Santa is gettting a neurological evaluation before becoming well-adjusted. Dr. Ambridge wants to make sure that Santa is ready to make all his deliveries.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Neurological Assessment of Santa
Santa is gettting a neurological evaluation before becoming well-adjusted. Dr. Ambridge wants to make sure that Santa is ready to make all his deliveries.
Santa Brings Hope and Joy
Santa brought the spirit of Christmas to our house. We celebrate the Savior as the center of our Christmas. This Santa has the spirit of Christ and spends his time visiting families that need the spirit of Christmas. Thank you to our dear Santa for brightening our Christmas season.
I am still alive. It has been awhile since I posted anything. We had a fantastic visit from Santa just before Christmas. Please see the photos (if I can remember how to post photos). Santa is now well-adjusted. My husband is a chiropractic neurologist and has an amazing clinic, Santa Rosa Chiropractic Neurology Center. We also own and operate the Sonoma County Learning Enhancement Center for children with learning challenges such as ADD and ADHD. We are having amazing results. It has changed one of our daughters lives in the most unexpected ways.
I am currently working on an article about Sunday Stations. I got a brilliant idea from my friend Rachael about making the Sabbath day more meaningful and fun for our children. I will give you more details soon.
Have a very abundant new year. You are each amazing in your own way and you offer so much to the world.
I am currently working on an article about Sunday Stations. I got a brilliant idea from my friend Rachael about making the Sabbath day more meaningful and fun for our children. I will give you more details soon.
Have a very abundant new year. You are each amazing in your own way and you offer so much to the world.
Monday, February 12, 2007
I had an “Aha” moment while attending a church on Sunday. The speaker shared a quote from her grandmother. She said that are cups are full up and when we are shaken, whatever is inside is what comes out. It made me realize that I need to have my cup full of love and peace, because I am always being shaken.
We can be standing in a river of water and dying of thirst. If you find yourself in this place, then you need to start seeking the abundant life. You need to take your hand and dip it into the water surrounding you and drink from the abundance of love all around you. Gratitude is the cup you should use first. As you are grateful, more abundance comes into your life.
We can be standing in a river of water and dying of thirst. If you find yourself in this place, then you need to start seeking the abundant life. You need to take your hand and dip it into the water surrounding you and drink from the abundance of love all around you. Gratitude is the cup you should use first. As you are grateful, more abundance comes into your life.
The Gobble Bag
By: Amy Ambridge
At night, after my children go to bed, I look around the house and become discouraged at what I see. There are toys in the family room, jackets and stuffed animals strewn all over the stairs, and dirty dishes mingled with crayons on the counter. In an afternoon, the kids seem to undo a whole morning’s worth of work. This causes no small amount of stress, discouragement, and frustration as I try to get my girls to clean up after themselves.
I was sharing with a friend how exhausted I get picking up all the clutter and little messes left by my children. She introduced me to the idea of a gobble bag. My friend told me that her mother has a bag with a face painted on it and the face has very large teeth. It is called the “Gobble Bag” and at night, when the children go to bed, it comes out and eats up all the children’s toys and clutter that is left around the house. I quickly adopted the idea and have saved my back and sanity in the process. My workload has dropped by almost half and so has my frustration level.
When I first introduced the idea of the Gobble Bag to my children, I explained that it would be the children’s, not my, responsibility to clean up their toys. Before bedtime, I would tell my girls, “Feel free to pick up any toys you want to keep.” I would remind them at first, but only for a few days. I let the Gobble Bag do the reminding and the teaching. At night the Gobble Bag “eats” up any remaining toys, books, papers, and items left by my children. At first, there are a lot of toys to pick up and put into the bag, but each day the clutter and toys gets less and less until it is almost non-existent.
My three-year-old daughter learned the hard way when her favorite stuffed dog, Gooey, was gobbled up. She cried and was upset, but the blame was placed squarely on her because she forgot to take him to her room. I sympathized with her by saying, “That is so sad that you forgot to put away your doggie and the Gobble Bag gobbled him up. Do not worry you will get him back in a week and I am sure you will take better care of him in the future.”
