madameblogalot

Just a couple of weeks ago, my cousin moved to Alaska. Her husband is in the air force and they have lived the last several years in Phoenix, Arizona. I am sure that moving to Alaska will bring a culture shock of sorts to her, her husband and their four year old daughter. There was one family member who learned of the shock right away-the dog! My cousin tried to think of everything they would need for such a drastic move and did a pretty good job. But after having been there less than a day, she realized she would have to get the dog some booties, as his paw pads were freezing when it was time for him to go out!

Since they live the air force life, I am sure this will not be the family’s last move. Maybe one day they will again find themselves moving to Hawaii, Colorado, or even back to the Southwest. My cousin would likely want to hear about the ReloCubes at ABF U-Pack. These are moving containers that you pack, the company delivers and you unpack. These cubes are delivered with commercial freight so you can get your stuff quicker than if you had to wait for a full service moving company. This sounds like a good option for a family moving a long way like my cousin has done.

It seems that these days we seldom hear an encouraging word. And I never expected to get a note from one of my son’s high school teachers along that line. This morning I received and email from one of my son’s teachers. She was relieved to be able to send a GOOD message instead of her normal “he’s sleeping in class, not prepared, etc…” note. She praised his work ethic, even during sports season, his respect and his preparation for class. I have to tell you, that is a real joy to hear! I think it is a rare treasure and it came at a time when it was really needed for him. I am so happy that she not only noticed, but that she took the time to share the encouragement with us!

Do you remember how hard it was to figure out your future when you feel like you are barely charting the present? I mean, I STILL feel that way! So I know it is hard for the young people who are having to make decisions about their future while they are still trying to figure out what they want to do and if they are capable of doing it. It seems as if school would be a great lab in which to learn this and to find the guidance to do so. But it can become so overwhelming.

My son had to turn in his course selections for next year. It will be his junior year in high school, apparently the most important year. He was having a very hard time deciding just which courses and which level of courses to take. At the junior level, many of the courses which he has been taking as “Pre-AP” courses are only offered as “AP” or standard. This seemed to be a bit too much for him. He sort of switched gears and took another path with his advanced classes.

When we asked him what he would maybe like to study in college, he said “Business”. He has always been money minded and good with his money. Even now he is enjoying going through the Dave Ramsey Financial University Curriculum! So when he found out that he could take some business classes in high school, he seemed to think he would enjoy those and learn something that would help his future. Learning about Business Management, Business Ownership, Business Loans, and even Business Law seemed to be right up his alley. Since these would not be required courses, he listed them as his “alternate classes”. So maybe he will be able to get a chance to explore a little of the business world that interests him. And maybe learning these things now in the time of financial insecurity in our country would be a good lesson. He could learn what things would help to grow a business, what would help it thrive, even in lean times.

I turned on the radio in the middle of a discussion about the amount of electronic input our teens are using on a daily basis. Since I came on in the middle of it, I did not hear the premise of the talk, nor the conclusion. I did catch however the part about it affecting sleep habits and even developing into a depression. One older teen/college aged student talked about how she feels pressured to keep up with everything using things like her cell phone and Facebook, and when she hasn’t been able to for a day or two, it causes real stress, like she is getting behind. The expert mentioned how using this amount of media every day is causing a type of depression. It is not considered a clinical depression and does exhibit the classic signs of depression. It is however manifested in a type of apathy, an inability to find pleasure in the little things. I think it is a true sign that it is necessary for both our bodies and minds, as well as our souls, to spend some time away from these gadgets to find some balance and joy in our lives.

It has really been a rough school year for some kids. I know more than one struggling teen. There is so much that our kids face today. One of my son’s friends lost his mother last summer. This has been a very trying year for him. My son has had lots of garbage come down on him recently. Kids threaten each other if one is thought to have “snitched” on a wrong doing (even a crime!) One even gave up hope recently. And all this is on top of the regular pressure to perform in the area of grades, extra curricular activities and peer pressure! It is no wonder that many teens struggle and even resort to acting out. Some times they just don’t know what to do, how to act, or where to turn for help. I think the same can be said for the parent’s of teens! We all hurt when our kids struggle. At times, we don’t know what to do, how to act, or where to turn for help. We may even think putting our kid in military school is the answer! I came across a website for an alternative to help parents, and others raising children, deal with some of the ways kids react to the pressures around them. It is based on behavior modification and will likely be cheaper than military school!

