Owner: Raising California URL:www.RaisingCalifornia.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:14:15 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Discover what it's like to be a kid and to raise a kid in Southern California. The journey begins here! Site statistics:Click here
Welcome to our $179 Mess!! 2008-03-17 00:53:09 So, I took the boys with me to Cost Plus World Market yesterday. If you have never been there, let me assure you that 99.9% of the merchandise within this store is highly breakable! Not only is everything breakable, the aisles are so narrow that California can reach shelves full of wine bottles to the left and shelves full of candle holders to the right with little effort, while securely restrained in the cart. So, I promised both boys a toy if they made good decisions and kept their hands to themselves. They did a great job! California chose a miniature chime that can be played with a mallet. Tennessee chose a gel filled squeeze ball, something similar to this ball from OfficePlayground.com:We've had this ball for less than 24 hours and I hear a scream from the second floor landing..."Mom Read more:Welcome
Peek into the Social Life of a Southern California Homeschooler 2008-03-18 20:12:52 The question that homeschoolers hear most often from people who aren't familiar with homeschooling is: "What About Social
ization?"There are many opportunities for socialization!! Take a peek into the social life of a SouthernCalifornia
homeschooler to see for yourself... (I would include pictures of Tennessee engaging in these activities but other children would be in them. Out of respect for those children and their parents, I have chosen not to publish them...I wouldn't want someone to put pictures of my child on the internet without my permission).On Fridays, Tennessee plays sports. We are a part of a homeschooling group which consists of over 100 homeschooling families. This group meets on Mondays and Fridays(about 15 families or so attend these gatherings regularly) at various parks Read more:Southern California
When it Rains, it Pours; A Call for Compassion 2008-03-21 19:28:37 As noted in the "Who Are We Anyway" section, L.A. Mama is from Missouri. This is a picture of how the neighborhood that she grew up in looks today:I've heard a lot of talk in this country about how people living in flood zones and/or wildfire areas are partially responsible for their fate. Do you think your fellow Americans enjoy watching everything they have worked hard for and their family heirlooms go down the drain? There were two major reasons why we lived in this neighborhood:1. We couldn't afford to live anywhere else. The neighborhoods that were safe from flooding were where the doctors and lawyers lived. Everyone else had to fend for themselves and take risks.2. My grandmother and great grandmother lived three blocks from me. It was important to our family to be close knit Read more:Compassion
Easter: Southern California Style 2008-03-24 00:13:37 Tennessee and California
awoke to a living room filled with pastel balloons, some caramel filled chocolate eggs, jelly beans and the promise of a new day! L.A. Mama slept in just a little until the sound of the security alarm roused her from her slumber. Just so you all know...the sound of a popping balloon WILL trigger the "glass break" alarm to go off and your security company WILL call you within 30 seconds. While California took a nap, L.A. Mama went out to buy a blueberry bush, raspberry bush, a Merlot grapevine, three tomato plants, six cucumber plants, one jalapeno pepper plant, lots of potting soil and some containers. Tomorrow we will work on planting all of these yummy goodies and some sunflowers seeds (check back for blogs on this!!).After California woke up, we all headed t Read more:Easter
, Southern
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, Southern California
Singulair ALERT 2008-03-27 14:33:38 This is an alert to EVERYONE who has allergies/asthma, but I especially want to inform parents with children who have allergies and/or asthma(because parents are often the last to know). The FDA has updated the SIDE EFFECTS of this "miracle" drug to include:TREMORSANXIOUSNESSDEPRESSIONSUICIDAL BEHAVIORCalifornia was prescribed this to control his asthma at the age of 2 even though his allergist determined that he didn't have allergies. He refused to take it and I didn't trust this drug for some reason. I had no reason NOT to trust it but something inside me told me not to give it to him. I am so glad that I didn't!Click HERE to read the news story associated with this information.
