If you think this post is going to be about bras or busts, you are not correct.  If you think this post is going to be about shaking up your routine, then you would be on the right track.

The winter doldrums may be setting in right about now–or maybe–they have been there a for a few weeks already.  It’s true, there is something about this time of year that makes us feel a little–well, bland.  But the key is to not let it get to  you!  Here are a few tios to bust out of that funk:

• Always have something to look forward to.  This was advice given to us as newlyweds some years back by a good friend–a physician–who passed away in his 50′s from cancer.  It’s age-old advice not only applies to newlyweds and relationships, but it applies to life in general.  When we have something to look forward to, there is a little spring in our step, a little project brewing, the ideas are circulating.  It’s good for us.
• Find something you are passionate about.  Really passionate.  It could be reading a favorite author or Zumba dancing.  It may be perfecting your cupcake recipe.  Maybe it’s basset hounds?  Whatever it is, find and cultivate it.
• Now, take that passionate interest and find an outlet for it.  Could you bake up some scrumptious cupcakes for the next bake sale?  Volunteer at the basset rescue center?  Donate your time and talents at the local arboretum?
• Try something new.  I am not talking about a new food here…(although I suppose that could work).  But how about a new way of planning your time?  Your daily schedule could use a re-boot, could it not?  Instead of exercising in the morning as you have done for years and years, try it in the late afternoon.  It just may give you more energy or more sound sleep (provided you complete  your work-out about 3 hours prior to going to bed).  Check out a new restaurant–one you have never been to before but always wanted to try.  Drive home a new way.  Shop at a different grocery story.  Simple changes can add up to big experiences.
• Organize something.  Start small.  Maybe it’s the junk drawer in the kitchen we all have.  Toss and re-purpose.  Then move into something bigger, the kitchen cabinets–all of them–and see how that feels.  Maybe  you could take some things to Good Will or a resale shop?
• Decorate something.  Some corner of your home driving you bonkers?  We all have them.  Find the one at your house and get started.  For us, it’s the guest room.  Even a new coat of paint will wake up your walls.  What’s the worst that can happen?  You have to repaint it because you hate it and you’re out a few bucks for paint.

Trust me, try a couple of these ideas and you’re sure to bust out of your winter blahs! 

Happy Weekend!!

I love music.  All kinds.  Just listen to my iPod.  You will hear everything from cheesy Neil Diamond Christmas tunes to flamboyant Adam Lambert to Colbie Calliet…what do you want from me, anyway??!  So, it’s no surprise that I enjoy the music not just for what it sounds like, but for what it means/says(being the writer type that I am).

Most of the time, the iPod is plugged directly into my ear as I run, step, glide, or ride at the gym.  It’s not just a way to make the time I sweat go by faster (it helps with that, of course), but the real reason is that this variety of music helps me plan the next moves or dialogue of my characters of my “in-progress” writing.

For example, today I was listening to Bruce Springsteen (http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html).  The boss’s gravely vocals got me thinking about the slippery incident in my book–sort of a climax to come–(oh, my…what an ironic choice of words).  Before, your head goes to the gutter, it really is about a slippery road, an accident about to happen.  It goes like this:

“Outside it’s raining, they’re driving slow, and I can hear the wild wind blowin’,”  (From “Cover Me,” 1984).

Okay–here’s what I like about this:  First, there’s a description of the scene.  Next, it goes to what he observes (they’re driving slow), and finally wrapping it all up, what the person hears (the wild wind blowing).  This may also work with another feeling/sensation like eating/tasting, smelling, feeling, etc.

Now try crafting a similar sentence in which you take elements from your story in a similar fashion:

Description–observation of larger world–character’s intropection.

Next example comes from Dan Fogelberg (see, told you I had a wide variety of likes in the music department).  The song, “Same Old Lang Syne” pops on the iPod (it’s there for a reason, trust me) and I am again struck by the lyrics:

“Met my old lover in the grocery store. The snow was falling Christmas Eve.  I stole behind her in the frozen foods And I touched her on the sleeve.  She didn’t recognize the face at first, but then her eyes flew open wide. She went to hug me and she spilled her purse and we laughed until we cried….We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now And tried to reach beyond the emptiness but neither one knew how….”   (from the Innocent Age album, 1981).  Curious, I did a little more digging:

Q: Your song “Same Old Lang Syne” – did that really happen?
A: “Yes, absolutely it did. In 1975 or 76 I was home in Peoria, Illinois visiting my family for Christmas. I went to a convenience store to pick up some whipping cream to make Irish coffees with, and quite unexpectedly ran into an old high school girlfriend. The rest of the song tells the story.” (answered by the late Dan Fogelberg in 2003 from his webiste, http://danfogelberg.com/faqs.html)

So, I challenge–and caution you–how would your story go if that were what you were writing about?  Have you ever bumped into an old lover at the grocery store?  Hummm….

