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There are teachers, and then there are educators...

According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror. There are teachers, and then there are educators...
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Hubby saves the day, sort of

This morning my sister and her husband were leaving my house when my brother-in-law tells me "There's a snake under your steps". Of course I just knew he was tricking me because he does that sort of thing all the time. Well, sure enough I could see the body of this snake slithering (I am freaking out at the moment) under my front deck. I instantly call my husband from my cell phone and he ran out to investigate. He goes and grabs a rake (I guess he must have not seen the shovel) and goes on a mission... he had beads of sweat dripping from his forehead... Next thing you know he starts to pretend that he is the Crocodile Hunter!! LOL!! I think his poor acting skills scared the snake away. Of course I will let him think it was his 'manliness' that did the trick! As it turns out, it was just a common garden snake, still a snake though!!
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Do you like arcade games?

Remember the old Pac-Man and Frogger games you played when you were a kid (or still do)? You have to check out the links under the "Just for Fun" tab. Moms, if you are at work I suggest you turn the volume all the way down! Don't let the kids catch you playing cause then you might have to share! Have fun!!!
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Russell Simmons, Honorable Mention


I was reading an article online this morning about Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. He said that the recording industry should ban the use of extrememly bad words in music. Yes, there's that old 'Freedom of Speech' thing, but when you are using vulgar words in every other phrase, there is a big problem especially to moms. We care about what our children listen to and unfortunately we can't be there to monitor every second of the day of our childrens' lives. Every time you turn your car radio on, there is a catchy and popular song on that you even find yourself listening to, but when the kids are in the car you change the station because of the suggestive words. I truly hope that Russell Simmons will be able to use his status to bring results. Sadly, we live in a world that obscene language and behavior is acceptable by society. Check the full story out here.
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Women after Five Event

Don't forget the upcoming event for Sistercare of the Midlands/ Women after Five 14th Annual Silent Auction & Reception. It will be located at Troncos at the Fairgrounds on May 8, 2007 from 5:30-8:00 pm. There is a $50 donation to attend the event. There will be a huge array of items to bid on such as salon packages, restaurant certificates, vacation packages, pottery, antiques and countless other items from local businesses and individuals. The Guest Speaker will be Laurie LeGrand (domestic violence survivor). There will be Hors D'oeuvres, soft drinks, beer and wine served throughout the event. All donations should be be sent to Women after Five/ SisterCare c/o Mrs. Claudia Maloney P.O. Box 1029, Columbia, SC 29201 or call (803)926-0505. Please be sure to mention that you heard about this event through Momfiles.com by dropping a note along with your donation. This is such a great cause and if you can't make it to the event, consider making a donation.
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Parent vs Non-Parent

Isn't it funny when your friends or family (that are not parents) often think you are too hard on your children? I often go through it with the 'non-parent'. I assure them that their views will change when they have their own children and I usually get "No, I will never be as mean a mom as you are!". I specifically remember about 10 years ago, one of my dearest friends (non-parent at that time) saw my older child fall and I did not run to console her. My friend started the whole "Aww, poor baby!". I would tell her that I do not pity the child unless she is bleeding or dying (you know what I mean). She thought I was the most horrible person in the whole world. Well, she had her first child 3 years ago and guess what? I go to her house and watch the child bump into the wall or fall on the floor and what do you think she does? She says, "shhh, don't pay any attention to her". How funny!! The same person that was ready to grab my child in her arms and baby her now won't do that for her own child! It is amazing that your mind changes so much when you become a parent.
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Embarassing your kids-The Right of Parents

This morning my younger daughter went on a school field study to Charleston, SC to the Cooper River Bridge and The Citadel. Since she was going a whole two hours away from home and would be gone all day, my husband and I thought we would be the good parents (since neither of us could attend) to take her to the pick up site to see her off. Her dad gets a little crazy with the camera and takes video clips as well as photos of all the kids and their families. As you can see on the photo to the left, she was making the mad dash to dodge her dad, the camera man!

After dropping the first child off we then took our middle school aged daughter to school. Her dad decides to jump out of the driver's seat (in the crowded carpool line) and pose for a photo. My poor child was so embarrassed since everyone was staring. It was pretty funny I have to admit. It is sort of cute now that I look at the photo- the children were asked to wear burgundy or orange to show remembrance for those that passed away in the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech. Look at that, dad and daughter wearing those very colors. SO sweet! I always said I would never embarrass my own children when I was a kid but it's just too much fun!!
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Moms kicking butt

My kids attend karate classes at Genova Family Karate and are first degree black belts as well as junior helpers. A couple of the moms that have children that take classes have recently started taking the adult karate class. We usually take a brisk walk around the track together(located around the building of the karate studio) and chat about 'mom stuff' while getting our exercise on. Of course they have been nagging me to join the class with them. My kids and hubby found out and they won't stop bugging me to join as well. Great, now if I do not at least try it out I will be a bad mom especially during those times I am encouraging the family to"try something new, you might like it!". I tell you, mothering sure can backfire on you when you least expect it! I have decided to try it out soon. I will let you all know how it worked out!
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Scrapbooking


My younger sister (2 years) and I started scrap booking recently. Okay, I lied. I started 2 years ago but lost motivation after the first couple pages. It seemed like fun when I started out buying all the cute paper, stickers, cutouts and all the other supplies you need. Then I lost interest for some time. Well, my sister relocated to Columbia from Atlanta a couple months ago and mentioned an interest in starting scrap booking as a hobby. We went out and purchased a few things and had zero motivation. Finally last night we actually sat down and worked on it (of course after a couple purchases from the craft store). We had so much fun!! I can't wait to do some more tonight. If anyone has any ideas to share please email me some photos of your work. Maybe I can steal some good ideas!
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Interview: Kathy Shaw- Sistercare

