Determination, There It Goes...

Who knew determination could be so detrimental?! Determination. It is the piece I have been missing lately. And the reason I let go of all of my determination is becoming clear. 

My mom has always told me that I have always accomplished anything I set my mind to. And it has plagued me that over the last ten years, I have seen less and less of that. May be this should be a post about emotional abuse.... I've always known that I am driven to be good at anything I undertake. What is the point of doing it if you are not going to try to get good at it? I usually end up excelling very quickly. This is the way all humans work. Learning is a very fast proposition when it is something you want to learn.

And that's when the ridicule starts. That's when people start saying such nasty things about how I always need to be better than everyone else. That is never my intention. They tell me that I am too competitive, and it is a bad thing based on their tone of voice. And yet, the only one I have ever competed against is myself.

My fault is that I am still a good little public school child. I need someone else to tell me I did a good job, or I don't think it is good enough and I start again. School was something I excelled in. Set guidelines, set expectations, and plenty of praise and/or rewards for a job well done. This isn't how it is as an adult. There isn't anyone outside of yourself to give you set expectations, guidelines, or praise.

I guess that is where my determination went. It didn't have a direction, and every time it exerted itself, I was ridiculed. Why would my determination want to stick around? Not everyone ridiculed me. In fact, I have supportive people around me who never even knew of this struggle. I am just seeing it myself. Is this another effect that emotional abuse has left me with? Now that I have exorcised the source of this ridicule out of my life, and I have identified the problem, how do I go about getting back my determination?

I wonder do I go around calling it like a lost kitty? "Here determination, that's a good determination. It's safe now, you're safe, come here little determination..." Yeah, I'm feeling kind of silly...

Fur Mouse Cat Toy Wins!

I am thinking that the fur mouse cat toy wins. We gave this particular fur mouse cat toy to Muffin for Christmas this past year, and she carried it around all day that first day. I swear it never left her mouth! For the first week or so, she never let this fur mouse cat toy out of her reach. She carried it with her from place to place, leaving it next to the food dish while she ate, and even just outside the litter box when she had to take care of business!

This fur mouse cat toy has remained her favorite toy, and we even had to buy a second fur mouse cat toy for our other cat, Nora, to play with, because Muffin would not share! This is definitely Muffin's favorite cat toy. Who knew that a $4 fur mouse cat toy could bring so much pleasure into all of our lives?!

Cheap Cat Toy, Quality Family Time!

A cheap cat toy, and quality family time. I believe this to be a great combination.

We have been very amused this evening as our cat, Muffin, repeatedly attacks the window chasing the bugs flying around just outside the window. Maybe the bugs flying just outside the window are why she keeps climbing the screen lately...but as it is getting dark, it is too cold today to have the window open. And so her claws keep scraping down the glass, making that retched fingernails on the blackboard sound.

I'm not quite sure why everyone gathered, but we were seriously sitting around the window in the living room just watching her and laughing. She would pounce to the top of the window, claws sliding down the glass screeching. The grand finale of her performance was her falling off the narrow window sill and landing on the seating bench below.

Every so often, as she leaped to the top of the window, she would knock the half lowered blind away from the window and the curtains would flutter, creating a quite dramatic effect. We were falling over laughing as she just kept repeating the same performance over and over for a good fifteen minutes or so.

I'm not sure what is more fun, watching Muffin:

• play with her Fur Mouse Cat Toy
• play with a leaf of green cabbage
• trying to catch the bugs outside of the closed window

Is this what they mean by the phrase "cheap entertainment"? Certainly these are each a cheap cat toy that has provided plenty of entertainment for both our cat, Muffin, and us!

Toddler Smoothie Green Recipes

Have you been searching for some fantastic toddler smoothie green recipes that your children will love? I know where you can find a few. I have three children who quite happily drink green smoothies, and love every sip. The key to getting a toddler, or anyone else, to try a green smoothie is to make sure that it has plenty of fruit in it to sweeten it. The second thing you will want to consider is the color of the fruit you are adding. If you remember back to art class and your paint color mixing, green and red turn brown when mixed together. I don't know of any children, or adults for that matter, who want to drink something that looks like that!

Find those great toddler smoothie green recipes, along with tips for introducing green smoothies to your children today!

Feng Shui Salt Cure

I was just thinking about the fact that I have not yet started up my new salt cure since the Chinese New Year. I threw out the old one then, and I have the supplies for the new one. And yet the supplies are just sitting there on the counter waiting. I wonder what they are waiting for, or maybe that should be I wonder what I am waiting for. I have been thinking about how I seem to have spent so much of my life waiting, and I don't see that it has gotten me anything other than time lost. I would say that I have made the decision to stop waiting, to claim each day, and I have... but habits can be a lot harder to break. So I think this is more of a journey, an adventure if you will, than a decision.

