I now understand why, when I was young and got sick, my mom would go get my medication and come back with what I thought of as treat drinks and foods.  She was doing anything she could to get me to eat or drink!  I also understand why she would buy me something fun like a book, coloring book, activity book or some other activity I could do while sick.  For one, she was trying to keep me entertained by anything other than TV.  Two, she felt bad that I was so sick.

Kara has a double ear infection mixed with a cough that occasionally has that seal bark sound.  Thankfully her fever is mild and so far she hasn't thrown up.  The stomach bug was 2 weeks ago.  She will just rest her head on our lap and cry.  We've had such a hard time getting food in her that we're going to start offering Jello (I know, it's not really food.  But it's something!).  I need her to rest and stay inactive so that her body can fight the infections.  I'm also trying to tend to Rowan (who just got 2 vaccines).  Oh yeah, and get ready for Yule, Adam's birthday, and a trip to Wisconsin.  Oh yes, and still maintain the normal routines and needs of the house.  So I'm not able to play with Kara, or read to her, in a way that will keep her resting.  So, evil idiot box time it is.  I have never been so thankful for over 100+ channels, a DVR, DVD and VHS as I have when Kara is sick!  I feel so bad that she's so sick and doesn't get to play with friends (she will miss 2 playdates and 2 days of school this week.  I can't tell which of us is crying over that more).  I want to buy her treats and toys and things to cheer her up.  But dang if this kid doesn't have more than she normally plays with anyway.  So I restrain myself and say that it's my love, my attention and my compassion she needs more than my gifts.

I know part of my feeling bad for her is because she's been sick a lot lately.  She got sick before our trip to Minnesota- stomach bug.  Then she got sick on the way home from Minnesota- stomach bug on the plane.  And now she's sick again.  Oh yeah, that plane trip was very "interesting".  She threw up when we were at the airport, we had no clue she was sick.  Then she kept throwing up on the plane ride home.  And then again a few times at home.  We used all the motion sick bags we could get our hands on.  The flight attendants were very understanding thankfully.  Sadly they were all out of extra bags, thankfully other passengers gave us theirs.

Mom, I understand all you did when I was sick.  I hope that my girls feel as comforted and tended to as I did by you!

Submitted by Heidi-rose Creuzinger, member of NorthMetroDCMommies.  Heidi-rose blogs at Terror at 3 Feet & Rising.

Whether we see them or not, wildflowers bloom with each passing year. They blanket uninhabited mountainsides with carpets of beautiful color with each season. Our children bloom with new attributes to their personalities with each passing day as well:whether we take notice or not. Time has a funny way of slipping away from us right under our noses, and we must be careful not to miss out on the beauty of everyday.

Sure, we all have floors to clean, laundry to wash, bills to pay and running around to do day after day. All the chores we do are for the purpose of providing a safe and clean environment for our families, but the more important task at hand is to take notice of our children's emotional and spiritual needs.

It's very easy to get into a strict schedule:off to school, do chores in between, home from school, homework, dinner, bath, and then bed. Day after day we stick to our schedules and rely on things remaining the same for the sake of sanity.

Having a schedule is wonderful; in fact it's a great way to provide stability for our children. However, there are times when we need to break away from our schedules; be free to have fun and spend time sharing in our children's childlike spirit!

Make time to enjoy your children:play tea party, army men, board games or whatever suits their fancy! Playing with your kids is not only fun for them, but it's also relaxing for you. For a brief moment in time, you're not the waitress, disciplinarian, dietitian, or taxi driver:you're just "ma" having a good time with your children.

Just this once, don't yell at the kids for running down the hall laughing out loud because your favorite television show is on:turn off the T.V. and run down the hall with them and play a game or two of hide and go seek!

Loosen the bun from the back of your head and get some dirt under your fingernails and dig for worms on a hot summer day; and then go rinse off under the sprinkler with them, clothes and all!

I challenge you to have more fun being a parent and interact with your child's playtime more often.

Although it can be difficult to manage a household, raise kids and take time for yourself on a daily basis; you should enjoy your little wildflowers while you can, for someday they will bloom into adulthood and tend to their own wildflower gardens!

Originally posted on SaltLakeCityMommies.com

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

If you grew up in the kind of neighborhood I did, then you remember people sitting out on their front porches in the evenings, kids playing out in the neighbors yard until it was too dark to see and the mad rush to the ice cream truck when that little jingle was first heard on the street.

