Spoutin' Out Updates

1st - Remember I told you awhile back that I was going to go to a Gold Party? Well, I went last night and had a blast. I dragged my mother with me kickin' and screamin'..not really, but I did really have to push her to give up her old gold jewelry. She had stuff sitting in boxes that she hadn't touch in years!

The whole process was really interesting. We watched at the representative checked the gold with a magnet, tested it with these little things that looked like jumper cables, scratched it, weighed it, separated the gold from the non-gold and finally - wrote us a check! My mother got just over $91.00 and I got just over $167 and two really great glasses of wine! Not bad for a night out with the girls.

I signed up to have a party of my own in May. I am on the fence as to whether I will take the proceeds for myself or host it as a fundraiser for Casey's trip to North Dakota with his wrestling club. I suppose it depends on how well he is doing raising funds on his own by then. If it becomes a fundraiser for him, you can bet he will be there and serving the moms. Soda of course.

2nd update - It seems that the Examiner wants me to keep my blog going. Not only do they support it, but they encourage me to promote it on my/their website. Gee, where am I suppose to get all this time? Three kids doing 5 different sports, a full-time job, a house, bills to pay, a dog and....you get the picture, you've run the drill.

So, buckle up for a bumpy ride and be sure to keep visiting my blog. I can't promise you a smooth trip, but I can promise you an interesting journey. Hey, you've hung around this long.

Blogging vs. Writing

Sorry that I have been away for so long, but I have some really exciting news! I (my blog) have been recognized by the Examiner.com as a popular “teenblogger” and they have asked me to write for them.

As you know, I have been looking to grow and change my blog beyond its existing presence and am thrilled that it has finally been recognized by a "higher power." You may remember back on April 14th, I wrote to you about wanting to do something different with my blog and although I am not sure this is it, I have to take the chance.

I have spent the last week working with the Examiner.com to provide them with several writing samples that were not so "bloggy." I will miss writing about all the control chaos that goes on in my life, as my writing for the Examiner.com will have to be more informational and less, "according to Gwenn." I am excited about this opportunity and the challenge of a much more formal setting. I think it will be good for me to try something new, afterall, one has to take chances. Although, I will be back occasionally to post on my blog, I wont' be able to write every day.

My page for the Examiner.com has not been set up yet, because I still owe them a few things before I can get started, but I hope it will be by the end of next week and as soon as it is, I will post my link on Spoutin' Out and Facebook.

This is a huge step for me and I hope you will come along for the ride. Who knows?

Can Aesthetics Drive College Choice....

.....they can if you're Victoria.

Victoria's college search started officially yesterday with an informational and group tour, hosted about two hours from our home. During the first of the two campus visits, we checked out the bookstore and art building, dorms, cafes and athletic fields. We gathered brochures, and then headed to our second destination.

I thought the college was appropriate for her, educationally challenging; clean, secure, friendly campus; close enough to home. So, as we headed out of the main gate, we asked her how she liked it.

Her response: “It so pretty.” So, I learned something important just then: Aesthetics are important to Victoria's overall college experience. Trying to learn more about what she likes in an effort to narrow our search further I asked, “What look do you like?” She loved the quaintness of the campus, the multiple bodies of water scattered over the grounds, the fountains, bridges, the cleanliness of the entire school, the colors in the cafe and most of all the beach at the edge of campus in this great little beach town. And, of course, the easy access to Boston via the commuter rail.

Like most girls her age, familiar with the magazines and clothing catalogs advertising “collegiate style outfits” photographed on beautiful college campuses, Victoria had a “college image” in her mind and it was my job (and anyone else who wants to help) to help her see the bigger picture: the major she wants; affordability; value; accessibility; and yes, aesthetics, because looks and atmosphere are important to her.

As we arrived at our second destination, I could immediately see the disappointment in Victoria's eyes. It was off a major road, there was no quaintness, the buildings were ugly and far apart, the grass was barely green, there were no flowers, no ponds, no activity and barely any students.

During the tour we listened as the student guide say how wonderful the school was and how much she loved it there. I was proud of Victoria, as she announced that she was going to keep an open mind. However, as we toured the grounds and facilities, I could tell that Victoria was just going through the motions. If only they had a beach nearby.

College Bound

Off to a few colleges today. Heaven help me!

Wrestling Fundraiser

You'll remember that a few months ago, my son, Casey went undefeated in the regular wrestling season, placed first in his LL tournament, and was runner up at the State Open where he advanced to New England’s. Because of his success, in July, Casey will head to Fargo, North Dakota with the Connecticut National Team to wrestle in the Free Style Nationals.

