MOTHERS

I OWE MY MOTHER!!

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4.My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12 My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOUR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a tent?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

(Sent to us by A Fennell - Perth 19/03/07) mmm Thanks for those words of wisdom!

The smell of rain

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.

Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

Weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature.

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.

"I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could.

"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one"

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say.

She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.

Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away but as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love.

All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.

At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.

As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."

Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"

Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him.

It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, and He asked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" I responded: "Lord please, take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much" The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning, but not its end.

THANKS TO ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER'S FOR SUCH A HEART FELT STORY!!

CLOTHING TIPS FOR KIDS - WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

> Wide necks, or easy fastenings to get clothes over baby's neck easily
> fastenings to enable you to remove and change a nappy without completely undressing baby
> snaps / press-studs are easy, safer and quicker than buttons
> no rough seams or uncomfortable material - natural, cotton, etc, is best
> machine washable
> check that buttons are sewn on well (baby could choke on little buttons)
> no loose threads that little fingers or toes could get caught in
> avoid ribbons and strings that babies can wrap around their necks
> if buying clothes in advance - remember the season; your baby may grow past the size and avoid the season altogether and the item will never get worn
> wash the clothing before baby wears it - it is recommended that you use washing powder for sensitive skin initially and wash separately from adult clothes

T. Fellows, Atherton Sept 06, 2006


HOW DO I TREAT HEAD LICE?

Head lice live in the hair and come down to the scalp to feed by sucking blood. So head lice formulations must be applied to all parts of the hair. A complete regime consists of two treatments 7 days apart, the first to kill the climbers, and the second to kill the juvenile lice hatched from the eggs over the intervening 6 days. No product currently available kills all eggs.
Apply the product to all areas of the head and coat all hairs from roots to tips. If you are using lotions, apply the product to dry hair. For shampoos, wet the hair, but use the least amount of water possible. For long hair apply the treatment formulation near the scalp and then use an ordinary comb to carry the formulation down the hair shaft to the tip. If product is left on the comb after one sweep, it should be wiped onto the same or a new area of hair at the base and the process repeated. By repeating this process several times for hair all over the head, one can obtain an even coverage of all hairs from roots to tip. In addition the hair is tangle free and use of a fine tooth comb is subsequently simplified. Leave the preparation on the hair for at least 20 minutes.
Cover the child's eyes while the treatment is being applied. Ask them to hold a towel against their eyes.
Conditioner stuns lice for 20 minutes. So once the hair is properly covered with a layer of conditioner, do not delay in combing those little suckers out!

HARAJUKU STYLE!
April 20, 2006

Did You Know that Gwen Stefani stocks clothes just like A Bee See Kidstuff?! Searching the net, I came across this:

Harajuku Lovers Kids' Clothes by Gwen Stefani
"Are you looking for something different in kids' wear? Then why don't you head on over to Harajuku? Harajuku Lovers is a line of clothing by Gwen Stefani for men, women and kids who have "a fatal attraction to cuteness". The collection is heavily influenced by both Stefani's music and modern Japanese culture, particularly the Harajuku district of Tokyo which is the favorite hang out for Japanese artists, fashionistas and hipsters. Shopping at Harajuku-lovers certainly isn't your standard shopping experience. You and your trusty mouse "prowl the streets of Harajuku" with the princess of cool, Gwen Stefani in search of hip clothing and accessories. Ride the Tokyo metro, browse the shops, listen to some funky music, hang out with Gwen and her Japanese friends and pick up some totally cool clothes."
I could not believe that you guys (A Bee See Kidstuff) stock the same stuff at a quarter of the price!!!!

Celebrity Kids' Clothes
Premium Jeans for Kids
Must-Have Fashion Items for Girls 2006
Clever and Fun T-Shirts for Toddlers and Little Kids

If anyone is looking for COOL - you are at the right place! CHEAP AND GORGEOUS...

THANK YOU!
I was aware Gwen Stefani loved Japanese clothes and Japan as much as me, but I am so pleased to know she is selling them (albeit at a premium price)...arent you guys lucky we dont charge so much?? Danielle - A Bee See Kidstuff - every day a dress up day!
-[Wendy Symes - California!]


April 20, 2006

THE INFO ABOUT KIDS VITAMINS AND IODINE IS VERY USEFUL!

I have three little children under 6 and dinner time is always a struggle! I am constantly worrying that they dont get their quota of vitamins and minerals. So I took your advice and bought some Veggie Buddies...the kids love them, I was shocked cause they dont look the best...but the kids keep asking for them, which is great! They really are the easiest way to get the good stuff into the kids:)

You are welcome!! And thanks for your feedback!
-[Sylvia - Doncaster, Vic.]

Re: Asthma Testing....
April 19, 2006

IT CAN ONLY BE BENEFICIAL..

These tests need to be performed in order to understand the disease and eradicate it. I only hope it works! I dont think the kids are guinea pigs...but it remains to be seen what, if any side effects there are.