How to be a California Beauty (Part 2) 2008-03-27 12:51:52 I left off at # 16 on How to be a CaliforniaBeauty
, so I will start at #17. If you did not read "How to be a California Beauty (Part 1) or need a refresher course; click HERE.#17 Don't be Shallow. It is unattractive to care more about what kind of car someone drives than what is actually in their heart. Don't judge people based on outward appearances, listen to your soul instead. This is how to be truly beautiful from the inside out. By the way, it isn't cool to be like Paris Hilton. #18 Expect the Unexpected. Life isn't always going to work out the way you plan and when you least expect it; the unexpected will happen. If you already expect the unexpected then you won't be so surprised :)#19 Don't be ashamed to want to change things about your appearance. It is perfectly normal t
Rock Band and the Little Drummer Boy 2008-03-27 12:41:26 Well it seems as though California has Daddio's drummer genes running through his blood. I snapped these pictures the other day when I noticed that California had walked right up to the drum set without any encouragement, perched himself on the stool, tossed his carrot(you can see the evidence of the carrot in the form of orange drool around his mouth), picked up the drumsticks and began to play a stady beat without any hesitation!
Appetite for Destruction 2008-04-02 01:13:20 This happens in less than two seconds :(We have one less wine glass now. No...I wasn't taking pictures when he picked up the wine glass and threw it to the floor! This was taken the next day to show how easy it is for a two year old to use drawer pulls as a ladder.I assure you that he went to time out after this picture was taken...and it was time out WITHOUT his blue blanket.
Read more:Destruction
The Diaper Dilemma 2008-04-04 00:02:32 Have you ever wondered what is in disposable diapers that makes them so absorbent? Have you ever seen the little gel like beads on your baby/toddlers bottom during a diaper change? Better yet, have you ever seen a mess like this??The above is a picture of a soaked diaper after being tossed from the second floor down to the first floor (also known as a diaper bomb)shown below:After cleaning up this mess, I decided to find out what this stuff was made of and if it was safe to be next to my little boy's skin 24 hours a day for nearly three years. I found out more information regarding disposable diapers than just what the gel is made of...take a look.According to an article in Mothering Magazine (Issue 88 May/June), this gel is made of Sodium Polyacrylate. This is a super-absorbent polymer th Read more:Diaper
No title 2008-04-10 01:22:34 Tennessee had a birthday today...he is nine years old now. He was supposed to be born on April 8th. L.A. Mama was in labor for 19 hours and he was finally born at 1:04am on April 9th via emergency C-Section! He was such a beautiful baby that all of the nurses couldn't stop talking about him. They said that they had never seen such beautiful silvery blonde hair...and he had so much hair for a newborn. That was THEN:~Yes, he does look a little angry. You would be too if you tried to be born for 19 hours straight...~And this is NOW:We started the day at COCO's...well known for their delicious pies. Tennessee wanted Lemon Merrigne pie instead of birthday cake this year; so that is what he got!California thought it was heavenly!Then we completely surprised him by taking him to the San Die
Our Beautiful Backyard 2008-04-11 21:09:02 It was 83 today, so we decided to play in the backyard. We live in a condo and our backyard is HUGE. We walked two miles to get there. You may have heard of it; it is called the Pacific Ocean :) We stopped at the Coffee Bean on the way to take a break. L.A. Mama got a Mocha Latte and Tennessee & California got a cookie to keep their blood sugar levels high enough to make it to the beach. Then we stopped at the Third Street Promenade to go to Barnes and Noble to get some books and magazines. We finally made it there and found the most beautiful tree.Look closely! That is the Pacific Ocean in the background. Here is a better picture of our beautiful backyard. California passed out on the way back home....and then we got a mid day snack at Earth Wind & Flour before coming home to slat Read more:Beautiful
