Saturday, October 26, 2013

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

I started doing what I call Sing, Sing a Song Saturday.  I'm going to post one song on Saturdays that the boys or I like. 

The song may be part of a movie, a kid's video or just a song we like. I'll try and include why we like it and/or the history of the song/singer.

Little Dragon is a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996. The singer is Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin, Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand.

Source

They signed with a British indie label Peacefrog Records and released their self-titled debut album Little Dragon on 27 August 2007. Their second album, Machine Dreams, was released on 17 August 2009, followed by their third album, Ritual Union, released on 25 July 2011.

The band's name was inspired by the "Little Dragon" nickname Nagano earned due to the "fuming tantrums" she used to throw while recording in the studio. "It's a little exaggerated but there is some truth in it", Nagano said. But they've grown up a bit and She realised you can't have a fit every day because otherwise you won't be able to stand each other.

Twice



Crystalfilm



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Friday, October 25, 2013

The HeadRight Review

On Daddy's side there are back issues. Daddy is one that if he doesn't work out and stretch, he to has back issues. Sometimes it gets so bad that he has to pay the chiropractor a visit.

I got The HeadRight pillow to review. I knew right away that this pillow would go to the man of the house. It does take a few days to get used to the unique pillow. I think it takes that time to get used to any other pillow; they don't have the benefits that The HeadRight pillow does.


It is a unique alternative pillow designed to:
  • Relieve neck and back pain
  • Reduce tension headaches
  • Improve posture
  • Reduce snoring
  • Makes you feel better and have more energy
  • Improves head, spine and postural alignment
  • Prevents forward head posture

Forward Head Posture is a serious condition resulting in damage to the spine and nervous system and is is caused by many of our daily forward head posture activities, which repetitively force us to use our head in a forward position. I really worry about this with my kids. Pillows are often too high for even adults.

Development

The HeadRight was developed by chiropractor Dr. Allan Weisberg with over 35 years of clinical experience in treating back pain, neck pain and spinal related disorders.



This pillow-system has 3 specific orthopedic supports to provide wonderful sleeping that helps correct, and totally prevents, Forward Head Posture.

Sleep positions: From back to side to stomach; while maintaining the ideal situation to help correct and totally prevent Forward Head Posture. This make you a healthier, more comfortable person all around.


Our Thoughts
  • I do love the theory behind the pillow! It is developed by a doctor that has treated many patients with neck and back injuries. 
  • You can use a queen sized pillow case on this pillow. While we have one, I do wish it came with pillow cases that would fit the pillow better.
  • It seems to be very comfortable. I'm not sure about the long term results yet because we haven't had it for a long time.
  • The cost is a little pricy. I am will to pay a lot to prevent issues down the road. It's $89.95. You can buy The HeadRight on their website, which I have linked at the top.
Disclaimer: The opinions on the post are my personal take on the product. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review. I did get products to help with the review.
 
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Isaak's Kindergarten Parent Teacher Conferences

I have to say that we were worried going in to Isaak's conferences. We got a letter a week ago, mentioning that conferences were going to be set up different as an experimentation. They wanted the child in on the conference, and they were going to set us up in groups. I was thinking groups of parents and children would be in the same room. That doesn't seem like a very good way to talk about child; in front of other parents.

It turned out that the group(s) were just the family: Mom, Dad, and child.

Isaak showed us around the classroom, and talked to us about what he does on a daily basis. He read us all the site words that were hung around the room.

Then we sat down with his teacher to talk about his grades, and how he's doing.

Isaak's pumpkin


Isaak's doing good! He got many O's for outstanding and some S's for satisfactory. He's reading one notch above where many students are reading. He says, "I can't!" when he gets to that level. He seems confident with 1, 2, and 3 letter words. When it's 4 letter words, and up he seems unsure.

Isaak's a great problem solver when he wants to build, or make something! Then when it comes to the little things like getting a new pencil, or getting dressed at home he wants adults to do the work for him. In other words he can be lazy.

