Day 345: Recovering

While it's always terrific to go away, returning home is a struggle. All the tasks you perform on a daily basis are backlogged, and you spend the first 24 hours upon returning just playing catch-up. Here are just a few of the projects I am juggling today and beyond...

Preparing for my speaking engagement at the West Hollywood Women's Leadership Conference on April 9th... are you registered yet? www.weho.org/wlc/

Organizing for the 50 for 50 National Women's Political Caucus event on April 14th in which I am being honored for turning 50 ... who knew getting older had such benefits! Please join me! Invitation link below:

http://www.punchbowl.com/parties/1889442-national-women-s-political-caucus-la-westside-present-s-50-for-50

Filling forms out and writing deposits for the boy's San Diego Spring break baseball tournament... April 18 - 21

Filling out forms and writing checks for Camp Harmony for the boys volunteer work over the summer... www.UnitedinHarmony.org

Keeping baseball uniforms clean for 3 games this week.... that's a minimum of 9 hours at the baseball field watching baseball in 5 days, that doesn't include the 12 hours this past weekend at the field in Salem, Oregon at Willamette University...

Securing, filling out applications and sending deposit for housing for the college boy in Oregon for next year...

Making sure proper attire is on hand for teenage boys and myself for big 50th birthday shin-dig this weekend for a good friend ...

Bringing down the Valentine's candy (yes I'm a little behind) and getting Spring candy filled in the famous kitchen candy drawers...

Trying to figure out how to get the boys to both the orthodontist and dentist when baseball means they are not home till 7 or later every night...

Buying new boxers for the boys since every pair either has holes or doesn't belong to them (what's with all these teenage boys leaving their underwear everywhere they sleep!)

Stocking the frig with food after being out of town and of course retuning with nothing left in the cupboards...

Visiting the DMV to get license plates put on the car ...

Coordinating with the computer tech gal to get printer up and running (it was working before I left for Oregon and surprisingly I return and it's broken now, wonder how that happened?)

Running, yes have to get back on the road, don't want to lose all my hard work...

It just goes on and on and on.... it is a full and active life that is for sure, I just need to also find time to BREATHE ...

I'm tired writing this list, and now I've got to actually execute all this ...

Day 163: The College Application

My niece, Olivia, came over tonight for us to edit her college application essay. Whew! Happy I'm not in college anymore or applying to school! It's exhausting compiling all your accomplishments and attempting to present them in a clever way so your essay will stand out among thousands of essays college admissions counselors review. Such competition!

But this is the time of year where thousands of senior high school students are busy putting their applications together. It's either a very exciting time for the student or a very anxiety ridden time causing a lot of stress in a family. Students are nervously narrowing down their college wish list, fine tuning their essay, taking a few extra rigorous courses to bump up their GPA, all in an effort to strengthen their chances of being admitted.

You have to have a game plan and a solid strategy to play this game. Yes a strategy for applying to college. And even with the best of everything - application, essay, GPA, SAT score, there is no guarantee that your student will be accepted to their dream university. Such is life.

When Brandon applied to college we were able to narrow the choices down to where he could play baseball and receive a scholarship. This helped with the process. However, being a collegiate athlete is no easy task once the kids get to the school and start playing sports at the college level. It's an entirely different game at that level.

Well my darling niece Olivia has a stellar application based on her years of community service. She has given her time and energy to so many worthy causes over the years. She is a trained teen counselor at Teen Line, a peer-to-peer crisis call in center for teens to call and talk about their problems. She is a counselor and mentor with Camp Harmony, a camp for underprivileged children. She has worked with Best Buddies, an organization focused on intellectually challenged children. The list goes on and on so do the hours she gave of herself above and beyond her academics.

Surely one or more of the University's she is applying to will see her gift for giving and that will be her winning entrance ticket! Good luck to all the College bound Seniors!

Day 135: Humble Teenagers

The teenagers, Harrison & Spencer returned from their one week assignment as camp counselors at Camp Harmony. I have written several times on my Blog about Camp Harmony. It is a camp for underprivileged children -- mostly homeless or close to it. The camp allows them to be kids for one week out of their hectic and chaotic and sometimes violent lives.

Pictured here is Harrison's cabin ... my boy is the tall one to the far right.