Carpe Diem 2008-04-15 10:55:06 Carpe Diem means "Seize the Day" in Latin and that is what we did on Sunday! Instead of waiting for the most convenient time or the best part of the day, we packed up the car with beach toys, beach towels, sunscreen, water and kids and headed two miles west to the beach!California found a pet rock to keep him company! It was hard to part with him when we had to go home :(It was unusally warm in Los Angeles/Santa Monica. The thermometer in the car read 93 degrees on the way there and 91 degrees at the beach! It is usually quite breezy down by the ocean but there wasn't a breeze to be had on Sunday. You can see the effect of the heat on Tennessee's face. RED HOT!This is what we enjoyed on a hot Sunday afternoon right at naptime for California. We figured since we only lived two miles awa Read more:Carpe
Organic Gardening...Condo Style 2008-04-16 10:58:44 I recently saw a statistic that more than 70% of the residents in the Los Angeles metropolitan area are renters. A high proportion of those renters live in condos and apartments. When we moved into our condo in Santa Monica, I thought that my dreams of raising our own organic fruits and vegetables were over because we didn't have a yard. I also struggled with the notion that it would take a lot of water to grow these fruits and vegetables and I wanted to be green. I didn't want to waste water, but then I realized that by growing our own fruits and vegetables, we will HELP the environment in the following ways:* growing plants and trees puts oxygen into the air which helps fight global warming* cutting out the necessity for a truck to deliver produce to the store to be purchased and consume Read more:Organic
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Heart Cakes 2008-04-17 23:23:50 California brought me the Jiffy Cornbread Muffin mix and said "Pwease? Pwease Mama?". I thought about it for a minute and decided to make it for lunch. If you have read the "Who Are We Anyway??" section, then you probably already know that we are vegetarians.I remember the days of when I grew up in the mid-south. We always had cornbread with a big ole pot of white beans or butter beans. So I decided to whip up a Southern California style lunch for my little veggie boys that included cornbread but a different kind of bean... It consisted of the following items:HEART CAKES! Made with Jiffy Cornbread mix, two tablespoons of organic sugar, 1/3 cup organic milk, One organic, cage - free, omega - 3 egg and approximately 3 ounces of fresh organic blueberries.Edamame (organic soybeans) and or Read more:Heart
, Cakes
Blue Blanket Gets a Bath 2008-04-17 19:14:53 "Blue blanket! Where is it? I don't see it!""There it is! I see my blue blanket!""Oh Deeeeaaaaar! Oh My Gooooood - ness! Oh MY GOSH"
Read more:Blanket
Earth Day Giveaway 2008-04-22 14:29:09 Our family has been working hard to be as green as possible. We recycle, we reuse, we reduce and we respect the Earth
by making conscientious choices. In honor of Earth Day
(everyday should be Earth Day), we decided to help the Earth by helping others! Yes, you read that correctly :) We think that by helping others "be green" and by spreading our ideas about "green living", we can make more of an impact.Did you know that plastic bags are made from petroleum? Yes, they are made from oil. As a matter of fact, Americans use over 380 billion bags every year, throwing away millions of barrels of oil.Each year, approximately 6 billion plastic bags are consumed in Los Angeles County alone. This is equivalent to 600 bags per person per year. Nationwide, 60,000 plastic bags are used every five secon
100% Organically Grown 2008-05-16 14:49:44 Back in April, we posted information about organic gardening and pictures of our own organic garden on the terrace of our condo. Click HERE if you want to view that post for the first time or to refresh your memory.We have fruit and vegetables growing now. The raspberries were the first to produce fruit and many of them have already been eaten by Tennessee and California. Here are some pics of Read more:Grown
We Left our Hearts in San Francisco (Part 1) 2008-05-16 14:27:16 I am not sure if any of you have noticed but we have been gone for a bit. We went to San Francisco
on vacation. The picture to the right is from the lounge on the top floor of our hotel. We love San Francisco
...not more than L.A. - but we love it in different ways. We love the way that everything is centrally located, downtown is SAFE and everyone is so friendly. It is also very progressive.We Read more:Hearts
Tornadoes Touchdown in Southern California 2008-05-23 00:34:48 First of all, I feel like I need to explain that the only time it usually rains in SouthernCalifornia
is in the winter...between the months of November and February. We hardly ever get thunderstorms but it does happen occasionally. Well today...and remember it is almost JUNE, we had tornadoes, hail, heavy rain, flooding and mudslides. I witnessed my day go from sunny to dark, followed by lighte Read more:Tornadoes