Isaak's very good about expressing how he feels. He'll come home and tell us about his day.

I told his teacher about some of his creations at home.

Isaak's going to work with the same lady that Mica is working with for challenging him.

Tid Bits

1. We went to Kansas City Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I'm still trying to play catch up.

2. I'm going to a jewelery party at a good friend's house this weekend. I'm not going to the party, or jewelery. I'm going to see her. It's been awhile. Do you like home parties? Usually I think they are over priced. In this case I pretty much have all the jewelery I need. I really would like to go to a Pampered Chef party. There is tool I use all the time that I lost. It's called the Mix 'N Chop. Sounds crazy, but I used the heck out of that thing. I used it to break up hamburger meat in the pan, break up cake to make cake balls and to squish berries for making jam. Somehow from my sister's house to my house I lost it. Other specialty kitchen stores don't have it.
Source
3. Speaking of specialty stores, the people in Williams Sonoma were such snobs! We were shopping in the Plaza in Kansas City. They didn't great us, or I if we needed anything. There were 3 people at the counter. It turned me majorly off, and we left. On the flip side the people in Sur la Table were so nice! I bought a few things in there. One thing I'm really excited about is the scrub brush I found! Seems silly, but I can't get the boy's Thermos' good and clean for nothing. This one reaches all the way to the bottom, is dishwasher safe and looks like it will last. Plus they got me a free latte.

4. I'm very thankful for my job. I love the students (most of them). We send a lot of students out into the world, and they get jobs. One frustrating bit is that they are 2 talkers in the office. One used to have class, but he doesn't anymore due to a staff member needing surgery. that's a whole other story. Anyhow, now they are both in the office at the same time. I swear they talk from 8 AM to the end of the day. I look forward to peace a quiet. I teach Tuesday and Wednesday. By the time Thursday rolls around I just want no stimulation. I just want to get things done. How do I, or should I tactfully tell them to shut up? We all share an office. Reading and writing tests for me does not sink in if I have a bunch of talking going on.

5. I had to call 911 for the first time on our trip. No worries. Right off the plaza strip we saw an over sized bag. I appeared to be a camera bag. It was the perfect size for a bomb to fit in it. I called it in. I told them that I didn't know if it was serious, or not. I wasn't expecting 100 questions. What's the street? What's the cross street? Where are you? What's your name? What's your phone number? Where are you from? I just wanted to report it, so they could come check it out. It was right across from a hotel (name given) and was in front of a look out point by the bridge. I seriously was ready for them to ask me to look in the bag already. They must have not been in a hurry to check it out because I kept looking back, and no cops. Have you had to call 911 before? What did you call for?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Mica's 2nd Grade Parent Teacher Conferences

We had Mica's Parent Teacher Conferences last night.

We take our kids with. Then we set them in the hallway with the portable DVD player. The kids love it because they get to watch a movie, and they get to go to the Scholastic Book Fair afterwards. We love it because they are occupied during conference time.

Mica this last weekend roll played that he's part of a sculpture outside the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City.


His teacher greeted us by saying, "You both have such a wonderful son!" That's nice to hear. We live with the little tike all the time. We only get to observe other kids his age sometimes.

Grading systems are so odd. It used to be A, B, C, D or F. Then it was 1, 2, 3, and 4. Now it's O for Outstanding, S for Satisfactory, N for Needs Improvement and U for Unsatisfactory. Whatever the grading system is, they kind of mean the same thing.

Mica got mostly O's, and a few S's. His teacher said that Mica was the only one in the class that got O's for a few things. He got the S's because they haven't attempted to do the things that they were graded for.

His reading level is about as high as a fifth grader. I mentioned that Mica is stuck on wanting to read the Magic Tree House series. I asked if that's a problem that he only wants to read those books? She said at this age as long as he's reading, she's happy.

