Our Amazing ISR Experience

A few years ago I saw that video on YouTube of baby Miles who is an 11-month old seen walking out of the slider door at his home and falling into the pool while trying to reach a ball.  After falling in he floats to his back and remains floating there in his pajamas until someone is able to come and get him.  At the time that I saw this I was completely amazed and showed my friends the same video.  The video states that Miles learned these skills through ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) and I definitely thought this type of survival training would be essential for anyone who had a pool and babies at their home.  My daughter, Hope, was about the same age as Miles the first time I saw the video, but since we didn't have a pool at our house, I wasn't sure I saw the need for this type of extreme (as I saw it at the time) training.  It seemed a bit overkill to me.

Over the past couple years, I've heard more and more about drownings in pools and Lake Michigan.  In September 2010, my son, Oliver was born, and something just started to click with me.  I began to think about how I know I am not a strong swimmer.  I was terrified of the water all growing up.  My parents had me in swimming lessons for years and I would freak out over them.  I think they just finally gave up and figured I had learned enough to get by and wouldn't put me through the torture any longer.  My parents tell the story of how on Wednesday I would start having anxiety about my swim lessons that weren't until Saturday.  This is how much I hated the water and this went on for years.  So, to this day, I feel like I can do just that - "get by."  I definitely do not feel I am in any position to save someone if I had to.  I'd like to think that I could or that my motherly instinct would just kick it into gear enough that I would know what to do, but I am not even confident in that.  I cannot say without a doubt that I wouldn't first hesitate before jumping in for someone, even my own child, for fear of the water.  To be honest, this realization scared the crap out of me and I didn't want my child to potentially have to depend on me to save them. 

So as I began to contemplate swim lessons and what kind of lessons my kids should take, I saw a special report on the news about ISR swim lessons in Grand Rapids.  I had a facebook friend that I knew also had her daughter enrolled in the same lessons. I got her instructor's name from her, and he happened to be the same one that was featured on the news, Michael Petrella.  I contacted him that night and gathered all the information I needed to about the ISR lessons:  cost, location, duration, etc.  The cost is not cheap and the time commitment is great (10 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for typically 4-6 weeks).  Still, I thought, this is something that could potentially save my child's life.  We can afford it and I have the time, this is really something I should do - is what I thought to myself. 

I talked to my husband the next day about it.  He wasn't as sold as I was about it, after all, we don't own a pool, but he said if it would give me peace of mind and if I was willing to commit to the time involved, then he would support it. 

I signed up through the website http://www.infantswim.com/ and filled out the necessary registration forms and questionnaire for both my children.  Then within two weeks my kids started lessons with ISR Instructor, Mr Michael (Petrella).  I was nervous of what he would subject my kids to on the first day, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Being that the lessons were only 10 minutes long, I was skeptical of what could be done within that short amount of time or how traumatized my kids would be if Mr Michael tried to cram too much into one day.  Hope was up first.  She's my social butterfly, rather fearless daughter, but can sometimes be hesitant (as any child would be) of new things.  Immediately I could tell that Hope was comfortable with Mr Michael.  He started off pretty slowly, just having her get used to the water a bit and kick her legs.  By the end of the ten minutes she had gone under the water once or twice.  This was a different experience for her and it made her a little upset, but I expected a bit of that.  Here is a clip from her very first lesson:

During Oliver's first lesson, Mr Michael just held Oliver in the water and gently released him under the water to get him used to holding his breath as he went under.  I was really worried there would be some sort of dunking, dropping, or just some other action that would have probably left me more traumatized than Oliver.  But it wasn't like that at all.  Mr Michael is experienced enough to know that some of the things they do will make mothers uneasy. (Especially a mother like myself who is not comfortable with the water)  He was able to talk me through what he was doing and what he was looking for so I always felt comfortable with everything.  Oliver still cries throughout the majority of his lessons, but that's normal and to be expected for the most part.  He's learning new things and working really hard and the only way he can communicate is mostly through crying at this point.  Here is Oliver after 2 weeks of lessons.  He is still working on his float in this video:

