HomeMamaSeaShell's Drawing Board
Real Name: Kristin Shell Member Since: March 27, 2008 Last Signed In: December 04, 2008 Blog Views: 631 Send To A Friend Sign Guestbook Add as a Friend
Paying attention
The Fairytale Town Printed Story.... Meeting with the children's book writer.... Gaining Security Writing and Illustrating Suprise Guest - Speedy Taco Salad Spontaneous Outing Start Kindergarten early or later? Fishing with Him How to Build a Log Cabin March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 Family Keepsake Storybook I'm offering a nice price for illustrations for those that are writing or have written children's stories. The price for printing a family keepsake storybook w/cd format is $20. Check out my website www.ecrucartwheel.com
"Mommy, Do You Think of Me." Everything is coming along nicely with the illustrations for "Mommy, Do You Think of Me". I have already finished drawing the illustrations. I'm getting ready to add the coloring to 14 illustrations. Once the printing is finished. We will save the illustration layout on a disc for future copies to be printed. *** Story Illustrations If you are still interested in illustrating let me know. I can schedule a time for your illustrations to be done. (Which, a lot of the stories entered into the contest should) *** Charlie, The Lonely Dolphin I'm also wrapping up the illustrations for "Charlie, The Lonely Dolphin" Siri Backer is the writer preparing to publish her story about a lonely dolphin finding friendship with a tour boat guide. *** 
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Gaining Security
At 4:30 this morning, there was a very loud sound roaring off in the distance. My son heard it and panicked. He came in our room and woke us up to tell us that there was a roaring sound that wouldn’t stop. We heard it rumbling. It sounded like the Aerojet Center testing their rocket engines again. He seemed quite scared. He does this often. Sometimes it’s a nightmare he will wake up from. Coming into the room in a panic saying, “There’s a huge, red hot air balloon hovering in my window.” Of course, this is humorous and we try and teach him to laugh it off. This underlining fear of something about to happen has been troubling my, now 13 year old, son for most of his childhood. My son was in the 3rd grade when the twin towers fell on September 11th, 2001. Even though we lived in the back mountains of the southern Sierra’s at the time. It was so real and terrifying to watch and feel it on our televisions, in our homes, neighborhoods and schools. We were waiting for something else to happen. To him it was the day when all the adults we’re not sure what to do. The day when all the adults were sad, scared and angry. That was something that shook our foundation of security. We’ve been trying to gain it back ever since. How do we gain it back? How do I try to gain his confidence back? We pray and are thankful in uncertain times that we still have each other. We fly our flag outside in rememberance. We try and do our best to remember that we, as a community, are all doing our best to do our jobs, whatever skills may be, to help each other. I do my best everyday to make sure my kids know I am doing the things I do because I love them. That's all I can think of doing. In rememberance, How did this day effect you? How do you deal with it?
7 comments from 5 users
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posted by
creatress
on Sep 11, 2008 at 07:46 AM
posted by
teacheroftwos
on Sep 11, 2008 at 08:29 AM
Sept. 11th is my neices birthday, so we try to not remember the day as when something tragic happen, but yet a day when Angel Marie was born! Happy Birthday!
posted by
MamaSeaShell
on Sep 11, 2008 at 09:46 AM
teacheroftwos, Im so glad you have something else to remind you of other things happening on this day. It reminds me to appreciate the people in our community working everyday doing everyday jobs that keep us safe, healthy and happy. I provide a journal /notebook for my boys to doodle in. They actually use it. They hop into bed and doodle away and make up inventions and writing. I also, tell him to do some relaxation techniques and sometimes, think of his favorite things happening now before he falls asleep. It helps for the most part. posted by
TwinkiesMom
on Sep 11, 2008 at 12:25 PM
This day is always a tough one for me. My cousin, Lt. CMDR David Lucian Williams, was killed at the Pentagon on that day. Thankfully, I had seen him just 3 weeks before he died, at his sister's wedding. It was a great day and one that I'm thankful for because we all had a great time, he met my 4 mo. old twins for the first time, and my last words to him were "I love you." He also announced that he and his wife were expecting baby #3. His daughters were 4 and 18 mos. at the time. His son was born on April 17,2002. He doesn't know his real dad, but thankfully he has a stepfather who loves him, and his sisters, as if they were his own. For me, I choose to focus on the joy he had in his life while he was alive, and not the tragic way he died. It would be too overwhelming otherwise. His loss is still felt deeply in our very close family, and it's a hole that will always be there. I got up at 5 a.m. this morning to watch the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial on CNN. My mom is there to be with her sister (David's mom) and his widow and children. It looked like a nice ceremony and I'm looking forward to hearing from her what it was like. It's a great day to remember not only the people lost on 9/11, but all of our loved ones who are no longer with us. Today reminds us that we shouldn't live with any regrets, and that everyone in our lives should always know the love we feel for them. posted by
MamaSeaShell
on Sep 11, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Thank you for sharing your story with me. I'm saddened and sorry to hear of how it hurt you directly. I am glad to hear that your family have a lot of love for each other and to hear the ways you are coping with traumatizing events and that there is support. I am a hopeful believe in the saying that "time heals all wounds." I'm hoping that applies to my son as well. There are so many aspects of raising our children. Some we never thought we would have to concider. We do it anyway. I'm hoping time and love will help my son grow stronger as well.
posted by
theurbanmom
on Sep 12, 2008 at 07:47 AM
Kids who are traumatized need to feel some control over their safety. Discuss with your son what it means to feel safe. Identify with him people he feels safe with and places he feels safe. Teaching relaxation and other types of coping skills like exercizing and talking will help him gain control over his emotions when he is anxious. If it disturbs his sleep and school work, I would recommend trauma focussed counseling which is usually short term.
Good luck.
posted by
MamaSeaShell
on Sep 12, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Thank you very much. Yes, that sounds about right. I have to say, we had a rough patch during 2001-2006. Just about 5 years of events that tested us as a family. We were living in the mountains, 9/11 happened, we had a major car accident on Thanksgiving Day (another story - other driver ran a red light), the loss of a family member, a lot of things out of our control happened. I wanted to make a side note: He seems to have these panic fears right before he falls asleep and right before he wakes up. So, its not like he is panicing all day. Its once in a while occurance during the night. We are healing ~as a family~
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I too have been counting off the days till we were once again back at 9/11. It was indeed a tragic horrible day. My son was at school (I called them right away to see if the kids needed to come home. They stayed the whole day.) I called my sister-in-law and lit candles for all those involved and just watched. It was such a tragic feeling of helplessness. I can't imagine how horrific it was for those directly involved.
I remember the Sacramento Bee ran a cover story soon after with little head-shot photos of each and every person who died in the 9/11 attack. My son happened to see it and we were talking about it. Then we saw one photo in particular. It was a man blowing bubbles (who was a father). My son (then in the 4th grade) started crying (and we did too.) When that many people die it's often hard to even comprehend how each person was affected (like war.) But to see each picture like that was just heart-wrenching.
Huge tragic affects ripple through our society, especially impacting children (for all the reasons you so eloquently stated.) What can we do to help? Just what you did. Talk about it, re-assure, give them an outlet (art is sometimes helpful.)
You sound like you're handeling it well. There's some good yoga tapes that maybe you could do before bed (I know, teen boys and yoga don't mix well.) Or maybe just some breathing exercises? What you described sounds like "nocturnal panic attacks" and could be due to stress. Helping him to clear his mind before bed could help. I'd also suggest a "white noise" machine or some soothing sound to sleep by. :)