For Moms and Dads

Mother Saves Three Children From West Valley fire

2011-02-08T19:09:00.001+08:00

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah

A mother pulled her three children from their burning home in West Valley City.

The woman woke to flames and smoke just after 2 a.m. and reportedly broke a bedroom window to pull her 9-year-old son out of the home. All three children are safe.
"She woke up to a crackling sound is how she described it and investigators found smoke coming out of one of the rooms in the house," said Battalion Chief Bob Fitzerald with the West Valley Fire Department.

The family went to the home of neighbor Michael Garza to call 911.

"They were just panicked. The one boy didn't have a shirt on, she was in a nightgown and she was so panicked she could barely talk," said Garza. "I looked out when they got inside and the flames were shooting out the back of the house. And I looked a bit later and it was coming out all the windows and the door."

When crews arrived, the home was engulfed in flames, but investigators say it was not a total loss. Damages are estimated at over $100,000, but the woman's heroic rescue was a big help.

"When the fire crews arrived, there was fire coming out the front door cause it was open, fire coming out a front window and the back of the house so it was fully involved," said Fitzgerald.

The family is staying with family in the area, but are glad to be safe.

"Fortuntately, everyone got outside and crews were able to get in and do an aggressive interior," said Fitzgerald. "What we call an offensive attack where they go inside and put water on it and were able to control the fire pretty quickly that way."

source: http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-wvc-fire-mother-saves-kids,0,7970387.story

BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF BABIES - Part 1

2011-02-08T19:03:00.000+08:00

Beautiful pictures of babies. Enjoy!

It hurts like Hell

2008-05-05T23:27:00.005+08:00

I had a taste of motherhood when I was twenty. When I had my first daughter, I was scared but the excitement of seeing how my baby would look like was a comfort.

Waking up in the middle night to change diapers and feed the baby was hard but I endured it all because I was determined to be a hands-on mom. Everyday I noticed the tiniest developments my baby was going through. I was very proud of her. I know there were times that I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained but the joys of motherhood consoled and revived my spirit. I didn't work. I didn't really see the need to work since my husband had a diving job then.

Months passed by, I was very patient with my baby girl. I taught her new things, talked to her constantly like she understood every word I said. She grew up really smart and ahead of her age. She simply amazed everyone around her.

To make it the story short, although my marriage was very unstable, my husband and I had three kids over the years. And then we broke up. I was crushed.

My ex is not supporting the kids. Single parenting has been so challenging for me. Most of all, single parenting brought me tears beyond I've ever imagined.

Two kids are with my in-laws and the youngest kid is with my mom. I get to see them when I have time and money. They really don't live that far from the place I am renting. But there are just times when seeing them breaks my heart. Some part of me wants to give them the best of what the world can offer, but a bigger part of me says that I'm going to fail. My kids don't ask for money but I do know that children as they are, they want nice toys, nice dresses, nice shoes and all the ice creams and cakes they can eat. And most of the time, I can't give them what they want.

It pains me to see how badly they want something. It pains me to know that I can't give them those things. All I ever wanted was to provide them the happiest childhood a mother could give to her kids. I don't care if I've become a stubborn daughter, an insensitive wife, or an irate employee. I honestly don't care as long as my kids can say that I am the best mother in the world. I don't care if I'll never be good at anything. I don't care if I'll never be greater than what I am today. I just want my kids with me. I just want to be a good mom.

I miss my kids so badly. It hurts like hell.

Father Returns To Kiss Son Goodbye, Saves Family From Fire

2008-04-08T20:02:00.001+08:00

POSTED: 4:24 pm EDT March 18, 2008

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- A father who forgot to kiss his son goodbye ended up saving his family’s lives.Kevin Roy said he was pulling out of his driveway Tuesday morning when he realized he hadn’t kissed his 1-year-old son, Koby, and worried how he might feel if something had happened.“I just wanted to tell him I loved him before I left,” Roy said. “I pulled up to the end of the driveway and thought, ‘I want to go in and tell him bye,’ because I normally do. It's just something I do on a daily basis, so I decided to go back in.”

He ran back inside the Hamilton Township house to find it filled with smoke.“He said he couldn't even see upstairs, and all I heard was him screaming for me,” said Ashley Swingley, Roy’s fiancée.Roy said he easily reached Swingley and helped her to safety, but he said reaching Koby was more difficult.The child’s bedroom was so full of smoke that the boy’s parents could not see him.“I couldn't even see into his room, and I just grabbed him and ran outside,” said Swingley.The three made it safely outside the burning home, but the flames destroyed nearly everything they owned.“It's a complete washout,” Roy said. “We lost everything we have: furniture, clothing, the baby's crib. It’s just a mess; everything’s gone.”Koby’s first birthday party had been planned for this weekend at the family’s home, which was declared a total loss.The fire remains under investigation, and a fund was set up under Swingley’s name at First Financial Bank to help the family recover from the fire.

