Tardiness troubles me

I am a stickler for being on time. I don't think there are more than a few instances that I have actually been late (with good reason). Even being 1 minute over the time I am supposed to be somewhere puts me in that "late" category. That would bother me. I take time to prepare myself even for the smallest event to ensure that I am at least 5-10 minutes early. I am the example to my children so I have pounded into them the importance of being on time. They know that being late is a sign of disrespect and shows others that you do not care to be there. The girls are very diligent about preparing for the next day and their nerves go awry at the thought of being late. Punctual parents make punctual kids. I know some people, actually a lot of people who almost brag about how late they are running on a daily basis. If you know you have some place to be at a specific time (well in advance) then what is the excuse? Our kids watch us closely...

Daddy does not play! The importance of strong fathers

Today Dwayne and I took William out with us to run a few errands. One of our stops was by my father-in-law's house. Dwayne let William run around a little in the front yard (it's one of those streets that very few cars drive through). Dwayne's dad had a pile of yard debris including some old wooden boards and it was on a part of the front yard that is on a slope. This was a dangerous area for the little guy to be around so we had to keep a good eye on him. Of course William had to try running over that way and I am screaming for him to stop and he is laughing the whole way over there. Dwayne then does this simple sound like he's clearing his throat loudly and Will stops dead in his tracks. Smile is gone. He slowly walks away from the danger zone. See William knows he can sort of charm his way a bit with me and the big sisters but when it comes to daddy, no way. It ain't happening. Dwayne says that fathers have to "Put the fear of God" in a child to keep them in check. He also says there has to be a line drawn out that they should know they are not to cross. I think we have a pretty good balance between the two of us so hopefully we will have a great experience raising this little boy. I truly believe that strong fathers are such an important part in a child's development. I'm also glad that I can use Dwayne when William gets out of line. It worked like a charm with the girls so we will see what happens with William :)

Glad there was no technology in my days of school

I was driving home this morning after dropping the girls off to school and thought about what school is like in this time and how different it is from my days. Back in my time when report cards came out I would buy myself a good few days to a week before I showed my parents mine. I would hope that none of the other people they worked with would mention that their kids got their report cards. That would be some very stressful days for me! Now in my kids' time, we can read the big flashing sign in front of the school that tells you the exact day report cards come out. You also get an automated call from your principal reminding you about report card day. I must not forget the lovely email reminder as well. Poor kids, they couldn't get away with what some of us could back in the day!

Another great parent tool we have is Parent Portal. This would vary depending on your district but it is a website that you can sign into to check your kids grades, absences and tardies. I have even set up to get emails each time teachers update my child's record with any information. This really keeps you informed and is a great deterrent for if they even think about cutting class. Lucky for me my kids come to me about their school related stuff but you never know if something can get left out on purpose. Boy oh boy am I ever so lucky that there was no real technology in my time!! I'm sure some of you agree ;-)

Father & Son time

The boys headed out in the backyard to check on what was left of our garden.

There's farmer Dwayne and his sidekick little farmer Willie tilling up the soil (not sure why)

Willie loved it!

Look at that cute face!

Here is what they harvested. Some banana peppers and green onions.

Every night after his bath, William has to run into his daddy's office to say good night.

Dwayne put the pen down for a second and of course those curious and fast fingers had to try writing with a pen too!

Even though William scribbled all over Dwayne's paper he thought it was cute and says he will save that page forever to remember the first time his boy wrote with a pen.

H1N1- Do it or not?

Getting the H1N1 vaccination has been the talk of the nation as well as the #1 subject in the Ismail household. We have been debating over and over about what to do. Many years ago when Dwayne worked in a big corporation (and the economy was stable) the company paid for all employees to get a traditional flu shot. Dwayne got his and ended up with the flu a couple weeks later. I think this had made me feel negatively about the flu shot as far as the fact that there is no guarantee you will not get sick. It's simply a preventative measure. Now with this newer strain of flu in the air we all have to make decisions on how we will handle things for our families. We did so much research and watched at least a dozen documentaries and still it seems like a tough choice as to what we should do.

Our kids' schools are offering the vaccine free of charge to the student body on a first come first served basis. We have declined. As a family we have decided to take some alternative precautions. We are all thankfully in optimal health so we are taking vitamin D and C supplements as well as incorporating some healthy food choices full of these vitamins as well. That accompanied by good hand washing and getting ample rest and exercise will hopefully keep us healthy. If we do get ill we will immediately report to the doctor and not try to wait it out. This was such a hard decision for us and I really hope it was the right one. It's one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't scenarios.

What about you? Did you get either the flu shot or H1N1 shot? Have you had the swine flu or any of your family members? I wonder if our President got one.

Mom = Taxi Driver

It's getting to be that time of year again...parents you know just what I'm talking about. School is about to be back in session here in Columbia and I know it has already started back in a lot of other cities. My car has been tuned up, oil and filter changed, wipers checked and all greased up and ready to go go go! My mommy taxi driver gig is back in session! I have already started driving kids to tryouts and practices. This week is orientation and registration for both girls. I will be driving for at least an hour or two each day (not counting waiting periods). Too bad kids don't have gas money hee hee!

Much better night

I think Dwayne might be on to something or it is just a fluke. He came up with an idea to get William to sleep better at night. Here's the plan:

• turn of the television
• bathe and feed William and then put him on the floor to exercise (wear himself out)
• Light candles (out of reach of course)
• when he shows signs of being ready to sleep then down he goes.

Outcome: We had to make sure he was okay this morning since he did not want to wake up! 8 am is a good wake-up time if you ask me! Dwayne has one or two good ideas every so often ;)