Nowadays, that scene is almost non-existent. Many parents are working late, then have to pick up the kids from their day care provider and rush home to make dinner, spend a little quality time with the kids and then off to bed to start all over again. Parents are worried that the streets aren't safe. People drive everywhere, and the most you see someone is when you are both getting into your car at the same time.

There are many benefits to having a close relationship with your neighbors. Research shows that neighborhoods where people know each other by name and are connected to one another have lower crime rates. It has even been shown that kids who live in tight knit communities do better in school.

Maybe it is time for us to bring back the days of yesterday, and get to know our neighbors. One way you can do this is by making a neighborhood directory. Send a letter (or even better, deliver it in person) asking your neighbors if they would like to be included in a neighborhood directory. A sample letter can be found here. Have them complete a form that provides you with information to put in the directory. A sample form can be found here. Once you have collected the completed forms, print a directory and distribute it to your neighbors. You can also email the directory to them to save on paper costs.

Another idea is to start a website for your neighborhood. You can get a free website from Geocities (http://www.geocities.com) or Neighborhood Link (http://www.neighborhoodlink.com). You can put a calendar of events in your area on the site, or perhaps list the email addresses of the residents. A bulletin board can be used to post announcements or special needs.

What about an old-fashioned potluck dinner or backyard barbecue. Invite your neighbors and ask them to bring a covered dish or dessert to share! What a wonderful way to get to know the people in your neighborhood. You might enjoy it so much that you turn it into a monthly event!

In this day and age, it is even more critical that we know those who live around us. Our very safety might depend on it. But there is also so much joy to be found right in your backyard! A host of new friends (and babysitters!) can be found just a stone's throw away from your front door. And perhaps, all of your neighbors are just sitting there waiting for you to make it all happen!

Originally posted on CharlotteMommies.com

Or should I say "Well Balanced Moms Are More Fun?" Let me ask you, When was the last time you had lunch with some girl friends, or went on a girl's night out? When was the last time you went on a romantic weekend getaway with your spouse? If you can't remember, we definitely have to talk.

It's so easy to fall into the mommy guilt trap. We feel guilty if we take time for ourselves, so we end up taking care of everyone in the family but us. It's easy to lose ourselves in the quest to become Super Mom. Along the way we get stressed out and aggravated. It's important to do something just for us to stay balanced moms. Here are some ways for you to get started on your journey to rediscover YOU.

1. Get together with some girlfriends. One of the best ways to rediscover yourself is to spend some time with your girlfriends each week. Have lunch together, go to the movies to watch the latest chick flick, or plan a girl's night out every once in a while.

2. If you are having a bad day, call one of your girlfriends to vent, or just chat. You'll be surprised how much better you feel and how it puts things back in perspective that seemed like the end of the world a few minutes ago.


3. Spend a romantic weekend with your spouse anywhere but at home. Go away for a romantic weekend with your spouse a few times a year. Rekindle your passion for each other and feel in love again, instead just partners in dealing with the everyday stuff involved in raising kids.


4. Go on a date every week. Get a sitter once a week and go on a date with your significant other. Spend some time reconnecting with each other. If you have an activity that you both enjoy, take a class together.


5. Pamper Yourself. Do something every week to pamper yourself. Go get a new haircut. Visit your favorite nail saloon for a manicure, pedicure or to get your nails done. Call your favorite day spa and schedule a facial. Get a massage.

If you are on a budget, pamper yourself at home. Send Dad and the kids to the park. Take a hot bubble bath and paint you toenails. Honey makes a quick facial. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Don't feel guilty about taking time for yourself a few times a week. Your kids will appreciate it when they get a balanced and fun mom in return. You will be more relaxed, happier and actually be able to enjoy your family. After all, that's why you had kids in the first place, didn't you?

Originally posted on SaltLakeCityMommies

As summer vacation begins for the traditional calendar schools, kids are excited about the long days of playing with friends, going to camps and taking family vacations. Summer vacation is time for having fun and relaxing after a long school year. But as parents, we need to remember to keep our kids' brains active to prevent the so-called "summer slide," that loss of lessons learned, the slip backwards in reading and other academic areas that occurs for many children during the long summer break.

Here are 10 Tips to Prevent the Summer Slide:

1. Read every day. Most teachers require kids to read for 10 to 30 minutes every day during the school year. Don't let your kids get out of this reading habit during the summer. Encourage them to continue to read every day. And for those who have required summer reading lists, make sure they find time to read books they WANT to read as well, so reading doesn't become a dreaded chore. Keep them reading and keep them happy!

