Thanks and Upcoming Review

I want to say a big THANKS to all who had little Dylan in their prayers. Today went as smoothly as any surgery day can go - and he was soooo brave! To be quite honest, I can say that Dylan was braver than I...which doesn't give him as much credit as he is due.

Although he is in quite a bit of pain right now, it's all downhill from here. We're so glad that the surgery went well and are blessed that he was in your thoughts and prayers!

Onto more...


SheBlogs.org



I'm proud to announce that Mommy Rantings has been accepted ("after careful review", according to the email from Julie Wohlberg, the founder of Sheblogs) into the Sheblogs "community of influential female bloggers" (again, according to the email)! This is exciting for Mommy Rantings followers, because the more opportunities that Mommy Rantings receives, the more that are shared with YOU!

Upcoming Review

Finally, for today, I want to mention that I will be doing a review for NaturalSkinShop.com, thanks to Mommy Rantings' induction into SheBlogs.org. I have chosen to review the Alpha Beta Daily Exfoliator Kit: Salicylic 2% 2oz, Glycolic 10% 2oz, Hyaluronic Moisturizer 1oz, Glycolic Cleanser 4oz.

So, look forward to that in the upcoming weeks! 


Thanks for the support, love and prayers!


 

Preparing Children for Surgery: A Prayer Request

The day has finally approached and I think mom is more nervous than Dylan. After months and months of waiting and one re-schedule, little Dylan will finally get his surgery that is long overdue (tomorrow - December 29, 2010). I know that God has our little guy in his hands and that everything should go just fine, but there's always room for prayer.

I have held several little talks with Dylan to "prepare" him for the day and he is being so brave! He knows that the doctors are going to "fix" him and he says that he is ready to be a big boy and show how brave his is tomorrow.

I'm not sure if there is a "real" way to prepare a child for surgery, but even at three years old, Dylan understands that he needs surgery to "fix" him.

Here are my recommendations if you ever need to prepare your child for surgery, even at a very young age:

Preparing Your Child For Surgery

• Talk to your child. Explain the problem on their level and ask if they have any questions. 
• Answer their questions to the best of your ability and try to dispel any fears that they have.
• Assure your child that you will be with them all the way through. Let them know that they will not be alone, at any point of the surgery (even if you can't physically be right next to them during the surgery, you will be there for the parts that they will actually remember.)
• Allow your child to express their feelings and talk through their fears.
• Dispel their fear of pain by telling them that the surgery is to make them better, not worse.
• Some children think that they are getting punished for being bad, rather than getting surgery to fix an issue. Make sure that this misconception is cleared up and that your child completely understands why they need the surgery, to the best of your abilities.
• Read them books about surgery and hospitalization. Here are some suggestions:

Fred Rogers. Going to the Hospital. G.P. Putnam's Sons, Inc., 1988
Deborah Hautzig. A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital. Random House, Inc., 1985
Sara Bonnett Stein. A Hospital Story. Walker and Company, 1974

• You and your child can participate in a hospital tour prior to the surgery. This may or may not be good for your child. It can cause even more anxiety and seem overwhelming, so the decision whether or not to participate in one of these tours is up to you, the parent.
• Most of all, give your child lots of hugs, kisses and reassurance that you will be with them through the whole process. Make them feel special and loved.
• On the day of surgery, be sure to bring anything your child uses for security; a blanket, a pillow or a favorite stuffed animal. This will come in handy after the surgery is over.

Good luck if you ever need to go through surgery with your child. Send me a message and I will say a prayer for you.

God bless you for your prayers!

Reflections...

library.creativecow.net

As I sit here wondering how I'm going to "pull off" Christmas this year...(yes, I have waited until the last minute, for all of you Plan-Ahead Moms...the Christmas "wishes" that my children have change by the day!)

I think about how blessed we are to be happy, have food, and have each other to celebrate Christmas with.

I think about all of the parents who are wondering what they are going to feed their children this Christmas.

I think about the parents who are sitting beside their child in the hospital, holding their hand and wondering how much longer they will be able to look into their child's eyes and tell them that they love them.