Police: Mother Stole 5-Year-Old Daughter’s Identity

2008-04-08T20:00:00.000+08:00

POSTED: 1:09 am EDT April 8, 2008

NEW CARLISLE, Oh -- Investigators said it was a case unlike any other they’ve seen. A New Carlisle woman is accused of stealing her 5-year-old daughter’s identity and using it multiple times.“Whether it’s opening a line of credit to get credit cards, or basically stealing, it’s a pretty desperate situation,” said Sgt. Dustin White, of the Clark County sheriff’s department.Tonya Michelle Lee, 35, was arrested on Monday and charged with one count of identity fraud. Investigators said she assumed her daughter’s identity in 2005 and used it in several different counties. They would not elaborate on what exactly Lee allegedly did with her daughter’s identity.Neighbors who live near Lee said they were shocked by the news.“You wouldn’t think the mother of their child would use their own kids identity,” said Frank Brest of New Carlisle.Lee is set to be arraigned on Tuesday in Clark County Municipal Court.The child is staying with her biological father in another county.

Mother tries to save daughter from cave-in

2008-04-08T19:54:00.000+08:00

Buried In Snow; Quebec athlete suffocates in shelter collapse

Jessey Bird And Jamie Lee, CanWest News Service

Published: Thursday, December 06, 2007

A 21-year-old woman has died after a temporary auto shelter collapsed and smothered her as she tried to clear snow from its roof.

Though police have not confirmed her identity, members of the small community in Val-des-Monts, Que., named the young woman as Krystal Arvisais.

Ms. Arvisais, an avid water skier who had represented Canada in competition internationally, was trapped underneath the debris and died despite the efforts of her mother to save her.

"She said to her mom that she couldn't breathe any more so basically she suffocated," said Constable Martin Fournel.

"I've known her since she was a baby," said 56-year-old Serge Masson, who is a bartender at Auberge sur la Lac, a restaurant and hotel where Ms. Arvisais used to work.

"She was pretty as a button," Mr. Masson said. "Everybody just loved her."

The accident happened on Tuesday night when Ms. Arvisais and her 54-year-old mother were trying to clear the snow from the car shelter after a recent storm that dumped about 40 centimetres of snow on the rural community.

"Instead of trying to remove the snow from the outside by scraping it, they went under and just tapped the roof," Const. Fournel said. "Then something happened to cause the structure to collapse.

"The mom was able to get away but her daughter was stuck underneath."

The mother tried to free her daughter but was unsuccessful, Const. Fournel said.

Yesterday, the remains of the accident were still strewn across the driveway at the house. Aluminum bars lay out across the snow-covered property, along with the torn grey tarp that made up the broken auto cover. A blue shovel lay bent and broken with the debris.

"This kind of accident is truly not common," said Suzanne Robillard, spokeswoman for the Canada Safety Council.

Ms. Robillard advised that it is important people clear snow from these structures with care, using an extendable rake or broom. "After a big storm we forget how heavy it can be," Ms. Robillard said.

Ms. Arvisais was well-known in the community for being an avid water skier.

"She was always training really hard, competing really hard," said Nathalie Muller, the programs manager at Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada.

"She had a nice smile and a quick wit," said her coach, Steve Bush. "But she turned her game face on when she went to ski."

Police are still investigating to determine what caused the cover to collapse, said Const. Fournel, adding that a coroner's inquest will also be held.

"What happened is very tragic and it shouldn't have happened," said Ron Bertrand, owner and operator of Auberge sur la Lac. "She will be missed."

Australian Doctor Dies After Refusing Cancer Treatment in Order to Save Her Unborn Child

2008-04-08T19:36:00.004+08:00

Refused high-level chemotherapy that might have saved her from Hodgkin's lymphoma

MELBOURNE, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Another woman has saved her unborn child's life at the expense of her own. In a case similar in many ways to that of Gianna Beretta Molla, the Italian doctor recently canonized by the Vatican for a similar act of self-sacrifice, an Australian GP, Dr. Ellice Hammond, 37, refused high-level chemotherapy that might have saved her from Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment would have endangered the life of her unborn daughter, Mia Ellice.

