From Susan Merrill
The Blog
Lingerie For Children?
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Read Post →Techy Tuesday: An App To Get You Back In The Loop
I am, sadly, out of the loop. Or at least I was out of the loop until I downloaded this free iPad app from Bing. I originally read about this app on Cool Mom Tech. I fell in love with this app when I saw what it could do for me on the video below. You see, I have had several awkward moments of ignorance. The most recent left my friends totally dumbfounded at my lack of awareness for the world in which I reside. The sad reality of my life is that I work, I take care of my family and I really don’t have time to watch TV or read the paper. Bing brings the world to my fingertips so fast that even I have time for it. If you have an iPad delay no more you will love this!
Read Post →The Overactive Child
When we adopted Grant he was already 9 nine years old. We hadn’t had him for 9 days when I realized I had adopted the only Tasmanian Devil from Siberia. Grant never went to school, he lived in a village in Siberia and pretty much had always done what he wanted, when he wanted. This meant that he was used to bouncing around like a ping pong ball at every hour of the day AND night. The overactive Grant hit the limit at about month three into the adoption. It was Christmas break. All the kids were home all day. In Florida, that means playing outside. Grant was out of control. My kids weren’t the only ones complaining. He was driving the whole neighborhood crazy. And so the day came when he hit the captain of our high school football team (our neighbor) in the face with a broom (he was 3 times the size of Grant). When you get a call that your son is being abusive from the mother of a defensive lineman you can’t ignore that you have a serious problem.
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5 Ways To Help the Active Child Sit Still
The Merrill family is not the best at sitting still. Not all of us are wiggle worms but we do have our fair share. When the children were younger, learning to sit still was a necessity for us for several reasons. We have a big family and if all five of the children were wiggling it really caused a commotion. We also went to church, a lot of extended family dinners, and banquets and if my children weren’t behaving, no one around us, including me, could concentrate. Trial and error led to these tricks I learned to ensure we would sit still as best we could. No child or family is perfect, especially mine but these steps did help. Here they are — the 5 ways the help the active child sit still.
Read Post →What’s Your Deepest, Darkest Mom Secret? I Confess…
Today.com did a survey of 26,000 moms asking their deepest darkest secrets (about parenting). The confessions were all over the board from giving their child medication so they can have peace and quiet to being lonely. Being a mom can be overwhelming, lonely, and full of fearful anxiety. Knowing that all moms have feelings like these can bring perspective. Many of these secrets come from guilty feelings that we are not doing all we should for our children. There is great hope in that! If we didn’t care we wouldn’t feel guilty! So, today, I will bring my deepest darkest secrets of motherhood out into the light and celebrate the fact that I care deeply for my children. And I hope you will share yours so we can celebrate together! My mom secrets are…
Read Post →3 Ways To Control Back To School Spending
Every August I used to get a little sick to my stomach every time I had to swipe that credit card. It literally felt hot sometimes. My credit card was on fire and it wasn’t even Christmas, it was back to school spending. And it seemed to grow in dollars congruent to the inches my children grew every year. A couple of factors came in to play – the number of children I had in school and my girls growing desire for more cute school supplies and fashionable attire. A plan was called for and so here are 3 ways I learned to control back to school spending: Needs Assessment – Child by child I go through their closets and figure out what is worn out, what is outgrown and can be handed down, and what is missing. Then we make a working list for each child based on what they need. Item Limits – I itemize what I will buy. For example I will buy everyone 1 pair of new tennis shoes, 3 school outfits, etc. Sometimes different children need more or less. Anything else they want is outside my spending boundary and must be purchased with their money. Dollar Limits …
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Techy Tuesday: An App That Finds 2 Things I Love – My Phone & My Children
If you are like me and you think you have early-onset Alzheimer’s (not kidding, I just read the book Still Alice and it convinced me that I have Alzheimer’s) then you are often losing things like your phone, keys, sunglasses and children. Yes, children, as they get older they are always on the go, go, go. How many times have you thought, “Where is _____? She should have been home by now.” Then you call or text her to find out. When you receive no answer you sink into a frenzy of escalating worry as the clock ticks by. Or worse, you can’t even call your child to find out where she is because you can’t find your phone! Wonder no more, search no more because there is a solution for finding the 2 things I love most, in the list of things I lose, my children and my phone. The solution only works if you and your child both have an iPhone. If you and they do, you will love this app. It is free. You simply download Find My iPhone and install it on your phone, your child’s phone and your computer. Whenever you need to find your child (provided …
Read Post →Discouraging Words We Say to Our Children
I know without a doubt there are defining moments in my life when God is purposely trying to show me my faults. I know He does this because as a mom my errors have a huge impact on my children. This example is like a waving red flag in my mind. It is a living picture that reminds me of how easily I can discourage my children with my off-handed remarks. I am a busy mom and I tend to think outside my head. So one day, a package that my girls had anxiously been waiting for came in the mail. In it were two matching flower girl dresses. My sister was getting married and my children were in the wedding – big excitement. My sister had had the girls dresses made and sent to us. My son’s little velvet suit I had purchased. We tore open the box and ran upstairs to try them on…
Read Post →5 Ways I Am A Prehistoric Parent (Parentosaurus)
I am a Parentosaurus. Yep, that’s me on the right, daughter on the left. I am coming out of the closet and it feels great. I want everyone to know that you can be a mom with prehistoric values and still be loved by your children. You may not be their friend, they may seem to hate you at times, but in the end they will benefit and they will thank you. Yep, I have two so far that have thanked me. Sigh, joy, tears… Here are 5 ways my children have accused me of being prehistoric:
Read Post →Stay Informed
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