Thursday, October 22, 2009

Talking to Your Baby

My "babies" are now almost 7 and 8. But I came across this article and agree with it 100%. I cannot stress enough to parents to talk to their babies and children. I attribute my children's high intelligence not to genetics, but to the communication they received from the day they were born. If you could have been a fly on my wall when my children were babies, you would have thought I was insane. But I know all that talking paid off...

When A Child Is Sick

I've just realized another benefit to having my children at home. When they are sick, they are here and can be taken care of right away. Often kids suffer through the day because they don't want to miss anything at school (or because they know Mom or Dad is at work and can't be called anyway). Also, they are able to get back to work faster than if they were in school. Sometimes they might not be well enough to attend school all day, but well enough to get work done if they are at home. My daughter has been sick for almost two weeks now. No, it's not the flu...she has one of the worst urinary tract infections she has ever had. I knew that she was having problems, and then when the fever came I didn't know if it was the flu or the infection. After about a week of being sick, she woke up at 4 am saying she felt like she was going to "puke." We went into the bathroom where I noticed she was shaking...and HOT. Her temp was 104.4 so I took her to the ER. Finally, we found out it WAS a UTI and not the flu, and she was put on antibiotics. She feels good sometimes, and bad other times. I would not send her to school like this, but she can get things done when she's feeling well. Of course, I've given her this time off because she is, after all, a year ahead of where she should be. But today...school is back in session. She is not completely better, but that will come with time. Now...Mommy is not feeling so great and I'm hoping that changes soon, too!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

What Will Your Child Be?

My children are now almost 7, and 8. It is so funny to watch them and imagine the people that they will one day become. My daughter is addicted to DIY Network and has grown to LOVE landscaping. I thought it was odd when she was excited about helping my parents move a large mound of dirt in their yard when we visited them in July. But now at our own house, she wants to go out and work in the yard everyday. She wants to build waterfalls, move boulders, and plant flowers. It's exhausting!
My son, on the other hand, doesn't like to get too dirty. If he does, it's because he was playing in the yard and not working. He is already talking about creating a website like those that he plays on now. And he will probably do that! He told me a couple of days ago that he wanted to be on a SWAT team when he grows up. I guess that's what I get for letting him see CSI Miami!
My daughter is the dirty one, the one with holes in her jeans from kneeling in the dirt or climbing the trees. But then she puts on her cheerleading uniform and turns into a girly girl like no other. She is the one who has said that she wanted to be a dentist, doctor, nurse (because they get to do all the talking to the patients), and a "hair cutter," all at the same time. But now, I think she's firmly set on designing landscapes for a living, which will be a good career given her artistic ability. She has her life figured out at the ripe ol' age of SIX. Sigh...
What will your child be?