Blogging From A to Z April Challenge, Day 1 - Anger

Today is the first day of April. I promised myself I would use the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge as a way to challenge myself to regularly update my blog. My writing for this challenge will focus on, you guessed it, parenting and other domestic things. The parenting side will generally pertain to life with a toddler, since that is my life's focus as of now (at least on the parenting end of things).

Today I choose the word ANGER. Not that I'm angry. You see, anyone who has raised a toddler will tell you that they have a way of knowing when you're already frustrated (trying to do too much at one time, almost burning dinner, have a lot on your to-do list, don't feel well.... the list of possible reasons goes on and on and on). It always seems my son will pick one of these times to throw a tantrum when I ask him to do (or not do) something. Or maybe this time he's asking me the same question thirty-seven times in a row, even though he already knew the answer before he asked the first time. (Side note: he does have a way of doing this that would be adorable if I wasn't already annoyed at something else. As he is asking his question his voice gets higher-pitched, making him sound like a pubescent boy. Sometimes I find it funny. Sometimes.) Or maybe he's just generally doing anything and everything he can to get attention, because he has to have my undivided attention and love at that very second or he'll spontaneously combust. (Not complaining about that one. I know all too well he'll be a "big boy" sooner than I'll ever be ready for him to decide that he is. I take all the snuggles and kisses I can get for now. It will end. And i will cry.)

So how do parents of toddlers keep from losing their cool, especially when it comes to their children?

I close my eyes, block out as much noise as I can, and take a few deep (sometimes really deeeeeeep) breaths.

Or I walk away for a moment, until I can regain my composure.

Or, if the tantrum is getting out of hand, I send my son to his room and make him remain there with his door closed until he gets himself under control. I stay just outside his door, in case he actually needs me, but I let him cry or scream or whatever he feels like doing. When he calms down, I pick him up and hug and kiss him, and tell him I love him. If I'm not in the middle of cooking dinner or something equally important, I sit down and spend some extra one-on-one time with him (usually reading. I'm trying to raise a reader, and he loves reading books together). If I can't stop what I'm doing, I try to find a way he can "help", so he feels we are doing something constructive together.

I don't always remember to do these things. Sometimes my temper does get the best of me. But I'm trying to remember to do these things when I get frustrated, especially with my son.

What do you do to cope when you feel your frustration rising?

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Back Again

I FINALLYhave my laptop set up. (Can anyone hear the chorus of Hallelujah in my head? Just me? Oh, well....)

I have set up a mini-office for the time being in our craft/hobby/work room. Just a table with laptop and monitor, but it's a start. This is just in time, as the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is just a few days away.

I've spent most of the evening installing Google Chrome, updating virus software and installing all 72 Windows updates my computer needed (yup - you read that right - 72!). Granted my laptop hasn't been connected to the internet since May of last year.... I know, shocking, isn't it? For the most part since May 2011, I have used the internet at work, on my phone, or on my boyfriend's laptop since then, so it's not like I was in danger of dying from lack of connectivity completely cut off from the interwebs.

All this to say, I still have my lists of topics I had thought of back last September or so, when I stopped blogging (again). I have thought of a few new ones, also. I also have a new (to me, even though I've lived here since December 1) house to organize and decorate. I also have a TON of personal-life updating to do. So MAYBE I'll be here a little more often. I'm thinking maybe every morning between my son's breakfast and lunch, or maybe each afternoon during nap time, I'll sit down and write a few posts and schedule them. I set up a little area for the boy to watch DVDs and color and stuff while I work, since the boyfriend was napping on the couch today while I set my "office" up, and I wanted the little tyke to stay relatively quiet for a little while so Mommy could get all this set up.

Now if that child would just cooperate and STAY IN THE %$#@#$^%$ bed.... (He's currently behind me making faces in the mirror propped against the wall. I've already tucked him in twice.....)

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Thinking of doing a blog challenge for April

I was moderating a spam comment on my Blogger dashboard today, and happened to click on the "Blogs of Note" tab to see who was listed. Author Alex J. Cavanaugh was listed a few days ago, so I jumped over to check out his blog. Through his blog I found a link for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

It looks really cool, something good to flex underused writing muscles. The premise is you blog on any topic you want every day in April except most Sundays, as long as the topics are in alphabetical order. Or post pictures, or video, or whatever. As long as the subject is in alphabetical order each day. Since April starts on a Sunday this year, you do have to blog that day, but all the other Sundays you get off the hook.

I'm seriously considering doing this. As long as I don't get too lazy or forget. I'm currently trying to come up with a list of topics for each day.

Who wants to join me? There is a list on the A to Z page where you can link up, as well as banners you can put on your blog. You know, for accountability.

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Going Dark January 18, 2012 to protest SOPA

I am setting my blog to go dark to show my support in the anti-SOPA and anti-PIPA movement.

I will also be contacting my legislative representatives to have my opinion heard regarding these issues.

My blog will be back up Thursday, January 19,2012.

