So far i haven’t been excited about this next election.  i am a life long elephant although for some reason McCain just didn’t grab me.  If you know me much you know my views on Obama (i don’t want hate mail so i will keep those down to a minimum here).

This morning as i was getting out of the shower Kevin said they were announcing McCain’s running mate.  Walking over to the tv i couldn’t believe it when i saw a woman speaking.  What a smart move for them!  Now, Obama doesn’t have a chance.  A soccer mom (or hockey mom as she calls herself) with 5 kids.  One of those kids being an infant who has down syndrome.  O did i mention her hubby is pretty hot too?  They just seem like someone you would meet living on the same street (accept that she was in Vogue magazine).  All i can do is laugh.  What a smart move McCain!  She is such a perfect fit in too many ways.  Go to MSN.com and check out some more

Thanks McCain for renewing my excitement in the political process!

Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by psychologist John Gottman
-listen closely when a child tells you how they feel and mirror back to them what they said. then use an example from your life they would understand and how it was resolved
-help them name what they are feeling. if they have conflicting emotions about something, let them know it's normal
-validate their emotions instead of telling them not to get upset. i.e “it's really frustrating when you don't get your way. isn't it?”
-talk thru their emotion. if the child gets upset about doing something, let them know what they can expect so they feel some sense of control. also give them an example from your life and what happened to make you feel better.
-when they get angry, guide them to a solution and let them know being physical isn't a good solution. help them recognize the physical signs they are getting angry such as a clenched jaw or tight fists. remind them to breathe deeply to “let the mad out”. then help them to use a strong voice to talk it out. they need to know being angry is ok but hitting/pushing isn't.
-set an example by remaining calm and focusing on the behaviour and not the child
-point out other people's emotions and why they might feel that way. even point out nonverbal clues

traditions i wanna keep going………
making ornaments
gingerbread houses
cooking day
giving each kiddo an ornament
hershey kiss countdown
traditions i wanna start
making a birthday cake for Jesus
an evening watching our favorite Christmas movies with lots of popcorn
“adopting” a few kids to buy gifts for

i've started this for many reasons.  the main one's are cuz i always get “how do u do it?” and so when the kiddos are older they have something to look back at.  there are some days when i look back and have to ask myself ”how did u do it today?”.  i also want to document the sometimes silly, the sometimes stressful times of raising kids while maintaining who i am outside of them.  go ahead, laugh a little, cry a little(as many of u know, i'm a cryer),  and join me on the journey.  anyone who knows me much, knows, i tell it how it is.  i'll warn ya, it ain't gonna change for this:)