Let me clarify that this is not a paid advertisement or a pay per post or anything of that nature. I just want to share with my friends today (grin).
E Moms (one of my favorite resources) has recently gone through a major overhaul and is now called Sparkplugging. Since the change, I have found it much easier to navigate not to mention tons of new and inspiring information! I love their Believer in Balance section and they even have a Man Page.
I hope you have fun exploring one of my favorite sites while I am off to the bigger city for Sam’s extremely delayed dental checkup. Why in the world did I think just because she was going to the orthodontist she didn’t need to go to the dentist! What was I thinking???????
Before you leave to check out Sparkplugging, check out the view from my office window here. I took this photo while writing this post (grin).
Related Posts….Generated by Me:
My Name is Danielle and I’m Addicted to Dooce
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It’s been a little over two months since Miss Sam left the public school system. The biggest criticism I receive in regards to our decision to home school is in reference to her being able to maintain social connections. I do have responses to these questions which range from polite questioning to rude inferences that my daughter will grow up to be a social misfit. Many of these responses I have learned through conversations with and blog posts by Heather (thanks!).
I must confess however, that to some degree, I am concerned. Not so much about Miss Sam’s social skills but in her ability to make and maintain friendships. And not friendships for a lifetime but ‘friends’ for a moment in time. This is one of the reasons we visit a therapist every other week in the bigger, bigger city.
Miss Sam has been very adamant about not wanting to be around kids her age. The only kid her age that she is comfortable with is her friend from kindergarten. In fact, he was just over the other day for a few hours. My concern is that, since leaving the public school system, when I have suggested any type of ‘group’ activity that involves kids her own age she ’shuts’ down.
The many weeks following her meltdown that resulted in her now being at home have been stressful from the ’social’ aspect. An always ‘touchy’ subject with ’suggestions’ misfiring and exploding.
Until this week.
Several days ago Miss Sam and I had a lengthy conversation - basically she asked me to ‘listen without getting mad’ at what she had to say about ‘my ideas of friends and friendships for her’. FINALLY! She was willing to talk. I was willing to listen. I’m thankful that the stars were in alignment that day as much was understood and many compromises were made.
The fruits of that conversation were harvested yesterday.
Not really wanting to go, but because of compromises promised, Miss Sam reluctantly packed our beach bag and we set out for the community pool. There were two kids around Miss Sam’s age playing in the pool. I could see Miss Sam ’shut down’ immediately. My first reaction was to lecture. God led me to ‘listen’. Listen to what she was feeling and help her understand that perhaps these kids were feeling the same way about ‘making new friends’. And I swam away to the other end of the pool.
As I turned around I can’t tell you how proud I was to see Miss Sam ‘inching’ her way towards the other two kids. And blessfully they welcomed her with splashes and ‘let’s race’.
All I heard on the ride home was ‘I had so much fun today!’.
Me too.
For more Homeschool Hi-Lights
visit Ellen over at Fun Learning!
Related Posts…Generated By Me:
I’m Now a Home Schoolin’ Mama
I’m Still Here….Barely
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It’s that time of month again for me to share my ‘Well Said’ posts for the past month.
My “Well Said Posts” is where I bookmark posts written by other bloggers. These are the posts that have caught my attention, given me pause for thought, inspired me, or made me laugh. I bookmark them because I want to be able to read these posts again and again.
The wonderful ‘Well Said/Well Written’ posts for April are:
Happy Reading!
Related Posts:
Well Said/Well Written: January 2008 Edition
Well Said/Well Written: February 2008 Edition
Well Said/Well Written: March 2008 Edition
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I’m over here today!
And when I am a mess, I should ALWAYS go here!
Post title is a quote by Loretta LaRoche from her book ‘Life is Short - Wear Your Party Pants’.
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Once again it’s time for You Keep Me Coming Back! A monthly feature that began over at The Bipolar Diaries and I am continuing here at My Name is Danielle. This is my website. © This is my favorite time of the month. It affords me the opportunity to extend a heartfelt thanks to you, the readers. I thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to stop by and say hello. I am grateful that I can call many of you friends and I love this opportunity (since I don’t maintain a blogroll) to ’shout’ it out!!And so, without further ado, I would like to say a big heartfelt thanks to all those who stopped by to say hello during the month of April. Take a moment to visit with them. I am always inspired and comforted by their spots in the blogosphere. I am sure that you will be too!
Heather from An Untraditional Home
Susan from Learning for Lifetime
Jen from Thorn In My Flesh
Carrie from Chocolate the Other White Meat
Holly from Holly’s Corner Blog
Julie from Are You Gonna Eat That?
