Jamberry Nails Part 2

I finally got my Jamberry Nails in the mail! Well, I say finally, but it was only about 2 weeks after I ordered them, it's just taken me a while to get to them, because I had to make time.

I ordered the Sheet Music, and they are just as cute as you would imagine!

If you don't have about a half hour, (or hour, in my case) then I wouldn't suggest taking on the project.

They're basically heat- activated stickers, that last for about 2 weeks on your finger nails, and even longer on your toe nails!

You DO need to have a few things of your own in order to do this:

• Nail File
• Nail Scissors
• Cuticle Pusher
• Nail Buffer
• Nail Polish Remover 
• Hair Dryer

 I didn't have a cuticle pusher (if that's what it's called?) or and nail buffer, but I managed with what I had.

My nails!

Jamberry Nails are also nice for you parents with young girls that want their nails done! They're not nail polish, so it's completely safe, in that aspect. You do, however, need to hold a hair dryer on each nail for a few seconds, a couple of times, and they might not like that, too much.

Also, if you are able to get your young child to sit in one place for 30 minutes while you work on these, then you are magical.

I would suggest these nail shields, (as they're called) to anyone, young or old! They have SO many different styles to choose from!


Side Note: N loved this, because he played video games the whole time I worked on these.

This is my friend Lisa's personal web site where you can order them from: www.hotnsnazzy.jamberrynails.com

Little Boys

Just gave N a bath, and while drying him off, I decided to ask a few questions.

Side Note: I am scared to death by the words penis and vagina. (when it comes to my son knowing them, saying them, or hearing them.) I have refrained from calling any body part by its proper name, or really referring to them at all... I realize that this isn't the right way to go about things, but being a mom to a little boy with little boy parts is intimidating to me.

I have decided, however, to try to get things situated, and teach him some things he might need to know.

I said, "I'm going to talk to you for a minute. I'm going to ask you a question."
N - "okay.."
Me-"Do you know what your privates are called?"
N - "Will you be mad?" (because he thinks it's a bad word....) <---- bad parenting on my part.
Me-"Noooo, just say it."
N - "Pee-pee."

Me-"Yes, buuuuut, there are different words for them, do you know those?"
N - "No."
Me-"uh. Okay then."

( I just could NOT bring myself to say the correct words to him. I literally froze.)

We talked about how boys and girls are different. He asked me why, and I said, "Because that's how we were made- different."
 He replied, "Weeeeeird."

I then talked to him about improper touching, etc. which he does already know, and to always talk to me about things, and I promise that I'll always tell him the truth. (unless the word penis is involved, apparently.) ugh.

So, I guess I'll have to deal with this in another way. I am struggling with what a 5 year old boy NEEDS to know, and what they don't need to know. I personally feel like they don't need to know anything more than what he does know, but I could be wrong. I'm most likely wrong.

I need help.

I choose religion over grass

I might become a Jehovah's Witness, if for no other reason, but to avoid fake grass from Easter baskets- that I am STILL finding in weird spots around my house. And sometimes body parts.

My 5 Favorite Authors

1.   Christopher Hitchens
   Christopher Hitchens was an English-American author and journalist.  I love him, because he was controversial, confrontational, and a self-proclaimed antitheist. I have learned a lot from his views on religion, and certain politics. He has negative opinions of some very famous people, who are just worshiped by people. (Mother Theresa!) If you have an open mind, and a logical way of thinking, then, I highly suggest him.
   
   
   One of his most famous literary works, is, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."
   
   Excerpt from God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything:
   
    “Thus, though I dislike to differ with such a great man, Voltaire was simply ludicrous when he said that if god did not exist it would be necessary to invent him. The human invention of god is the problem to begin with.” 
   
   I have to add this last quote, also from Christopher Hitchens:
   
   
   “Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”
   
   
   
2. V.C. Andrews- 

V. C. Andrews is the author of many series of books. I believe her most popular is the Dollanganger series, which are:

Flowers in the Attic  (1979)

Petals on the Wind  (1980)

If There Be Thorns  (1981)

Seeds of Yesterday  (1984)

Garden of Shadows  (1987)

There are at least 25 series, written by V.C. Andrews, or her "ghost writer," after she died. 