Write on, Wednesday!

As a writer, I love words.  As a parent, I love well…my kids (most of the time).  So, when the rare combination of words and kids go well together, it makes my heart sing.

My 5 year old recently had a birthday.  The “theme” of gifts had a lot to do with beads–beading, apparently is a big deal for girls of this age.  On one of the bead jars came a little booklet with all of these adorable sayings from kids.  I got a kick out of it, and I thought you might too.

The tag on the jar of beads begins with:  “Listen to a seashell and you’ll hear the ocean.  Listen to a child and you’ll hear brillance.” 

“Did you know that my Uncle Tony is driving around the country in a winning bagel?”  –Sean, 5.

Mom:  “Look Chris!  It’s the capital building.”

Chris, 5:  “Oh, well where is the lower case building?” 

“Soda is not good for your body.  You drink it and the next thing you know, youare smoking.”  –Alyssa, 5

Maddy, 4: “What does it mean that it’s election day?”

Mom: “It means that everyone gets to pick who they want to be President and run our country.”

Maddy: “Oh, I hope they don’t pick me!” 

6th grader Sam says this on a science quiz, “Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin.  Oxygin is pure gin.  Hydrogen is gin and water.”

“Mommy, you are the most beautiful woman I ever saw before I left the house.”  –Callie, 2

(It’s dinosaur week at my daughter’s preschool class…had to add in this one):

“My triceratops is afraid of our dust bunnies.”  –Clara, 4

And finally, Rio 4 asks this:

“If the day I came out of your belly is called my birthday, what is the day I went in called?”

Now, if you can’t find a teachable moment in any of these honest-to-goodness kid quotes, then perhaps you better ask your kiddos what is on their mind (they’ll probably tell you!).

To read more quotes, or to add your own chid’s quote, visit www.justb-byou.com

Parents who have a child with CAS so often ask, “What can I do to help my child with apraxia?”  And it’s a darn good question.  For we so often don’t really understand what apraxia is, let alone how we can help.  It kind of comes across as double-edged sword in many ways.

Wish I had a magic bullet for you or a series of games and exercises that will instantly get your little one chatting up a storm–and intelligibly.  Alas, I do not.  But I have some bits of wisdom that may help you along your journey:

• Know how your child learns best.  Is she a “see-try it-do it” kind of kid?  Does he prefer rough and tumble play to sit and learn styles?  Does she like to see what she needs to do before doing it (by seeing a model on TV or a parent act out something).  Does he respond well to books?  As a parent, you’ll find that you need a little trial and error in this department.  Your child may grasp some skills faster/easier if she sees it done first, but then other skills won’t transfer as well in the same learning style.  Being patient and being inventive is the key here. 
• Get creative!  Kids are bored to tears with flashcards and memorization (not that they don’t have a place, they do…) but instead of using those flashcards in the traditional sense, why not show them to your child first, then say, “I am going to hide the flashcards in the playroom.  I am going to set a timer and have you look for them.  Find them as fast as you can and then bring them back to me.  When you bring them to me, you say the word or message that is on the card.  Okay!  Let’s do it!”  You can take flashcards and match them up with actual objects you have in your home.  For example, my girls had some farm-themed flashcards and Fisher-Price farm animals…we would pull both products out at the same time, matching animals to cards and practice saying their names &/or sounds.  Sometimes, we even acted like the particular animal!  (as you see, the possiblities are endless.  Use your creativity).
• Use movement and motion.  Sitting still and doing nothing rarely makes a person smarter or better able to do something (that’s why TV doesn’t really educate).  Through in some whole-body movements while practicing some target words/phrases will  get you where you need to be–even something as simple as “Head-Shoulders-Knees-Toes” can work wonders with a child with CAS.  But the key her is to say those words as you touch the appropriate body parts.  Even an approximation will do.  (Hint:  you may have to move slower than typical with this exercise so your child can focus on speaking).
• Work on turn-taking.  I know it sounds a little dorky, but communication requires turn-taking.  I speak–you listen–you respond–I speak–you speak.  Try rolling a ball back and forth between you and your child (toddlers love this), and while you do so, say “My turn!”  “Your turn!”  Try doing this for as many turns as you can do and then try to have your child say something along those same lines.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  You can do  similar turn-taking play with other toys like tea party or jumping jacks, or matchbox cars.

