Parenting Sites 411

Last summer our family was heading to the local mall for some errand. While there we noticed a sign on the movie theater that there was a free family film festival on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When I got home I immediately hit the internet to find out the deal. Turns out, Regal Cinemas (the theater company at our local mall), hosts free movies in the summer.

There are usually two movies, one rated G and one rated PG, to be enjoyed.

I could offer you a list of all the free movies this summer, but someone already handled that task: Raising 4 Boys has listed several free family movies and movie deals for theaters around the country.

Have fun and eat some extra popcorn for me!

family films, free movies, kids movies

A few months ago our Bradford pear tree was in full bloom. The pretty white blossoms made our yard look like it was ready for a wedding or something.

But, lurking around that tree was a necessary menace to society: the bee. It is necessary because without the bee those blooms wouldn’t happen. It is a menace because of the sting that come from the flying bugger, a sting that can cause some real problems.

I have been stung by a bee before and nothing really came from it except a bunch of tears. I remember it being painful, and swelling a little bit, but my memory is fuzzy after that. Now that I am an adult, I tend to stiffen my back whenever a bee is near, like it is going to just go away if I am perfectly still.

I don’t really know how to keep Fuller from experiencing a bee sting, but it is possible that it might happen and that it might be more to him than a little swelling. What if a bee sting is lethal to my little boy?
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A few weeks ago a national news item really squicked me out and made me a little bit nervous to let my son outside. How did you react when you read this?

What began as a faint popping in a 9-year-old boy’s ear - “like Rice Krispies” - ended up as an earache, and the doctor’s diagnosis was that a pair of spiders made a home in the ear.

The boy had spiders in his ear! It gives me chills just to type that out.

But it does make me stop and think. Fuller has severe reactions to insect bites, a trait he inherited from his father. Once he is bitten by a bug (probably a mosquito) a welt forms that can get to be about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. It is shocking to see, especially on a two year old. The good news is that the swelling goes down with in a half hour to an hour to a normal bite size.
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Fuller is over his illness. He was diagnosed with non-strep tonsillitis, which was really making him miserable. Once we got him on antibiotics he started to feel and act better over night. It was great to hear him ask for specific foods and drinks. And to see him interact with something other than the television was equally refreshing.

When Fuller was still feverish and in pain, we were dosing him with Tylenol and ibuprofen, as recommended by the nurse at our pediatrician’s office. We gave Fuller his doses via a syringe. During other boughts of illness, when Fuller needed some medicine, he would gleefully take the syringe from us and plunge the medicine into his mouth quickly. He liked taking medicine and we felt really blessed.
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Fuller has been ill since Monday, possibly since Sunday, and tomorrow I will be taking him to the doctor for a looksie. I was trying to explain to my husband that when it comes to parenting, the health issues are the ones that I am always the least confident about.

When Fuller was a few days old I had to call the nurse because it seemed that his eyes had developed an infection. Apparently this was common and she just called in a prescription for him. But I remember that it took some convincing by my parents and my inner self to actually pick up the phone and make the phone call. I didn’t want to be one of those parents. I didn’t want to be the mom who called the doctor at first sniff.
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I just took Fuller’s temperature and had to use the internet to figure out what his temperature actually is. Our ear thermometer somehow got switched from Fahrenheit to Celsius, so when the four beeps sound and I read “38.8″ I had no idea what that meant.

According to the website, Online Conversion, 38.8 C is roughly 101 F. My poor baby. He woke up didn’t immediately ask to go outside or have popcorn for breakfast. That should have been a sign right there. He hasn’t really eaten this morning, just picked at stuff.

I hope this goes away soon, or at least he falls asleep to rest a bit.

childhood illness, temperature conversion

Fuller enjoys coloring, finger painting, and doodling on his magnadoodle. I wouldn’t say that he loves it and won’t do anything but that, but I can tell he does enjoy cramming as much color onto a piece of paper as possible. And he has entered the “ew” phase of toddlerhood- where he hates having anything on his hands. So, finger painting hasn’t been that cool lately.