Excerpt from Flowers in the Attic:

 

"Oh, golly-lolly! This was real! We had to leave, abandon everything! I had to crowd everything into two suitcases my brothers and sister would share as well. My Raggedy Ann doll alone would half fill one suitcase! Yet how could I leave her, my most beloved doll, the one Daddy gave me when I was only three? I sobbed."

Credit: 

The Complete V. C. Andrews: The Library 

3. Sylvia Plath

 My favorite, well okay, the only book of hers that I've read, is, "The Bell Jar." Supposedly, this was an autobiographical novel. Sylvia Plath had attempted suicide multiple times. She was even committed to a mental institution, at one point. 

She was also an amazing poet, and had many, many published works.

Excerpt from The Bell Jar:

 "So I began to think maybe it was true that when you were married and had children it was like being brainwashed, and afterward you went about as numb as a slave in a totalitarian state."

- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar, Chapter 7

Credit:

Sylvia Plath- Bibliography and List of Works

4. Edgar Allan Poe


Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, and poet. His best known fiction works were generally Gothic and deal with things like decomposition, early burial, the reanimation of the dead, and mourning.


Excerpt from Raven:
"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
Lenore?, This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
“Lenore!” Merely this, and nothing more."

5. Suzanne Collins


I HAD to choose her as one of my favorite authors, because she wrote The Hunger Games series, which I am currently reading, and absolutely love. I don't usually give these sort of books a chance, but I heard many good things about it, and they were right on. 

Excerpt from The Hunger Games:

 "Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.”


I have many, many, many more favorites, and many different books that I have read, and re-read. It's pretty hard to choose, but I think I did alright!

Being Born, and Being...Gone.

On April 9th, friends of mine brought a beautiful, baby girl into the world. On April 14th, the world lost a beautiful woman. It's funny how the world works. The two are unrelated to each other, but both close to my heart.

I think about life and death a lot. My dad died last summer, on June 1st. It's hard for me to not think about death. I focus a lot of my time being worried that other loved ones are going to die, now. What I would do without them, etc. It's not healthy, I realize, it's just something I can't help, all the time.

It hurts every day that my dad is gone. My family is different now, and I hate that, as well. I hate the dynamics. I hate how I make everyone uncomfortable or angry when I want to talk about my dad. Because, I always want to talk about him. Suicide is a very confusing thing, and there are so, so many unanswered questions.  I feel like I'll never be at rest until all of these questions are answered. Some people have the ability to answer them for me, but refuse. I understand why. And some questions, I suppose are impossible to answer.  I can only drive myself crazy at the different scenarios that I play over and over in my head.

I hate now. I wasn't so hateful, before. I hate people, that don't deserve it. I hate people in my family, I hate people's actions. I am so beyond bitter towards those closest to me, and I can't stop it. They're dealing with their own issues, so who's wants to bother listening to my bullshit? I understand it.

It's amazing how much you can miss a person, more than you've ever missed anyone, yet be angry with them at the same time. Then guilty.  This mixture of emotions is so overwhelming at times. Since I have seen the effects of suicide first hand, you would think that I would never feel that kind of sadness- but sometimes, I do, and I hate myself for even thinking that way. Then, I just get angry again.

It wasn't like my dad was sick, or in an accident, he chose to leave us. His kids, his grandchild. That doesn't feel good. That's not something I'll ever understand.

When I heard about my friend passing, my heart broke- for her family, for her best friends. Her and I were friends, but rarely saw each other in the past year and a half.  I am sad, because, as selfish as it might sound- it broke open every feeling I dealt with when my dad died.  The sadness, the overwhelming, can't function, physically painful sadness. It hurts when I think of other people going through that.