I think I will start by getting that salt cure put together. Curious what a salt cure is? I wrote instructions for what I put up at http://www.squidoo.com/chinese-new-year-chi#module13478456. They seem to really help us... or rather I notice how it is worse now that we are without one!

Ma Phen Rai

I was poking around Marci Shimoff's Happy For No Reason website today, and stumbled across her blog. I went back through some of the posts from the last couple of months, and this one really spoke to me.

I read the Happy For No Reason book last spring, and it had a huge impact on my life. I started to practice some of the exercises in the book, and suddenly life seemed so much better. Or maybe it was that I had learned how to choose to be happy. After a tough winter, I am glad to be reminded of this again. Old habits have a way of resurfacing and convincing you that they are real. When I read this blog post , I found a technique that fits with our style to help us choose to be happy. She shares a story of a trip to Thai, and the wise answers that her guide had given her to why the Thai people seem so happy.
Here is an excerpt from 'Learning To Laugh At The Sky':

First, Mam said, “We don’t worry about things, we let them go. There is a common expression in Thai, ‘Ma Phen Rai,’ which means ‘Don’t worry, never mind.’ So whenever something doesn’t go our way or makes us a bit irritated, we just say, Ma Phen Rai, and we let it go. If someone’s late, we just take it easy. If we forget to do something that can be done tomorrow, it’s fine.” (It sounds like their version of “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”)

Secondly, Mam said, “We are contented, which leads to happiness. We are satisfied with what we have, whether it is a little or a lot. We feel, ‘I have enough, and I am enough.’”

Finally, she added, “We don’t compare. We appreciate what we have without looking at what other people have or what they do.” 

The phrase 'Ma Phen Rai' has stuck with the kids and I. It reminds us that everyone around the world has things happen that they don't necessarily want, and I think we will adopt it as our new phrase. When we start to think globally, we realize how much we CHOOSE whether we want to be happy at every moment of any day. This makes it so much easier to just let go of our expectations, and accept life. And since happiness is about what is inside of you, not what is around you, we are straight back on track and ready to move on.

Echolocation from Jumpstart

This has been one of Little A's favorite songs ever since he heard it on JumpStart Animals Adventures several years ago. I remember playing it over and over as the boys danced to it. It has a pretty catchy beat! I wonder if JumpStart will release .mp3 versions of their songs... the boys think that would be really cool!

JumpStart does Elvis!

When I found out about this YouTube video, I had to share. JumpStart World character, Pierre, is seen on stage bumping and grinding to Elvis' 'Hound Dog'. Now my children's computer character meets my mother's rock singer to swoon over... who says you can never go home? Just remember when you do go home, it is never the same!

Regeneration - A JumpStart World Video

I don't know exactly why I am cruising through videos at YouTube.com so late at night... but I found this one and decided that it was funniest at night. Remember back before you had kids when you would sit up drinking with friends at laugh at the weirdest things? That is kind of how I feel now, except I get the buzz without the alcohol!
Anyways, check out this crab fight... it brings a whole new meaning to, "Be careful or someone could lose an eye or a  limb!"

Frankie at JumpStart World

This image of Frankie comes from the 'Fun for Parents' section of JumpStart.com. Frankie is available in the corner of a sheet of lined paper available as a .pdf file for parents to print out for their children.

Frankie is a well loved character from JumpStart. He has been around for several years now. (Don't worry Frankie, I won't tell them how old you really are!) I can tell you that we remember his mug from JumpStart Advanced though!

Little A says that Frankie is a very patient guide. He has been known to flap his ears and hover just off the ground while waiting. At other times he can be seen sitting cross legged on the ground with his hands resting on his legs...

Parents may wonder if he is meditating... is that the 'OM' finger symbol I see him holding?

Personally, we have always wished that Frankie was a cat instead of an (ah...aaahh..aaahhh...aaahhh...aaahhhh-choooooooo) dog. Could someone hand me a tissue (preferably a Puffs) please?

The Seven Deadly Sins

Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, and politics without principle. - MK Gandhi

I wonder if anyone else teaches their children this simple lesson... what a profound affect it could have....

Adventure Land Opens at JumpStart World

Yes, I do know what time it is! And yes, my 6 year old really is still chugging along, and his 8 year old brother is sitting right next to him....

How can you blame him? He went to check something at JumpStart.com, and started getting very upset... something about the musical guitar being gone.... don't worry we found it.

In it's place was the brand new JumpStart World 'Adventure Land' section. And it is OPEN! How exactly does a parent say, "Stop that learning right this minute, and go to bed!"?


Hmmmphhh, that one thing about life learning/unschooling. Learning doesn't follow a schedule in our house. It's something more like our schedule follows the learning!

