Friday Fun: Our World of Play-Doh Creations

Since kiddie art projects have been on my mind this week, I thought I'd share some of our Play-Doh creations with you.  Before we had plastic cookie cutters to help improve our efforts, we had only our imaginations and our hands.... and a demanding toddler who wanted all of her favorite cartoon friends and TV characters quickly and accurately replicated in Play-Doh. (Check out the post, "One-Eyed Monsters & Such" for more about creative fun with your kids.)

So I attempted to rise to the challenge. Here are some of my efforts to impress a sometimes hard to impress three year old!

(Okay, so this one was more a product of my own daydreams)

If You Think That's Bad....

In follow-up to this morning's post about the harassment endured by Jamey Rodemeyer and the horrific nature of bullying these days, I thought you might be interested in this article.

As if the bullying Jamey suffered during his life wasn't bad enough, the bullies apparently show no remorse whatsoever and, in fact, loudly proclaimed their joy over his death at a school dance.

What is wrong with people???

I know, there's no answer to this age-old question.....or perhaps there are too many answers.  But in case you wondered what consequences might befall these horrible excuses for human beings, apparently, the answer is none, yet, and they continue to revel in the misery they have caused.

The only thing consoling me at this point is my belief in karma.

Where's the Accountability?!

I'm so upset today, I hardly know where to begin.  Read this article, and you'll know why.

What's especially sad is that this isn't the first, second, or even tenth such article I've read.  What I want to know is this:

How many kids will we have to lose to the bullying epidemic before progress is made?  Before kids stop seeing suicide as the best way to escape the torment?  What will it take?

Where is the accountability?

Jamey Rodemeyer

The Countdown Is ON!

Approximately one hour and five minutes remain until I can hug my Annapie.

This is my daily countdown.  I bet many of you have one too - only X number of minutes until I can leave, go to happy hour, get dinner, pick up my kid, call my friend, whatever it may be. There are so many things that we may be anticipating as the day drags on.

My countdown is for Annapie hugs. From the moment I leave her in the morning until I greet her at school at the end of the day, this is what I am looking forward to....her happy face upon realizing I'm there, and her running across the playground yelling "Mommy!!!" before enveloping me in a giant hug.

Photo of the Week: The Great Wave

I was really happy that among Anna's (too many) birthday gifts were some new art supplies! We had the kids make sock puppets at her birthday party, which seemed to be a hit. Anna also got a coloring book, some sketch pads, clay with cutters to make shapes, Play-Doh "tools" and watercolor paints.

Confessions of a Geek

 Quirks.  We all have them. Some are obvious, some are annoying, some are cute, and some simmer beneath the surface where most people wouldn’t notice them.

Well, I think they’re interesting.  And I want to know more about all of you! So, welcome to our first “Confessions of a Geek.”  I say first because, if people actually pay attention and respond, we might get to do this again sometime! But it won’t be half as interesting if you don’t share YOUR confessions too. (Don’t worry – your comments can be anonymous.) 

My Life with Autism

Today MLWP is pleased to feature our second guest post, written by blogger and mom Melissa M., about her experience as the parent of an autistic child. Please check out her blog, Lissa's 3 Girls.

How is my life different with Autism? Everything is the same, yet so different. I have 3 girls. My two oldest are 11 and 9 years old and are called “Neuro-typical” (NT) children in the Special Needs world. My youngest is almost 5 and has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Sensory Modulation Disorder (a common side effect of ASD). I’m by no means going to compare my older children with my youngest. But in the last year, the one thing I’ve learned about ASD children and NT children is that there is no way to compare them.

Melissa's 3 girls!

Guest Post Preview!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

I'm excited to announce that we will be featuring our second guest post tomorrow.  Blogger and mom Melissa M. has written an excellent post entitled "My Life with Autism."  She gives us all a glimpse of life with an autistic child, and it's truly an interesting perspective. I'm happy that she is willing to share her story with us.

Please tune in tomorrow, and have a fabulous Sunday!

Friday Fun: Photo of the Week!

This week's "Friday Fun" is also our Photo of the Week.

Normally when I see adults dressed up in children's character costumes (unless, of course, it's Halloween), I'm a little creeped out.  Like when we saw giant Elmo, Cookie Monster, Sponge Bob and a few other friends wandering around the streets of Manhattan, waving at kids while cleverly seeking money.

