this beautiful plain of white clouds against the blue sky above us. As I turned the corner, I found myself getting all teary-eyed as Noah continued, "I think I see a part of Jesus' house, Mama!"

"You do?" I asked. "Wow! Should we pull over and look at it for a minute?"

"YES!!!" He had a huge smile on his face as we sat there and looked up at the cloud that seemed to go on forever.

Such a sweet example of faith. Such a sweet little boy.
And being his mama Makes My Monday.

For more MMM - click over to Twinfatuation!

Am I the only one...???

- who does not have a twitter account? (to tweet or not to tweet...)

- who didn't know that your kids (or you) can have strep without running a fever? (We are all hopped up on amoxicillin over here.)

- who didn't know until recently that if you add both baking soda and baking powder to cookies, they turn out SO much better?

- who secretly wishes my husband's favorite football team would have lost the playoff game last night so I could avoid having to endure another one next week?

- who is still going to watch the Bachelor tomorrow night even though the fact that 25/15/10/5 women completely throw themselves at this one man drives me absolutely crazy...that and the fact that 95% of 'em have implants? Geez!

- who has a major case of cabin fever and has been letting my kids watch WAY more TV than usual due to the bitter cold outside? (We only got a dusting of snow. A dusting. But at least school was still canceled for a couple days. yay! We did at least make five inch tall snowmen and cut out some paper snowflakes.)

- who cannot wait until spring???

Fishful Thinking Thursday - Testing, 1, 2, 3!

As promised earlier this week, to celebrate my new position as a Fishful Thinking faculty member (my first conference call is tonight!), I figured out how to add "Mr. Linky" to this post....I think.

That's where you come in! We need to test this thing out and make sure it works!

All you have to do is write a post about any of the following:

• a Fishful Thinking activity your family has done
  
• an experience your family, your children, or you have had that relates to the five key ingredients
• any other "Fishful Thinking" thoughts or ideas you'd like to share
  

Then link it up using the "Mr. Linky" widget at the end of this post. (If "Mr. Linky" is new to you - just click on the title of your post, then copy and paste that specific url into the space in the box so others can go straight to it.) I realize that I am very late posting today. We've been hit with a triple whammy of strep throat in our house - me and both kids. ugh! So feel free to link up anytime over the next few days.

I'm hoping that in the weeks to come, the participation will grow and, together, we can help spread the word about this great positive parenting resource. I can't wait to read all about your Fishful Thinking moments!

WfulW - Wishing for a snow day...

The high today was 27 degrees. Have I ever mentioned that I am not much of a winter person? Seriously, if it is going to be THIS COLD, there needs to be snow on the ground. Otherwise, it's just cold, and what's the fun in that?

We did get a dusting a few weeks ago. It was on Pat's birthday, in fact. He and the kids were outside at 8am that morning playing around in it before it all melted (two hours later).





There is a 70% chance of snow for Thursday afternoon. Only a couple inches, but we'll take what we can get.

Bring on the rosy cheeks, 6-inch tall snowmen, lots of hot chocolate, and wet hats, gloves and boots strewn all over the entryway...and an extra day off from school. (Abby was so happy to go back today, but as for me, I wasn't quite ready.)

So, Jack Frost, if you could send a little snow our way, you'd make this mama (and her kiddos) very happy!

*To help increase our chances, the kids are wearing their pjs inside out on Weds. night. I'm sure Pat will too. They think it is so funny. I don't know if that's just a VA thing, but when I was teaching school that's what my students would always do when snow was in the forecast. Worth a shot!

New Year, New Opportunities

My apologies for keeping this exciting bit of news "under my hat" for the last couple of weeks. I have been on pins and needles waiting to blurt it out, but I didn't want to jump the gun and post it for all the world to see (or the handful of people who read my blog) until everything was finalized. But now...

It's official!

I just received the email today welcoming me as the newest Fishful Thinking faculty member!


I can't even tell you how excited I am about this opportunity to work with the other nine faculty members, Mr. Youth, Pepperidge Farm, and Dr. Karen Reivich to help further promote such a great program.

And you thought I posted about Fishful Thinking a lot before... :)

To celebrate this new opportunity, I going to learn how to add "Mr. Linky" to my Fishful Thinking Thursday posts in hopes that more of you will be inspired to link up and share your family's experiences that demonstrate those key ingredients - Optimism, Empowerment, Goal Setting, Emotional Awareness, and Resilience.

(If anyone has any Mr. Linky tips, I am all ears!)

Best wishes to you all in 2010! Happy New Year!