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There are many themes you can choose from when planning a baby’s nursery. Probably one of the most popular and beloved themes for a baby’s room is Winnie the Pooh. A Winnie the Pooh nursery theme is a great choice for many reasons. First, it works great for a boy or a girl. If you don’t know your baby’s gender or if you are planning to have more children, a Winnie the Pooh baby nursery is the perfect fit. Another reason a Winnie the Pooh room is a good option is that due to the popularity of it, you will have no trouble looking a wide selection of Pooh baby bedding and other Pooh themed nursery items such as art work, rugs, hampers, and lamps. You will even have your choice of regular Pooh or Classic Pooh.

Here are some ideas for decorating a Winnie the Pooh themed baby nursery:

Find a Pooh baby bedding set that you like and buy all the coordinating items that you would like to use. Items that you can usually find to match you nursery bedding include window valances, a hamper, table lamp, and crib mobile.

Decide how you would like to prepare the walls in your Pooh nursery. You could simply paint them white or a color that compliments your Pooh bedding. Another option is to use a Winnie the Pooh wallpaper and/or a wall paper border on the walls. Stenciling Pooh and his friends on the wall is another cute option. For something really dramatic, you could hire an artist to paint a mural of the 100 acre woods on one wall of the nursery. This is an expensive option, so if you have a tight budget for planning you baby’s room, you will want to consider other options such as purchasing Winnie the Pooh wall stickers to accent the walls.

Finish up the room by adding the little touches that make it cozy. A nice Winnie the Pooh rug will warm up the floor. Décor for the wall can include Winnie the Pooh art work or wall hangings. The baby quilt from the Pooh bedding set could be hung on the wall as a wall hanging since it is too bulky to use for a newborn baby. You may want to add some Winnie the Pooh touches to the nursery furniture as well. Pooh knobs could be added to the dresser and Pooh could be added to the ends of the crib by stenciling, painting, or applying decals of Pooh to it.

When planning your Winnie the Pooh nursery, keep an eye out for items you can use. Pooh merchandise is available all over the place so you may find things you can use in your room in the most unexpected places. Also don’t feel that you have to use only Pooh décor in the room. Non-Pooh items may also fit nicely and compliment your rooms décor. Just use your imagination to be creative and you will be able to create a wonderful room for your new baby.

Rebecca Johnson is owner of several websites including Decorating-Your-Baby-Nursery.com which provides advice for decorating a baby nursery and Find-A-Great-Gift-Idea.com which offers gift ideas for many occasions and recipients including baby gifts ideas.

1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your child to focus on her many strengths.

2. Reinforce the positives. Give praise, recognition, a special privilege or increased
responsibility for a job well done.

3. Define limits and rules clearly. A family council is an excellent place to discuss, explain
and get a sense of ownership to the rules. Discuss what consequences will follow if the
rules are not followed. Don’t have a lot of rules, maybe four or five, but be consistent at
following them.

4. Give your children responsibility to make the house a home. Everyone in the family
should be responsible for some household chores daily. Responsibility makes them feel
valued and part of the team.

5. Don’t re-do their jobs. If you expect perfection, it is too easy for them to quit trying or
else hope that you will step in and “save them” when it gets difficult.

6. Laugh at their jokes and listen attentively when they are talking to you. Being fully
present when you are with your child is the only quality time there is.

7. If they don’t fit in, teach them basic social skills. There are a number of behaviors that
can be learned to help the “left out” child to fit into the group more easily.

8. Show them that what they do is important to you. Talk to them about activities and
interests. Help them to find a hobby or interest that they excel at. Go to their games,
presentations and activities.

9. Help them to set goals. Teach them to break each long-range goal into manageable bites. It is important to succeed at something ever day. Acknowledge your own successes so
they can be more aware of progress they are making.

10. Don’t punish them for telling the truth. Discuss problems without placing blame or
attacking the child’s character. Worry less about “who did this?” and more about
“Let’s get this mess cleaned up.” If a child knows he has made a bad choice but doesn’t
feel attacked, he will feel more secure in trying to find solutions.

11. Create opportunities to give service and to develop tolerance for others with different
values and backgrounds. These experiences can help a child to see himself in reference to
the rest of the world and to be more understanding of the needs of others.