2. Sign up for a reading challenge. Book stores, libraries and various online resources, including Scholastic.com, host reading challenges during the summer where kids are encouraged to track their reading ~ either the minutes read or the actual books read ~ throughout the summer. Some even provide rewards such as free books to participants, which can give kids the extra motivation they need to read.

3. Read aloud to your kids ~ or at least let them see you reading. Spend time reading aloud to your kids. This can expose them to more complex stories that they aren't yet able to read themselves. It introduces new vocabulary and different types of literature. If your kids aren't interested in listening to you read aloud, make time to sit together and read silently to yourselves so they can see the enjoyment you get from reading.

4. Start a journal or diary. To keep their writing skills going throughout the summer, encourage your kids to write in a journal or diary about their summer activities. If you go to the zoo, suggest they write about it. If your child is more creative, have them make up their own stories, or work with them to create a scrapbook in which they write and choose pictures to include. Find ways to make writing fun.

5. Play games as a family. Board games, card games and yard games all offer kids an opportunity to think, build strategies, and even hone their math or reading skills. Scrabble helps with spelling. Monopoly helps with math. Uno helps with developing strategies, as well as color and number recognition for younger kids. Games offer a great way for the family to come together while discreetly learning too.

6. Take a trip to a museum. Visiting museums is a great activity for the whole family. Many museums are now set up with hands-on activities for kids, and engaging programs that you can attend. Kids can learn about art, animals, science, history and many other topics, depending on which museums you choose. Give your kids the power to choose one that interests them.

7. Track the weather. How many sunny days will you have this summer? How many rainy days? When will humidity be the highest? Make some predictions and then track the weather to see if you're right. Kids can build their observation skills, and learn about weather, graphing, patterns and predictions by tracking the weather throughout the summer.

8. Explore nature. Science lessons don't have to stop just because school is out. Kids can discover all sorts of things about animals, plants and the earth in your own backyard. Get outside and flip a rock to discover what's living underneath. Observe the types of birds that live in your yard. Plant a garden or some flowers and have the kids take care of them. There are many science lessons to learn outside.

9. Stay healthy. Keep the physical education and health lessons going this summer. Get your kids outside every day to ride bikes, go swimming, play sports or just take a walk. Keep them moving and staying active. And spend time this summer learning about healthy foods. Visit the local farmers' market, and try some new fresh vegetables and fruits that are native to your area. Talk to your kids about healthy eating.

10. Plan a vacation. Most families take some sort of summer vacation, whether it's for one night or an entire month. Get the kids involved in planning this year. Show them your vacation budget, and talk about the cost of gas or airline tickets. Have them map the route you'll take, and calculate time and distance. Involve them in planning your itinerary. Let them pack their own things based on the number of days and nights you'll be away. There are many lessons to learn in planning a vacation.

All of these activities keep your kids' brains going, engaging them in thinking, calculating, reading, interpreting and learning. By keeping their bodies and minds strong throughout the summer, they will be better prepared when the new school year begins.

Originally posted by Julie on TriangleMommies.blogspot.com, 6/23/11

Relay For Life of Santa Clarita
Sat 9am to Sun 9am, May 22-23, 2010 at Central Park

We have 104 days left until Relay!


Fighting cancer is a team effort. The impact we can make together is much greater than what any of us could do alone.

At Relay, our team will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society save more lives from cancer.

By joining or donating to our team, you will be a part of a life-changing event that gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

Help us create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/scvalleymommies

Click on the above link to join our team or donate. And if you would like to help out in raising funds or volunteer the day of Relay, please e-mail me, Melissa@SCValleyMommies.com

A big thanks to Cassie Girl Cosmetics for being a special sponsor by donating the registration fee & T-shirts to our Team Members

Help SCValleyMommies.com!
Now you can help raise money for SCValleyMommies.com without buying or selling anything! Instead of writing a check, you can raise money by writing online reviews of local businesses you already use on insiderpages.com.

Each review you write earns up to $1.50 for our fundraiser! If you are the first person to review a business, your review will earn us up to $1.50. If you post the 2nd - 4th review of a business, Insider Pages will donate up to $0.50!
Reviews of chain stores or chain restaurants do not count towards our Fundraiser.