My book, “Speaking of Apraxia: A Parent’s Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech” (Woodbine House, 2012) has an entire chapter devoted to similar ideas in the form of “What you need…what you do…speech pay-off.”  The book is now available for pre-order at an introductory rate:

http://www.woodbinehouse.com/main.asp_Q_product_id_E_978-1-60613-061-2

It’s a topic that never grows mold or ends up in the trashcan: meal planning.  Hey–we all gotta eat, right?  Well, let me take a stab (ha) at this and see if I can present you with some new ideas for planning yummy meals that you and your family don’t tire of.

• Gather several notecards (about 15-20).  Find some time and your cookbooks (an hour?), make yourself comfy and get to work writing out your 15-20 “most preferred” dinners-at-home.  (I read somewhere that most Americans have a selection of about 10-20 meals that we go to time and time again).  Jot down everything that goes into that meal, just as you might read on a menu.  For example, “Chicken Pot Pie with Side Salad and Fresh Fruit” would go at the top of the notecard like a title.  Below that, bullet-point what goes into that meal, i.e. your shopping list (pie crusts, vegetable broth, chicken breast, salad fixin’s, etc.).  NOTE:  This is NOT a recipe!  It’s just a list of ingredients.  Do that for the rest of the ”typical meals” your family eats.  When you are finished, you should have a good selection of things to choose from.  Make sure you stock up on staples and non-perishibles from those shopping lists.  (This idea gleaned from the most recent issue of “ADDitude,” a magazine dedicated to families and individuals with AD/HD.  I don’t have the actual artical handy now–this is by memory–therefore I can’t credit the author or name of article.
• Have a night-of-the-week dinner selection all planned and ready to go.   For example:  Munchies on Monday (serve up finger-foods &/or appetizers for a meal), Taco Tuesday, Warm-up Wednesday (left-overs), Thrifty Thursday (low-cost meals), Pizza Friday…Other folks I know have an Italian night, Breakfast for dinner night, Casseroles, Meatless Monday (or Friday)…find a theme or two and go with it.
• Make it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Just one–you can do that, right?  Ask your family, “Should we have this again?”  If they say ‘yes,’ add it to your notecard pile.  If they say ‘no,’ oh well–you tried something new and fed your family anyway.
• A recent “trend report” suggests 2012 is the year of reinventing comfort foods.  Think: childhood favorites.  Can you find a new twist on meatloaf, pot roast, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravey, Shepards Pie?  Word is that that big-name chefs are looking at making these foods, well…appetizing again and a little more gourmet.

Happy Planning and Happy Eating! 

I have a thing with dressing my kids.  It started slowly and innocently enough when my first daughter was just a baby.  Yo see, I wanted to tame the red mohawk she seemed to be sporting most days of the week.  In fact, we lovingly referred to her as “rooster.”

Arriving the baby section at Target back in those early days of parenthood in search of “baby clips” [for hair], is likely what started my “thing” with dressing my kids.  You see, I carefully would sort through the pile of hair clips in search for the perfect color in which to match her romper, sleeper, or whatever newborn “outfit” I had her in that day.

Fast forward a year or so. I started shopping at Baby Gap in earnest, collecting reciepts in which I could save an additional 20% from the “regularly marked price.”  I made my way to Carter’s, too.  Gap Kids Outlet and now…well, now I have settled mostly on Gymboree. Now that my daughters are almost 7 (going on 25) and 5 years, I would have to agree that they definitely have a say in what goes onto their tiny, perfect, lithe bodies.

But so do I.  After all, I am the one doing the majority of the shopping and footing the bill (well, daddy technically is).  And so, are their teachers in a strange, indirect way.  You see, it is not uncommon for to coordinate their clothing with their curicculum.  Yep, I admit that they go to school sporting outfits (mostly head-to-toe mathing ones) that coordinate with what they are studying at school.

For example, yesterday my preschooler’s calendar read, “Winter animal study: penguins.”  I just happened to take a peek at the upcoming unit that night before tucking her into dreamland.  ”Oh!  I know we have a penguin sweatsuit around here somewhere!  And matching penquin hair clips!,” I sang as we hustled about getting ready for bed.  I layed them out on her dresser.  Satisfied, I smiled and told her she would be the “cutest little penguin at school.”  She grinned from under the covers, out of pleasure or “Oh, my mom is such a dork,” I couldn’t be for sure.

Then my oldest daughter (“rooster”) reminded me, “Hey, we are studying penguins in my class, too.”

“Oh really?”  I scratched my head.  I had already donated her penguin sweatsuit to Good Will; it’s little penquin head was a little torn.  Feeling guilty, I said, “You sure about that?”

She nodded.  “We just started the new unit today.”