Little A is busy learning.... he just said something about being trapped in a box. I wonder if that is anything like being lost in a paper bag? Cool glider... gliding over Adventure land, swooping down into the spray of water from the water fall... and out over the pirate ship.... The ship takes you out to the mysterious island...at least that's what the boys are telling me. Only problem is you have to have a membership to get onto the ship... waiting for ours to become active.

Patience is a virtue, a learned virtue... Meanwhile they will squash bugs...if only they can find it again....

I'm tired. They can stay up and learn, I'm going to sleep now. I'll tell you more about Adventure Land later.

Good night all.

Knowledge Adventure Asked ME.....!

I am so excited about this opportunity! The nice folks over at Knowledge Adventure asked ME to review their latest product...the JumpStart Virtual World! JumpStart World is educational games for both your computer and  online!
I used the old version of JumpStart cd-roms back when my teenage daughter was going through the kindergartenthrough 3rd gradematerials, and we loved them then. She had so much fun playing them, and they reinforced everything else that she learned during the day. As Life Learners/Unschoolers, our days don't look much like school, but the learning is there none the less. But, I digress....

I will be writing a review for the JumpStart WorldProducts, online and off, from our family's perspective... that means that we will be starting out between the preschool and kindergartenmaterials on the computer, enhancing our learning in the online virtual world, and probably poke through any older material available so I can know where the boys will out grow them!

Watch for it my thoughts about their products soon. I would love to hear from anyone else familiar with the JumpStart world products! Share your thoughts in the comments please!

...And to think this all started because my grandmother wanted to know if she could send them a check to pay for a membership for the boys! (The answer was 'No'.... Bummer!)

Gift For You!

I am so excited about being able to do this! I mentioned the Success Songs 'Step Into Your Power' album in my last post. The music is fun and uplifting. Not only is it what we have come to term as "happy music", but it is one thing that the whole family loves to listen to. Imagine a teenage daughter and her mom actually liking some of the same music! And then you add in the 6 and 8 year old brothers... and they love the music too!

When someone is in a bad mood, and dragging everyone down, I pull out the secret weapon... I start playing 'Step Into Your Power', and within a few songs the mood has changed and everyone is back to bouncing and smiling.

Today I am get to let you try out this fabulous happy music! Download 'It's Your Time' today, and start experiencing the uplifting power that the music of 'Step Into Your Power' has!

Happier and Happier, and Happier!

I absolutely loved Marci Shimoff's 'Happy For No Reason' book when I read it last year! I have always fought off bouts of depression. I know that a huge part of it is my sensitivity to gluten , but after decades of not knowing that was a main cause of it, so much of my depression is actually learned habits! 'Happy For No Reason' gave me the encouragement and the tools I needed to find new habits, and find a happiness I have not felt since I was a toddler!

Once I started feeling happier, I wanted more happy, upbeat music with a positive message.... I don't know about you, but I haven't heard a lot of that in my life... not really. And the more happiness that is in my life, the less happy the music I already had sounded.




Time For Something New

That is when I discovered Paul Hoffman's Success Songs! His 'Step Into Your Power' CD is fantastic! It is inspiring, uplifting, and upbeat! You can listen to a short clip of any of the songs on the album on the 'Step Into Your Power' page. Although we bought this CD over a year ago, it is still one that we listen to 5 or 6 times a week, and anytime we need a quick mood boost!

Well, Paul Hoffman wrote a song using the principles from Marci Shimoff's 'Happy For No Reason' book, and it is one of my favorites! This week, they released a music video on YouTube to go with it. I love the video, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

'Green For Life' Recommendation

I highly recommend this book. I learned so much from it. 'Green For Life' is so well written, I found that I just could not easily stop and put it down. This book inspired me to really give green smoothies a try, until I found a way to make them work for me. You can find some of my original and simple recipes at Green Smoothie Recipes.

Had To Share!

more animals

10 Things You Should Now About Obama's Budget

I received an email newsletter from MoveOn.org today. It contained a list that I thought was worth sharing. President Obama is really trying to keep true to his word, and make changes to support the working family, and clean up the excess government spending!It is fantastic to see him rolling out the ideas and getting them started right away!

"10 things you should know about Obama's plan(but probably don't)

The plan:

1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.
2. Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won't go up one dime.
3. Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.
4. Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.
5. Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.
6. Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies.
7. Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.
8. Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.
9. Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.
10. Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama's budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America's priorities are, what they cost, and how we're going to pay for them.

This is the change we voted for. 

President Obama has done his part..."

The friendly folks over at MoveOn.org suggest that this information is passed to everyone we know.
Let us make sure our voices our heard, and our choice is not taken away from us.
You can email your friends and family and pass along what Obama's proposed budget includes. A sample email to copy and paste is at the MoveOn.org website.