Old Wives' Tales

Voting an Autistic Kid out of class

2008-05-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Whatever happened to "do unto others...?" A Florida teacher decides that a 5-year-old can "learn how to behave" from being kicked out of class. I know what we all have learned from this teacher - that child abuse comes in all forms and in all places. And that she has given ALL the children in the class a lesson in intolerance - be it for race, religion, physical or mental disabilities, the kind of clothes they wear, whatever - all the children learned that it is OK to be intolerant. That is why I took my kids out of the public school system and put them in a Christian school. At least in their school, ALL of the folks, whether big or little, tried to be nice because God was watching. You know, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" was OK advice.

Frontier Airlines Rocks!

2007-09-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

Frontier Airlines rocks! And I don't mean "in the air!" We flew Frontier Airlines to Michigan two weeks ago for a family reunion. Other than having to fly into Denver, their hub, for a few hours of layover time both coming and going, the airline was great! The planes were clean, on time and hassle free. They even board from the back forward which was great since we were seated in the last row! Diets never have to suffer since soft drinks and chips were all that was available for free but that was enough for the two and half hour and 3 hour flight times respectively. Each of us even had a little TV/movie screen in the back of the seat ahead of us that allowed us to view several news and other program channels for a small fee. All in all, Frontier was just right for my family to travel on. About the only complaint I had was that the carry on luggage most people had was way too big to be 'carry on.' But it made for excellent entertainment as these people tried to shove, push and otherwise smash their oversize suitcases into the upper bins!

List it!

2007-08-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Carpool time and the kids are piling in! Do they have their lunches or money for lunch? Permission slip for the field trip? Backpack? Gym clothes? Homework? These questions, and more, have plagued moms for years! But how to remember to remind each kid, including your own, that they have to bring it with them into the van? Mostly so you don't have to go back for the forgotten backpack and then are late to school!

Make a list!

Use a 3x5 index card, write out what your own child needs each day and tape it to the radio in the van. Then when each kid comes into the van, just take a minute to read through it out loud so the child has a chance to get it right before you leave their house. My list had the title of "Do you have..." and then the list started: Permission slip, Homework, Backpack, Gym clothes, Lunch/$$.

After having to return home several times for forgotten items, I found that the list virtually eliminated all those trips! And the kids were never late to school again!

Wash those Rugs!

2005-03-31T08:47:00.000-08:00

Want to save some electricity and get clean rugs? Today is the perfect day! Our crazy Santa Ana winds are blowing hot and dry, so throw those bathroom rugs into the washer, set on a less violent cycle like “Delicate” so the washer won’t go bonkers and then put the rugs outside to dry! What a way to use this weather to make SoCal Edison’s bill a little smaller!! Just drape the rugs over a line or you can even spread them on the lawn or patio. Just make sure they are going to dry “flat.” Use the direct sunlight for white or beige rugs, and shade for the colors. Remember the sun will bleach anything in its direct beam, which is good when you need it and bad when you don’t. Some rugs have been known to fly away in 40 mph winds, so check them in a couple of hours to see if they are dry yet. And this evening, you will have clean bathroom rugs smelling of that delightful SoCal sun!

Plan Ahead and Save – “Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper.” (Proverbs 16:20a NRSV)

Kids on Vacation! Now what?!?

2005-03-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

So it’s Easter vacation and the kids are home for a week! What to do? How about a game tournament? Select a game or two that the children might like to play and set up a 3 or 4 day tournament with the prize being lunch at the winner’s favorite place. Pick an easy game like “Connect Four” or “Chutes and Ladders” that all ages can play well. Play for only an hour (Chutes and Ladders) or half an hour (Connect Four) at the same time every day, say around 10:00 a.m. when everyone is still in a good mood!! Also pick out 2 or 3 restaurants that fit your budget and are ones they like. Announce the choices at the beginning of the tournament so each child can be thinking of where they would choose to go if they win. Keep track of the wins and losses and whoever is the overall winner on Thursday, gets to pick the lunch place on Friday that everyone gets to go to! (That’s a little bribe there – everyone goes out to lunch. There is always a kid who hates to lose! Hopefully they will feel OK because everyone gets to go out, therefore everyone wins.)

Or how about teaching a skill like baking? The Betty Crocker Cookbook has many one-bowl cakes that are really good. And there is nothing like teaching a kid to measure flour, ladle shortening, and use a mixer! You can even get a tub of frosting and let them do the honors! The end result will be most interesting. Just don't insist on "perfect" and just think, you'll have a really good dessert all ready for dinner!!