I was about to make this all about what I think happens after you die, but sometimes, I don't care. Who knows until it's happening to you, anyways. All I know, is that my dad, and my friend, are now at peace. I guess that's what makes suicide desirable, in any way. I understand that, but there is so much more, that I don't understand.

The one thing I have always understood, and will always understand, is that I love my son, and he needs me. And I will do everything in my power, to be there for him, including sticking around, for much, much longer than he'd really like. :]

RIP dad<3 2011 I love you, forever

Wully Bully

There is a LOT of talk about bullying, these days.  It seems to be leading to some terrible things- suicide, homicide, mass homicide (school shootings) self- harm, etc. 

I agree that bullying is a problem, and should be dealt with.

I also think that there is another issue, even bigger than bullying, and if that can be fixed, then bullying won't have such an impact on children and teens.

Self Esteem, is what I am referring to.

No teenage girl (and most boys, and a lot of adults)  has it, it seems.  In my personal opinion, if parent's would focus more on their own children, and helping them to acquire a better self picture, and learn to deal with tough situations, these children wouldn't bully, and wouldn't be so affected by bullying.

Parents should be giving their children coping skills in order to deal with being bullied. Because, let's face it, it's going to happen. It's happened for ages, and will continue. I think the reason it is such an enormous issue right now, is because we are a society full of whiny babies.

We are parents that refuse to teach our children to take responsibility for their actions. We are parents that raise our children to think that they do no wrong, even when they do.  We are parents that raise our children to disrespect adults, other children, and themselves. We raise children not to stick up for themselves, but to tell someone else, and have them deal with it.

 The problem with telling someone else, and having them deal with it, is, that you can't count on other people all the time. Sometimes, you need to do things yourself to get them done right, and more importantly, get the respect that you deserve.  I think that's the case in MOST bullying situations.  Sure, there are times when you should tell someone what's going on, ask for their help- a parent, a teacher, but sometimes you need to stick up for yourself, or nothing will change. 

We need to teach our young children, and teenagers that suicide is a "Permanent solution to a  temporary problem." That is not the answer to anything. You cannot let other people's actions force you down a certain path in your life. Take control of your life. 

Having a positive attitude is huge.

We need to teach our children to stick up for themselves, but not through violence. To cope with bad situations, but again, with no violence.

If we can teach our children these things, and let them know that we're there for them, at the same time, I think that this bullying situation might be able to improve. 

"Learning to stand up for yourself will ensure that other people respect you, they aren’t afraid that you’ll bite their head off, and they won’t try to push you around or whittle you down to suit their own needs."

Do Something

The youngest children are the most abused. They don't have a voice of their own, so it's our responsibility as

 a society to BE that voice. Don't apologize for doing the right thing, in a situation where a child is in danger. 

 Bad things happen when someone chooses to look the other way.

 Just Some Facts

• In 2008, one out of every 601.4 children were victims of physical abuse, with parents of victims accounting for almost 80.1% of abusers.  

• 2.34 children out of 100,000 die from injuries relating to their abuse, with 80.8% of deaths occurring in children under four years old. 

• For every incident of child abuse or neglect that gets reported, it’s estimated that two others go unreported. 

• Neglect is by far the most common form of child abuse, accounting for more than 78% of all cases. 

• Physical abuse accounts for 17.8% of documented child abuse cases each year. 

• A fourth of all girls and a sixth of boys are sexually abused by an adult before the age of 17. 

• 8 out of 10 sexual abusers are someone in the family or someone the child knows. 

• Every month, at least 100 babies are born to drug-using mothers. 

• Of kids who have a parent who uses drugs, one in 13 is physically abused regularly. 

• Abused children are more likely to abuse alcohol and become addicted to drugs, and one third will later abuse their own children. 

• Of all prison inmates, 84% were abused as children. 

Source: Do Something

My kind of Easter

This morning, I've seen at least 10 posts on facebook saying something along these lines, "Easter is not about the easter bunny, it's about Jesus." 

That's great, and all- if that's what you believe. However, I would suggest to those people, that if you really believe that, maybe you should stop coloring eggs with your children. Maybe you should stop taking them to see the "easter bunny." Maybe you should stop making/buying them a basket of things for Easter.

