Rewards Love

I love rewards programs.

That’s just a fact. My husband used to think I was crazy, but now he totally gets it.

Before I launch into explaining some of the rewards programs I use, let me preface this. I don’t condone these programs as way to make tons of money. In fact, you won’t make much at all, but if you let the points and things accumulate throughout the year, it will add up around the holiday time, which is why I use reward programs. I let my points accumulate, and then redeem points around November for things like Amazon gift cards, Target gift cards, and Shutterfly promos that I then use for buying Christmas gifts.

There are people out there who use rewards programs and couponing as a way of life, but that’s not me. This is something that I do casually that does not really affect what I already do. For example, I often do grocery shopping at Aldi, which does not offer many products that fit in the reward offers, but that is a personal choice that I make. So my final statement is that rewards will definitely vary depending on everyone’s individual situations and preferences. Anyway… let’s continue.

No Muslim Ban No Wall

Only a week after the inauguration of the new POTUS, people are seeing their lives being dramatically affected. While a vast majority of the population does not see the direct effects of the recent executive actions, that changed for a large number of individuals today. Trump’s entry ban on citizens of several African and Middle Eastern countries lead to dozens of legal US residents to be detained at airports in within the US and abroad. It is also preventing US residents from returning to their homes.

So not only are we now not accepting refugees and new immigrants from certain countries, but people who already have visas and legal US residents are being affected! In addition to this, the Trump administration is asking for immigration status from colleges and universities of international students from these countries. I read about an Iranian woman who has leave in the middle of working on a masters program in the United States. This is demoralizing and ignorant. They are mothers, fathers, children, brothers and sisters, friends. They have jobs and want to make better lives for their children. Instead they are being treated as criminals, all because of where they are from and the religion they practice.

While my husband is not from one of the banned countries, he identifies as a Muslim. To think that at some point, his immigration status could be at risk because of what he believes is sickening. Violence is never the answer, but I have such an urge to slap the people who think that they have the power and right to determine whose lives are more valuable, because to some of them the lives of refugees, immigrants, and Muslims are not worth the same as white Christian Americans.

Season of Giving

“Mommy, I want to get that for Lola and Skylar,” Izzy declared to me.

I was only half listening while I worked or replied to a message or some other task taking most of my attention. “Oh you want that?” I barely glanced at the tail-end of the commercial and whatever toy it was advertising.

“No no no.” Izzy responded. “I want to get it for Lola and Skylar!”

This finally pulled my attention away from what I was doing to look at my toddler. She looked at me seriously. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, my love. Why?” I inquired, curious if this was just a random comment.

“Because they will like it!”

Election Results

Like many people in this country, I woke up this morning feeling disappointed. I don’t think our president-elect is necessarily a bad person. I don’t even think all of his ideas are completely bad, and I can almost understand why some people want a change. After all, we are a nation founded on differences in opinions and beliefs. I know not everyone will have the same opinion as me. However, I also believe that regardless of what you believe socially, politically, and economically, there are certain character traits that role models should have. The president of the most powerful country in the world should be an ideal role model, however, this is an area that I think Donald Trump falls seriously short.

Review: Dino Lingo

I previously posted about my husband’s and my wanting our daughter to learn Portuguese. One of our methods of accomplishing this goal is with the aid of Dino Lingo.

Dino Lingo is a language learning program for children. The program utilizes songs, animations, and supplemental materials to teach basic foreign language vocabulary. Our daughter has been (somewhat inconsistently) watching the Portuguese DVDs for several months. She doesn’t give it her complete attention, usually playing or doing something while listening, but she frequently requests to watch the “Portuguese dinosaurs.” I think it has been critical in familiarizing her with Portuguese words.

Read my pros and cons of Dino Lingo below.

Raising a Bilingual Baby

My husband is the definition of a polyglot. He speaks 8-10 languages fluently, and languages just come naturally to him. Of course, it helps that he’s lived in a multitude of countries of varying majority languages.

His family speaks mostly Portuguese and Fulani, so it was always our goal to raise our daughter speaking Portuguese. For various reasons, it didn’t really happen. but everything I’ve read says it isn’t too late. So we continue to try and encourage her to use Portuguese for everyday words. It’s been really slow going.

American Academy Of Pediatrics Lifts ‘No Screens Under 2’ Rule : NPR Ed : NPR

via American Academy Of Pediatrics Lifts ‘No Screens Under 2’ Rule : NPR Ed : NPR

For parents of infants and toddlers. I know screen time for young children is fairly controversial, but I have always been realistic when it comes to screens. I have always let my daughter watch interactive, educational tv shows. I firmly believe that watching Sesame Street and Super Why is how she is able to recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet. Watching Dino Lingo and Portuguese videos on YouTube has helped her in her Portuguese language development. I also let her play educational and interactive games that have taught her colors, shapes, numbers, etc.

Of course, there should always be limits and balances. Screen time isn’t an automatic right. It is only with the expectation of good behavior, and not right before bed time. Still, I’m not a perfect mother. There have been countless times that I come home from a long, stressful day at work, and I just want to relax. As any mother of a toddler knows, they make it impossible to relax. In those times, if I can just cuddle with my daughter while she plays a game on my phone, so I can read and unwind, then it is what it is.

I still think the educational opportunities outweigh the possible bad, when monitored responsibly.

Washed by the Water

Eight years ago I had just graduated from high school, so excited to finally be moving away from home and out of Cedar Rapids, the only home I had ever known. Only weeks after my graduation, the worst flooding the city had ever seen wreaked devastation for hundreds of homes and businesses along the river. I watched close family members and friends lose their homes. My church was also destroyed. I remember walking into the small church, only a few blocks from the river, the day before the street was flooded to find they had moved everything from the basement to the upper floor.

Interracial Families on Children’s TV

(Originally posted on February 20, 2015, edited July 16, 2015)

My last several posts have been pretty serious, so I think  it’s time for a fun post!  As the mother of a toddler, I have become fairly knowledgeable in current toddler and preschool shows, especially on Disney Junior and PBS Kids. My daugher loves certain characters that she sees on TV. The first show she loved to give her attention to was Super Why.  Then a few months ago, she started to recognize and get excited about Doc McStuffins and Minnie Mouse. Just recently, she has become obsessed with Elmo and Sesame Street.

While Izzy gets excited about colorful characters with fun voices, I get excited about the diversity I see on children’s programming today.  The list of shows that show diverse characters could go on for days, but I want to talk specifically about shows that depict interracial families.  The creators of the following television shows deserve a round of applause.

 1.  Sid the Science Kid (PBS Kids)

At first glance, all of the characters on Sid the Science Kid are varying shades of yellow and orange, but after a few episodes, it becomes clear that the creators created Sid’s family to be very diverse.  This is especially clear when you watch the holiday episodes.  Sid’s family celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.  Sid’s mother represents a black woman and Sid’s father represents a white man (and Jewish!).  I love that this family is so diverse, and the parents raise their children embracing culture from both sides.