12. Give them opportunities to make decisions. Help them to see that each decision has
pros and cons and may have consequences for themselves and others. If they want to do
something that is clearly harmful, explain why you cannot allow them to act on it.

13. Teach them to deal with money and time wisely. When children are organized and
responsible for their homework and allowance, it breeds self-assurance and personal
responsibility.

14. Be a good role model. Let your children know that you feel good about yourself, but also
teach them by example that mistakes aren’t final but learning experiences.

15. Start and end each day on a positive and loving note. Give lots of hugs, kisses and high
fives. Let them know on a consistent basis that your love is unconditional and that you are
proud of them as a member of the family. You may occasionally be disappointed in their
actions or choices, but will always be available for support.

© Judy H. Wright, Author, Speaker and Life Educator www.ArtichokePress.com

This article was written by Judy Wright, parent educator and author. Feel free to use it in your newsletter or publication, but please give full credit to the author and mention the contact information of JudyWright@ArtichokePress.com, 406-549-9813.

You will find a full listing of books, tapes, newsletters and workshops available on finding the heart of the story in the journey of life by going to www.ArtichokePress.com

Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child, some which are beyond your control and others that are within your control. Here are ten of the most common pregnancy risk factors that can be controlled or influenced:

1. Smoking - Smoking is not only bad for you, but bad for your baby as well. Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of oxygen that the baby receives and increases the risk of miscarriage, bleeding, and morning sickness. Chemicals inhaled while smoking may lead to other health problems with the baby. Reduced birth weight, premature birth, increased risk of SIDS, and stillbirth are other possible consequences. Pregnant women should also avoid second hand smoke.
2. Alcohol - Drinking can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, including symptoms like low birth weight, medical problems, and behavior abnormalities. As soon as you know you are pregnant, stop drinking. For more detailed information on problems that can be caused by alcohol, visit http://www.nofas.org.
3. Caffeine - There are many conflicting studies about caffeine and pregnancy and some believe that caffeine is not as harmful as it was once thought to be. Nevertheless, the FDA warns against caffeine consumption during pregnancy and suggests quitting or reducing consumption at the very least. Caffeine has been shown to affect fetal heart rates and awake time (fetuses grow when sleeping). Decaffeinated coffee can also be harmful since producers often add additional chemicals to remove the caffeine. Caffeine can also increase risk of stretch marks. Suddenly quitting coffee intake can cause headaches; so most experts recommend gradually reducing the amount consumed.
4. Drugs and Herbal Remedies - Always be careful about drugs or herbal remedies that are not prescribed by a doctor. These substances may affect the development of your unborn child.
5. Nutrition - Good nutrition is crucial to a developing child, particularly getting enough folic acid. Lack of folic acid can cause birth defects. At least 400-1000 micrograms of this B vitamin is suggested (about ten times more if you’ve already had a child with neural tube birth defects) starting one month before pregnant and throughout the entire pregnancy. Leafy vegetables, orange juice, and beans are some natural sources of folic acid. Many stores sell vitamins with folic acid.
6. Exercise - Moderate exercise is helpful as it improves the mother’s mental state and can increase oxygen flow to the fetus. However, over-exertion can be dangerous. Most experts recommend reducing your exercise intensity during pregnancy. Activities like walking, swimming, and yoga are popular for pregnant women.
7. Prenatal Care - Regular doctor visits are important to your baby’s development. The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Some side effects may be completely normal, whereas other may not. Regular monitoring by a professional will help ensure that your baby will be born healthy.
8. Multiple sex partners - Multiple sex partners can increase risk of STD’s, which in turn may lead to birth and pregnancy complications, like low birth weight or premature birth.
9. Exposure to chemicals - During pregnancy, reduce exposure to unnatural chemicals, particularly pesticides in food. Many people now eat organic produce, which is grown without chemicals. The simplest precaution to take before consuming vegetables or fruits is to wash them thoroughly. Also, removing the outer surface of vegetables can be helpful since most pesticides will rest on the outside of the vegetable or fruit.
10. Other factors - Many other factors can affect fetal development, including heart disease, the mother’s age (before 15 years and after 35 years is riskier), asthma, excessive stress or depression, diseases, and bleeding. Consult your physician if you are affected by any of these conditions.

