Archive for 2008

At the Gate of the Year

December 31st, 2008 / No Comments

Are you looking forward to 2009 with anticipation or with anxiety? I tend to be a nervous kind of person. Two days ago we took our kids skiing at the local mountains; the anticipation kept me up half the night. When I came across this poem At the Gate of the Year by Minnie Louise […]

Good news for parents at Christmas

December 24th, 2008 / 3 Comments

I wonder what kind of mother Mary was. If I was Mary having to be the mother of a Perfect Son like Jesus, I would be smugly bragging about Him to my friends. “My Jesus was already walking before he was born.” “My Jesus always gets His chores done, even without me telling Him.” But […]

Should I let my son play computer games?

December 14th, 2008 / 7 Comments

A mom asked me: “My 8-year-old son wants to have a few friends over to play computer games. The kids will each bring their own laptops so they can play online together. Should I let them? Shouldn’t they be doing other things if they are going to spend time together?” First, let’s consider the bigger […]

Congratulations to the winners!

December 12th, 2008 / 1 Comment

The winners of the High School Musical Ice Show tickets are LW, SMS and Heidi Gallegos! I know you’ll enjoy the show, and maybe I’ll even see you there. Thank you all for participating. (Winners were chosen at random by random.org)

Make Gingerbread Friends for Christmas

December 11th, 2008 / 3 Comments

I am so excited! Tomorrow my daughter will be coming home from college for 3 weeks of Christmas vacation! Christmas holidays gives many natural opportunities to spend time together with our children. My younger daughter and I went Christmas shopping for her friends today. We wrapped Christmas presents together with Christmas music in the background. […]

Does having a pet teach responsibility?

December 9th, 2008 / 3 Comments

“Can we have a puppy for Christmas?” Doesn’t every child dream of having a pet? A pony? A puppy? A rabbit? When I was growing up, I wanted a dog, but the closest we got was a fish tank with an array of colorful fish. I developed a fear for fish when I woke up […]

Teaching your children to budget for gifts

December 8th, 2008 / 1 Comment

How do you help your children budget for Christmas gifts for their friends? What do you do when your children want to buy an expensive gift for a friend they don’t know that well? Is it ok to say, “You can’t spend that much on someone you don’t know that well.”? Does it sound like […]

High School Musical On Ice Tickets Giveaway

December 5th, 2008 / 7 Comments

Any of you planning to be in So Cal for the Christmas holidays? If you are, I’ve got a present for you! High School Musical On Ice will be here at the Staples Center, Honda Center, and the Long Beach Arena, and I have 3 sets of 4 tickets* to give away, valued at $100. […]

Is multitasking really the best use of time?

December 5th, 2008 / 2 Comments

“Mom, can you help me with my science homework?” I bring my laptop, my book, and mail to the dining room table so I can multitask while helping my daughter with homework. “What question are you on?” I asked. Answer email. “What question was that again?” Read a credit card offer. “What did you say […]

The economy and Christmas expectations

December 4th, 2008 / 4 Comments

“The economy is tough this year, please don’t worry about spending much; I am telling my kids not to expect much from people, it is the thought that counts.” That email from my sister-in-law reminded me to have that talk with my own kids this year. How about you? Have you prepared your children yet? Here […]