Search Results for: blog consider yourself lucky

Why teenagers? Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?!

The initial response received from others when announcing that you are planning to adopt varies widely. I have heard the occasional “That’s wonderful!” And that’s nice. We’re not doing this for praise, but it is nice when others can be supportive; whether it’s the reason for doing something or not, everyone likes to get a positive response to news shared with friends and family. However, what I most often hear, especially when we add that we are adopting teenagers, is more along the lines of “why?”… “Do you know how difficult that is going to be?”… “Do you have any … Continue reading →

Consider Yourself Lucky

Here is why you are the luckiest person in the world. So many times in marriage, we look at our relationships and think about all of the little ways that we are unlucky. We compare our lives and our marriages with those of our friends or even those of people on television or in movies. “Wow,” we think. “Why couldn’t I have been lucky enough to find someone who makes more money, who has better ambition, who lets me sleep in on weekends or who doesn’t leave the seat up?” We may talk about how lucky so-and-so is to have … Continue reading →

Conquering Cabin Fever

If the only thing your child is suffering with right now is cabin fever, consider yourself lucky. Contrary to popular belief, kids can contract strep throat and hand-foot-and-mouth disease at the same time. Oh.Yes.They.Can. Let me tell you how I know this… Actually, I will spare you the gory details and instead share more practical advice for conquering cabin fever during these last days of winter break.  Students in our neck of the woods head back to class next Monday.  That means parents have to endure a few more days of kids complaining that their new Christmas toys are not … Continue reading →

Parents and Vacation Time

With Independence Day falling on a Wednesday this year, many parents with jobs outside the home, took off Thursday and Friday to extend the holiday weekend. Others simply exercised a week’s worth of vacation to spend uninterrupted holiday time with their families. Are you enjoying time away from the office right now? If so, consider yourself lucky. According to a new study, the United States is one of only a handful of developed countries in the world that doesn’t require companies to give their workers time off. In other cases, workers are given minimum vacation time that cannot be transferred … Continue reading →

What’s Your Mother’s Maiden Name?

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If you are going to track down information about your ancestor, it helps to know his or her surname. Genealogists know that it can be difficult to track down female ancestors who have changed their maiden name. The Southern Genealogist’s Exchange Society, Inc., is holding a Virtual Tea Party on Mother’s Day this year. You can add your mother’s name to their list. When I got married, I changed my surname from my maiden name to my husband’s last name. My sister recently got married, and she decided to keep her maiden name. Today, either choice is going to be … Continue reading →

Post-Holiday Hotel Deals

Forget about finding a decent hotel room in New York City on New Year’s Eve. Unless you hit the jackpot between now and Friday night, or you are fine sharing a bed with cockroaches the size of rats, then you might consider waiting until after the ball drops in Times Square before visiting the Big Apple. By exercising patience and waiting until the week after New Year’s to travel to “The City that Never Sleeps,” you’ll be able to preserve your budget well into 2012. According to travel experts, tourists who can hold off until January 6-15, 2012, to check … Continue reading →

Rough Ride: The Roller Coaster of Adolescence

Few things strike fear into the heart of parents more than the approaching adolescence of their children. They’ve heard horror stories from family and friends, and they dread the fear of the unknown and how it’s going to go with their own kids. Will that happy-go-lucky child turn into some sort of a sullen monster? Will the childhood skirmishes of yesterday turn into open warfare? Will the days of having their friends over all the time turn into years of going out to be with friends somewhere else? Most of us can remember feeling awkward, unattractive, anxious, and overwhelmed as … Continue reading →

Air Conditioned Busses Are Not a Luxury

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One of the dangers that comes with Summer is the heat. When heat combines with high levels of humidity, this can create a life threatening situation. The dangers are higher for children who have certain kinds of special needs. If your child is attending a special needs Summer camp, or an extended Summer school program, make sure the bus he or she rides in has functional air conditioning. If you have never had the misfortune to be stuck on a school bus that is not equipped with air conditioning on a hot, sticky, Summer day, consider yourself to be lucky. … Continue reading →

The Basics of Horse Care, Pt. 1

With the Christmas season approaching many of us might be considering giving pets as gifts. I’ve always been clear on my stance: don’t give any animal as a surprise present. Make sure the giftee knows what he or she is receiving and is ready and willing for the responsibilities which come with that particular animal. Maybe some of you are actually thinking about purchasing a particular pet that was always my special holidays dream: a horse. Sure I wanted a dog, but I always thought that might be within the realm of possibility. A horse is what I always wanted … Continue reading →

Preparing for the Birth of a Special Needs Child

Technology has made many things possible for the human race. From landing on the moon to never getting lost here on earth with a GPS device, technology has made the impossible seem possible. When it comes to pregnancy, technology has meant that we can learn a great deal about our child before she is even born. Sometimes, that means knowing whether or not your child has a special health need. Knowing ahead of time that you will be raising a child with a special need can help you prepare better for your child’s arrival. It will give you time to … Continue reading →