I have had several moms inquiring about an upcoming event for Sistercare of the Midlands/ Women after Five 14th Annual Silent Auction & Reception. On Thursday, April 12th, I was privileged to have a phone interview with Kathleen Shaw, Development Director for Sistercare, Inc. For those of you that are not familiar with Sistercare here is some information: Sistercare is a program of services for battered women and their children residing in Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, and Richland counties in South Carolina. Sistercare, Inc has been around for about 25 years. 60% of women In Sistercare's THREE SHELTERS are mothers with their children. In 2006 Sistercare assisted 4,466 victims of domestic violence. Of this number 663 were provided safe shelter. Of the 663, 275 were children with their mothers. They have a 24-hour crisis line that operates 7 days a week 803-765-9428 or toll free 800-637-7606. Ms. Shaw stressed the urgency of educating the public about domestic violence because it is a far larger problem than most people realize. Sistercare receives financial support from individuals, businesses, civic and faith organizations in order to continue serving our community.


The Women after Five Silent Auction & Reception was started 14 years ago. The success of this event continues to be of great benefit for helping Sistercare meet their financial goals.This year's event will be held at Troncos at the Fairgrounds on May 8, 2007 from 5:30-8:00 pm. There is a $50 donation to attend the event. There will be a huge array of items to bid on such as salon packages, restaurant certificates, vacation packages, pottery, antiques and countless other items from local businesses and individuals. The Guest Speaker will be Laurie LeGrand (domestic violence survivor). There will be Hors D'oeuvres, soft drinks, beer and wine served throughout the event. All donations should be be sent to Women after Five/ SisterCare c/o Mrs. Claudia Maloney P.O. Box 1029, Columbia, SC 29201 or call (803)926-0505. Please be sure to mention that you heard about this event through Momfiles.com by dropping a note along with your donation. Momfiles will actively promote all Sistercare events so please check back often for updates.
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Are you smarter than a fifth grader?



I was observing my kids and their best friend playing a game of "Scene It Jr" the other day and could not help but get sucked in. This game is a DVD interactive board game that asks questions pertaining to a variety of TV shows, movies, commercials, etc... Keep in mind that this game is for ages 8 and up. I guess I fit in the "and up" category and decided to see if I could find the answers to these kiddie questions. I truly realized that I was not as smart as I thought! The girls were coming up with the answers quicker than I could absorb the question or puzzle. Let's just say if I were actually playing, more than likely I would be stuck someplace between 'start' and maybe four or five spaces!

Note to self: Never think you can outsmart a kid!
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Don't call me "Baby"!

I was strolling through the grocery store the other day with my daughters doing a little shopping for snacks for the week. We were having to dodge other carts because the store was very crowded (Spring Break week). We see one of the store managers and decide to say hello like we always do. He was having a conversation with a couple other men and pauses to speak to me. I was thinking he would say "Hello, I hope you found everything you needed" or "have a nice day". Instead he says "Hey Baby, how ya doing?" I was annoyed. I just do not understand why men think it is okay to call a woman baby, baby girl, sweetheart, etc... Maybe I am overreacting but I think it is rude to assume a woman that you have no romantic or personal relationship with likes to be called such names. I am sure he meant no harm but this seems to happen everywhere I go. You should see my girl's faces!! I could just hear the "oooohhh! I'm telling daddy!!!"
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NBA star sells affordable shoes


NBA star Stephon Marbury has put out a line of athletic shoes made by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear called the 'Starbury' with the a price tag of $15. Yes, that's right quality shoes that any mom can afford! Marbury grew up in a family of six siblings and had to wear hand-me-downs for most of his childhood. Of course when you are a child you want to wear the shoes that are in style. Marbury feels that all children should have the chance to wear designer shoes and that parents should not have to fork over a small fortune to give it to them. Now I think that is pretty cool and these days it is very rare that you can find a decent pair of sneakers for such a small price. Marbury gets a little bit of smack talk from other players, but right now he is a hero for moms across the US! He did not get paid up front for the product but will receive royalties for each pair sold. Now your kids can have the cool pair of shoes and moms can have the cool price tag!
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Mother and daughter


I was at the post office this morning patiently waiting in line to ship a package. I glanced over and noticed a cute little girl (probably about 3 years old) and her equally cute little mom. The mom was filling out a paper while her daughter was squirming around chatting to herself. She had one of those disposable cameras in her hand and was obviously trying to figure out how to take a photo. She was pressing the button but it just would not do anything. Her mom glanced down for a moment and decided to rewind the camera for her child and handed it back to her. The child then aims at her mom and her mom smiles really big and there it went...FLASH! The little girl cheered and smiled and everyone around them did the same. It was so sweet the way this mother and daughter looked at each other. I bet that photo will come out really nice! Well, maybe half of mom's head will be chopped off but I think it will be one of those precious shots you will always remember!
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Tempting "Teen-sized" Booze



I was reading an article online this weekend and came accross a new product made by Anheuser-Busch called 'Spykes'. If you look at the photo to the right, it almost looks like cute bottles of nail polish, right? It is a malt beverage with 12% alcohol (like wine) and comes in 4 attractive flavors with caffieine and herbs. The beverage is being marketed as a flavor boost to beer and other drinks and being "the perfect shot". With prom time nearing, some health advocates and law enforcement are viewing it as being a hazard for teens since it is so small in size, it can easily be slipped into purses or pockets to conceal it. Also the retail is about 75 cents to 1 dollar making it more affordable for teens to get their hands on some.
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