Monday, April 8, 2013

Gamma

From the messy countertop of the Lazy Housewife...

Go, go, go! No, not like the energizer bunny. Get out there in the world and know you aren't alone. If you don't work outside the house, you might feel a little trapped. Raising kids is tough and you need to commiserate with other parents - not just the spouse.

Here are some suggestions to help you get out there and mix it up with kindred spirits! TIPS:
  • Playdates - Aren't just for kids. And you can trade off running errands sometimes too.
TMNT! (circa 2004)
  • Classes - Gymboree, Tumble Bees, community center, the library, preschool, church. Do it for their social development and for your sanity.
  • Malls, Parks, McDonald's, the POOL - all places where mommies gather. Just bring sanitizer.
  • Grandma! - If you have nearby relatives, be thankful. Not all of us do and would kill to let Grandma babysit once in a while.
  • Vacations - just planning a trip can be a stress reliever and it's something to look forward to. Go somewhere and get a break from the monotony. (more tips on planning & packing later)
More G TIPS: Give - remember that whatever you give always comes back to you, good or bad. And donating is also a stress reliever!
Go outside - nature is refreshing. It renews mind and body, lowers blood pressure, and makes sick people heal faster (from Prevention, Jan 2013)

And a Gun pole (from SELF magazine) I was surprised by these results:
81% said they could use a gun to defend themselves or family if needed
72% said guns are good for self-defense
62% said recent violence has made them think about getting a gun or gun training (if you get a gun, you DEFEINITELY NEED gun training!
51% said guns are not dangerous to have in the house


Editing Tips

Grammar - use your Word Processor's help, then use your best judgment. This is where I depend on CPs and editors.

commonly confused "G" words:
gray (American) / grey (British) - either is acceptable
gauntlet (a glove) / gantlet (a test of endurance or ability to bear pain)

BONUS - G compound words
G-string       gearshift       getup (n)       get up (v)
get-together (n)       giveaway       goings-on      
goodbye       good night       goodwill      
goose bumps       great-grandmother       god-awful

Find more A to Z posts here, LOTS more!

34 comments:

Hannah said...

I hate guns totally hate them. Big thing across the pond though I guess. Can't say i'll ever agree! Loving the words i'm learning every day!

Stina said...

I'm glad we don't have the gun issue in Canada. Too many people are accidentally killed by them. If you're nervous, thinking someone just broke in, you might accidentally wound or kill your teenager who is sneaking back into the house. Fear can make one do stupid things.

I remember doing Gymboree with my three kids. But then the company started charging a ridiculous price (in Canada) and came up with new rules that prevented us from using the free drop in times. We quit using them after that, but before that, my kids and I used to love it.

saniya said...

So that's the difference between grey and gray. All this American/British English makes my head dizzy.
Happy A-Zing! :)

fairbetty said...

Love your compound g-words.... ha ha ha! This post has a lot going on!

M.J. Fifield said...

I can't use my best judgment when it comes to grammar anymore. I don't trust it!

And I have no kids, but I've gone to music classes and gymboree sessions and playgrounds a plenty with my nieces and nephews.

Heather M. Gardner said...

I didn't do much of this w/ the boy before school started. Mostly the park and the library. I don't play well with others. :)

I like the results on the gun poll. I agree 100%.

Great post.
Heather

Donna K. Weaver said...

Love the little Ninja Turtles!

Huntress said...

The gun poll was a revelation. I don't own a gun but I've had training and not afraid to use one.

Dana said...

I appreciate the suggestions. I never would have met my good friend if I hadn't gotten out there and taken my son to storytime.

Have a happy Monay!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I do work outside of the home, and since I don't have kids, my home is a sanctuary I tend to hide in.

mshatch said...

I'm a supporter of our 2nd amendment but it saddens me to think more people will be buying guns because of these horrible tragedies, thanks in part to the NRA, which now wants guns in our schools. Interestingly, none of the teachers do. Hmm, so what does that tell you?

Julie Flanders said...

Those little Ninjas are too cute!

I never knew the reason for the two different spellings of grey/gray. Never dawned on me that one was UK English.

Happy Monday, Tara! :)

J.L. Campbell said...

Tara,

Thanks. There's a snippet here for everyone. god-awful is a word that always amuses me. Being Jamaican, I've aware of the differences in spelling between some words since we use British English.

Gregg Metcalf said...

Great G words and wonderful advice! I liked your gun pole. As grandparents we loved to babysit our grandkids. Now the oldest is almost 18 and the youngest is 14 but lives out of the area - so now we are waiting on great-grandkids.

Carrie-Anne said...

I took shooting sports as my physical education credit in community college, and know how to handle a semi-automatic shotgun. I don't personally own guns, though I'd love to get back into shooting clay birds. Our shooting coach was a real hoot, and spent more time going over gun safety than on the actual shooting portion.

Unknown said...

Going outside is my sanctuary-- my favorite G word!

Rhonda Parrish said...

I like how each of your blog posts tackles several different things, all related to the appropriate letter, so succinctly. Good job!

~ Rhonda Parrish

Michelle Wallace said...

Happy G-Day!
I wondered about the gray/grey spelling...

Writer In Transit

Rena said...

On Guns:

I come from the country, and they're all for gun control. Of course, their idea of gun control is to use two hands (good advice, btw). But every kid in the country knows how to shoot a gun. Gun safety is taught as soon as it's conceivable to go shooting a bee bee gun.

I think gun education should be taught at an early age, because no matter what we do, there are guns everywhere now. Which means people need to know how to handle them as safely as possible.

LD Masterson said...

Um, you do remember that some of your readers ARE grandmothers, right? And this one happens to be quite a good shot.

Mark Means said...

Totally agree with what Rena said and those poll results aren't surprising to me, at all.

Guns are fine if people are trained...regardless of what the media and the "news" outlets tell you.

As always, great tips!

Christine Rains said...

Great tips for today! I've learned that I really need to get out more for my sanity. I'm thankful we started the boy in preschool this year and he loves it. It saved me!

Rossandra said...

Loved the photo of the boys! A fun post.

Danica Favorite said...

Wow, so many G words! I love it!!

Unknown said...

how much fun it was to read your post. love all the info!

Emily Genther said...

Interesting stats on the gun pole. I myself am a gun owner and feel a lot safer with my guns. I also keep them locked in a safe though. There's no reason to be careless with them.

Rob-bear said...

Getting out is really important! I do a little bit, but not as much as I did in the past. Since winter may be over, I'll see about moving around a bit more (seven months is winter has been just too much).

Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting

Carol Kilgore said...

gantlet (a test of endurance or ability to bear pain)

New word for me. Cool :)

Michael Di Gesu said...

Great advice to all those stay at home moms and dads...

Getting out is always a good thing....

And thanks for the grammar tips.

Krista McLaughlin said...

I'm awful with grammar. I'm glad I have CPs who can help me fix those little things which drive them nuts. I have a tendency not to even see those grammar mistakes. Oops!

Empty Nest Insider said...

I agree that going outside on a beautiful day is a little reward that we should all try to make time for.

Julie

Jak said...

Yay! Seems Grandma was a popular G topic :) I visit mine once a week and am very thankful to have her in my life still.

My favorite color is Grey, and that is my preferred spelling :)

Jak at The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tara ... Great picture of the little ones playing Gamma rays .. and GrandMas would be very useful wouldn't they ..

... and you forgot Godmothers?!

I hate guns - so won't go there .. cheers Hilary

Rick Daley said...

Go outside is a great way to deal with kids. We have spring fever right now so it's easy when the weather complies, but in a few months we'll be struggling to pry our kids away from TVs, iPads, and computers.

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