I'm sure both my readers (Hi Mommy! Hi Sissy!) will live without my un-updated blog until then.

Should anyone happen to stumble upon my blog and wonder how I did this easily, see this site ---> http://torbit.com/blog/2012/01/15/stop-sopa-js/.

They have a javascript plugin that you just copy and paste. They even provide simple instructions for its use. It is set to automatically activate and deactivate, so it will only appear on your blog for one day.

Some websites to refer to:
Sites Going Dark to Protest SOPA/PIPA
SOPAStrike.com
Why SOPA is Dangerous (Opinion Piece)
A Different List of Companies and Sites Going Black
Another Site Explaining Why So Many Are Going Dark
Just Because Obama Says He Won't Support SOPA Does NOT Mean it Won't Go Forward in Legislature - and PIPA Will, Too.
Yet Another List of Those Going Dark

I have included so many different lists of companies and sites who have said they are going dark simply because each one is a little different, in terms of the sites listed. It is important to remember Google, Facebook, Twitter, and several others havm said they will not go completely dark, or will only run some type of banner or graphic on their pages displaying their support of the anti-SOPA/PIPA movement (referred to by some as Occupy SOPA).


One more thing. I am doing a simple copy-and-paste of this post to put on my other blog, which has the same readers as this one (Hi, again, Mommy and Sissy!).

It's not much, but if every blogger opposed to these bills would do this, the impact would be heard across the nation. If you DO NOT want SOPA and PIPA to pass through legislature, please consider tweeting with the hashtag #SOPA, making all your sites (blogs, webpages, etc) dark for 24 hours, and letting your Congressmen and Senators know you will not support this bill, and they will lose your vote if they support it.

If we don't all take a stand together on this, we will only gain more government censorship. That is never a good thing.

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The heart of America is heavy today. My heart is bleeding today.

Today is a somber day in America. Today is the tenth anniversary of the attack on September 11, 2001. Today, our nation reflects. Today, almost 3,000 families are still trying to heal. More than 70 countries lost citizens. 1,122 victims remain unidentified. This means 1,122 families have not been able to bury their loved one's body.

I remember that day clearly, as every person in America who was old enough then to process what was going on. I was a freshman in college, thoroughly enjoying my first semester at a local community college. A classmate came into our first class and told us she had heard on the radio that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. We soon found out that another plane had struck, and our beloved country was under attack from some unknown foe. That's was the longest class I believe I have ever sat through. I kept praying the 50 minutes would pass quickly. All I wanted was to go home. As soon as that class, my first of the day, was over I got in my car and drove straight home.

Sawyer was there, watching the live coverage on one of the national 24-hour news stations. His aunt had called him with the news. We sat and watched, speechless as the horrors of the morning filled our television screen and our minds. We watched the Pentagon get hit. We watched footage of the plane downed in the field in Pennsylvania, a large tragedy averted by the heroics of the passengers, but still no less a tragedy.

And we wondered, when will it stop? How many more planes are out there, aimed at our beautiful America? What if they (whoever THEY are) aren't using just planes? How will the people stranded by the grounding of all air traffic get home? Why us? Why our country? What could make a person harbor so much hate in their heart that they would plot to destroy an entire country?

And I cried. I cried for the innocent. For the children who lost a parent. For the parent who lost a child. For the ones who lost a spouse. For anyone who lost a sister, brother, cousin, grandparent, friend. I cried for our country. I cried at the absolute injustice of the cowardly attack. I cried in rage that someone would do this in OUR country. I cried for the emergency workers, who ran into those buildings to save as many as they could. It seemed I cried all day. It was too much for me to process. My mind, finally numb from the images and terror and outrage and crying, finally shut down. I could take no more that night.

I watched over the next days and weeks and months. I watched the memorials and vigils. I watched as the smoke finally cleared. I watched as people began to pick up the pieces. I watched as, slowly, the names of the victims were released.

And I watched as people did anything they could to help. They donated blood. I watched as people helped those stranded find their way home. I watched as people donated time and money. I watched as American pride and patriotism swelled in each of my neighbors, both local and 3,000 miles away. I watched as each of my fellow Americans did anything and everything they could to help.

Ten years later, a lot has changed. Travel is more difficult. Security tightens every time the government hears an increase in what they call "international terrorist chatter." We will never go back to the days before September 11, 2001. We will never feel truly, completely safe in our home.

Every year, as we mark another unwanted anniversary, I still feel the terror of that day fight to close in on my mind. Every time I see images from that day fear stabs me in the heart, for just a few moments. Every year, I cry for those who lost so much that day. This year, I think, it's worse.

The news anchors and so-called experts all said this would be my generation's "Pearl Harbor." I don't doubt that. I know I will always remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I got the news of the attacks. I will always remember how horrified and helpless I felt. I will always remember the anger and sorrow. I will always remember the ocean of tears I cried that day. I will always remember my pride in my fellow Americans in the aftermath of those events. I will never again take my freedom for granted.

I will never forget.

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