No trouble here! Your aunt Leah gave you a bubble machine last week and you love it.
This post is for Wordless Wednesdays and if you want to link up or see some really beautiful photographs, visit Alicia at A Beautiful Mess.
Wonders, Mishaps, Blunders and Joy.. commentary on my life as a mom in the form of letters to my son
Posted on Written by Tonya
No trouble here! Your aunt Leah gave you a bubble machine last week and you love it.
This post is for Wordless Wednesdays and if you want to link up or see some really beautiful photographs, visit Alicia at A Beautiful Mess.
Posted on Written by Tonya
Today, Lucas and I spent the afternoon at Kidsville, a wonderful little city made just for children.
My Mommy & Me friend, Jenn told me about Kidsville and I was really excited to check it out, but I had no idea how much fun we were in for.
The place is huge and it is a child’s heaven. There’s a play kitchen, grocery store, school house, fire station, pet shop, castle, hospital, tons of toys, slides and tyke-size vehicles.
What a great way to keep cool, tire out the my little monkey and keep him safe while he explores, plays and makes new friends.
There is a $10 fee for a one day admission or $65 for a three month pass. Talk about a great deal!
File this under ‘I wish I had thought of that’.
The best is yet to be.
Posted on Written by Tonya
My parents have been on my mind all day.
It’s always the milestone days that get me.
Today would have been their 41st wedding anniversary.
Theirs was a perfect match. Where he was weak, she was strong and vice versa. I don’t remember them ever fighting about anything.
Ever.
Honestly.
There were never any slamming doors or my waking up to loud yelling in the middle of the night. They were both very level headed and freakishly calm. They were educators. They knew how to talk and they knew how to listen.
Sure, there were disagreements, but they never lasted very long and I couldn’t tell you what they were about. Perhaps they sheltered me from their arguments, but it seemed as though they knew the fine art of compromise and what ever came their way, they worked together…beautifully.
They were a couple to emulate and I wish that they were still here to celebrate today.
Here’s to you, Mom and Dad.
The best is yet to be.
Posted on Written by Tonya
People in San Diego are understandably enraged and confused: a convicted sex offender (who, in the past, had beaten and raped young girls and got only five years in prison) was let out on parole…to rape and kill a young woman again.
This is a heartbreaking story and I, too am outraged and very scared for my child’s safety.
Thousands Gather to Mourn Chelsea King
Outpouring of Grief Revitalizes Shaken Community at Teen’s Memorial Service
By Lisa Fletcher
POWAY, Calif., March 13, 2010
More than 6,000 mourners held sunflowers tied with blue ribbons as they said goodbye to Chelsea King, the straight-A student and cross-country runner who was known for her kindness and compassion.
“She was a person who brought sunshine and light to school every day,” said Dakota Douglas, Chelsea’s friend and cross-country teammate. “She was an incredible person, was nice to everyone. I just can’t believe that she’s gone. School’s not the same without her.”
King, known for her gentle spirit, helped plan a prom for developmentally disabled kids, packed relief boxes for those in need in Africa and served as a peer counselor at her school.
During the memorial, a giant monitor over the high school football field reminisced of happier days — Chelsea laughing with her friends, loving life. The school band filled the air with music; Chelsea had played the French horn in the band.
As everyone grieved, there was a message of hope. This strongly Christian community praying together that something good would ultimately come from something tragic, that laws would change, eyes would be opened and accountability would be had.
Chelsea went missing while running in a Rancho Bernardo park last month, just outside of San Diego. Thousands in this close-knit community turned out to search for her. Volunteers passed out flyers by the thousands and tied blue ribbons on trees across the city to remind people she was missing.
This community is now turning that same energy into demands for change — outraged that a paroled sex offender may have slipped through bureaucratic cracks.
“This is just an assault to everybody’s child,” said Christy Georgedes, as she choked back tears. “I’ve got three daughters and she’s my fourth daughter, and this is going to stop! So we’re going to show our love today but after that, beware. You just watch how powerful things are going to get.”
Parents we spoke with say they will do anything within their power to change the laws if necessary, but most of all they will demand accountability from those whose job it is to track the whereabouts of convicted predators.
Police arrested convicted sex offender John Gardner three days after Chelsea’s disappearance. Two days later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave.
Terri Francy, who has kids at Poway High School, told us this community won’t stop until families have the protection they deserve.
“Seven times that he [Gardner] violated parole and had they got him, had they put him behind bars where he should have been, then he wouldn’t have been out there to commit this crime,” Francy said. “I hate to live in the ‘what ifs’ and ‘it shouldn’t have happened,’ but it’s true. It shouldn’t have happened. We want to stop it now.”
It is unclear whether Gardner violated his parole or whether the state didn’t properly track him. But enough questions have been raised that on Friday, Gov. Schwarzenegger ordered a probe into the way the state handled Gardner’s case.
Officials say that Gardner, who’s now charged in Chelsea’s death, is also the focus in the murder investigation of 14-year-old Amber DuBois, whose body was found in a neighboring community last Saturday.
Gardner was released early from prison in 2005, after molesting a 13-year-old girl.