These things only perpetuate the fact that Easter IS about those things that you insist they're not about.

My Easter, however IS about the easter bunny, colored eggs, candy, fake grass, and baskets. 

I also got to sleep in today. 

Bunny Hunny

We celebrated Easter a day early this year. It went a lot better than last year, so that's a plus. 

 

Why is it that when I shop for basket stuff, I feel like I spend a ton, it looks like a ton, and then I get it home, and set up, and it looks like nothing? This is the problem with birthdays, and Christmas, too. 

Our tradition is to color eggs, and then the Easter Bunny, (me, at a horribly late hour) hides them around the house. N gets up in the morning, searches for the eggs, finds his basket, DIGS IN. I lack creativity when it comes to "hiding" these eggs in plain sight, so I only hid a few, this year. Plus, if I hide a lot, I have to write down where they're at, so that we don't lose them, only to randomly smell rotten eggs a few weeks later... (this has happened.)

Huge Chocolate bunny. No big deal.

I remember as a kid, LOVING the morning of Easter. We looked for eggs, and were always SO surprised to find one under our pillows. ("HOW did the EB do that?! He must be real.....")

N asked me this morning if the Easter Bunny was real. I said, "Yes," and that was the end of that conversation.  I hate lying to him! Why does he have to ask?! When I tell him the Easter Bunny is coming, and he just believes it, I realize that that is a lie, also, but when he straight up ASKS, and I have to say yes, I sort of feel crappy about it. (I realize how little sense this makes.)

How old is too old to believe? Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause? I don't remember how old I was when I learned the truth, but I sort of came to the realization on my own. Then I asked my dad, and he confirmed it for me. (my mom was less than thrilled) I was seriously disappointed! I got over it, though. I just remember the MAGIC of Santa and the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fiary when I was young, and I want N to have that! It sort of takes the fun out of things when you know the truth. 

I can NEVER keep those finger nails clean...... ugh.

The plus side to them knowing the truth, is that they can thank YOU - mom and dad- for spending hundreds of dollars on their gifts, and spending 5 hours (in my case, because I am TERRIBLE at wrapping presents.) wrapping them all, and making them pretty under the tree, or in the basket.

When that time comes, I hope N won't be too disappointed, or angry that he was lied to. I'm not ready for that, though. I'm not ready for that major part of childhood to be over for him, or for me.

Evilest Kid in the World

Had an interesting conversation with my son today:

• N - "Guess what? Me and Aubrey broke up."

Why?

• N - "Aubrey ran into some other guy, and I got into a fight with him. And guess what?"

What?

• N - "He's not even going to take her fishing. I'm going to get a chainsaw and scare him right out of his ghost."

Whaaat?

• N - "I'm the evilest kid in the world, am I?" 

Uh... no. No.

White Kids Without Ipads

Okay, this made me laugh. And then I died a little, because I believe there are a ton of parents out there who actually buy their small children very expensive shit. 

• Will my son ever have an ipad? Maybe by the time they're not even cool, anymore.

• A cell phone? Maybe a track phone when he's about 13, and I need to constantly check up on him. Or I could let him ride his bike home from wherever he's at, every hour, to check in. That's what I used to do. 

• A laptop? Depends on if it's necessary for school. And if that's the case- shouldn't THEY provide one? What are my taxes paying for, exactly? 

You get the idea. Kids are spoiled. Including my own. I use the excuse, "He's an only child, so it's easy to spoil him." Like, "oops.... I accidentally just bought him everything he wanted. hmp. How'd that happen?!"

I think some people's mindsets are "I want my kids to have it better than I did." That's great and all, but, why? I mean, I turned out pretty great, (hehe) so obviously what I had, or didn't have, was just enough, right? 

Get it together people!

April Fools

This morning, I told N that I was going to make him a huge homemade breakfast, and not yell at him all day. He actually fell for it. 

Cereal, and a time out. That's what he got for breakfast.