However, this time it cracked me up!

Even Big Bird wanted to weigh in on the budget debacle.

Creepy? Maybe a little. But the weirdness factor is outdone by the humor, I think.

Please send us your funny photos for our Photo of the Week, or your kids' funny sayings for Friday Fun. The more contributors we have, the more fun it will be!

Student Loans Are a Nightmare

Anyone who has kids knows that it's expensive to raise them. But you know what else is expensive?  Education. And I'm willing to bet that there are a number of you, like me, who would find it MUCH easier to provide for your children if you weren't suffocating under the weight of crushing student loan debt.

And I mean crushing.  Between Heidi and me, the student loan debt of our household is six figures.  Our monthly payments combined are more than our mortgage!!

Something is wrong with this picture.

Photo from money-top10.com

Where Is Your Passion?

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

It’s never too late to try

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

You could be so many people, if you make that break for freedom

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

--“Proud,” Heather Small

I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately, so I thought I’d ask you. When I pose this query internally, the answer that comes to mind is:

I don’t know.

Photo from rlnaquin.com

Happy 3rd Birthday, Anna!

Three years ago today, the sun shined a little bit brighter and the world got a little bit more wonderful.  Our Anna Gloria was born.

Looking back now, I can clearly see that taking care of her definitely was part of God’s plan for Heidi and me.  But when I first met her, on her first day of life, I didn’t yet know that.  All I knew was that it was my first time holding a baby that new, and that she was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen.

So, I'm new here.....

10,000 Page Views!

Yay!  Today we hit over 10,000 page views in the short existence of My Life With Pie. We only started this project this summer, and I'm so happy that we have attracted that much interest! It may not be huge in the cyber world overall, but I feel like it's a real accomplishment for us. And there's nowhere to go but up!
 

THANK YOU all so much for reading and supporting MLWP.  If you haven't already, please take a moment to "like" us on Facebook, follow us on the blog and/or on Twitter (@lifewpie). It helps us (and Annapie!) more than you know. Stay tuned!

It's all about the Pie!

Running on Empty

"Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels

I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels...

Running on, running on empty,

Running on, running blind,

Running on, running into the sun

But I'm running behind."

--"Running on Empty", Jackson Browne

Anna has one of those drawing pads with the special pen where you draw a picture or write something and then you can slide a little bar across the bottom, erase it, and start over.

You too can own this doodle pad

That’s a good metaphor for my to-do list.  Just when I have that feeling of accomplishment, having finished a project or task, it seems to get wiped out and immediately replaced by something else. Sometimes, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with it.

New Feature: Photo of the Week!

I have tons of photos on my computer - so many that sometimes, I forget what I have!  But I've also recently come across all sorts of interesting photos online in the course of looking for things to add to my posts.  Sometimes it's hard to choose between photos and I hang onto ones I couldn't fit in just in case they come in handy in the future.

There's got to be some use for all of my random pictures. So I decided to add a "Photo of the Week" feature to the blog! There won't be a set day, but once a week, I will find a photo I like and post it for your enjoyment and/or amusement.  

Friday Fun: Our Newest Superhero!

Lookout, bad guys:  there’s a new superhero in town.

Who needs Batman or Spider-Man when we have the brave, the fierce, the feisty…..Kitty EyE.

[Disclaimer:  Whatever resemblance there is to Anna's friend Izzy B is mere coincidence.]

[Imagine superhero music theme now:  Dum-dum-DUM!]

What Makes a Parent?

Okay, today I’m going to do something a little unusual – I’m going to use my own blog to write about another blog.

The first parenting blog I ever read, before I started My Life With Pie, was Single Dad Laughing. I found it to be an amazing mix of humor, advice, and warmth, with a little justified ranting thrown in.  The really awesome thing about this site created by a single dad is that it’s only been in existence a little over a year, yet it has already attracted a huge number of followers and spawned a few books.

Yes, I can admit it…..I’m a little jealous.

What Will They Think of Next?!

I'm addicted to my iPhone.  It is constantly with me, except for some occasions when I'm with Anna.

One fun thing about the iPhone is all of the awesome accessories you can get for it. I have a pretty basic case.  Because it has taken some hits (usually courtesy of Anna) and now has a faded, wrinkled Toy Story sticker on the back of it (also courtesy of Anna), I am in the market for a new, and hopefully tougher, case.