I sighed, “Well, let me think about that.”  (Wondering if she was indeed telling me the truth, or perhaps she just wanted an new outfit).

Alas, I found it–the penguin outfit I knew I had purchased awhile back (why are retailers constantly putting clothing out a season or so ahead of time?).  I think I bought the penguin outfit when there were leaves still on the trees, not the frozen tundra habitat in which they are accustomed to living.  The tags were still on them, the outfit in pristine condition ready for a lesson on the ways of of tuxedo-looking birds who don’t fly.

She proudly wore the outfit today, complete with sparkly shoes.  “Now I am all ready to learn about penguins!”

Wonder what I will dress her in when they are studying polynomials or the transformation from liquid to gas? 

And that is what is in my brain today, Thursday January 19, 2012. 

At last evening’s writer’s group, we talked a bit about the how’s and why’s of publishing and just a bit about the process of writing.  Those of you who write know there is a distinct difference.  I was hoping for a little on the process as well, for that is what I am in the midst of–at least for a novel I am taking a stab at.

Here’s what I probably would have added to the discussion: keep a binder.  Yep, a good ol’ 3-ring vinyl binder will do the trick for keeping tabs on your work-in-progress.  Here’s how it works:

• Get a binder
• Throw in some divider tabs
• Label those tabs:  character studies/sketches/arc, rough outline, scenes that come to mind but you aren’t sure yet where they would best fit “scene ideas”, articles/ideas “found” for inspiration, exerpts of your favorite author passages that somehow relate to your work (read over them when you hit a wall), and any other tabs you feel would be necessary for your writing.
• Keep referring to that binder throughout the writing process, add and delete things as you go or as your story evolves.
• You may include magazine photos of the way you think your character looks, her home, her car, her kids–whatever you can draw on to create your best possible work.
• If you think of something really grand while you are going about your real life, jot it down and shove it into the binder (you may like sheet protectors for ease of shoving).

Not only is a binder a great way of organizing all of the elements that make up a complex work like a novel, but it also sort-of-kind-of looks like a book (which, of course is your final goal, right?).  It looks like a book when it leans on the bookcase in your office, or propped up in that corner, doesn’t it?  Go ahead a label the binding with the working title and your name–now you’ve got no excuse.

And that is how you can keep tabs on your work-in-progress.  Write on!

I have been doing a little up-dating of my home decor lately.  And I have fallen in love with these signs/art work called ‘Primitives by Kathy.’http://www.primitivesbykathy.com/.  I love the sayings, I love what they mean and how they make me feel–laughter, complete agreement, thoughtfulness…you name it, you can find a sign to represent a feeling.

So, when I came across this one, I had to purchase it. 

Something about it struck a cord with me.  Maybe it’s the fact that I have young kids, maybe it’s the fact that kids today don’t always know what happiness it about–or maybe adults have sort of forgotten that teaching happiness is just as important as teaching, say compound words and indenting paragraphs.  Regardless, I bought the sign/artwork and have hung it appropriately on a wall with photos and artwork from my children.

Here’s a challenge:  Ask your kids what makes them happy.  Do it tonight at the dinner table.  Is it something tangible?  Something that can be taken away, or is their identification of something that gives happiness more of a deep-seeded sense of worth?  Of family togetherness?  (Hint: If your child responds with “My Nintendo DS,” then it may be time to add a little discussion about happiness to your parenting repretoire).

Another ideas is to have your kiddo make a collage about all of the things that bring him or her happiness.  Cut out pictures of animals, sunsets, the beach, books, hikes, trees, flowers, colors…whatever it may be. You probably don’t have to give much more direction than, “Cut out pictures of things that make you feel happy.”  Then ask your child to discuss those ideas with you.  You may be surprised.

I have a bit of a confession to make:  I have an iPad, but it’s still in the box, unopened.  You see, I wanted one for Christmas.  I even went so far as to ask my parents for it when they asked what I’d like for Christmas, “An iPad for the whole family to use would be nice,” I had said, matter-of-factly.  “Well, that’s a pretty spendy gift,” they responded with.

What I got instead was some cash to apply to the fabulous techy device along with some other items (basset hound p.j.s for one were at the top of my list).  Don’t get me wrong: I am not complaining.  I am much appreciative.

So, one day after Christmas I went toting my Christmas cash to the local Apple store.  “I want an iPad,” I so decisively told the man in the blue tee-shirt.

“Okay!  I can help you with that,” he shuffled me over to the display case where I would find two iPads–one white, the other black.  I told him which I preferred.  He asked what kind of memory I wanted.  I told him I was a middle-of-the-road kind of girl.  I wasn’t interested in a data plan.  The whole transation took less than 10 minutes.  And at least one week to get this far with it.