About the Author - Criss White

Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower supplies, information, and more baby related articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors and Babies and Showers.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

Fathers, whom did you look up to? How do you want your child to look up to you? Though he is no longer here, my dad left me with wonderful memories of qualities I wanted to have, and behaviors I wanted to choose. It is with a smile in my heart that I remember what my father modeled for me:

1. Humor is a strategy. It is often quite OK to joke in a serious situation. Laughter and stress have a hard time co-existing. My father had a knack of diffusing tension at just the right time with just a few words that shifted the mood and had us all laughing despite how important the problem was or more often, was not.

2. The truth is fixed. My dad used to say to us “The truth does not move around.” Be completely honest in your interactions with others. It shows great character. And you can’t hide your own weaknesses from your children, so you might as well show you are human and model honesty with respect to your faults.

3. Listen to your child, uninterrupted. You will be saying, “I value what you think.” My dad did not always agree but he always listened. When you let your child say all she needs to, you give her the message her feelings are important to you. Just listening, without judgment is a priceless gift to a child and adolescent. And the gift is even bigger when your next words reflect what your child feels instead of what you want her to hear.

4. Giving is the best way to receive. Be attentive to what your child wants from you in time, understanding, and support, especially those things that can come only from a father. Your child will feel gratitude and love, though he is not likely to say so.

5. Be respectful, despite what you may be thinking. Show tolerance to all people, even those for whom you do not feel much respect. I never saw my dad be unkind, even when he was not happy with someone. Your child needs to see how you rise above the foolish or trivial ways others can behave.

6. Wonder frequently, and aloud. My dad used to say, “I wonder why –” Or “I want to learn more about —.” When we talk about our curiosities and what we think and feel about the world around us, we teach our children it is good and safe to do the same.

7. Crying is OK. Tears are cleansing when we are sad. Tears feel great when they spring from joy or passion about something important to us.

8. Find the smallest positives. My dad noticed and commented on the littlest good deeds. Watch for opportunities in daily life to say, “Good thinking, my daughter” and “Proud of you, my son.”

9. Say, “Please” and “Thank you.” and “May I –? “ You will be demonstrating good manners, behaviors that help to open important doors out in the world. A great first impression will never stop being a great thing to do.

10. As your child grows, be open to his ideas that might be challenging or unconventional to you. Respond first with words that convey you understand. In return, your child will listen more attentively to what you want to say. If your child is moving into young adulthood and wants to choose a life path different from what you envisioned, get out of the way and let it happen. Support and trust their choices and your children will continue to be in your life in many joyful ways.

Copyright Ellen Mossman-Glazer 2006. All rights reserved. You are welcome to share or reprint this article, providing it remains as written with all contact and copyright information included along with a link to http://artofbehaviorchange.com This content is coaching and education and not intended to take the place of psychological services, where advisable and appropriate.

Ellen Mossman-Glazer M.Ed. is a Life Skills Coach and Behavioral Specialist, specializing in Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, ADHD, and learning difficulties. Over her 20 years in special education classrooms and treatment settings, Ellen has seen the struggle that children and adults have when they feel they don’t fit in. She now works in private practice with people across the USA and Canada, by phone, teleconference groups and email, helping parents, educators, caregivers and their challenging loved ones, to find their own specific steps and tools to thrive. Ellen is the author of two on line e-zines, Emotion Matters: Tools and Tips for Working with Feelings and Social Skills: The Micro Steps. Subscribe for free and see more about Ellen at http://artofbehaviorchange.com/
You can take a free mini assessment which Ellen will reply to with your first action step.

If your child brings home a poor assessment, there are some things you should never do. Some reactions may in fact make the situation worse and can lead to bigger problems. Parents should never:

1. Express anger, disappointment or other strong emotions about a bad mark or assessment. This will make the child feel bad and will encourage them to hide marks in the future. Children already feel bad about poor assessments, even if they don’t show it. Strong emotions will only make them feel worse.

2. Ignore it. In some cases, a D or bad assessment is an isolated case and a child will do better next time. However, telling your child to ignore a problem is not the best way to help your child learn problem-solving skills. Ignoring the problem can also result in more poor grades, especially at the grade school level. Children need to learn one concept at a time. The child who does not learn to add properly, for example, will have a hard time learning later math concepts, and so will be more likely to get more poor assessments in the future. Early intervention and quick response are key to school success.