After two initial rounds of mild chemotherapy failed, Mia Ellice, then 31 weeks old, was born after an inducement. She is developing well at the Monash Medical Centre neonatal intensive care unit, the Herald Sun reported today.

Dr. Hammond's husband, Peter Wojcik told the Herald Sun he was proud of his wife's devotion to their child. "It feels like I got robbed of a wife and a mother."

"I guess she didn't expect it to go this way, and if she did she wasn't telling us. But she would just want what is best for Mia and for everyone to love her and carry on with life.

"Her whole life was looking forward to being a mum. She loved it."

Mia Ellice is reported to be doing well and her father hopes to take her home within a few weeks.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

2008-04-07T19:32:00.004+08:00

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are one of Hollywood's power moms and dads. With three kids, and anothere coming their way. Pitt and Jolie seems to be enjoying their roles as mom and dad to Maddox, Zahara, and Shiloh.

I admire Brad Pitt for being a wonderful dad to his kids. I read stories and saw pictures of him spending time with the kids. And I feel happy that someone like him can actually be a great and responsible father.

I may not look like Angelina Jolie, but I would want someone like Brad Pitt to adopt my three kids! :P

BRITNEY SPEARS IS A GOOD MOM

2008-04-07T19:23:00.003+08:00

I like Britney Spears.

I admire her as a person. And I feel bad with how people are always trying to put her down. She's a great mom, I would say so. It probably kills her everytime she thinks about her kids. I feel the same way too.

Mothers desire only one thing: their kids. Britney Spears is probably going through a lot of pain and anguish right now. If I was Britney, I would have gone crazy too!

But hey, Britney Spears! You'll be fine soon.

To all the moms in the world who are suffering in silence, just hang on. We'll get through this.

The Apprival

2008-04-07T19:13:00.003+08:00

The Arrival

Little fingers curl up tight to make a tiny fist,
As fairy lips purse out as if to make a gentle kiss. . .
Eyes, wide as a kitten's, and little button nose,
You look like someone's angel--down to your pudgy toes. . .

Although you are so wrinkled and your face is still so pale,
And the only song you seem to know sounds like a shrilling wail,
When you are here before me, finally, I feel complete.
I've waited so long, sweetheart. . . at last, we finally meet.

I came across that poem this morning, and I want to share it with moms and dads out there. I am sharing this poem to moms and dads who were excited and happy when they saw their baby for the first time. I guess, every mom would remember the day she gave birth to her baby and heavenly it felt to finally touch and feel the baby.

Kudos to all the mothers in the world!

Activities for 2-year old Kids

2008-04-01T12:18:00.003+08:00

Xamantha is my two-year old daughter. She is independent and stubborn. She likes to explore new things and wants to play more with other kids. She says "no" to me most of the time. But I love her sense of independence. I am amused everytime she does things that adults so. I enjoy watching her playing with the dolls, like when she pretends to feed the dolls, bathe them, or even cook for them. It's just so amazing!

I rarely get to see Xamantha because she stays with my mom while I am away working in the city. I get to see her on weekends only. So I decided to do some fun activities with my her when we're together. Here are some of my activities for my two-year old kid:

I read her books.
We write or doodle together. Sometimes we color pictures or paint together.
We listen and dance to a nursery rhyme cd I made for my kids.
We play together and I talk to her a lot while playing. I make sure I choose words that are appropriate for kids like her. No baby-talking.
I let her count with me. When taking her for a walk, we count our steps. When she hops, we count together.

How To Teach Kids How to Read

2008-04-01T11:35:00.004+08:00

Carhrihl, my five-year old daughter, is excited about going to school. I guess, that's just how kids are when it comes to learning and trying out new things. Kids get excited about new things and new experiences.

I can teach Carhrih anything but reading. My mom taught me how to read when I was four years old and I can still recall how hard it was for me to start learning how to read. So this summer, my mother-in-law and I decided to enroll Carhrihl to a summer class. The summer class aims to teach and develop the kids' reading and writing skills. However, I fell a big guilty of not being able to teach my kids how to read. As a parent, I should be her first teacher, right? I want to be a part of my kids' intellectual development but I just don't have the patience to teach my kids how to read.

This morning, I googled some tips on how to teach kids how to read. I wanted to help my daughter maximize her reading and writing summer classes by being the "other teacher".

allow your kids to familiarize the alphabet. teach kids the right way to pronounce each letter.
teach your kids how to rhyme.
improve your kids' short term memory so they can remember different sounds in right order.
teach them the phonics method
try the "look and say" method. With this methods, kids will learn to recognize whole words or sentences rather than individual sounds.
do the language experience approach. with this method, you can use your kid's own words to help them read.