But I have a feeling, based on the genes this kid carries, he is going to have his chance to be even more creative. He has a dad who sews elaborate Halloween costumes, a grandmother who does beautiful calligraphy, another grandmother who makes crafts for craft shows, and a mom who writes and crochets.
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With Mother’s Day coming up in a week, there is a lot of talk about what to get Mom for her special day. And there are give aways and sales and specials, all because of Mothers. Isn’t it great? I just love being a mom.

Well, I have another contest to tell you about, this one is actually hosted by me! Not here, but on my family blog, where I talk about Fuller, Damon, house stuff, and whatever else. This contest is being sponsored by Wallhogs. A wallhog is a product that allows you to go big in the home decorating arena. You can upload a photo or illustration and the fun folks at Wallhogs will reproduce it on a reusable vinyl that will stick to the walls. I think it would be great for kid’s rooms, play rooms, or family rooms.

In the case of this contest, the winner will receive a 48 inch reusable vinyl wallhog. I really want one, but since I am hosting, I don’t get to win.

To enter, go to the contest entry and leave a comment about your favorite mothering moment (if you are a mom) or leave your favorite story about your own mom.
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The folks over at 5 Minutes for Mom have put together a few special Mother’s Day Giveaways. You could win an iPod Nano (in a very special box of chocolates), a Mei Tai baby carrier, or a Total Mom Makeover book. Just head on over there, pick your contest and leave a comment in any or all your want to be entered to win.

Personally, I would love an iPod Nano and think it is even sweeter wrapped in a box of chocolates.

5 Minutes for Mom, Mother’s Day Giveaway, Mother’s Day, iPod contest

My heart is breaking over the news that a 15 month old little boy died yesterday, after being left in a car by his father. Apparently his father forgot to drop him off at day care and left him in the hot car all day.

I hope this tragedy will serve as a reminder to all parents that leaving children in cars is an awful idea. You should never, ever do it.

Kids in Cars is a website devoted to sending that message to parents. Currently they are collecting data for their database of all in instances where children left in cars or unattended around cars has resulted in tragedy- abductions, trunk entrapment, power window strangulation, and running over the child.

When I was traveling with Fuller last month, I was very tempted to leave him in the car while I ran into McDonald’s to use the bathroom. He was sleeping so soundly and I really, really had to go. But there was no way I could do it. I had to wake him up to take him inside, but I knew that leaving him in the car was not a good idea.

Kids in Cars has safety tips to prevent those situations, like using drive throughs (I love the one at our bank) and having the childcare providers bring the children to the car. But I have vowed that even if I have to wake Fuller up from his nap, I cannot leave him in the car.

Kids in Cars offers resources to purchase that give you an edge in preventing these tragedies: rear gaurds for backing up and education resources for schools and parents that include posters and brochures.

There is currently legislation in the works, the Cameron Gulbransen KIDS AND CARS Safety Act of 2007, that would require car manufacturers to include safety measures to prevent power window strangulation, monitors to check detect children behind cars, and extra breaking measures for when the car is moved out of park.

Kids and Cars is another website, with a similar goal as Kids in Cars. The personal stories on the site are heartbreaking, because they could have been prevented by the parent. The people behind Kids and Cars are supporters of this legislation and give a link to where you can sign a petition to send to your Senators and State Representatives. I signed the petition, won’t you?

P.S. This entry has been dugg. Please help spread the word about this petition and digg it too!

children in cars, Cameron Gulbransen KIDS AND CARS Safety Act of 2007, child tragedies

Did anyone see any of the news reports out about the rise in cavities in baby teeth? The report sites children eating too much sugar, which is often the cause of cavities, but also calls to task the types of drinks we give our kids:

One reason for the rise in baby tooth decay is that parents are giving their children more processed snack foods than in the past, and more bottled water or other drinks instead of fluoridated tap water..

When I first started working, in my training class there was a woman whose kids needed some extensive dental procedures done. I think her kids were in first and second grades. Part of the problem was that their house used well water, not fluoridated city water. It was decided that her kids were not getting the fluoride that they needed and had to start using pink tablets to supplement that need for their teeth.
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