After just four weeks of lessons, Hope completed her ISR lessons and was about to do the swim-float-swim ISR technique.  The final test was swimming with her summer clothes on for one lesson and swimming with her winter clothes on the next lesson.  This is to ensure that if she were to fall into a pool or a body of water with her clothes on, she would still be able to make it to safety or float until someone could rescue her.  I have shared this video with nearly everyone I know and everyone seems to be impressed with her abilities.  She's 3 1/2 years old, and this is after only 4 weeks of lessons:



Oliver is on his 6th week of lessons and just about there.  He's beginning to float like a champ and when Mr Michael puts him in face first in the water he's getting better at turning over to his back.  He's just about there and I'm thinking he'll get it after just a few more lessons.  I promise to post a video once he is 100% complete.

Aside from the survival techniques that are taught, the lessons have given Hope especially a sense that she can do anything.  Mr Michael's constant positive reinforcement along with meeting the goals of each lesson - whether it be swimming to wall and grabbing the ledge or diving in from a sitting position on the ledge and then going to a float - she has such a great sense achievement.  Mr Michael makes her feel good about herself and she can see the results of what the lessons have taught her.  This is something that will for sure will carry with her throughout her entire life, not just in swimming.  It has given her so much confidence in herself.

The reason for this long, detailed (possibly boring to some) blog post is to urge others to look into ISR swim lessons for their kids.  ISR is for children 6 months - 6 years of age.  I feel living in West Michigan, or anyone who owns a pool or is around pools often, this is such a necessary skill that all children should learn.  Drownings terrify me as well as anger me because they are preventable.  We don't think twice about putting our children in proper carseats, baby proofing our homes, or other safety measures to keep our children out of harm's way.  So why not put them in swim lessons?  It could not only save his/her life but also enrich their lives by feeling confident in the water.

For more information visit ISR's main site http://www.infantswim.com/ or if you are interested in lessons in West MI you can visit Mr Michael Petrella's website http://www.isrgrandrapids.com/.

Committing to Writing More

Lately I have been neglecting my blog.  Okay, not just lately, but pretty much since I started my blog I haven't been writing on it religiously.  There have been many reasons for this... either not feeling inspired or feeling inspired by topics I don't wish to discuss publicly on the internet, or just plain lack of time.  I have been very busy with the kids lately and trying to get my business, Net Owl Media, going.  Eric and I recently decided to rent an office together and I think this will help immensely!  Planning to go in on Mondays and Fridays mostly.  As much as I love the ability of working from home, it is nearly impossible most days.  With Oliver more mobile, I'm finding myself chasing him around the house constantly.  He has a love of the dog food dish for some reason and I have yet figured out a way to block him from the dish but make it accessible to the dog.  I think I need to invest in more baby gates.  When Hope was crawling we lived in a different, smaller house which was a lot easier to block off. 

Anyway, back to the point I was trying to make.  I haven't been writing like I would like to, and starting now I'm going to make a commitment to post in my blog regularly.  It is something that I enjoy doing and is a great outlet for me.  So by putting this out there that this is my commitment I am hoping I will stick by it.  I won't be writing daily, but just more regularly, and hopefully a few people will read it and enjoy it.  :)

Juicy Juice Sampling Party

Today I had a Juicy Juice sampling party and Cars (the first movie) viewing.  It was so much fun!  I had about 26 people (half kids, half adults) and we enjoy pizza, breadsticks, and cake while consuming Juicy Juice products.  We tried out the different flavors of Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice and it was a hit with the majority of the kids and adults.  Some of the adults commented that they didn't like that it was shaped and styled as if it were an energy drink.  They didn't want to promote energy drinks to their kids.  We also had traditional juice boxes in the Apple and Fruit Punch flavors.  The kids really enjoyed watching the movie Cars as well.  The adults were amazed that Juicy Juice gave me those drinks for free and were impressed that the company would do that.  It was a fun experience overall and I would definitely do a sampling party again!