The inanimate nature of the Gobble Bag seems to shift the responsibility away from the parents and onto the child. My daughter had to wait until the following Monday night when all the toys are presented at our family night to get Gooey back. After our family night, the children then have the option of putting away all their toys. If they forget, they go away for another week. They have only forgotten once. They know that if they continue to leave out the same toys it tells me that they are not interested in caring for those toys. Then we decide to give those toys to someone who will care for them. My daughter was so happy to see Gooey after a week’s absence that she never left him out again.
Now, each night before bedtime, I find joy as I watch my children, instead of me, frantically picking up all the toys, dolls, art supplies, and clutter that they want to keep. They are learning personal responsibility and I have learned a lesson in creative parenting.
Origin of “The Gobble Bag”
Have no fear the gobble bag is here. I was introduced to the idea of a gobble bag when I was complaining to a friend about how exhausted I get picking up all the clutter and little messes left by my daughters. My friend told me that her mother had a bag with a face painted on it and the face had very large teeth. It is called the gobble bag and at night, when the children go to bed, it comes out and eats up all the children’s toys and clutter that is left around the house. I quickly adopted the idea and have saved my back and sanity in the process. My workload has dropped by almost half and so has my frustration level.
The Gobble Bag
(If you struggle with kid clutter then you will love this helpful tip.)
By: Amy Ambridge
If you are struggling with toys and clutter left by your children then here is a tip for you. Get a gunnysack or any type of large bag to be used to store toys. You may choose to paint a face with big munchy teeth on the bag. This becomes your “Gobble Bag.” Explain to your children that cleaning up toys, homework, papers, art supplies, stuffed animals, etc. is their responsibility. Explain that you will no longer be taking responsibility for items that belong to someone else. Each person will clean up after himself or herself and whatever is not cleaned up will be gobbled up each night by the Gobble Bag. Each family member will have a chance to put away the gobbled up toys and items on a designated family meeting night. The words, “feel free to clean up any toys or things you would like to keep,” help children take responsibility for their own things. It only takes a few times of losing a favorite toy for a week that children begin to take responsibility for their own toys and personal items. It also takes the frustration and responsibility away from the parents and puts it onto the person who should be responsible.
By: Amy Ambridge
At night, after my children go to bed, I look around the house and become discouraged at what I see. There are toys in the family room, jackets and stuffed animals strewn all over the stairs, and dirty dishes mingled with crayons on the counter. In an afternoon, the kids seem to undo a whole morning’s worth of work. This causes no small amount of stress, discouragement, and frustration as I try to get my girls to clean up after themselves.
I was sharing with a friend how exhausted I get picking up all the clutter and little messes left by my children. She introduced me to the idea of a gobble bag. My friend told me that her mother has a bag with a face painted on it and the face has very large teeth. It is called the “Gobble Bag” and at night, when the children go to bed, it comes out and eats up all the children’s toys and clutter that is left around the house. I quickly adopted the idea and have saved my back and sanity in the process. My workload has dropped by almost half and so has my frustration level.
When I first introduced the idea of the Gobble Bag to my children, I explained that it would be the children’s, not my, responsibility to clean up their toys. Before bedtime, I would tell my girls, “Feel free to pick up any toys you want to keep.” I would remind them at first, but only for a few days. I let the Gobble Bag do the reminding and the teaching. At night the Gobble Bag “eats” up any remaining toys, books, papers, and items left by my children. At first, there are a lot of toys to pick up and put into the bag, but each day the clutter and toys gets less and less until it is almost non-existent.
My three-year-old daughter learned the hard way when her favorite stuffed dog, Gooey, was gobbled up. She cried and was upset, but the blame was placed squarely on her because she forgot to take him to her room. I sympathized with her by saying, “That is so sad that you forgot to put away your doggie and the Gobble Bag gobbled him up. Do not worry you will get him back in a week and I am sure you will take better care of him in the future.”
