Letter Q. Quiet Time

I am stingy about my QUIET TIME. Every morning around 6:30 I dress and walk my dog, Sassie. I let my mind wander as I observe the sun rise: pinks and yellow streaking the clouds, or mist and fog creating halos on the street light, gently rain pattering on my unbrella.
The changing of seasons is apparent as dry, dead-looking trees begin to take on a yellow-green mantle, then thicken to a canopy. And the flowers! Our unusually cold winter killed off many flowering plants, but the Tulip trees, Azaleas, and flowering fruit trees have burst into bloom.
QUIET TIME is a time to listen. Can I identify the birds? When do I hear the first song of the morning, before or after sun rise? Do I hear the Mockingbirds in conversation?
Sassie and I complete our two mile walk/jog. I've "Prayer Walked" my neighborhood. My mind has rehashed yesterday's problems; they don't seem so bad today. I've made plans for the day; chores, errands, and time for writing. I'm ready for the day.




Late afternoon Sassie and I enjoy QUIET TIME on the porch swing.
How to you plan for QUIET TIME? How do you "find the time"? What is the purpose of your QUIET TIME?

letter P. Period of Purple Crying

The Period of Purple Crying is a new way to understand why normal, healthy babies may cry a lot in their first five months. Moms in agony of delivery are impatient to hear their new baby's first cry. However, at about 2 weeks many babies may begin to cry more each week.
Many of my babies and grandbabies were relentless squallers. I checked temperature, diapers, and offered bottles. I walked, sang, burped, and jiggled, gave stroller rides, car rides and wound up the swing. I rubbed belly and back to no avail. Was I a "bad" mom? Why couldn't I soothe my baby? Babies can be healthy and normal and still cry up to five hours a day.

Doctors said, "Colic." Sounds like an illness, but it is not. I've learned that this crying is normal. Based on 25 years of research scientists have learned that patterns of crying are a developmental stage. Babies cry but now we know they are OK, and so are we, and the crying will lessen and soon stop.

The the Period of Purple Crying can be frustrating. Period means that the crying has a beginning and an end.
P. Crying may Peak in the first couple of months and then decrease.
U. He crys at Unexpected times
R. May Resist all efforts to comfort him.
P. He may look like he is in Pain but isn't.
L. Sometimes crying last a Long time.
E. Seems to cry more in the afternoon and Evening.

Some times caregivers get so frustrated or angry because of the crying, they shake the baby. Feeling frustrated is normal. When all efforts to soothe baby fail, put baby in a safe place and walk away to calm yourself.
Shaking a baby can cause seizures, blindness, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and even death.
I am in contact with a young mother of an 8 month old, hospitalized because the father shook him. Father is in jail, but mother has lost her parental rights because she is accused of neglect even though she wasn't present when the child was hurt. Now she faces charges, the lost of her child and the devistation of parenting a handicapped infant when/if she regains custody.
I am sharing my experiences through my book, Adopting Darrell, who is blind and profoundly retarded due to being shaken.

Don't Shake. see www.purplecrying.info and www.dontshake.org.

Blue Sunday

Today my church, West End Baptist, emphasized Child Abuse Awarness by wearing blue ribbons. Blue Sunday was created to unify churches to raise awareness and get involved in helping children, and to "educate ourselves, and volunteer for the children of our nation until black and blue are just colors in their crayon box."

There is no Excuse for Chld Abuse.
hot line 800-252-5400
You can make a difference one child at a time.
www.bluesunday.org

If you are on my automatic blog, please sign in as a follower to continue receiving blogs on the alphabet challenge.
Watch tomorrow for letter P.

Letter O. Orphans

Tomorrow is a crazy day so I'm blogging "O" for tomorrow.
Last night 20/20 had an excellent show following two expectant girls, one 15 the other 18, as they struggled with making adoption plans. This led me to consider orphans.

Today we don't hear about orphans. We hear of children who have been abandoned or neglected (or abused or killed) and of parents who have lost custody. I recently met a woman, I'll call Jill, whose mother abandoned her and her three siblings. Their father was a soldier and an alcoholic. He placed the children in an orphange. The woman lived there from age seven until seventeen. She liked it, was well treated and safe. Years later she hired a dectective to find her mother although family rumor was that her father had killed the mother. Yes, she did find her mother, but at first the woman denied her and the evidence she produced. Jill became an emotional orphan.

