I have followed the dog trainer Cesar Millan, better known as the “Dog Whisperer”, ever since our dog Leah was a puppy. He has some great books on dog training, the one I read and applied was Cesear’s Way. Milan believes dog owners must act like dominant pack leaders. He simplifies situations that are often complicated by not understanding the animal and their needs. He strives to achieve balance with some amazing tips and techniques. Millan’s methods use minimum force necessary to prevent or correct a problem. One of his techniques is to redirects the undesired behavior of the animal into something that the animal can do rather than just telling the animal no.

I’ve actually borrowed this technique with my son Jason. Rather than simply telling him no, I show him what he can do. It gives Jason a chance to channel his energy into something positive rather than to dwell on his “error”. It’s one thing to correct Jason while I sip my coffee in the morning on the porch and let him figure it out on his own, its another to get on his playing field and show him how things are and should be done. Cesar has some me some pretty powerful simple concepts, another one of my favorite is the idea that exercise, discipline and affection equals happiness. This idea can certainly be applied to children and even adults.

Brenna Hicks, a child therapist in Palm Harbor, Florida, has a fantastic blog: The Kid Counselor. She has parenting articles and tips, play therapy topics as well as discipline topics. Her blog topics have adopted Millan’s main concept, that dogs take their cues from their masters, and misbehave only when the masters fail to carry themselves, in body language and tone of voice, like pack leaders. In a post, “Raising Kids: Wisdom From the Dog Whisperer,” she wrote, “When we present nervous, angry or scared energy in front of our kids, they pick up on those emotions.” I agree with Brenna, that love, respect, and communication are the keys to any relationship…animal or human.

I returned home from our Thanksgiving vacation to find the elephant cart from Design for Play in my mailbox. I often visit and enter the latest giveaway at Parenting.com but have never won anything….until today! I love children’s wooden toys, they have great charm and appeal. I think they are attractive to children because they offer an alternative to toys that have loud flashy bright lights. Not to say that Jason doesn’t love his bright and noisy toys, just that he likes to use his imagination too.

Jason loved his elephant cart, and I’ve got a long wish list to send Santa for Jason after checking out their site. They were nice enough to give me this promo code to share with my friends and family, just enter ParentingWinner20 at checkout to receive 20% off (including sale items) through January 15, 2010.

30 hours of training later I’ve graduated and start my first case/internship next week. I am staying home with Jason to take advantage of this time with him but and eager to develop a career in child advocacy. Having a hand, and making an impact on the lives of children means so much to me. This is an amazing opportunity to be a powerful voice in a child’s life.

A child in the welfare system has been removed from so much more than their parents…their siblings, their home, their pets, their friends, and their school. Through no fault of their own, their entire life is turned upside down. Everything familiar is gone. When this happens, it is imperative that the child has a voice. That voice is the Guardian ad Litem Program. The Program is uniquely independent. Even as the volunteer learns the child’s wishes, and we express these wishes to the court, the Program is not bound by these wishes. Our only obligation, our sole mission, is to advocate for the child’s best interest.

The program’s volunteer base has grown to approximately 6,700 people over the last two years, and it currently represents more than 25,000 children. There are still thousands of dependent children who have no voice in court.  If you are interested in helping children who have been abused, neglected and abandoned by their parents and family members, check out the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program. If you are unable to volunteer, check out the non-profit organization tied to your local circuit program. The time and money contributed by these local organizations are essential to successfully meeting the needs of its children and volunteers.

Last night I took my 11 year old niece out to see New Moon for her birthday. It was this past summer that she introduced me to the first movie; Twilight. I was skeptical at first but now I am totally hooked. Although I did not read Twilight I did read New Moon after watching the first movie. I also had Brian reserve a non-fiction vampire book from the library for me so that I could know exactly what I was dealing with. The best part about the series is that it’s not scary and there is a love triangle. Those are pretty much my two movie enjoyment requirements: romance and not scary. In fact, if there is a possibility of frightful material, I will double check it on Themoviespoiler.com which is just that: movie spoilers for all the latest movies.