Coupon Obsession

So I have mentioned my coupon clipping skills before.  Today I shopped at Rite Aid and Walgreens to get my weekly deals.  At Rite Aid today I bought $52 worth of personal care items for only $10.37... 3 toothbrushes, 4 tubes of toothpaste, 2 men's manual razors, and some clearance Easter candy (couldn't resist!).  My trip to Walgreens got me roughly $24 worth for $6.  I purchased shampoo, conditioner, men's razor, and a pack of women's razors.  Tomorrow I will hit Meijer to get my groceries and hopefully save a good amount of money as well.

My coupon clipping (okay, obsession) is no easy task though.  I get the Sunday Muskegon Chronicle, then I buy a Grand Rapids Sunday paper at a gas station and sometimes an extra Chronicle. Then my grandma and my mom give me the coupon inserts from their papers as well.  Then I clip and organize them into the different categories based on aisles or general area of the stores. 

Yes, I usually do this while sitting on the couch watching tv with my laptop to my left.   Did I mention I'm an awesome multitasker?

From there I organize my coupons in a coupon binder.  The coupons are arranged based on aisles/areas as I mentioned, but also the sections are arranged by the order of the aisles in the store.  For instance, when I go to Meijer, I walk in the grocery door and start heading to the back starting at the baby aisles on the right first, then pet, then I hit groceries with the dairy/ready to bake, beverages, paper products, laundry, cleaning, and so on as I go to the front of the store ending with frozen and produce sections. So my binder reflects that from front to back of it.  Then the coupons are placed in baseball card type sheets to keep them all separated and organized so I can easily see the coupon offer, details of the offer (is it $1 off ONE or is it $1 off when I buy TWO items), and expiration date.  Identical coupons are all grouped together.

Now my coupon book is all organized and I am ready to hit the road and head to the store!  Wait! Not so fast... think it's that easy?  First I have to check out the sales and match the coupons with the sales to try to only buy things when they are on sale AND I have a coupon for them.  This is something I am still working on and am not able to follow thru 100% on this, but that is my goal.  I will admit, I cheat a bit.  I use Savings Angel which matches the weekly sales at the stores I shop to the coupons that are not only in the newspaper inserts but also various places on the internet where coupons can be found.  This saves me a ton of time and also ensures that I will not miss a good deal! In addition I check out blogs such as BargainsToBounty and Hip2Save to see if there's anything that Savings Angel missed.

After I create my shopping list through Savings Angel, I print off my list, gather my coupons I'm going to use on that trip, also take my binder with me to the store in case I spot a deal not in the ad or I come across something that I remembered I needed.  The worst is when I buy something at the store that I just KNOW I have a coupon for back at home.  Burns me! 

So, this my friends, is my coupon obsession.  Since I started using it I save my family 50-70% on our groceries.  It sometimes feels like a part time job, but it has big pay offs!  Once I get my stockpile up completed I will post a picture.  Until then, here is a picture of my oral care stockpile.  I got the majority of these for free and if not free, it was under 50 cents.



Osama Bin Laden is Dead! But Who Was Fired on Celebrity Apprentice?

First off, I want to acknowledge the fact that Osama Bin Laden has been killed!  Woohoo!!  This hopefully gives some much needed closure to the families of the victims of 9/11.  This is a victorious day!  I also hope this will make our country feel more united and boost some morale in this devastating economy and that we can send the troops back home.

So I watched the coverage, watched President Obama's speech, commented on threads on Facebook on the subject, and then it was time to find out who was fired on Celebrity Apprentice.  I found it quite humorous that the President interrupted Donald Trump's show.  I know this is merely a coincidence but had to chuckle a bit.

*Spoiler Alert* On to the interwebs I went to Google who was fired on Celebrity Apprentice and found that playmate, Hope Dworaczyk, was the latest Celebrity to be fired by Trump.  Thank You PopWatch What a snooze!  Although it was the right choice, it wasn't worth going on a Google hunt to find.  But here you go for anyone that was wondering! Maybe someday in the near future I will blog more about Trump.  I have quite a bit to say about him.