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My friend Wendi sent me a link to the Web site Family Watchdog and I was shocked to find that there are 15 (!!) registered sex offenders within a five mile radius of my house!
As a parent, it is our job to keep our children safe. We have to do our best to prepare them in case they are ever in danger or threatened in any way. I have a nine month old and I’m already thinking about this stuff!
I’m afraid these days, it goes a lot further than “Don’t talk to strangers” and “Look both ways before crossing the street”. There’s Internet stalking, identity theft, bullying, child predators in our parks and playgrounds, child abductors, substance abuse, etc., etc., etc. How do I teach my son to be safe without frightening him? It’s enough to make you want to put a GPS tracking device in your child!
A parent should never ever ever have to bury a child. My heart goes out to the parents of Chelsea King. May they find peace.
The best is yet to be.
Day 20/100
Posted on Written by Tonya
Every now and then I forget the words to popular nursery rhymes and children’s songs. I make them up as I go and end up sounding completely ridiculous. I hope I’m not the only mom that does this!?! I suppose it shouldn’t matter because I know you just like to hear me sing, at least I think you do. But I can tell you are growing weary of hearing the ABC’s and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for the thousandth time. “You Are My Sunshine” is still good for a few rounds, but soon I even start to get sick of it.
In an effort to expand my children’s song book repertoire, I finally downloaded a favorite nursery rhyme CD from iTunes, aptly titled “Favorite Nursery Rhymes”. Go figure! It is chocked full of good stuff, including; “This Old Man”, “The Farmer in the Dell” and “Old King Cole”, along with 15 other old familiar tunes.
In my quest to find new music and lyrics, I found this interesting article about the true meaning behind some of these childhood favorites. Brace yourself!
Songs of Death and Destruction
Nursery rhyme lyrics sound like sugar and spice and everything nice, but many have real meanings that would send children into therapy for the rest of their lives. These seemingly innocent lyrics actually conceal nightmarish stories about beheadings, the black plague, and war. They’ve traditionally been passed down from generation to generation, and, even though it’s good to be honest with children, in the case of these lyrics, the old adage, “What they don’t know can’t hurt them,” holds true. But just for adults, here are the disturbingly real meanings of nursery rhyme lyrics you sang as a kid:
“Ring Around the Rosy”
Remember holding hands with your friends, giggling and happily skipping in a circle while singing these lyrics, “Ring around the rosy/A pocket full of posies/Ashes, ashes/We all fall down?” Well, guess what? You were singing about the bubonic plague that devastated London in the 17th century! The “ring around the rosy” lyrics describe the rosy red, ringlike rash that plague victims developed. Thinking that the plague was carried by bad odors, people kept sweet-scented posies in their pockets. The lyrics “we all fall down” and “ashes, ashes” refer to the countless deaths from the disease, and the burning of victims’ bodies.
“Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”
The sweet-sounding lyrics, “Mary, Mary, quite contrary/How does your garden grow?/With silver bells and cockle shells/And pretty maids all in a row” actually refer to the gruesome reign of England’s Queen Mary Tudor, known as “Bloody Mary.” A devout Catholic, Mary demanded the torture or execution of countless Protestants. The lyrics’ “silver bells” refer to thumbscrews, the “cockle shells” refer to torture devices fastened to the genitals, and the “maids” refer to a beheading contraption called the “Maiden,” that was used before the invention of the guillotine. You just might think twice next time you feel like ordering a Bloody Mary!
“Rain, Rain, Go Away”
The singsong lyrics, “Rain, rain go away/Come again some other day” are actually about Spain’s attempt to wage war against England by sea in 1588. The mighty Spanish Armada set sail with a fleet of more than 130 ships. But heavy rain, which inspired the lyrics, “Rain, rain go away,” and speedy English vessels defeated the Spanish attackers and crippled their fleet, leaving them with a mere 65 ships.
“London Bridge”
Aside from its well-known lyrics, “London Bridge is falling down/Falling down, falling down/London Bridge is falling down/My fair lady,” are stanzas set to a cheery tune describing disaster after disaster endured by the famous bridge throughout history. The lyrics detail how the bridge was first cobbled together with wood and clay, which “will wash away.” In the 980s, invading Vikings completely demolished the bridge. It was rebuilt, only to be destroyed by a tornado in 1091. The bridge was ravaged by fire numerous times, including 1666’s Great Fire of London, which attacked its arches and foundations.
This ditty, however, has nothing to do with Fergie’s version of “London Bridge,” and its suggestive lyrics, “How come every time you come around/My London, London Bridge wanna go down,” which probably shouldn’t be explained to children, either!
Good to know!
The best is yet to be.
Day 13/100
Posted on Written by Tonya
Most people are shocked to learn that every single day, without fail I text a photo of you to your grandparents, aunts and dad. It’s not a big deal and it’s my little way of making them feel close to you, even when they are far away.
Here are a few of my recent favorites:
If you give a mom a camera, inevitably it’s because you are as cute as a bug and she’ll want to snap your photo and share it with the world.
I love my little boy!
The best is yet to be.