The inanimate nature of the Gobble Bag seems to shift the responsibility away from the parents and onto the child. My daughter had to wait until the following Monday night when all the toys are presented at our family night to get Gooey back. After our family night, the children then have the option of putting away all their toys. If they forget, they go away for another week. They have only forgotten once. They know that if they continue to leave out the same toys it tells me that they are not interested in caring for those toys. Then we decide to give those toys to someone who will care for them. My daughter was so happy to see Gooey after a week’s absence that she never left him out again.
Now, each night before bedtime, I find joy as I watch my children, instead of me, frantically picking up all the toys, dolls, art supplies, and clutter that they want to keep. They are learning personal responsibility and I have learned a lesson in creative parenting.
Origin of “The Gobble Bag”
Have no fear the gobble bag is here. I was introduced to the idea of a gobble bag when I was complaining to a friend about how exhausted I get picking up all the clutter and little messes left by my daughters. My friend told me that her mother had a bag with a face painted on it and the face had very large teeth. It is called the gobble bag and at night, when the children go to bed, it comes out and eats up all the children’s toys and clutter that is left around the house. I quickly adopted the idea and have saved my back and sanity in the process. My workload has dropped by almost half and so has my frustration level.
The Gobble Bag
(If you struggle with kid clutter then you will love this helpful tip.)
By: Amy Ambridge
If you are struggling with toys and clutter left by your children then here is a tip for you. Get a gunnysack or any type of large bag to be used to store toys. You may choose to paint a face with big munchy teeth on the bag. This becomes your “Gobble Bag.” Explain to your children that cleaning up toys, homework, papers, art supplies, stuffed animals, etc. is their responsibility. Explain that you will no longer be taking responsibility for items that belong to someone else. Each person will clean up after himself or herself and whatever is not cleaned up will be gobbled up each night by the Gobble Bag. Each family member will have a chance to put away the gobbled up toys and items on a designated family meeting night. The words, “feel free to clean up any toys or things you would like to keep,” help children take responsibility for their own things. It only takes a few times of losing a favorite toy for a week that children begin to take responsibility for their own toys and personal items. It also takes the frustration and responsibility away from the parents and puts it onto the person who should be responsible.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Mother's Day 2007
You Do Not Have to Be Perfect to Be Wonderful!
Mother’s Day Article
By: Amy K. Ambridge
February 7, 2007
This Mother’s Day, go easy on yourself. Many women dread that special day of the year when they are honored. Women often focus on their weaknesses. Focusing on the areas where we feel we are failing instead of all the areas where we are making a positive impact leaves us feeling less than worthy. I heard a statement at a Time Out for Women Conference that helped change this for me. David A. Christensen said, “You do not have to be perfect to be wonderful.” (Time Out for Women, Sacramento, CA, April 2005, David A. Christensen)
During all the glowing Mother’s Day talks, say to yourself, “I do not have to be perfect to be wonderful,” take a deep breath and relax. Your family knows you are not perfect and they love you anyway.
The story of Thomas in the scriptures helps me to put my own life in perspective. I realize that Father in Heaven knows my weaknesses, but he sees me for all that I am. Thomas is known to millions as “Doubting Thomas” for his moments of weakness, but be assured the Lord does not use that name when referring to his precious son.
In John chapter eleven we see a very different Thomas. Lazarus dies and Jesus is going back to Judea. His disciples say in verse eight, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? We see that the Savior is in great mortal danger if he returns to Judea. In verse eleven, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas doubted, but he was also brave and willing to lay down his life.
We are the same way. We often label ourselves or see only our frailties; the Lord sees our heart and our great strength. The Lord does not see you as the woman with the unclean laundry piling up or as the woman who lost her temper last week. He sees you as a precious daughter on a road of discipleship. Yes you falter, yes you fall, but you get back up and continue on that arduous journey of discipleship.
When I listen to Mother’s Day talks, I imagine a woman so different from myself. This woman has a lace collar (nothing wrong with lace collars) and apron on and looks a lot like the woman in “Leave it to Beaver.” I am a woman of faith, but I am also modern day mama who works part-time from home doing public relations for my husbands office, runs kids to and from extra-curricular activities, often nags the children to practice their piano (threatening to cut off their expensive piano lessons), e-mails, blogs, throws huge parties and sit-down dinners.