Thanks for your comments Dianne ...
-[Dianne - Darwin]

Who Writes Them?....ha ha
April 05, 2006

Actual School Excuse Notes

These are excuse notes from parents (with their original spelling) collected by schools from all over the country:
1) My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.
2) Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.
3) Dear School: Please exscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29,30, 31, 32, and also 33.
4) Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.
5) Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
6) John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
7) Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.
8) Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.
9) Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.
10) Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.
11) Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He had (diahre) (dyrea) (direathe) the runs. [words in ()'s were crossed out.]
12) Please excuse Burma, she has been sick and under the doctor.
13) Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.
14) Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.
15) I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wears.
16) Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.
17) Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.
18) My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the Marines.
19) Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.
20) Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.
21) Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.
22) Please excuse little Jimmy for not being in school yesterday. His father is gone and I could not get him ready because I was in bed with the doctor.

This was sent to me, thought you'd enjoy...
-[Jenny - Perth]

Asthma Testing - What do you think?
April 04, 2006

AUSTRALIAN researchers are leading a world-first trial in which babies and toddlers will be exposed to household dust, grass clippings and cat hair in an attempt to turn a treatment for asthma into a vaccine.

Two hundred children from Perth, Melbourne and New York will be administered a daily oral vaccine consisting of tiny drops of common allergens in a 12-month trial developed by researchers at Fiona Stanley's Perth-based Telethon Institute for Child Health.

The trial will receive $5 million from the US National Institutes of Health, but is expected to cost up to twice as much to complete when expanded to include children from Germany and Sweden.

The vaccine - which aims to stimulate immune responses and prevent children developing asthma triggered by allergies - has been used successfully in animal trials and to treat adults who already have asthma.

Peter Sly, who said the trial was the result of 15 years' research at the Telethon Institute, was confident the treatment would prove a success as a vaccine.

Asthma affects up to 40 per cent of Australian children and is the single most common reason for children being admitted to hospital.

Q. Do you think kids should be used as guinea pigs for this type of testing?

PLEASE SEND YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CRITICAL SUBJECT to
info@abeeseekidstuff.com.au

(All responses will be published through the blog.)

With asthma in the family, I thought this was interesting....
-[Danielle - A Bee See Kidstuff]

What is iodine?....

Iodine is a chemical element that is an essential part of our diet. Foods that are naturally rich in iodine include seafood and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. A low intake of dietary iodine can result in iodine deficiency, which is a major worldwide health concern. The World Health Organization’s policy of adding iodine to all salt that is for human and animal consumption is one way of preventing iodine deficiency.

Why is an adequate iodine intake important? Your thyroid gland, which is located in your neck, needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your body’s growth and metabolism and are important for the development of the brain in babies and young children. Without sufficient iodine, the thyroid gland is unable to produce an adequate amount of hormones, which can have serious health consequences.

What are the effects of iodine deficiency? Iodine deficiency can result in a series of conditions, referred to as iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency disorders can affect people of all ages, but babies are most at risk of serious problems.

Babies who do not receive adequate iodine can have intellectual impairment and problems with physical development. Sometimes, severe mental retardation (sometimes known as cretinism) develops following severe iodine deficiency during early development. In fact, iodine deficiency is the most common cause worldwide of preventable intellectual impairment in children, so it’s extremely important for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and young children to receive an adequate amount of dietary iodine.

Iodine deficiency can also cause swelling of the thyroid gland (goitre), as well as symptoms of an under-active thyroid gland (a condition called hypothyroidism). Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism throughout the world. Some of the features of hypothyroidism include: · tiredness; · slow heart rate; · dry skin; · muscle and joint aches and pains; · depression; · constipation; and · weight gain.

Why has iodine deficiency become more prevalent in Australia?
Iodine deficiency has recently re-emerged as a common problem in Australia. This is due to several factors, including: · a reduction in the use of iodised table salt at home — it is estimated that only about 20 per cent of households use iodised table salt; · the food industry rarely using iodised salt; and · a reduction in the use of iodine in the manufacture of dairy products. (Previously, iodine was widely used in the sterilisation of milk vats, resulting in small quantities of iodine being found in dairy products.)

It has been reported that at least 50 per cent of pregnant women in Australia have an inadequate intake of iodine. Several studies have also found mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency in school-aged children and adults in Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria.

How can I ensure that my iodine intake is adequate?
Using iodised table salt (which is packaged with a green label) at home is one of the easiest ways of boosting your dietary iodine intake. It's important to note that regular sea salt is a poor source of iodine. People who don’t eat seafood, animal products or iodised salt may need iodine supplements to ensure their intake is adequate.

This is extremely useful information - THANK YOU! -[B. Green VIC]

A TESTIMONIAL FROM A HAPPY CUSTOMER....

Hi, my name is Visilia but people know me as Lia, short for Visilia.

I just want to tell you that the clothes you are selling are good quality. A friend of mine gave me a shirt for my son. He has been wearing it lot of times and I wash it in the washing like all the other clothes.

The best thing about it, is that the t-shirt still looks like a brand new t-shirt compared to his other t-shirts. That’s why I believe that your kids clothes are the best quality. I love the style of all the clothes.

THANKS SO MUCH LIA!!!

-[L. Forster QLD]