Dates: 08/31/09 - 09/21/09.
How to Participate:
1. Sign up at http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/SC-Valley-Mommies-0909
2. Write reviews of any local businesses or services that you have used within the last 2 years. Just writing 20-30 reviews is a great step towards reaching our goal of $1,500.00

Check out this list of businesses to help you get started:
Health & Fitness Home & Garden
- Doctor - Plumber
- Dentist - Electrician
- Pediatrician - Contractor
- Gym - Cleaning Service
Financial Services Beauty & Spa
- Accountant - Day Spa
- Tax Attorney - Hair Salon
- Bank - Nail Salon
- Mortgage Company - Dermatologist
Child Care Pets & Animals
- Preschool - Animal Hospital
- Day Care - Pet Sitter
- Summer Camp - Groomer
- Tutor - Pet Store

3. Recruit friends and family to participate. Just direct them to our fundraising page at
http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/SC-Valley-Mommies-0909. Anybody over 18 can write reviews and help us
reach our goal.

Questions? Contact the Insider Pages Fundraiser team at fundraisers@insiderpages.com.
Remember to put "SCValleyMommies" in the subject of the email.
We've got 3 weeks to raise as much as we can. Let's get started!!!!

Thanks!
Us here at SCValleyMommies.com

The Mommies Network and your local sites need your help!!

We're having a fundraiser with Trekaroo to raise $10,000 to help pay for liability insurance for all of our sites!

We need you to write reviews!

Join our team at http://www.trekaroo.com/groups/show/mommies-network. Every review you write earns us $.50. There is no limit to the number of reviews you can write!!

Writing reviews is easy and fun! Help TMN and your site. Just a few reviews every day will get us to our goal! Ask your family & friends to help too. Anyone can join our team!

Thanks for helping make TMN and your local sites great!

Save the Server!
[Cough] [cough] The system health is strained due to overwork and lack of sleep.

Write reviews and help TMN raise money for a new server so we won't have to see this message any more!

Save the Server!

The Mommies Network needs your help. We are raising money to pay for a new server. In order to continue growing, we need to add a new server to our system. At this point, we are unable to add any more sites to our network because we are maxed out (have you seen the "[Cough] [cough] The system health is strained due to overwork and lack of sleep." message at the bottom of the screen?). The basic server we need is at least $5,000. The more money we raise, the better quality server we can purchase. Our goal is to raise $10,000 during this fundraiser.
The fundraiser runs from Sunday, January 4 through Sunday, January 25.



How can you help?
Join Insider Pages http://www. insiderpages. com/fundraisers/The-Mommies-Network-0901 and write reviews for businesses that you have patronized in the last 24 months. Invite your friends and families to write reviews as well - they do NOT need to live in your area, this is a national fundraiser ;) The more people who are writing reviews, the more successful this fundraiser will be! Our goal is to have all of our members write at least 10 reviews over the three weeks of the fundraiser. Each review can earn up to $1.
50 for The Mommies Network! Every little bit helps!


You win too!
Your members have four chances to raise money for your site too!
When TMN raises $1000, we will pick one participating site to receive $50 for a site party/event, and that site will receive a special theme color.

When TMN raises $2500, we will pick one participating site to receive $100 for a site party/event, and that site will receive a special theme color.

When TMN raises $5000, we will pick 1 participating site to receive $125 for a site party/event, and that site will receive a special theme color.

When TMN raises $10,000, we will pick 1 participating site to receive $150 for a site party/event, and that site will receive a special theme color.

*A participating site is any site that has 10% or more of their members register, join their site team and write at least one review. Based on membership numbers as of December 2008.



Join Your Site's Team!
Want to get that prize for your local site!? Join their team in helping TMN SAVE THE SERVER!
Here are step by step instructions on how to get into your team and how you can participate!
Go To: http://www. insiderpages. com/fundraisers/The-Mommies-Network-0901
Click on the Join This Fundraiser.

Choose 'Select a Team' (located under Your Contribution on the right hand side)
Select your site's name (SCValleyMommies) from the drop down menu and join!

Keep up to date on our progress! Visit http://themommiesnetwork. blogspot. com to view updated progress on the fundraiser, participating sites, and more.



The fine print from Insider Pages:
* You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

* Your experience with the business or service reviewed must be a first-hand experience. No hearsay please.

* Your experience with the business or service provider must have occurred within the last 24 months.

* The reviewed company must still be in business.