I guess if they do really well in gym, they get an extra gym. I would have thought of that as a punishment when I was a kid. Mica was super excited about it. He had an extra gym that day, and was all happy and sweaty afterwards.

The one thing we talked about for awhile is that Mica tends to rush things sometimes. His teacher didn't see this at all.

He used to rush swimming. Instead of getting his strokes right he tried doing them fast. Sometimes he's the same way with homework.

Daddy showed Mica's teacher some of his worksheets from class. Mica has one answer that that is wrong on about 5 of them. I guess the process is that Mica's supposed to go up to the teacher with his work, she checks it, and if he has something wrong he's supposed to erase it and fix it. Well he hasn't been doing the erasing and fixing part. I told his teacher, "Maybe now you want to go back and change his grades." We all laughed.

His teacher now gets the fact that Mica rushes through his work sometimes. After the conference I told Mica he did well. I asked him why he hasn't erased his wrong problems in the class, and fixed them? He told me that he has. I said, "No I see no erased marks on there." We'll have to make sure he follows through.

Besides his grades three good things happened:
  1. The Y is providing a bus for the 2nd graders to go have swimming lessons once a week during school. I don't know if it's in replace of gym, or recess. They still will have fun.
  2. Mica thought he lost a jacket. It went missing out of his locker. He shares a locker with a new kid. I thought maybe the new kid grabbed it thinking it was his. After searching for it on the lost and found table, Daddy spotted it behind the lost and found hamper. 
  3. Mica's working with a lady for their gifted program. We were hoping to talk with her, but she wasn't there. Maybe we'll see her tonight at Isaak's conference.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

WW: Fall Festival {Linky}

Since I work at an art school, I decided to be the artist Frida Kahlo.

If you do not follow art here's what the real Frida looks like:

Source
Since I'm mainly German and Swedish, I had to darken my skin somewhat. I think on Halloween I need to darken my eyebrows more, add more blush, and darken my skin a little less.

Mica was Super Man. He wanted me to add his kiss curl.


Isaak was Spider-Man last year, and wanted to be Spider-Man again. He flat out wore the old one so much that it got holes in it. We needed to go up a size.
 

The boys together. We were well protected with two super heroes.


Craziness happened when they won some prizes. 


You can tell Spidy was a bit tired! All was good until Spidy realized as we got home that his mask was left at school. I told him to put it in his treat bag. I said, "Spider-Man doesn't leave his mask behind." He had a melt down. Daddy went to retrieve it. There it was on the gym floor. Lucky for a little boy that dreams about one day being Spider-Man.



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Monday, October 21, 2013

Mica's School Work

Mica has in his mind he's not a good artist. I think it's just because Isaak is creating all the time, and he hears up complimenting Isaak. I do compliment Mica when he does stuff, but he doesn't do things as often as his brother.

Maybe it's just because kids go through stages. They are into art, then into Legos, then into reading... While they are into these things, they don't get into the other thing that they were into before.

Mica just got done learned about rural, suburb and urban life. His is so detailed!


I really like how Mica's art teacher teaches. She shows them a bit of art history. Then they do their own project based on what they saw.

I'm pretty sure this project:


Was Influenced by this Japanese cat:

Source
When he was in Kindergarten he did this self portrait:


Which I nearly fell off my chair laughing during conferences when I saw it. Ya it was hard going back to a straight face!

He got studying Frida Kahlo:

Source

Sunday, October 20, 2013

It's Not a Monster, so What is it?

Isaak has been creating these wonderful drawings on the dry eraser board. I really love them. I just hate that eventually they get erased. I've bought him sketch books, but he likes the dry eraser board more.

He drew this:


He told me it's not a monster, but wouldn't tell me what it was. That is a flower in the character's hair.

I could totally see this being a plush doll. Have you ever thought about making a kid's drawing into a plush doll? One of my friends on Facebook did that recently. The store she used was Umedoll.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com