I did million-dollar deals and oversaw sales people in multiple states before motherhood. Still, I am not great at reminding my children to brush their teeth and my laundry room looks like a bomb went off. I struggle to be patient and ever loving and I even raise my voice sometimes.
When I left the corporate world to stay home with my almost two-year-old, I thought my life was being run by a tyrant. (The more I know about two-year-olds, the more I see the accuracy of this statement.) I had to learn how to sit on the floor and play baby dolls and not feel that I was going out of my mind. It is easier now, because I have three children and I have completely lost my mind.
Despite my not being what might be termed, “Perfect,” I am wonderful in my own ways.
I know that like Esther, you and I were born for such a time as this. Each of us has a special calling and work that only we can do. I also know there is no such thing as a “Perfect Woman” or “Perfect Mother” because perfection has more to do with what is needed in each particular circumstance. I try to focus on living the gospel as perfectly as possible and trust that my own unique personality qualifies me for the work I have been called to do.
So, take a deep breath this Mother’s Day. Your family knows you are not perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to be wonderful. You are wonderful.
Mother’s Day Article
By: Amy K. Ambridge
February 7, 2007
This Mother’s Day, go easy on yourself. Many women dread that special day of the year when they are honored. Women often focus on their weaknesses. Focusing on the areas where we feel we are failing instead of all the areas where we are making a positive impact leaves us feeling less than worthy. I heard a statement at a Time Out for Women Conference that helped change this for me. David A. Christensen said, “You do not have to be perfect to be wonderful.” (Time Out for Women, Sacramento, CA, April 2005, David A. Christensen)
During all the glowing Mother’s Day talks, say to yourself, “I do not have to be perfect to be wonderful,” take a deep breath and relax. Your family knows you are not perfect and they love you anyway.
The story of Thomas in the scriptures helps me to put my own life in perspective. I realize that Father in Heaven knows my weaknesses, but he sees me for all that I am. Thomas is known to millions as “Doubting Thomas” for his moments of weakness, but be assured the Lord does not use that name when referring to his precious son.
In John chapter eleven we see a very different Thomas. Lazarus dies and Jesus is going back to Judea. His disciples say in verse eight, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? We see that the Savior is in great mortal danger if he returns to Judea. In verse eleven, “Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas doubted, but he was also brave and willing to lay down his life.
We are the same way. We often label ourselves or see only our frailties; the Lord sees our heart and our great strength. The Lord does not see you as the woman with the unclean laundry piling up or as the woman who lost her temper last week. He sees you as a precious daughter on a road of discipleship. Yes you falter, yes you fall, but you get back up and continue on that arduous journey of discipleship.
When I listen to Mother’s Day talks, I imagine a woman so different from myself. This woman has a lace collar (nothing wrong with lace collars) and apron on and looks a lot like the woman in “Leave it to Beaver.” I am a woman of faith, but I am also modern day mama who works part-time from home doing public relations for my husbands office, runs kids to and from extra-curricular activities, often nags the children to practice their piano (threatening to cut off their expensive piano lessons), e-mails, blogs, throws huge parties and sit-down dinners.
I did million-dollar deals and oversaw sales people in multiple states before motherhood. Still, I am not great at reminding my children to brush their teeth and my laundry room looks like a bomb went off. I struggle to be patient and ever loving and I even raise my voice sometimes.
When I left the corporate world to stay home with my almost two-year-old, I thought my life was being run by a tyrant. (The more I know about two-year-olds, the more I see the accuracy of this statement.) I had to learn how to sit on the floor and play baby dolls and not feel that I was going out of my mind. It is easier now, because I have three children and I have completely lost my mind.
Despite my not being what might be termed, “Perfect,” I am wonderful in my own ways.
I know that like Esther, you and I were born for such a time as this. Each of us has a special calling and work that only we can do. I also know there is no such thing as a “Perfect Woman” or “Perfect Mother” because perfection has more to do with what is needed in each particular circumstance. I try to focus on living the gospel as perfectly as possible and trust that my own unique personality qualifies me for the work I have been called to do.
So, take a deep breath this Mother’s Day. Your family knows you are not perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to be wonderful. You are wonderful.
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