To infinity, and beyond!

The Process of Becoming

She looks at me with that teasing twinkle in her eye, which I know is a reflection of my own.  She dares me to “get” her as she halfheartedly begins to run, only to stop after a few steps so that I will catch her and tickle her.

I know her as well as I know myself, yet I also know she is evolving, growing, daily engaged in the process of becoming.

Self-portrait!

Toddlers & Tiaras: Guilty Pleasure or Train Wreck?

I’m sure most, if not all, of you have at least heard of TLC’s reality show, Toddlers & Tiaras.  This foray into the world of children competing in beauty pageants – and their sometimes crazy parents – has garnered both praise and criticism from viewers.  But mostly criticism.

So, as usual, I want to dive into the discussion and then get some feedback from you.

Evidence of Love

I have a “thought for the day” type of calendar on my desk at work.  Heidi gave it to me for Christmas and I look forward to checking it out every day. Sometimes there are things I’ve thought of already, sometimes it’s a tad preachy for my taste (especially first thing in the morning, pre-coffee!), and then sometimes there’s something that really resonates with me.

Today’s calendar thought was about “evidence of love,” and it’s certainly the latter type of entry. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that mean the most, and I appreciate reminders to stop and examine things in a new way.

A Day of Reflection

I sat at my desk, preparing a memo for my boss and chugging coffee, just like I did every day.  The sound of distressed voices carried down to my desk in the basement, followed by an unsettling murmur that swept through the office.

One of the attorneys came in and told me that a plane struck the World Trade Center in New York.  We stared at each other in disbelief, and I immediately went online to try to figure out what was going on.  But events were unfolding too quickly for even Internet news to catch up.

And that was just the beginning, ten years ago, on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Photo credit:  blancoriverranch.cold10.com

Friday Fun: BFFs!

There's nothing like seeing your child develop his or her first close friendships. I love watching Anna interact with her little friends - unless she's not sharing, of course, and then it's not so fun!  

Thankfully those times aren't as plentiful as the ones where she and a friend are engaged in their own little world, cooking things in their kitchen, feeding their baby dolls, etc. There's no complexity, no drama (unless it's over a toy), no adult hang-ups. It's just pure joy.

Keeping Up With The Joneses

We human beings, by nature, have a competitive drive.  We compete with each other in sports and schoolwork.  We compete for promotions at work and for recognition in the community.

And when we have kids, sometimes they become wrapped up in our competitiveness too.

It’s that time of year again – it’s almost Anna’s birthday. 

This Just Isn't My Week!

Here I go again.

Looking back on some of my recent posts, I’ve done a little more ranting than usual. I’m not always a little ray of sunshine or anything, but typically, my writing is a mix of funny stories, random thoughts, and serious discussion.

Lately, however, I seem fated to be pissed off.

History Lessons Gone Awry

I was a history major in college – yes, the nerdy one in the corner of the library hiding as far away from math and science books as I could.  Unlike many of my peers, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do after college.  At the time, I was just focused on the fact that my history classes fascinated me and the writing assignments were more enjoyable than those in any other subject, including English.

My granddad and my mom were also history majors.  Neither of them became a history teacher either…but at least our nerdiness (if that’s a word) has helped us with armchair Jeopardy.

I Love Holidays!

Hi everyone!  A series of circumstances conspired to keep me away from my computer for a couple of days, but I've missed writing and am glad to be back blogging. Don't you hate it when work gets in the way of your fun?!

Friday Fun: Down on the Farm!

We recently took Anna to visit a farm for the first time.  She had a blast!  Given that our recent wildlife post was heavily bird-focused, I thought I'd provide some fun photos of her encounters with a more diverse group of new friends!
 

Little horse!

The Discussion Continues: Support for Maggie

Yesterday we discussed Paul Kramer's forthcoming children's book, Maggie Goes on a Diet.  I wrote a scathing review in which I explained why I abhor everything about this concept for a book geared to children in a society where everyone focuses too much on the wrong things as it is.

Though I haven't read the book itself, I read a number of articles about it before writing my last post.  It proved a bit difficult to find one that supported this book, but after much searching, I managed to do just that.

Where, you ask?  Why, in one frankly unsurprising place:  the Fox News website.