Want to make something more on the healthy side? How about a fruit salad? Mellon balls, banana slices and strawberries would make a lovely salad. Using a melon baller, which can be found in most baking aisles, they can make cantaloupe balls, round or not, and put them into a lovely salad bowl. Let them slice the banana by placing it on the bread board and cutting it there. Then add the washed and hulled strawberries. With a favorite sandwich, this would make a great lunch.

Whatever you decide to do, do it with the kids. On Friday, you’ll be surprised how fast the week has gone and how much fun their vacation has been. Oh, and don’t forget to take a few pictures to remember the great time you had!

A Cheery Heart – “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” (Proverbs 17:22a NRSV)

Label that Cleaner!

2005-03-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

You look in the cleaning cupboard and all the bottles are solid colored plastic - and mostly white! I finally got tired of turning each plastic bottle to see if it was the one I wanted and took a laundry marker and wrote the name of the product on the 'edge' facing me. So, I have "Drano" on the green Drano one, "Febreze" on the white Febreze one; "toilet" on the Chlorox toilet bowl cleaner and so on. Now I just open the cupboard, read the labels and get the one I want the first time. Works great!

Ahhh - "Good news refreshes the body." (Proverbs 15:30b NRSV)

Clean that closet!

2005-03-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

It is rummage sale time at church and an excellent time to get the kids to clean out their closets. Shoes that don't fit anymore, pants that are a bit too short, out of style shirts, toys that have long ago lost their appeal - all good things to pass along. And everyone wins - the kids get some much needed space and the church ladies get something to sell for money that is used for worthwhile projects. Just make sure the things that are given away are meant to be 'given away.' And if in doubt, just wait till the next rummage sale to toss that teddy bear. In the end, does it really matter if the bear goes out this year or next?

Don't be too fast: "One who moves too hurriedly misses the way." (Proverbs 19:2b NRSV)

For more Bible Bits, look for my Bible Bits blog. Thanks for listening.

Rummage Sales are Great!

2005-03-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

Church Rummage Sales are a great way to make money for your group, whether it’s the Women’s Ministries, the Choir, the Youth or whoever. Here’s a couple of helpful hints from my handbook - "Make Mounds of Money with Your Church Rummage Sale!"

Alert the Congregation – This is where you will get your stuff to sell and the more you have, the more money you will make.

Keep it clean – Not only do you need to make sure the luggage is dusted off and the glasses are clean but the clothing needs to be in good repair as well. And make sure you emphasize that when you ask for donations from the congregation. Keeping it clean also goes for those written messages on T-shirts. Look them over and discard any that don’t fit our Christian mission of sharing God’s love.

Look for more tips in my handbook. You can access an order form through my link on the right side of this page - "Rummage Sale Tips." Thanks.

A penny saved is a penny earned: “Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it.” (Proverbs 13:11 NRSV)

Turn signals are good! So is a Walk and No Ants!

2005-03-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed how many people just ask to be rear-ended on their way into a driveway? All they have to do is flip the turn signal on and we would all KNOW what they intended to do next. But, nooooo! They just stop and turn! Do they think everyone is awake behind them? Or not on the phone? Or paying attention? I gotta tell you, there isn't a car made that looks good with the rear bumper rammed up into the trunk!

Back to ants - I have gotten some more tips on how to try and stop them in the kitchen: my girlfriend inadverently left a clove of garlic on the counter and the next morning, no ants! So the garlic is still there. This is an ongoing experiment so will update later. Next suggestion is using Simple Green around the kitchen. Bug spray does travel and settle on silverware, plates and glasses that we eat on. Good idea! I always wash stuff for the next few days after a war with the ants. In the garden, use Tanglefoot at the base of fruit trees that have ant infestation. Just follow directions and the ants will be off the fruit shortly.

A Walk - Going for the mail? Walk to the end of the block and back before retrieving it. Good for the body.

Now 'Drive On' - "...the path of the upright is a level highway." (Proverbs 15:19b NRSV)

When it rains you still have to dust!

2005-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

When it rains you still have to dust!

It has been raining for 2 weeks and still the dust settles on the furniture! And the ants are on the kitchen counter. What to do? Well, the dusting thing is a no-brainer – you go dust. The ants present another challenge. I have taken the drawers out and sprayed the bottoms with bug spray and put them back in. The spray coats the ‘runways’ the ants are using to access the countertops. I have also found them coming in the light switch, so I took the switchplate cover off, sprayed it and put it back on. For now, they have stopped! But they will be back, just like the rain forecast for tonight. We need the rain, so I shall not complain – too loudly!

A Happy Face - "A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance." (Proverbs 15:13a NRSV)