Awesome! Right? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, this is a great opportunity for Casey, but it is going to cost us. Literally. The total trip will cost us over $1000.00. Some of you are probably thinking that we are crazy for even considering it, but its a great opportunity for him and if he want a scholarship in college, these are the things he has to do now. At least that is what I am told.

We however, can't afford to pay $1000.00 to send him there and will be holding a fundraiser. This is not uncommon for the kids taking this trip. However, I don't have any ideas and hope you can help. Has anyone ever conducted a fundraiser for an individual, not a group or organization? My husband wants him to go stand at the local grocery store, but he won't do that. I don't blame him. That just seems weird.

Casey would like to give something to get something, or sell something and keep the profits towards his trip, not just stand with a bucket at the entrance to a grocery store. I like the selling idea, but am not sure what he should sell, candy bars? He have to sell thousands to get enough money in time.

I also told him to reach out to local stores for sponsorship donations, since it would be a tax-deductible donation. I am sure they get asked by the local schools all the time, but its worth a try.

Does anyone have any other ideas? If so, Casey and I would love to hear them.

Distracted Drivers - No More!

Remember awhile back I posted about a new technology that was going to shut off cell phones in cars? At the time, I had only heard about it, but couldn't find anything concrete about it, until now.

It's call ZoomSafer and it was created to ensure safe and legal use of mobile phones while driving. As a mom of a teen driver, I am especially interested in ZoomSafer. It was designed to prevent the urge to text and use your phone while driving. It locks your keypad to help fight the urge to send that quick text back, and will also even send out an auto-reply for you saying your driving right now and can’t text/email back.

If you really need to check to see if you got a new text, ZoomSafer can read you your texts via computerized and even let you record replies to send back. The teens can still make and receive calls, but they will need to be over a Bluetooth or other hands free device. You are the one who turns ZoomSafer off once you reach your destination, and if you are a passenger in a car and want to use your friend’s phone, you can still exit the app and use the phone and text, IM, email whoever you want and yes, if you’re a driver and want to ignore ZoomSafer, by all means you can do that too.

ZoomSafer is the practical answer to the problem of distracted driving; it activates automatically when you start to drive and applies customizable safe driving policies to help protect you, your teens and everyone else on the road. Click here to check it out.

Safe driving!

Again, with the Tax Cuts?

Last night my two teenagers and I went to our town’s Board of Education meeting. Our town is yet again, threatening to cut school sports, music in our middle school and the gifted program.

Personally, I would rather be anywhere than a town meeting where they banter back and forth and get nothing done, but the entire town was planning to attend and I was not going to be the only one to miss it. So, the kids and I jumped in the car and drove to our middle school. Once there, we were herded like cattle passed the room where the meeting was taking place to a separate room down the hall where we would be able to sit and watch the meeting on a closed circuit T.V. Really? I could have stayed home and done that. Regardless, we were there now and turning to run at this point would be like running with the bulls at Pamplona, dangerous. There were 4 classrooms packed with anxious parents and students and limited seating in each…more people stood in the hallways.

We listened as countless parents and students begged the Town Council to support the Board of Education’s budget, as it was proposed to them and NOT to make the cuts that the Council claimed were necessary. Parents who stood at the podium announced the importance of sports, saying that they are such a big part of the kids' lives; that they are the reason some kids do well in school, and stay out of trouble; they are one of the reasons they stand out in the application process for colleges, that they teach life long skills and lastly, other than the obvious, education, they are the reason they moved to our town.

I know times are tough, particularly in our schools. We don't have the money, beleaguered education officials say, “For every student who wants to play games after class.” So, school sports have to go. And yet if you reflect for a moment, you may remember your own school days where you too saw this kind of financial austerity as shortsighted. It’s like cutting back on English classes because most kids already speak that language.

Many of us remember some competitive activity that became a vital force in our childhood. It gave us a self-awareness and self-confidence that changed us forever. And don't forget the story we heard from the lips of our very own Barack Obama and how had he not discovered basketball, he would not have become the leader he is today.

I have read research studies that show that although math had the biggest impact of any skill on adult earnings, playing sports and having a leadership role in high school also were significant factors. Maybe that has nothing to do with gutting it out on the wrestling mat or taking the ball down the field for the winning goal in lacrosse. Maybe athletic talent produces leadership skills even if you never go out for school sports. But research indicates otherwise.

If cutting out sports means jeordizing ours kids leadership, teamwork and discipline skills, aren't we creating a false economy? Helping teenagers discover that with grit, teamwork and determination they can be successful, is not an aspect of schooling that I want to sacrifice, even if it saves a few tax dollars.