The Vatican’s culture council leader, Monsignor Franco Perazzolo’s recent statement has branded the film as deviant “This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and as such should be of concern.” The Vatican condemning New Moon comes as something of a surprise as they have recently approved of the Harry Potter film and called the sequel to The Da Vinci Code “harmless entertainment”. I have to disagree; the vampires v. ware wolves romance that I saw last night was was nothing more than harmless entertainment. If you’re trying to get your teenaged daughter to enjoy reading, these’ll do it. They contain everything girls love, including an “emotional plot”  that will keep them eagerly turning from page to page.

It seems that New Moon is a film that people really loved (me included) or really hated. The movie pulled in $140.7M in its opening weekend making it third on the all time domestic chart behind last year’s $158.4 million opening weekend for the Batman blockbuster “The Dark Knight” and 2007’s $151.1 million haul for “Spider-Man 3.” Not to shabby. While neither Edward or Jacob are healthy relationships for Bella, millions of fans have divided on who will get Bella? For the record, I’m on team Jake….until I read Eclipse anyways.

Is entry # 3….Erin! I hope you enjoy your apron!

Stay tuned for another Apron Giveaway before Christmas. A random number was generated courtesy of RANDOM.ORG. Check out the website to find out more about true randomness.

Channel your inner Martha Stewart this Thanksgiving and enter to win this apron

To enter, just leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for.

I am thankful for my family and the love that we share. I am also thankful for everyday that I am able to stay home and be with Jason. Its the best!

Giveaway ends Friday November 20th @ 9am

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck!

At a fundraiser for Florida’s largest gay and lesbian rights organization, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and leading Democratic candidate for Governor, Alex Sink said that the primary concern should be the child’s best interest, rather than the sexual orientation of the adoptive parent. “We need a system in which all of our children are assured that they live in a healthy, loving home…a home that’s determined not by any law,” Sink told the room filled with gay activists who packed a gallery of modern artwork at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. “The decision has to be made by the judge, in consultation with the experts, to determine what is the best for that individual child.” Sink said she looked forward to working with Democratic state Sen. Nan Rich of Weston, who has unsuccessfully pushed legislation to repeal the state’s gay adoption ban.

Permanency is a primary goal of Florida’s dependency system, and we are the only state that specifically bans “homosexual” individuals from adopting, although the state does allow them to be foster parents. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman overturned the law and allowed a North Miami gay couple to proceed with their adoption. Frank Martin Gill took in two young boys on a temporary basis five years ago. The case is currently on appeal, with the State’s Attorney General, and leading Republican candidate for Governor Bill McCollum, defending the state law before the appeals courts.

A total of 4,642 children are available for adoption and families have been identified for more than 2,727 of them. The remaining 1,915 desperately need adoptive families. With these numbers, Florida should be searching high and low for qualified adoptive parents. Instead, the state bans all gay and lesbian individuals from becoming adoptive parents. This may seem like legislation preventing gay adults from the right to raise a child, but the ones that are most affected by the legislation are the orphaned children. I think its time for the State of Florida to acknowledge that sexual orientation has nothing to do with parental performance.

Via Gawker, the wife of Twitter founder Ev Williams, Sara Morishige Williams, tweeted about her water breaking. “Dear Twitter, My water broke. It wasn’t like Charlotte in Sex and the City. Now timing contractions on an iPhone app.” She then followed with “Epidural, yes please.”

Lynsee (who asked to keep her last name private-she has limits) has been sharing daily details about her pregnancy on the social network MomsLikeMe. When she gave birth more than a thousand women followed her online, in addition to those with an Internet connection. She streamed a live broadcast of her child’s birth.

The common theme here, is mass communication and the growth of the internet. Because of some pretty amazing universal connections, these women were able to turn a deep personal experience into a social experience as well. I can relate to that. We had WIFI and our lap top in the recovery room, and we couldn’t possibly make all the phone calls we’d have liked to have made that night or in the days that followed. Because of internet connectivity, we were able to send out a large email with pics of our new baby boy. There was a line that I didnt cross…there are some very private photos that my mother took when Jason was ultimately delivered via Ceserean. I didn’t keep them private because of the graphic nature of them, but because it was a private moment.