* Reviews of restaurant chains (McDonalds, Outback Steakhouse, KFC, etc.), gas station chains, movie theater chains and national or regional chain stores (Target, Dollar Tree, Home Depot etc.) DO NOT qualify. You are welcome to write reviews for these businesses but they will not earn your organization money for the fundraiser. Most people are pretty familiar with these businesses and there tends to be little differentiation city to city and state to state. In other words, these are businesses that do not require a word-of-mouth referral so reviews of these businesses are of little value to people like you – and to our community of users.

* Copied reviews in whole or in part from any other sources do not qualify.

* Profanity, abusive or offensive language in reviews, reviews alleging illegal activity or malpractice, and reviews deemed inappropriate by Insider Pages editors do not qualify.

* Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling must be used. No "text speak" or ALL CAPS.

* Business owners and employees/associates are not allowed to review themselves. Instead, business owners should claim their business profile page and customize it by adding information, photos, special offers, their story, and more – all for FREE.

* If you are adding a new business to the Insider Pages database, please make sure to the best of your ability that the listing is not a duplicate and that the company's current contact information is provided. Information provided must be able to be verified by a third party source including another website, a business card, receipt, directory listing or other reliable source.

* Personal information or messages including email addresses, URLs, phone numbers and postal addresses (or both first and last name of an individual unless their name is also part of the business name) that are not already publicly available.

* Review submissions must be entered directly on the Insider Pages website.

* Reviews not meeting our terms and conditions or deemed inappropriate by Insider Pages editors do not qualify.

Thank you for supporting The Mommies Network!

Come one, come all!!! You and your family are invited to our 1st Annual SCValleyMommies Birthday Bash on Nov 22nd!!!!!!!

Stations will be set up all over the place with different activities for the adults and the children too as well as fun family activities too.

The theme this year is Candly Land. There will be Cookie decorating and more!!

There are great prizes being raffled off, including:
A MacLaren Stroller

Inglesina - a Loft rocking chair in graphite

Silpada Designs - a pair of snowman earrings

Altered flesh Tattoo -a gift certificate

Picture Me Parties - $200 Certificate

Gymnastics Unlimited - 2 free month gift certificates

TOTAL SKULL - :

* 8 Men's T-Shirts (Variety of designs)

* 2 Men Hoodies

* 8 Women T-Shirts( Variety of designs)

* 1 Women's Hoodie also

* 1 Signed Halloween Sticker from Rob Zombie and Sheri Moon Zombie and

* 1 signed photo from Sheri Moon Zombie

Fun & Fit Gymnastics - 1 free private birthday party

Fun & Fit Gymnastics - 1 month of free gymnastics scholarship

Santa Clarita School of Performing Arts - 6 months of Acting, Modeling and Dance Classes ($3500 value)

To RSVP and for the location, please go to SCValleyMommies.com

You must be a registered member of the site to attend. If you haven't registered yet, what are you waiting for?!! It is FREE and it is a secure site.

SCValleyMommies.com would like to invite you to join our FREE Local website especially for moms in the Santa Clarita Area.
Our Online Commuity includes:

Message Boards
Chat
Photo Galleries
Recipe Database
Private Local Forums
Local Area & Specialty Groups

Join us at a variety of events including Mom's Night Out, Family Events, Playdates & Park Days, Fun Activities for Moms & Children

CHECK US OUT TODAY!
http://www.scvalleymommies.com/

Reaching Out Into The Community
SCValleyMommies.com is more than just a community of moms. It's moms in and for the community.
Our members work full time, stay home full time, work part time, represent many races, are pregnant for the first time, are adoptive moms, were adopted themselves, recently moved to the area, have lived here all our lives, have twins, are happy with one, are single moms, are searching out schools and have watched their kids graduate. In other words, we are a reflection of mothers in the real world. And we help out our neighbors as much as ourselves through organized fundraisers and other charity events - specifically those focused on providing for mothers and their children.

SCValleyMommies.com is a part of The Mommies Network
About The Mommies Network
The Mommies Network is a 501c(3) organization founded in April of 2005 by Heather Meininger along with a board of two additional members, Frances Bullock and Amanda Keys. Heather had founded CharlotteMommies three years earlier and knew that a need existed for mothers to connect with one another and support each other. The Mommies Network was created to help fill this need in cities across the United States. By the end of 2005, The Mommies Network parented eight communities in four states and had formed a partnership with Carolina Parenting, the publisher of three parenting magazines in North Carolina.