3. Blame the teacher. Even if you think that a teacher is unfair to your child, blaming the teacher for a bad mark only encourages your child to shift responsibility. Rather than talking ill of the teacher, help your child come up with practical things they can do to take control of their grades.

4. Praise your child for failure. Many parents inadvertently heap treats and attention on a child who brings home a poor grade or assessment, hoping to encourage the child or improve their mood. This can backfire if the child comes to equate failure with parental love or attention. Children who are praised too much for poor assessments may get the idea that school success is not important.

5. Make studying tedious or terrible. If you make extra study time boring or very long, your child may see it as a punishment, and feel worse about their bad mark. When trying to help your child study, make studying as fun as possible and break steady sessions up as much as possible. Twenty minutes each day practicing long division will generally go much further than a three-hour long tutoring session each Thursday.

6. Punish your child. Bad grades are the result of not learning something fast enough or of not understanding something. If you punish your child for this, you may discourage them from learning.

7. Make a huge situation out of the problem. If you keep asking your child about school, the marks, and the subject area he or she is having problems with, you can transfer your own worry to your child. Set aside one tutoring time during the day for extra help and confine questions to that time. That way, your child will not be left with the impression that one bad assessment is a disaster.

8. Leave your child out of the process. If you decide what needs to be done and impose schedules or solutions, your child may feel left out and may not feel part of the studying process. Worse, your child may not agree with your choices and may not do the work you set out. Your child will learn much more about problem solving - and will be far more likely to actually take the steps necessary to improve school performance - if you make your child part of the solution.

9. Study so much to improve one mark that all other grades slip, too. Make sure that you set aside enough time for your child to complete all the homework assigned. Concentrating too much in one subject area can cause serious problems.

It may be useful to remind yourself why schools have assessments. Assessments are not meant to judge students and to make them feel bad - they are meant to show students how they are doing. Poor assessments are meant to be warnings that more work is needed. You will want to keep this in mind and remind your child of this as well. It is important that your child realizes that, with some work, grades can be improved - and that you as a parent are always there to help.

Dr Simon Ronald is the CEO of RocketReader, the company that makes reading improvement software for all ages. Sound reading skills are vital for strong academic performance. For more information about effective reading strategies, visit http://www.speedreading.com.
Also check out http://www.freeonlinebooks.org for a free online books collection that makes reading practice fun!

Research has shown that babies in their mom’s womb can hear sounds from the environment, and it is widely believed that the baby is sensitive to their environment - inside and outside of their mother’s womb. It is a known fact that the mother’s moods and activities can affect the unborn baby (I use the term baby instead of fetus, it is my personal preference.)

It is a good idea for an expectant mother to arrange for a peaceful and happy environment. Luckily, it is quite common for this time of a woman’s life to be the most happy time in life. By no means do I want to convey that I recommend for the mother to be inactive. Activity is great (as long as there is no physical condition that dictates otherwise). However, I definitely recommend engaging in activities that bring joy and enjoyment.

I have heard stories from mothers who noticed a significant change in the amount of movement they have felt when a very loud and fast music was played. My mother told me this funny story about the time when she was pregnant with my sister and myself (we are twins). She went to the movies, and a very loud, active music was played. We have become so active in her belly, that she had to get up and leave the theater, it was impossible for her to sit and watch the movie.

It is advisable to listen to quiet, peaceful music. Classical music is beneficial. It is believed that listening to classical music is beneficial for the development of children in general, before they are born and after.

We can take advantage of the fact that the baby can hear us, and talk to the baby often. What would you say to a newborn? We already know that talking to a newborn is very beneficial for it’s development. Anything that you would say to a newborn you can say to your unborn baby. You can read it a story, you can sing it a song. You can express your love and feelings. Talk to your baby very lovingly every day.

One thing that an expectant mother can do, and I believe to be very beneficial to an unborn baby, is swimming. This is beneficial to the mother, as well as the baby. The mother will be in excellent physical condition during her pregnancy and for the delivery. Swimming takes some weight off the spine, and gives a much welcome relief to the back and front muscles. (As you know, things weigh differently in the water.) It strengthens the mother’s lungs, and increases the amount of oxygen supply to all organs, including, of course, the womb and placenta. Therefore, the baby, too, gets a fresh and increased supply of oxygen. This is beneficial to the general development of the baby, and specifically the baby’s brain. Before you start swimming, ask your doctor for permission. Make sure that you are swimming in a safe environment, and that there are other people around.