I think about all of the parents who are trying to figure out how to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in their home with no income.

I think about the children who have lost a parent in the war.

I think about the children who have lost a parent to an illness or sickness.

I think about the families who are living in shelters - the families who have no home at all.

I think about the children who do not have parents at all to spend their holidays with.

I think about the families who might not be experiencing any of the above issues, but are struggling in some way...

And I say a prayer for everyone who is struggling this Holiday season, for whatever reason they may have woes.

I am thankful for even the smallest things this year. We have a table to eat on and food to feed our children. We will be shopping tomorrow for the items that are high on their list (no, they won't be getting EVERYTHING this year). We have each other and we will be celebrating Christmas together. That's more than a lot of families...and I'm very thankful to God for all of our blessings, no matter the size.

Take a moment to reflect on the little blessings that you receive each day and remember...no matter what your woes are, you are in someone's prayers.

Sleep and Prayer

I actually got a really good night of sleep last night, which is good and bad because I planned to get some things accomplished after the kids went to bed. LOL No such luck!

Regardless, I got a great night of sleep, which rarely happens, so I am grateful on this Monday morning. I'm grateful for new friends and old friends and the blessings that God has brought me. And, speaking of blessings, we went to an awesome church yesterday with an unbelievable children's program, so I feel blessed about that, too.

I feel confident that it's true: God does put people in your path - this time it was my neighbor, who invited me to the church that she attends. We are new to the neighborhood and the area, so it's nice to find a church so quickly that we really like!

I will be posting up more review/giveaways all this week! So, don't forget to come back and show some love by entering! Spread the word...it's the giving season, people!


Thank you all so much for being loyal...you know who you are! Happy Monday...stay tuned!

Prayables.com Review

What an appropriate season to receive an email about Prayables.com! It's a time to be thankful, so I thought the timing was perfect!

Prayables.com is an online community for women to commence at, blog on, and find inspiration at. Sign up for daily prayers. Beyond the inspiration is quite a bit of laughter and and fun! I recommend you stop by Prayables.com to see how you can contribute as well as what you can get out of it yourself. They're currently looking for a few women to contribute to the site and PAY for accepted work...you can't beat that! In addition, they will promote your blog for free!

Here's a cute video "How To Pass the Chuckle Test" by Susan Diamond, Chief of Pray at Prayables:



Networking with other women that are faith-based is so good for your heart. As a mother, days are consumed with constantly taking care of other people...isn't it time you do something for yourself?

One Holiday Down...Time for Giving Thanks Now

Congratulations! We have one holiday down and - how many left? - to go. We ended up doing the last minute do-it-yourself costumes, after all. Thank goodness for creative imaginations!

Next, we need to start thinking about how thankful we should be. I have so many reasons to be thankful this year, beginning with the blessing of a healthy and loving family. I don't wait until Thanksgiving to count all of my blessings - I am thankful everyday.

larearose.blogspot.com

Except last Friday, that is. I was at my wit's end with the world and life in general and turned to God with every bit of my being. I think we all have those days when we feel like our back is against the wall and we're not getting all of the answers that we want. Friday was that day for me.

It didn't happen all of a sudden - it was one messy thing after another after another. Friday wasn't the first time that I turned to God in desperation. I talk to Him on a daily basis, good or bad. I'm not a fair-weather friend to Him. But, Friday was the "snapping" point. I was distraught and completely disgusted...and then it came. A phone call that changed everything! It may seem impossible, but all it took was that one phone call and I was able to find some relief. And, I turned to God and thanked him.

icuraconservative.com

We need to learn to be thankful every day, even if it's just for very small things. The more thankful we are, the more blessed we will feel - and, perhaps, the more blessings we will receive. For, if it seems like we're not thankful for what we DO have, no matter how little it may be, we most likely won't be thankful for more when we get it.

This holiday season, I hope you really take the time to think about the blessings that you currently have and share your thoughts about your blessings with your children. And, let me tell you, I understand how to be thankful that I can put food on the table every day for my children. I know how to be thankful that they are healthy and happy. I know how to be thankful to have a roof over our heads.