I often hear people say they feel as if they are living in a zoo. Lately, I feel as if I am living in a wolf pack. Only having one son and no brothers, I am very limited in my experiences with adolescent boys. But I have been noticing the “competition” between my son and his dad frequently. These testosterone laden battles really are hard for me to swallow at times, but I have decided they are a part of growing up for guys and it’s probably a healthy thing to learn.

One recent morning’s example came about as my son was getting ready to drive himself to school for the first time. My husband wanted to make sure the youngster knew where/how to apply his parking permit, how to work the windshield wipers and defroster and all the little last minute details he felt he had forgotten to impart. Of course, this only served to frustrated my son and he “stiffened his back” a bit at the information, saying that he knew how to do all of it. Then, when I had to say “be careful” he let his resentment show even more. What was a bittersweet milestone, one that I felt should be celebrated, turned into a morning of frustration and Alpha-male scuffling.

These type skirmishes seem to be happening so often lately that I told my husband that morning that I feel like I am living in a wolf pack, watching the younger one coming up and trying to fight for dominance. Then the older one having to swipe back to “put him in his place.” He agreed that this was a good analogy and descriptive of what is going on these days. Perhaps all families with teen boys are going through these type of daily clashes. I hope I am not the only who feels like she is living in a wolf pack with the younger one chomping at the bits, sure he is ready to be the next Alpha Male.

I did not know that Debutante Balls were still given for young girls coming of age. But we recently learned that a friend of my son’s is joining with several other girls this summer for just such a party for their “Sweet Sixteen” birthdays. My son was asked to escort his friend to this grand occasion.

This is a very formal affair, one which takes a lot of preparation and commitment on the girls’ parts. Of course, this being “After Six“, the escorts have to wear a tuxedo. The girls are required to wear a formal white gown. But before all this gala can even take place, the students have to commit to several nights of etiquette classes and rehearsals. The girls involved have to write an essay and follow several rules of conduct before being permitted to take place in the ball. They will also be expected to gain a sponsor and write the appropriate Thank You Notes.

I hope all goes well for my son’s friend and that he will be able to be her escort (he will be out of town during the last rehearsal, so we are not sure they will allow him to escort for the occasion.) His friend’s mother said that if he did attend all the classes and such, she would even rent his tux for him!

My son’s school has experienced a tragic loss and real grief this week. A boy in my son’s geometry class committed suicide earlier in the week. He sat beside my son and they talked and worked together some. My son didn’t know him well as he had just transferred into this class about a month ago. He said it was very weird going to class yesterday. The counselor did come in and talk with the class and then for the rest of the period they played a game instead of having a lesson. It is a hard thing to deal with, whether you know the family or not. It is something that is very troubling to those left behind. The confusion and sadness are palpably real. Our heartfelt sympathy and grief go out to the boy’s family.

I would like to take my kids to see all kinds of places. I am looking forward to our spring break trip next month. We have not spent much time in the North East. There seems to be many favorite spots to travel to in that region of the country. One of those which I have never considered is Ocean City, Maryland.

An Ocean City vacation sounds like a lot of fun. There is lots to do on the beach. There is kayaking, fishing, and parasailing to go along with the traditional beach fun. There is a Boardwalk filled with shops and arcades. There is a “lifesaving” museum and a one room school house. There is a water park and amusement park. It seems as if there is something for every one in the family.

I love taking these kind of family trips. One thing that I wish we did more often was to find an affordable vacation rental as opposed to a hotel. In a vacation rental, you feel like you are more at home. You can stretch out, relax a little more, and there is space for every one. Plus, the advantage of having a kitchen is a convenience that can really save money when you are feeding a family!

Maybe one day we will be able to make it up the East Coast. I would like to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and attractions that places like Ocean City have to offer.

I love my family. And I love to spoil them when I can. But I am also a cheapskate. So when it comes to things like Valentine’s Day, I want a way to show my love without spending too much money on junk. In the past I have used chocolate riesens to make a poster of the “top ten reasons I love you”. I did another variation on that this year. It is super simple and adds the personal touch, while still letting them have some of the junk too!

I bought one large bag of chocolate riesens, this was enough for me to make three sets (with one piece left over!) I printed out on the computer a list of reasons why I love each of my family members. I cut these into strips. I taped one strip around each individual chocolate riesen. Then I put them into a cup that says “ten reasons I love you”. So when they take out one riesen, they can unwrap it and read one reason I love them! Pretty simple and fun too!

a cup of riesens
a list of reasons
ten riesens/reasons
finished product