But the thing is, I KNOW there is so much that can be done with an iPad for kids with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).  I know for a fact because I have seen it at work.  I know because I have heard SLPs rave about the possibilities and the response they get with kids in their practice.

But I am a luddite at heart.  And I don’t like change.  Call me old-fashioned.  I question whether a device can help my kiddos learn to read, or sequence material better.  I wonder if I can’t get the same results with books, games, puzzles…things that don’t require an app or Wi-Fi access.

But, technology is the way of the future.  Technology is sleek, cool, attractive, and not as bulky as say a box of Kaufman cards.  Kids with CAS really can benefit from an iPad and there are a lot of apps available to help with just that.

Here are a few that you and your kiddos may like (recommended to me by family and friends…I still have yet to download myself):

• Spellboard–where you can customize your child’s spelling lists
• Read Flash Cards and Games (a $5 fee) but I hear good things about it
• Simplex Spelling which focuses on sight words and phonics
• Word Wizard
• Phonics Family
• Word Wagon
• Tic-Tac-Talk
• Talking Memory
• Speech Tutor
• ArticPix (pricey, around $30, but quite functional, at least according to one mom I spoke to)

You may also be interested in checking out a website devoted entirely to apps for children with special needs, infact, the website goes by the same moniker, www.a4cwsn.com.  Check it out!

In the meantime, I better unwrap that iPad and get to downloading.

Speaking of Apraxia: A Parents’ Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech by Leslie Lindsay, R.N., B.S.N. is now available for pre-order from Woodbine House!!  (Offically released in March 2012).  Order it now at it’s low, introductory price by following this link:

http://www.woodbinehouse.com/main.asp_Q_product_id_E_978-1-60613-061-2

Putting a little zen in your life can help you become a better parent, right?  (And now why am I not at yoga now??!).  Well, let’s see here…today, being the ominous Friday-the-thirteenth, I have detected a bad vibe.  Or, as one person told me today, “anger in my heart.”  Excuse me?!

I won’t bore you with the details.  (They really aren’t as juicy as I am making them sound).  I think it had to do with a tired, overworked, underappreciated clerk at at local bookstore.  Maybe she was having some bad luck today, and took it out on me?  I don’t really know.  But I do know she was rude and I called her on it by saying, “Um, you are really being unkind to me.”  (wanted to say, “What did I ever do to you b*****?!” but held my tongue).

So, I began reflecting on this “bad vibe” business.  Perhaps it has something to do with not feeling centered/grounded/balanced?  And maybe it was the clerk who  mistreated me who was feeling unbalanced today.

This grounded feeling is relevant to us in all areas of life.  For example, as parents, when we feel grouned, we parent better.  Simple as that.

 Just last evening, I said to my hubby, “I don’t feel like we have really connected with the kids lately…we aren’t doing anything all that enriching.”  He nodded and shrugged as if to say, “You’re right, but I am exhausted.”

So I thought a moment and decided that the whole family would work on coloring a poster-sized piece of art work my 6 1/2 year old drew with pencil but ran out of time to color.  We laid, belly-down on her bedroom floor markers in hand and enjoyed a good 20 minute coloring session.  It was almost therapeutic.

That was just one area of my life–and we all know there are many other areas of life that need balancing, yes?   When our lives are too full, we live on autopilot; just getting through the day–completing tasks and checking them off–and not really living the day.

Here are some ideas from Chicago Parent magazine, November 2010 issue that may help:

1.  Find Silence.  Life is noisy, our homes are too.  Everything from the dog to the cell phone is demanding our attention.  Don’t know what you need?  Maybe it’s because you can’t hear yourself think.  Make yourself a priortity by sitting in silence for some time during the day. I do this first thing in the morning, before even getting out of bed.

2.  Be thoughtful about how you start and end your day.  After lying in bed and gathering my thoughts (gumption?) for the day, I am often greeted by two very busy girls who have gotten into every craft our home owns.  The dog wants to be fed–now–and I am still fumbling around trying to find my faculties. Maybe I need to wake up even earlier?!

3.  Realize what drains you and what gives you energy.  Make a list.  What do you really hate?  How can you make those things better?  You don’t have to do everything perfectly and you don’t have to like everything you do, but something things just have to be done.  Now, make a list of what you love–writing works for me, maybe it’s exercise, reading, watching a movie…yes, it’s okay to do things things, too!  In fact, it’s required.

The best thing you can do for family is to take care of yourself by finding your center.  Inhale all of the good energy and exhale all of the negative.

Now, where’s that yoga mat?!