Orphan trains existed in the late 1800s. Over population of indigent immigrants, especially in New York City, led to many abandonded children. The mid-west, however, with farms and ranches worked by large families, needed workers, so train loads of children were sent West.
Reaching a small town, the children were "put up" onto benches or platforms for the prospective parents to evaluate. Children were taken in as family members and contributed to the family workforce as did natural-born children. Interviews with many of these adopted children, as elderly adults, revealed that they were treated well and had positive memories.

The term "put up" for adoption comes from this era and is a mis-nomer for today. Expectant parents now "make adoption plans." The mother (and sometimes the father) use an agency that has prescreened prospective adoptive parents. The applicants present a scrapbook and letters telling about themselves and their desire for a child. Birth parents select their adoptive parents. They can meet, share family information, and arrange an adoption that is as open as they agree upon.

Few children today are legally orphans but many children are emotional orphans because their parents are so involved with making a living, and personal lives that the child is left to raise him/her self.

A to Z challenge

My writer friend, Debra, clued me into a blogger challenge. Write a post every day in April using the alphabet as a prompt. Since I'm scheduling challenged, -ie. I need a secretarial staff- I'm starting with the letter M.

To continue with my posts concerning April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, let's explore MOTHERS. I am one. You may be also. I am the biological or "real" mother of two adult daughters with kids of their own. I adopted nine (Yes 9) kids as a single mom. and then raised my grandson. Now if 12 kids don't make you a mother.... Oh yes, and I also had 35 foster kids in my home, but not at the same time.

Back to child abuse prevention. Just because a woman is a birth mom doesn't preclude her being an abusive parent. One of my adopted boys is blind and profoundly retarded due to Shaken Baby Syndrome. check out www.dontshake.org. Neglect as well as physical and emotional abuse brought several others into my home.

Foster parenting is rewarding. Even though the child(ren) in your home may be temporary, you will be providing a safe, secure, and loving family while the child's life is in turmoil.

Adopting provides a child with a "forever family". Adoptive Moms (and dads) make a difference in the life of a child. www.adoptchildren.org.

Pregnant? Not sure you're ready to be a mom? check out www.crisispregancynetwork.com, www.prolifeamerica.com. Local pregancy resource centers will provide free ultrasound, counseling, parenting classes, and all those baby supplies you will need.

Adopting is a loving option for the mom who wants more for her child than she is able to give.

There's no excuse for Child Abuse. Report suspected abuse and/or neglect.

I'd love to hear from other single moms.

Make a Difference

No photos this post. I've been really busy with a family reunion. But let's continue a discussion about Child Abuse Prevention. But first.....
Last Friday I was privileged to participate at Crafts4Life, hosted by the Pregancy Resource Center of Baytown. Many venders offered their wares to buyers. A silent auction was held, and I signed and sold books. I was so excited to spend time catching up with old friends, and makng new ones.
Prior to the crafts fair I spoke to a group of parents who were court ordered to attend parenting classes at the Pregnancy center. I was able to share with them the devistation fo SHAKEN BABY SUNDROME and the PERIOD OF PURPLE CRYING. None of the parents admitted to abusing their children, nor would I expect them to, but we were able to talk about the difference between discipline and abuse. We shared tips on parenting skills and ways to avoid loosing one's temper.
Now for some facts for 2009;
Texas received over 252,600 reports of child abuse or neglect.
More than 68,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect.
More than 27,000 chldren were in foster care.
So how can you help?
Report suspected abuse and/or neglect.
Become a CASA volunteer.
Donate clothing, diapers, etc to the Rainbow Room.
"Adopt" a case wowrker to provide moral support
Pray for the Abused and Neglected children and their caregivers

No Excuse for Child Abuse

April in National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Children's Protective Services of Jefferson County held a rally and walk-a-thon today from the CPS Office to the Beaumont Police Department. The top photo is of the beginning of the walk being filmed by three different TV stations. Yeah! Get the news out!

These walkers are warming up for the walk. The sign reads "There's No Excuse for Child Abuse."

Over one hundred walkers turned out to follow the banner. It reads "April, Child Abuse Prevention Month."

Once we reached the police department we heard the Mayer of Beaumont, the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief, a family law Judge and CASA volunteers speak

Jack walked with us. He is a therapy dog volunteer who helps calm and reasure children in CPS care.



I was invited to read "Loon's Necklace" and talk about Alaska to a group of first graders at one of the local schools. My writer friend, Laurie, has a son in this class. What a fun time we had. How I pray that all children could be as happy as this group.

Throughout this month I will be blogging about how you can help prevent child abuse.

April 7th is Go Blue Day. Join workers across the State by wearing Blue to show your support for child abuse prevention programs.