Everything that is beneficial to the mother, is also beneficial to the baby. Another thing that I believe to be great for mom and baby, is Yoga. There are special Yoga classes for expectant mothers, and if you can - find one that is convenient for you. There are also many Yoga videotapes available. Try to find one that is specifically designed for expectant mothers. Before you start a Yoga program, it is advisable to get an OK from your doctor.

For the last 26 years, Esther Andrews has studied, researched and practiced the ways to develop a child’s intelligence. She also served as the principal of the School for Gifted Education. As a result of this experience, she developed her own method and philosophy, that proved to be extremely successful with her own 2 highly gifted children.

In her web site, http://www.all-gifted-children.com, she helps parents develop their child’s genius, and provide for their kids the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential.

Ecstasy is a very difficult drug to write about. Most “E” experiences consist of you and some friends sitting around an apartment or house listening to some form of upbeat dance music. Throw in some vicks, plenty of cigarettes, a nice massage, bottled water and a lot of weed and you’ve got yourself a party.

The thing that always amazed me about ecstasy are the genuine, heart to heart conversations you would have with anyone and everyone around you. You could be sitting in a room with someone you don’t care for at all but for that short amount of time on this drug that person would become one of your closest friends. That’s a very scary thought considering the next day when everyone is sitting around taking hits from a bong, trying to bring back what little “E” you possibly could, you would like nothing more than for those people you didn’t care for to get the hell out of your apartment or house as fast as humanly possible.

Rather than talk about all the fun times I had with this drug I would like to discuss one very bad experience I had. Maybe reading this with persuade some people to never take this drug again. At this point in my life having taken all the ecstasy that I have I honestly think that taking one more pill might kill me.

This story I’m about to tell took place years ago at a Rave in a sound studio in Santa Monica, CA. My friend Jeff was in town visiting me from Florida. We hadn’t discussed the possibility of doing ecstasy while he was here. The drug just kind of took me over because of my need and lack of will power at the time.

Jeff and I were just hanging out at my old apartment one day, getting stoned, when there was a knock at my door. My old friend Kevin had dropped by unexpectedly. (On a side note, Kevin died later that year in an automobile accident) Kevin wanted to know if we’d be interested in going to a jungle party later that night. At first the idea didn’t really sound appealing to me or Jeff. We just wanted to chill, smoke and drink. But, the more Kevin told us about this party the more I became interested. The lineup of DJ’s was incredible. Names like Deacon, R.A.W, Curious and AK1200 were confirmed to be there. Plus, the more I thought about how close the party was to us the more I convinced myself and Jeff that we should go.

As the hours drew near my need for “E” began to take over. Without even consulting Jeff or Kevin I called one of my dealers at the time. He told me to meet him at his house as soon as I could get there. I told Jeff and Kevin that I was going to the store real quick to pick up a few things. “Make yourselves at home, I’ll be right back.”

When I got to my dealers we went in his room and sparked up a joint. I told him where we were going and that I would be needing some “E” for the evening. He said the pills he was carrying were called “MJ’s” and that he didn’t know anything about them cause they were brand new. It didn’t really matter to me. He had never let me down before. The pills were always great. So, without questioning the new pills, I bought eight off him.

When I showed back up at the apartment empty handed from “the store” I figured one of them would say something about it. To my surprise neither of them asked me a thing about where I had been. I swear, you can get anything by stoners.

We took my old Mustang to the rave and I drove because I was always known as the one that could and would drive under any circumstance. If only we had known what was in store for us that evening no one would have driven. We would have stayed home and smoked pot all night in peace. Who had to screw it up for everyone? Naturally, it would be me. Man, was I ever a weak son of a bitch when it came to “E.” As soon as the thought of rolling entered my mind I had to get it. I didn’t care what anyone else thought about it. I was going to do it with or without you. Being alone on ecstasy was never a problem for me. Those are stories for a later date.

It only took about fifteen minutes to get to the rave from my house. The location had a lot of potential for a massive party. These sound studios could easily fit five hundred people comfortably. The price to get in was only $15 which is a lot cheaper than most parties.

