Happy Mother’s Day!

www.hellasmultimedia.com

What makes a Mom a great Mom?

1. She puts her kids first (without the guilt).
2. She also takes care of herself.
3. She is self-confident.
4. She is giving to others as well.
5. She laughs a lot.
6. She can laugh at herself.
7. She is patient.
8. She is forgiving and accepting.
9. She is reliable.
10. She has a good work ethic.
11. She keeps her home as organized and clean as possible.
12. She sets out to avoid the mistakes her parents made.
13. She encourages the love of reading from day one of her child’s life.
14. She encourages her children to be curious.
15. She encourages creativity.
16. She supports their interests.
17. She provides a calm, n0n-chaotic home life for her children.
18. She makes sure her children feel safe.
19. She constantly shows them affection with hugs and words.
20. She makes her children feel special.
21. She praises her children when she should.
22. She sets a good example for her children. (Practices what she preaches.)
23. She provides healthy food and a healthy active lifestyle for her children.
24. She teaches her children to choose their friends wisely.
25. She is helpful to her children (without the guilt).
26. She spends quality time with her children in all stages of their lives.
27. She disciplines her children consistently with love.
28. She lets her children know there are consequences for their actions, both good and bad.
29. She does not spoil her children (in the sense that they become monsters.)
30. She does not teach her children to be materialistic.
31. She does not lie to them to protect them from life.
32. She does not criticize or belittle her children.
33. She encourages her children to talk to her about what is on their minds.
34. She knows when her children have something bothering them.
35. She knows when her children are not being honest.
36. She teaches her children to stand up for themselves.
37. She does not compete with her children.
38. She does not compare her children to others or expect them to be like others.
39. She fully respects her children.
40. She is understanding and fair.
41. She has realistic expectations.
42. She teaches her children to be independent.
43. She does not try to control her children.
44. She lets her children think for themselves.
45. She does not teach her children to be miserably competitive.
46. She does not expect her children to be perfect.
47. She accepts that she will make some parenting mistakes.
48. She worries about her children.
49. She wants her children to be happy and healthy.
50. She loves them unconditionally and equally.

© 2010 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

Click here to read last week’s comic.

1. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Dr. Suess
3. When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” Erma Bombeck
4. I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.  Jim Carrey
5. If you are going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill
6. I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine. Ayn Rand
7. Courage is grace under pressure. Ernest Hemingway
8. It is better to be young in your failures than old in your successes. Flannery O’Connor
9. The more things you do, the more you can do. Lucille Ball
10. I’d asked around 10 or 15 people for suggestions. Finally one lady friend asked the right question, ‘Well, what do you love most?’ That’s how I started painting money. Andy Warhol

http://classroomclipart.com

1. Great men are seldom over-scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire. Charles Dickens
2. If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint. Edward Hopper
3. Don’t get too comfortable with who you are at any given time – you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be. Jon Bon Jovi
4. Good things happen when you meet strangers. Yo Yo Ma
5. I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. JD Salinger
6. It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ee Cimmings
7. It’s better to burn out than it is to rust. Neil Young
8. Better to be without logic than without feeling. Charlotte Bronte
9. Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. Edgar Allan Poe
10. I have a perfect cure for a sore throat: cut it. Alfred Hitchcock
    

I know it isn’t the healthiest activity, but I’ve been thinking lately about some things I’d do differently only if I could go back in time. To make this a little more positive, I also asked myself what I am most proud of accomplishing. Try this out for yourself….

How would you finish these sentences?:

1. If only I could go back to high school, this time I would ______.
2. I’m most proud of ______ during my high school years.
3. If only I could go back to college or go for the first time I would ______.
4. I’m most proud of ______ during my college years or my early 20s.
5. If only I had known then when my child was born, what I know now I would have ______.
6. I am most proud of my parenting for ______.
7. If only I could have chosen a different carer path I would have ______.
8. I am most proud of the work I did ______.
9. If only I hadn’t quit ______, by now I’d be a master.
10. I am most proud of my commitment to ______.

Although it is not productive to concentrate solely upon what you’d do differently if you could go back in time, this is a good mind exercise to help you plan your future goals (no matter what your age). Mistakes are what make us stronger individuals, because that’s how we best learn. (How cliche is that?)

Now that you’ve answered the above questions, think about the expectations you have for your children. Are these expectations what you wish you had for yourself when you were your child’s age? Are they realistic?

Just something to think about.

My answers:

1. …apply myself and snap out of the bad attitude.
2. …helping my Mom take care of my younger brother after my Father died.
3. …embrace all that the campus had to offer by getting more involved in the myriad of activities available to students.
4. …sticking to it, finishing in 4 years and finding a job right away.
5. …not worried so much about the little things.
6. …allowing my child to think for herself, know she is respected and grow into a self-confident adult.
7. …been a forensic pathologist or an entomologist.
8. …writing a book and speaking to students.
9. …speaking and writing French (which I have since completely forgotten).
10. …my family and personal fitness.

© 2010 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

Click here for last week’s comic.