Don't Foster Children Deserve More?

I've been meaning to keep up on my blog more frequently but time and writer's block has been an issue.  I have been struggling with what I want to write about because sometimes it either seems too boring or too political.  I don't really want this blog to be either of those things.

However, I came across something today and though it is political I just couldn't help but to say something about it.  A plan suggested by State Sen Bruce Caswell would give foster parents an $80 gift card allowance to be used for clothing that are only redeemable at thrift stores such as Salvation Army or Goodwill.  To me, this is wrong on a number of levels. 

First of all, foster care has been something I have been passionate about since high school when I first became aware of what foster care really was.  Then in my first year of college I saw author Jennifer Toth of the book Orphans of the Living: Stories of America's Children in Foster Care  appeared on the Rosie O'Donnell show.  She spoke of how corrupt and damaging the foster care system is in the United States.  I purchased the book, and I admit, I stopped halfway through because it was just too depressing.  Many (of course not all) are foster parents for the money.  They are paid to care for the child, not paid to love them.  Many children actually end up in just as bad of homes or worse in the foster care system than what it would have been like to stay with their biological parents.  These children are dealing with feeling rejected/abandoned from their own parents and 40% of foster children either end up on welfare or prison themselves.  The children are obviously not getting what they need: whether it's enough love, attention, resources, and/or simple guidance.  Something needs to be done to fix this.

So the state is looking to save money and I realize budget cuts need to be made and not all of them are going to be pretty.  But Senator Caswell's plan to only allow children to receive their clothing from thrift stores, from the money the state provides, is only making the system even worse.  He admittedly doesn't even know how much money this would even save the state.  He justifies it by saying that his father shopped for him from Salvation Army and that his father once told him "once you're out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes."  Well my opinion is that his father must have been telling him that for a reason... and the reason, if I had to guess, is because Caswell was complaining to his dad about having to wear clothes from Salvation Army!  And, again if I had to guess, he was complaining because it made him feel like he was less than everyone else.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Salvation Army and Goodwill are bad places.  But to restrict them from shopping anywhere but thrift stores just isn't right.  Part of Caswell's point is that this way they can better ensure that the money a foster parent is given for the clothing allowance actually goes towards the child and not spent on the parent themselves.  I just don't think that punishing a child for the actions of their foster parent is right.  How about do a better job screening the parents?  Do more check ups to make sure the child has everything they need.  Why should foster children have less than any other child?  Why is the system further punishing the child.  If 40% of foster children eventually end up on the welfare system or in prison, we would save an enormous amount of tax payer money if we invested in these children when they are young so they are not soaking up tax payer money in their adult years.  Newsflash... children are only kids for 18 years, but they are adults for 40-60 years on average.  Caswell should consider that.  Potentially 40-60 years on welfare.

The cliche goes that children are our future, but it's the truth.  Invest in our children and it will save so much money in the future.  If these children become hard working, contributors to society, then they will be earning more money (pay more income tax), live in larger homes (pay more property tax), will stay out of prison (tax payers' money), and won't have the need for any government assistance.  Put the focus on that 40% decreasing to under 5% and then we will save money while keeping the children's dignity intact.

Kickboard USA Scooter Giveaway!

Kickboard USA is giving a scooter away a day until March 21st!   This is such a generous giveaway for the company to do.  These are high-end scooters ranging from about $130-$240.  You must re-enter the contest every day in order to be eligible for that day's giveaway.  Here is how to enter.  Go to their facebook page by clicking here and go to the tab that says "Scooter Giveaway".  Follow the directions there (Click the "share" button on that page, post to your wall, and then fill out the form that will appear after doing so) and then wait for the announcement to be made the next day to see if you are a winner!  It is that simple!!  You can also go to the Kickboard USA Website to check out all their products.  Good luck!!