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, Southern California
California's New Cell Phone Law Begins July 1st 2008-05-26 01:13:44 After July 1st, 2008, it will be illegal for anyone to hold a cellphone to their ear and talk while driving. This is good news! I personally only use my cell in emergency situations. If I need to use it at all, I pull into a parking lot or off onto the side of the road. From now on, those who insist on holding their cell phones to their ear, will be ticketed. Say good bye to this girl to the Read more:California
Cherub Rock 2008-05-26 00:12:11 Californa loves to play Rock Band!! He will pick up the guitar and play, sit down at the drumset and play...and grab the microphone and sing like an angel. I've got your future rockstar right here...he's a heartbreaker so hide your daughters :)
We Left our Hearts in San Francisco (Part 2) 2008-05-25 21:02:39 Sunday (5/11/08) was filled with activity. We took a cab to the Golden Gate Park, the Exploratorium and the Palace of Fine Arts. The Golden Gate Park is HUGE so if you ever go, wear your tennis shoes and be prepared to walk for days! It is bigger than Central Park and is the largest urban park in the United States. The Golden Gate Park is comprised of wilderness, museums, playgrounds, two lake Read more:Hearts
, Francisco
, San Francisco
Back to the Future 2008-06-05 18:18:48 After being inspired by the movie "Back to the Future
" and a book called "The Time Traveler's Journal", Tennessee decided to create his own time machine. See the pictures and notes below to learn how you can make a time machine for yourself...You will need the following items (don't be afraid to use your own creativity):1 Medium or Large cardboard box1 roll of blue painter's tape1 roll of clear p
WE Prepare 2008-06-10 19:56:32 Tornadoes have continuously swept through the Midwest for months leaving behind fatalities, shattered lives and destruction. We have witnessed images of Myanmar after it was devastated by a cyclone leaving 78,000 dead as the numbers seem to climb each day. Then China was hit by a 7.9 earthquake with numerous aftershocks that are still happening, killing at least 67,000 people and leaving million
We're Toast 2008-06-25 21:27:25 On the same day that James Hansen, a top NASA scientist and global warming expert, told congress that "we're toast if we don't get on a very different path", much of California was on fire from a rare lightening storm.Why was this lightening storm so rare? Mainly because it generated 8,000 lightening strikes that started 1,022 wildfires fires last weekend and they are still burning. This lighteni Read more:Toast
Flex Alert Issued for California 2008-07-08 08:22:31 FLEX ALERT has been declared for Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 thru Thursday, July 10th, 2008.The California
Independent System Operator (CAISO), charged with managing the electricity grid in California, has issued a Flex Alert
for Tuesday, July 8th 7:00 AM through Thursday, July 10th 7:00 PM.Due to the CURRENT HOT WEATHER, electricity conservation is necessary. As a result, state officials have called
Target Goes Green! 2008-07-14 14:49:07 A couple of weeks ago, I went to Target
to pick up some necessary items for an upcoming trip. I also needed diapers and cleaning products, so my quick shopping trip turned into somewhat of a shopping spree (doesn't this happen to everyone who shops at Target???). Here is a list of some of the GREEN GOODIES that I discovered:NATURE BABYCARE DIAPERSThese diapers are just heavenly! They are just a Read more:Green
Not a Morning Person? 2008-07-14 10:17:33 Does this look familiar to you? If so, then your child probably isn't a morning person. How can you tell? Does your child wake up crying, cranky and grumpy on a daily basis? Then he/she isn't a morning person. As a mother who is "not a morning person" and the mother of a child who is "not a morning person"(California gets it from me), this is often a challenging dichotomy. I have a few soul center Read more:Morning
Earthquakes. They're what's for lunch. 2008-08-03 01:58:10 I was just going about my business, making a salad (organic romaine lettuce, condo grown organic tomatoes, organic red onions from YUMMY.COM and organic Avocados...with low fat Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing)...I had just told Tennessee to take his library books upstairs. California was climbing up the outside of the banister/railing(as usual)...see pic below:Tennessee reached the landing a
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