My husband and his friend took an overnight kayaking trip around the 10,000 Islands area on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, part of  Everglades National Park. Here he is to tell you a bit about the adventure . . .

Everglades National Park is possibly the most misunderstood park in the country. Most people think it’s just a swamp; full of snakes and alligators. . .  a “river of grass”. But it’s a lot more. It’s also huge bodies of water. Islands. Birds. Saltwater. Fresh water. Land. Sand. Mangroves. Deer. Orchids. Sharks. Crocodiles. Mystery. History.

In a few paddle strokes, you leave civilization behind and enter a world where nature is on full display. As Mike and I paddled along, we heard birds screeching at each other. From around an island, an osprey flew straight toward us, frantically clutching a fish for lunch. Right behind him, a majestic bald eagle chased the osprey, causing him to drop his fish in the water. The eagle swooped down and grabbed the fish from the water and flew off. Then the osprey turned and pursued the eagle. Some type of game of survival tag.

At night, as we camped on a beach in the Gulf of Mexico (Picnic Key), all we could hear were crickets chirping, waves lapping, birds calling and the breeze whistling. The stars wheeled overhead and the almost full moon rose in the sky. The campfire, dutifully placed below the high tide line, crackled and sparked. As we sat there in silence, drinking cans of Coke Zero, we noticed a boat speed into an inlet next to the island. Shortly after, we were greeted by a flashlight wielding, gun packing Park Ranger. “Do you have your permit?” yes, of course, it’s right there on the tent. “That’s an awfully big tent, are you sure there’s only 2 of you? It says here there’s supposed to be two of you”. yes, there’s only two of us, we’re close friends, but not THAT close. we need our space. “I see you put your campfire below the high tide line… that’s good. I had to yell at some other people tonight and believe me, if they don’t put the fire in the right place tomorrow night, they’re going to get fined.” yes, sir, that only seems fair. “Well, you boys have a good night. You know about the tides and whatnot?” yes, we do. we have the tide schedule and we subtract an hour and a half from these times. “OK, good night. Be safe. Watch out for raccoons.”  OK, so maybe we didn’t leave civilization so far behind after all.

I reviewed a really unique, clever and thought provoking book for kids. Really, Really Big Questions: About Life, the Universe and Everything, by Dr. Stephen Law.  It is funny, and everyone in your family will enjoy it!. Read the review here.

Google is having another great art contest for kids K-12th grade.

If I could Anything I would . . . Read all about it here.

We’re still getting a ton of views on our own contest page. If you haven’t read our “I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!” winning entries and looked at the great artwork, click here now.

Despite the relentless, cold S FL temps, my organic tomato plants survived. The plants look a bit drab, but the tomatoes themselves survived. We’ll see if the plants bounce back with the warm temps we now have. All seeds came from Tomato Fest Take a look . . .

Arkansas Marvel almost 1.5 lbs!

Arkansas Marvel close up. Cannot wait until it is ripe!

Beefsteak – so delicious!

1st harvest in different phases of ripeness

1. Rand McNally’s Online Store – Go here for maps, globes, atlases, GPS, gifts for kids and more. My favorite geography store!
2. The national Geographic Store – There are kids items, clothing, personalized gifts, DVDs, books, maps and more.
3. Travel Smith – They have the best clothes, accessories and luggage for traveling.
4. Discovery Channel Store - This place has the best educational toys and gadgets that have to do with our planet.
5. Magellan’s – Here you’ll find everything you may need for your next trip from travel accessories to rain gear and from shoes to money belts.
6. 1 World Globes – You won’t believe how many globes they have here!
7. Garmin – They make the best GPS systems, and many are affordable now.
8. Dolls Like Me – Multicultural dolls, toys and games.

We use so many Shakespeare cliches, and many times we aren’t even aware that these sayings came from his works. Do you think about Will when you are using these?

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart

1. Parting is such sweet sorrow (Romeo and Juliet)
2. Nothing can come of nothing (King Lear)
3. Method in the madness (Hamlet)
4. The world’s mine (my) oyster (Merry Wives of Windsor)
5. I am constant as the Norther Star (Julius Caesar)
6. The green eyed monster (Othello)
7. A pound of flesh (Merchant of Venice)
8. Cruel to be kind (Hamlet)
9. Double double toil and trouble (Macbeth)
10. Good riddance (Trolius and Cressida)
11. He hath eaten me out of house and home (Henry the Fourth)
12. I will wear my heart upon my sleeve (Othello)
13. Knock knock, who’s there? (Macbeth)
14. Masters of their fate (Julius Caesar)
15. One fell swoop (Macbeth)
16. Pomp and circumstance (Othello)
17. Strange bedfellows (The Tempest)
18. The be all and the end all
19. To be or not to be (Hamlet)
20. To thine own self be true (Hamlet)
21. Too much of a good thing (As You Like It)
22. We have seen better days (As You Like It)

If you did not have immense respect for Shakespeare before, perhaps you do now. And these are but a few of hundreds of famous quotes from the works of this literary master of the 16th century.

Source: http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/