Pandora's Casket

Today I got the scare of a lifetime. Nicky has been walking home from school now for two days. I am barely comfortable with that but it is time.

Today I was watching the time. Giving him ample time to dilly dally along the way home. Well, 312 comes along and no Nicky. I waited five more minutes. No Nicky. I got my shoes on and headed downstairs looking in the upstairs bedrooms and asking if B had seen him. Nothing

I started walking to the school which is barely a 6 minute walk. Streets are dead as usual. By this time I am totally flooded with despair and started to cry a little. I turned around to go back home.

I heard some children laughing. My instincts perked and I walked to where I heard the sounds. There were three little boys jumping on a trampoline having the time of their lives. One such little boy looked like Nicky but from the distance I wasn't all that sure.

Getting up to the boys sure enough there was Nicky I was caught between emotions of being ever so angry and just relieved.

I asked him to get his things and we walked home. Tear again started to flow. Even though I found him it was still the left over stress over the overwhelming fear of every parent that their child might be missing.

Right now he is grounded to playing inside and not with his friends for his punishment. Although he apologized and was crying at seeing me cry he has to learn that by not coming straight home like he is supposed to it shows irresponsibility in his actions. He is only 8 going on 9 so I still worry.

Will he walk home alone tomorrow? No he will not. I think that he is just not ready to do this all the way home. Or maybe I am not ready to let go completely.

Have you watched the video I have posted here on my site or another's site? It is so cute about how they as a family are attempting to fit into their community. I know how that feels as we were that way when we first moved here in our small town. So very hard to be outsiders. They have added a llot of things over on the freshfunds site for you to look at and join.

Now that they have actually opened up the site and it has gone live it seems to be something that will be a lot of fun to join. You purchase certain products and save the points. Accumulate the points and you are able to use them for purchases that are on the online auction that they have. Now, everyone loves to bid and win victoriously (snickering) so this will add to the fun and entertainment that you are able to have. Signing up is a breeze and there are full details on the site and the good works that they are doing with the proceeds of sales. Donations go to much needy causes.

After watching the video do you have a favorite character? I thought long and hard about this question. And in all honesty I could not pick one as I liked them all! They are all entertaining and cute so there is no individual character for me. It is the entire family! Watch the The Sproutwells and make them a part of your family!

This morning as I was doing my normal drops I started to read a few of the blogs that I normally do not read, or just glance at the newest posts. For some reason something caught my eye on each of them so I started to just read older posts on their front page.

I was really disturbed by a few of them. All are really nice sites do not get me wrong but they were writing about their children and spanking them

One went so far as to say they were in pain and the child was crying and they felt like spanking them so hard to make them stop. Whoa back that train up. That one was the worst of all the others I read.

The others were about how they spanked this one and that one. OK, I realize that we all rear our children in different ways yet personally reading the one about spanking so hard just disturbed me enough to post on it. Usually I read things and laugh about it.

Small children and spanking them because you are in pain? I guess we have never heard of

Pain Begets Pain

Spanking a child when they are crying only makes them cry more. AND if you feel that you need to spank a child get some help.

I have six children which more than half are 18 and over. Only two are 14 and 8. I can actually count the times I spanked any of them. I lectured them to death or they had time outs or things taken away that they liked. BUT if I was in a mood that I felt pain or sick I would explain it to them and I would walk away. Making sure they were taken care of at all times.

No, I am by far not a perfect parent as there really is not one of those walking this green earth and if you think there is you are an idiot

I don't know but spanking a child is just not appropriate discipline. Especially if it is taking your pain or anger that you are personally feeling out on them.