I am SO PROUD of my 15 year old boys. Not only did they give one week of their time and energy, they absorbed and embraced it. I think it is all summed up when they both told me they cried at the closing ceremony where the campers were all saying good-bye. Can you imagine teenage boys feeling so connected that they cried? They had raw emotion and connection with these campers whom they had never met before one week ago.

As a Mom, there are few words to express how happy I am that they spent time doing for "others". Unconditional attention to children who so need to be loved, hugged and cared for.

Last night was their first night home and already three campers had called Spencer ... just to talk, just to ask what was up? My boys were physically & emotionally exhausted... each slept for close to 13 hours. The administrators of the camp had told us that our children would get very little sleep ... working close to 18 hours a day ... and they were correct. But my boys were smiling and happy when they returned. So what's a few nights without sleep when you know you are doing such good!

Pictured here are Spencer's campers ... Spencer is the one to the far left in the back row.

It was not all fun and games, the boys had to deal with a lot of sadness too. Spencer had a camper that had to be sent home for excessive fighting. Other campers were just totally out of control and needed to be handled non stop ... not an easy task for a 15 year old boy who has never had training in child development.

Thank you to my beautiful niece Olivia Bernstein for introducing the boys to this program. Thank you Olivia for sharing your wisdom of 17 years to the boys and encouraging them to attend. I am so happy that we made this happen. It was not always an easy road to travel ... with forms, and money, and coordinating shedules and hesitation, but I held my ground as a parent on this one... I mean I really stood on cement, there was no wavering for me. And they did it ... they accomplished the week successfully and we are all so happy and feeling so blessed today!

If you want to help or make a contribution to Camp Harmony, please visit www.UnitedInHarmony.com

Day 128: Camp Harmony

Today is day two for Harrison & Spencer working as camp counselors at Camp Harmony. The camp is a haven for homeless children residing in homeless shelters and foster care homes throughout Los Angeles. For many of these campers they have never attended camp, never seen the beach, never slept in a bed, never had three meals a day, never been given clean clothes and toiletries -- these children have never had a lot of nevers.

For one week they get to have a lot of whatever they want especially hugs and love from the teenage counselors who serve as their friends for one week at sleep-away camp.

I am so happy that my niece Olivia Bernstein made us aware of this worthy camp. She was a counselor last summer and was so impacted by her experience that she enlisted her two young cousins to join with her this summer.

My three sons have had a charmed life. They want for nothing. Not for love, affection, warmth, shelter, food, parents, family, or education. It breaks my heart to know that so many children live in poverty right here in the City of Angels. That so many children go to bed with hungry tummies. That many have none of the bare necessities that we all take for granted.

When given the opportunity to be counselors and spend one week with such children I knew I wanted my boys to have this experience. You can not teach poverty. You can read about it but unless you experience it, touch it, see it close-up you really can't begin to understand the depth of this issue and the sorrow that it burdens our children with.

When I was in college I did many, many internships dealing with abused, troubled or homeless children working with such wonderful programs such as Children of the Night based here in the San Fernando Valley, Delancy Street in San Fransisco for young boys and in Santa Monica at a homeless shelter. I stood in food lines and scooped out food to shelter attendees. I listened to young girls talk about pimping themselves out to survive. While you may momentarily feel good that you are giving back and making use of your time, it really just makes you sick to see that in this rich country, there are so many that have so little.

So yes, my children can afford one week of their summer vacation to give to other children. They can give up sleeping in comfortable beds, having clean clothes, having endless food, having all the comforts of their home. It will be an invaluable experience I am sure as it was and has been for me. What a great lesson for our boys. I feel blessed that there is a Camp Harmony and that my children are participating. If you want to help or make a contribution, please visit www.UnitedInHarmony.com

Day 126: Last Family Summer Dinner

Tonight Brian and I and the boys - Brandon, Harrison & Spencer had dinner together for the last time in Summer 2010. Harrison & Spencer leave tomorrow for Camp Harmony to be camp counselors for a week and while they are gone, Brandon returns to college.

Wow, I can't believe our summer as a family has come to an end. What a whirlwind it has been. I mean really a whirlwind. On any given night we probably had 6 to 7 teenage bodies sleeping at the house. The food shopping, cooking and BBQs that took place were endless. The house always had a buzz ... sports games blaring from the TV screen, video games being played, music pumping ... and certainly lots of laughter.