Mrs. Darling from Dishpan Dribble
Mary from A Room of Mama’s Own
Linda from Meahl Memories
Vic Grace from Cariboo Ponderer
BrumbeMom from Life, As I See It
Ellie from Ellie’s Dish
Crystal from God is in Control
Jada’s Gigi from Cheryl’s Treehouse
Vicki from Windows to My Soul
Cathy from From A Heavenly Land
Janna from Bread Crumbs
Bee Repartee from Bee Repartee
Miriam Pauline from Miriam Pauline’s Monologue
Karen from The T.A.G. Blog
Joy from Thoughts of Joy
Cindy from Kaleidoscope
Jeanne from Writer’s Notes
Jeni from Down River Drivel
Miss Kris from A Shelter From The Storm
Denise from Shorty Bear’s Place
L.L. Barkat from Seedlings in Stone
Urban Thought from Urban Observation
Texas Sweetie from Bisdak Footprints
Nancie from More Than Conquerors
April from Writely Sew
Kathleen from So Grateful to Be A Mormon
Marilee from Cloth Napkins
Tara from If Mom Says Ok
Susan from Bipolar Wellness Writer
Groovy Mom from Now is Good
Heidi from God’s Grace in Practice
Amy from The 160 Acre Woods
Barb from WillThink4Wine
Ellen from Fun Learning
Mama Flo from MamaFlo’s Place
Anni from Hootin’ Anni
Maria from Eclectically Yours
Barb from Skittles’ Place
Autumn from Random Autumness
Misty Dawn from My Dogs Keep Me Sane
Sassy Mama Bear from Cafe at the End of the Universe
Raven from Views from Raven’s Nest
Cricket from Cricket’s Hearth
Inland Empire Girl from Gathering Around the Table
Overwhelmed from Overwhelmed with Joy
Rel from Under the Microscope
Patois from Whee! All The Way Home
Going Like Sixty
Talia from Talia Carbis
Granny Smith from Granny Smith
Mizmell from Mizmell
BPD in OKC
I know you will enjoy visiting each and every one of these terrific individuals. Please let me know if any of the links are not working.
Thanks to all my readers. You are appreciated more than mere words can express.
I would also like to send a big thank you out for those of you that stop by and share your thoughts but don’t have a blog or a web page link:
- Andree
- Barb
- Doozie
- Jennifer
You may have noticed since the move to my new place that I have not been responding to comments via email. The reason for this is not because I am rude and ungrateful. The reason is that there is a glitch in the Wordpress program. Heather asked if I would like to upgrade to the newest version that would remedy this, but I said no. Many of my blogging friends have done this and there are still a lot of bugs to be worked out. The plus side of this is that I visit your blog instead and leave a comment. I think that is so much better. Don’t you?
Related Posts:
You Keep Me Coming Back: January Edition 2008
You Keep Me Coming Back: February Edition 2008
You Keep Me Coming Back: March Edition 2008
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Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??
My first reaction was……this is a no brainer. I would definitely buy an overpriced book that was big and thick so I could fool myself into thinking I was getting my money’s worth.
However, a similar scenario recently played out only it was the hospital and not the airport. I found myself walking the corridors for exercise while waiting and ended up in what is called the ‘atrium’. There was a cart there from the gift shop. I don’t understand the attraction, but I am constantly drawn to those ‘large print’ crossword books. I bought the crossword book. As I was getting out my money I noticed the container of newly sharpened yellow no. 2 pencils. As much an attraction as the crossword puzzle books. I had to have a new pencil to go with my new crossword puzzle book.
I don’t know why I make these purchases when I am in a ‘tight’ spot with no book to read. I can’t do crossword puzzles. I have never been able to complete a crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzles give me major migraines. And I have a drawer full of pencils.
Go figure.
Click here to see who else is participating in Booking Through Thursday!
Click here to view my entry into Thursday’s Photo Challenge: Spring
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April 28, 2008 – 12:23 pm
For several months Miss Sam has nagged me beyond sanity to help her learn how to make an animated video. Considering that I have zero experience in this venue I delayed her requests with ‘wait until we get you a new computer with more capacity’. Well her thirteenth birthday arrived with the much anticipated ‘new computer’.
Yet, there was no pressure on me to help her with learning how to create an animated video for You-Tube.
While visiting friends in Safety Harbor, Miss Sam and I engaged in a conversation with a young man fishing on the pier. During this conversation he suggested several ways to create an animated video. Although much of this conversation was beyond my comprehension, it appears that it was enough to motivate Miss Sam.
Armed with the suggestions of the helpful young man and information gleaned from online friends, Miss Sam taught herself how to use Microsoft Paint/Paint Shop Pro X/Microsoft Movie Maker to create the following. It is an audition for a part in a Warriors You-Tube feature video.
And to further embaress myself, I am unable to embed the video (to size) in this post. So please take the time to link here to
Miss Sam’s First You-Tube Video
To visit other participants in Ellen’s fun Homeschool Hi-Light Monday meme be sure to click here.
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