To our surprise, once we got in, there was no more than fifty people there. You could literally hear crickets chirping as a pin dropped to the floor. I was very disappointed. We each expected a massive showing and got a massive nothing. The only positive things going for us at this point was the lineup of DJ’s we were going to hear and the ecstasy I had in the lining of my old Adidas visor. Keep in mind, neither of my friends knew I had pills on me at this point.

We found a comfortable spot and began to get lost in the music. After a little time, Kevin said, “I wonder if I’ll be able to score any ecstasy here tonight?” Jeff then followed with, “yeah, I would do some tonight too if we found it.” I began laughing at that moment. They sat there staring like I was a dragon with six heads. After they asked what the hell I was laughing at I told them they didn’t need to go and look for pills at the party. I then pulled off my visor and handed them each a pill. Jeff yelled, “I KNEW IT!! I knew you were up to something earlier when you said you were going to the store.” Kevin never suspected anything. He was just happy that I had “E”.

We then made our way to the concession stand to buy some water and get our evening going full throttle. The pills tasted abnormally disgusting once they hit your tongue. Usually “E” is gross and bitter anyway but these were extra horrible. Maybe a first indication that something was fucked with these pills? No, don’t think so. My mentality told me, “hey, these taste worse than any other ecstasy ever. Maybe they’re even stronger than most.”

After about an hour of waiting for the pills to kick in we still felt nothing. All three of us were growing very impatient. We wanted to be rolling at that very moment. I looked at my friends, took off my visor, and handed them each another pill to take. The count was now at two a piece.

Another twenty minutes passed and now both pills were coming on strong. All worries and bad thoughts were gone. They had been replaced with feelings of bliss and harmony mixed in with nonstop bass beats. Time no longer mattered. We were living in the moment and loving every second of it. Happy thoughts and conversation began taking place. Everything was perfect until I decided to do something very stupid. I tugged on Jeff and gave him a nod as to say, follow me. We got up and went outside leaving Kevin inside alone. I handed Jeff another pill and gave him a smile. He was very reluctant to take it. He said, “I don’t know, man. I think I’m fucked up enough right now.” I, of course, followed with, “dude, it’s only three pills…..we’ve done way more than that before.” After convincing him that I was right, we took another pill each and went back.

The next hour is somewhat of a blur. I remember sitting in the studio and feeling completely alone. For all I knew Jeff and Kevin could’ve been trying to communicate with me the entire time but I was oblivious to everything going on. I felt and heard the music but that’s about the only thing I could recognize. I guess it was about this time that I threw up for the first time. The first place I remember getting sick was in the studio itself. After was done throwing up I immediately staggered outside to get some fresh air. This was the first time I noticed how badly I was hallucinating. I had never seen things this way. I was unable to comprehend what was going on. It was very hard to explain what I was seeing so I’ll explain it through my friend Jeff’s eyes. In as bad of shape as I was in, Jeff was in much worse. After I excused myself to the restroom to throw up again I came back to find Jeff and Kevin leaning up against a wall outside of the studio. Kevin asked me how I was handling everything. I said I was in pretty bad shape. Jeff, however, was pre-occupied having a conversation with a beautiful blond., as he put it. The funny thing is that neither Kevin or I saw anyone there with him. Jeff was having a conversation with a beautiful, blond figment of his imagination. This kind of freaked Kevin and I out because we couldn’t get threw to Jeff that no one was there with him. So, we just ended up leaving him alone.

Some more time went by and I still had no clue what was going on around me. I started feeling worse and worse. I told Kevin that I wanted to get the hell out of there. Kevin’s house was closer to where we were than mine so we decided to go there. It took a little while to pull Jeff away from figment but we managed.

When we got to my car I told Kevin that he needed to drive. This coming from a guy who was known for driving under any circumstance. This time, however, I knew I was in way over my head. Me driving us would have been suicide.

I only remember a few things about the drive back to Kevin’s house. I remember Jeff babbling on about how he could’ve brought that girl back home with us. And, I also remember trying to roll the window down because I felt like I was going to throw up……..not being able to hold it in long enough…….then throwing up half in and out of the car. I’m assuming I went into some sort of blackout after that because my next memory is waking up in Kevin’s room.