That being said, the last thing I wanted to do while in labor was get the masses involved for the three day extravaganza. Giving birth is a truly miraculous event and the more you can get out of your own head and relax, the better it goes. I don think it should be a big dark scary secret either. That is probably why TLC’s A Baby Story and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant are so popular. I just think that actually experiencing these sorts of things, rather than furiously documenting them while they’re happening is better for you and baby in the end. I constantly face that dilemma while playing with Jason, to let the camera sit aside while we continue to explore (I know you wouldn’t believe it with all the pictures posted on facebook but its true!).

In recognition of National Adoption Month, Gov. Charlie Crist encouraged renewed focus on adopting teenagers from state foster care. Teenagers are one of the hardest-to-place groups of children in foster care. Last December, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) created the “Longest Waiting Teens” initiative to encourage the adoption of teenagers. The goal is to find families for the 103 children – including teenagers and their siblings. The initiative helps community-based care organizations focus on finding adoptive families for the youth, and caseworkers develop new strategies to meet this goal. Many of the teens currently in foster care have been there for more than five years, and a disproportionate number of them are African American males. Since the initiative began, 26 have been adopted. The governor commended DCF for receiving $9.75 million in federal bonus funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal adoption incentive rewards states for adoptions of older children in foster care or those with special needs. Under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, a total of $35 million in adoption incentive bonuses is going to 38 states and Puerto Rico, with the next highest award going to Texas, which received nearly $5 million.

Last week Governor Crist applauded Florida’s successes in transforming state foster care while addressing child advocates, legislators and state child welfare system leaders from 18 states in Tampa. Florida was chosen as the host state for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices policy institute, Changing the Outcome: Achieving and Sustaining a Safe Reduction in Foster Care, because of its success in safely reducing the number of children in foster care, including the Governor’s statewide Explore Adoption initiative. Explore Adoption highlights some of the incentives available to families who adopt children from state care. In addition to free health care through the Medicaid program and free college tuition to one of Florida’s state universities, colleges or vocational schools, many children adopted from state care are eligible for a monthly stipend to help defray some of the costs related to adding a child to your family.

• Adoption Assistance – In Florida, adopted children with special needs are eligible for monthly adoption assistance. The monthly stipend may be negotiated up to the full amount of the child’s foster care rate at the time of adoption, depending on the child’s needs. Adoption assistance is funded with federal or state funds, depending on the child’s eligibility, and continues even when the family moves to another state.
• Adoption Tax Credit – Every family’s tax situation is different, but if your family’s income is below $204,410, the adoption tax credit is worth looking into. The tax credit is applied to your total tax liability and could increase your refund. The form number is 8893. The form and instructions are available at www.irs.gov.
• Employer Adoption Benefits – The National Adoption Center provides a listing of employers who provide adoption benefits. To request a copy, contact the National Adoption Center at 1-800-TO-ADOPT.

In addition, state and public school employees who adopt a child are eligible for a one-time adoption benefit of $5,000 or $10,000. The benefit is also available to employees of community colleges, universities and water management districts. The greater benefit is for families adopting older children, sibling groups or children with medical challenges. To learn more, check out the Governor’s Explore Adoption web site.

Economists and the business community have advanced a birth to five policy agenda. Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families has released an article that examines the economic benefits of investing in the earliest years, and provides a state example that demonstrates it in action. It also provides tips and strategies for how states and/or communities can work with business leaders and economists to establish similar investments for infants, toddlers, and their families.

When choosing investments in the world of finance, we strive to yield the highest rate of return while minimizing the financial risk involved. Investing in our children’s first years fits this investment principle quite well.  Both scientists and economists now agree that investing in early childhood is a critical and proven strategy to ensuring our nation’s future economic success.  Business leaders can invest in early childhood opportunities for young children to create a stable, educated workforce fueled by people who prioritize good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences.

James Heckman, a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics, proposes investing in early childhood programs because it provides the answer to global competitiveness, better health and education outcomes, and less crime and poverty. As parents, child advocates and leaders in business the community we can ensure larger gains collaboratively than an individual investment could yield alone.

This idea was put into action when the initiative of many corporate leaders, formed the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF).  Supported by $20 million in private funding, MELF’s mission is to recommend cost-effective strategies to prepare children for success in kindergarten and beyond. The idea is to have corporations be strategically invested, rather than just supporting programs.