After I realized where I was I went into the garage where I knew they would be. I went into the garage to find both of them sitting in a pair of lawn chairs. Kevin looked and seemed fine but Jeff was still in never-never land. I felt a heck of a lot better but was in no way close to normal yet. I could still feel the ecstasy and my vision was still messed up.

Kevin pulled me aside and told me some disturbing things that Jeff had been doing. He said Jeff kept asking him who the old lady standing in the bathroom window was. The thing about that is we were the only ones at Kevin’s house. His parents weren’t there. Whatever those pills did to me was nothing like the effect they had on Jeff.

It was around 7:30am now and the three of us were just sitting around smoking pot and listening to music. My friend Schuyler only lived a few miles away from Kevins house so I thought we should switch locations and go over there.

We showed up at Schulyers guard gate buzzing to get in around 8:00am. The thought that Schulyer would be sound asleep at 8:00am on a Sunday morning never entered my head. The three of us were all to fucked up to think of such things. Rational thought was non-existent.

Schulyer answered the door with sleep in one eye and confusion in the other. After I received an ear full for coming there so early on his day off I began to tell him what had happened to us the night before. Schuyler had done “E” a couple of times before but had never gone through what we went through on this trip. This made it very hard for him to sympathize with us.

When Schuyler finally had his wits about him he took the three of us into his room to smoke more pot. After passing the bong around several times, Schuyler and I began discussing the happenings of the previous night once again. He couldn’t believe what happened to Jeff and I. He was laughing at how I was describing mine and Jeffs hallucinations. Right in the middle of our conversation we heard a loud crash in his room. Jeff had fallen over backwards, fainting into Schuylers DirectTV satellite dish. He then struggled to get up and once again fell backwards into Schulyers wall, tearing down a “Scarface” poster. This all happened so fast none of us had time to react. After Jeff hit the poster Kevin hopped up and grabbed Jeff and put him safely on the bed out of harms way. None of us knew what to say. After a moment of silence Jeff turned to us and said, “what just happened?” Before Kevin or I could answer Schuyler jumped in and said, “you just broke my fucking satellite dish, that’s what happened.” Even though Jeffs eyes were open the entire time he was crashing into shit all over Schuylers room I believe Jeff wasn’t aware of anything that happened. The look in his eyes wasn’t that of an aware person. It was the look of lost confusion. He had no control over anything. He was blacked out.

I asked Jeff if he was alright. Instead of answering me he sat there shaking uncontrollably. I decided to leave him alone after that. No point in pushing the envelope any further. The previous night had obviously taken it’s toll on him.

After smoking pot for another fifteen minutes or so I felt sober enough to drive my own car home. Yes, I just said I felt sober after smoking more pot. Don’t ask me how my body used to work. I don’t really know how to explain it. All I can say is sometimes while on drugs you need other drugs to even things out. To balance the equation.

After we said our much needed and wanted goodbyes to Schuyler we were off to go back to my house. Even while driving back I noticed that Jeffs hands were still shaking very badly. It wasn’t easy making conversation with him. The only thing he kept saying was, “what happened at Schuylers?” We would tell him and he’d freak out even more because he couldn’t remember any of it.

When we finally made it back to my place all three of us were mentally and physically exhausted. The only comforting thought we had was knowing we were back in our safe zone. My apartment had never looked or felt so good before.

We spent the rest of the day and night watching TV and discussing the night before. Jeff, although still shaken, was starting to come around at this point. The whole experience scared the shit out of him. He never did ecstasy again.

Tanner Rhoden - Born 10/22/80

I’ve always enjoyed writing but until recently never realized I was good at it. A lot of my friends are trying to get me to pursue a career in writing. I guess this is a good start.

Game festivities are guaranteed to liven up and thrill the guests invited along to your baby shower party. Babys day should be fun filled action packed and full of laughter and a sure way for this to happen is when Baby Shower Games are in play.

You don’t have to be at a loose end when it comes to providing entertainment for the guest invites attending the baby shower party. One of the best options for additional fun is to play games.

Have your friends and family join in The Name Game

The start of this game is where you ask the players to write down two names for the baby then ask them to find as many words they can from their chosen names, the winner will be the player with the most names. Be sure to mention before play that words with less than three letters are not valid.

To make the name game even more exciting ask the guests to keep the names they chose a secret from the other entrants, the reason for this is because they will be given the opportunity to guess from the words made up what names were chosen at the beginning of the name game.

Feeding Time is another particular favourite, this is game where cotton balls are placed into a basin with another empty basin at the side,

Blind fold the players for this game who will then be prompted to transfer the cotton balls from one basin to the other with the aid of a spoon. Put a time limit on this game because this game is not as easy as it looks. The winner is the one with the most cotton balls moved.

Another unusual named game is the Rice Bowl but very popular at baby shower occasions.
Take a bowl fill it half-way with plain uncooked rice. Into the rice throw in safety pins (be careful with safety pins). Blind folded once again the guests task is to take turns in retrieving the pins.

Guess the Guest is a real fun game where guests are asked to bring a picture along of when they were a baby, On entrance to the baby shower celebration these photos will be handed to who ever is in charge of the entertainment scene. Participants in this game join in the fun by identifying the picture and putting the right face to the right person.

Baby Shower Games highlight the whole of the occasion adding fun and laughter. Most games entail being blind folded. A word of warning, to many of these baby shower games then you don’t get to see as much of the baby shower as you would like.

If this day is to be remembered for as long as ever after then be sure to browse this fabulous site for fantastic ideas/themes. All you could possibly want to announce babys presence can found here at http://www.good-baby-showers.com

the woes of being a parent of an ADHD child…..

Like Curious George discovering new things and fiddling with the old, you go through life. Taking things apart and scattering the pieces here and there. Putting books in the freezer and clothes in the food cabinet. Where the food went, Lord only knows.

You remind me of a living tape recorder,going through life stuck on fast forward in a blur of activity. Trying to accomplish many things at once and completing none without constant reminders and coaxing. Life is full of multi-colored lights and muffled sounds moving way too fast.

You need to slow down some and put life on pause sometime. Savor the things in life and fill your senses. There are things to savor like the smell, texture and beauty of a flower, or observing the life of a busy insect. If you keep your life in order, you would be able to find things, and your room would not look like a tornado hit it.

Maybe you could even put your life on stop now and again and get some rest. Speaking like Mickey Mouse, yet speaking so quickly I need to rewind what you said. Whirling and spinning like Taz and acting like Speedy Gonzales without the accent. Slow down some…and be my little boy today.

About The Author

Caitlyn Carrington

Greetings.. I am a published Poetess and new writer. I write short stories fiction and non-fiction, tv scripts, children’s stories and novels. My work can be seen on http://www.poetry.com, http://www.ladymerlin20m.com, http://freelancersrealm/50megs.com.

caitlyncarrington2003@yahoo.com

The most powerful way to instill a love for language and an awareness of health in young children is to help them use specific words as cues for mindfulness. Mindfulness is simply paying attention, noticing new things, drawing distinctions, and shifting perspectives. It is the very essence of fun, and all children have a natural tendency to be mindful. That’s how we learn from the time we are infants!

As children reach the age of three or so, they become fascinated by words and the sounds they can make. As a parent, you can significantly boost your child’s linguistic intelligence by pointing out certain words whenever they pop up in conversation or even on TV or radio.

For example, you might choose the word “crunchy” as your secret word. Turn it into a game, much like “Slug Bug!”that road trip challenge to be the first to notice any Volkswagen bugs. You want to help your child notice your secret word, and celebrate the fact that they noticed it.

Whenever they hear the word “crunchy” they simply say, “That’s crunchy!” From there, let them notice what kind of crunchy it is. Like celery? Like chips? Like an apple? Is it juicy crunchy or salty crunchy of sweet crunchy? This helps your child build important connections and draws their attention to the subtle differences that can be found in crunchy foods. It’s an engaging and entertaining way to have an ongoing discussion about nutrition!

You can adjust the words depending on the age, language skills and interest of your child. Other suggestions for secret words include: “fruity,” “juicy,” “chewy,” “tender,” “mouth-watering,” or “bite-sized.” Don’t be afraid to introduce a word that might be above their level, especially if it’s fun to say. Why not try “succulent” or “luscious”?

Playing the secret word game is a fun way to focus on food, and you’ll find yourself becoming more aware of delicious words, too!

Yummy.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse and mother of four in Portland, Oregon. She has taught thousands of preschoolers how to play with words. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she offers creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation for all ages. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com.