I have always said that two of the ingredients to raising healthy teenage boys must include food & sports. One day I will post my philosophy on why I believe family meals are so vital to a child's upbringing and why any sports activity - organized or otherwise - is equally important to raising boys.

Having all three sons together over the summer has been wonderful. Watching them interact and be "bros" was very special for me. When one of your chicks leaves for college the dynamics of the house are forever changed. For good or bad. For me it's bad because I so crave my chicks being together. But part of responsible parenting is giving your children the wings to fly and to be successful while on their journey.

So Harrison and Spencer will experience being camp counselors at sleep away camp for the first time and Brandon will return to begin his Sophomore year of college. As sad as it may make me, it also brings me much joy that they are all on these great paths of life.

So as we sat around the dinner table us 5 Simon's, dining on our last meal together for many months, I thought what a great summer it has been!

Day 120: Steroids, Acupuncture, & Chiropractor

Well, the college boy Brandon is not getting better, in fact he's gotten worse. So today the doc prescribed steroids and Tylenol with codeine. We hope once the meds kick in he will start to feel better. Real bummer to be so lethargic and uncomfortable and in pain.

The high school boy Spencer is still battling chronic neck pain. We have tried chiropractor visits, acupuncture treatments, traction and he has no relief from the pain. Not sure what our next steps will be to fix this pain. He's not sleeping well, and is constantly having to twitch his neck to decompress the vertebrates that are way too compressed for a 15 year old boy!

And while Harrison has no ailments, he's just being a pain in the ass about participating in the Camp Harmony program. Both Harrison & Spencer will be camp counselors at Camp Harmony -- a camp for underprivileged, homeless and foster children throughout Los Angeles. The campers spend one week at Camp Hess Kramer being free of the emotional and physical challenges of their lives.

Harrison's life is so perfect and blessed and he should give of his time, especially to children who need this week so much. I'm his mother and I need to guide him and teach him and if that means making him participate in a program that he doesn't want to because I believe it will enrich his life, then that's what I need to do. It's called parenting! He's really giving me a hard time about going and it's driving me crazy! He's acting like a spoiled teenager and I will have none of it!

Ahh the joys of parenting !

Day 37: Purposeful & Fun Summers

Summer is quickly approaching and all the kids will be returning from college or finishing up their studies very soon at neighborhood schools. It's the time of year that parents ponder about what activities to plan for their tykes.

When our children were younger we wanted to ensure that they had "activities" to keep them occupied. I was always the worst with this as I was much more free form and wanted the boys to just play! To be creative and find things to occupy their time, without it being a scheduled activity.

This philosophy worked for our family because with three boys they always had a play mate. It also worked because my boys are homebodies -- meaning they really like hanging at home with all the comforts it has to offer. Even when I was working 12 hour days they still were content in finding enjoyment in being curious and creative. Of course I did have to ensure that there was lots of food in the house!

Now that all three boys are teenagers there is an emphasis to perhaps have some more purpose to the lazy days of summer. The belief is that responsibility builds character and too much idle time can lead to bad stuff. So finding the right balance of kicking back and meaningful activities is the key.

Brandon is home from college and occupied with baseball and work, so he is set and doing exactly what a 19-year old teenager should be doing.

Harrison & Spencer, the 14 year old teenagers, will of course be playing baseball all summer with their American Legion Team. But more importantly, I am happy to share that they will be participating in a one week camp program designed for underprivileged children.

It's called Camp Harmony, and was created to allow kids from broken homes & lives to just be kids for one week out of the year. My boys will be counselors and working, they are not campers. At the orientation meeting the camp Executive Director said "expect the counselors to work an 18 hour day." A little hard work never killed anyone!

We learned of the program from my beautiful niece Olivia Bernstein who was a counselor last summer and has remained a mentor to many of these children. Her enthusiasm for the campers that attend & the program encouraged the boys to participate.

The boys will be responsible for children who may not have a home, may be in the foster care system, may have witnessed domestic violence, may be a victim of domestic violence themselves, may go to bed hungry and in dirty clothing, may not bath regularly or brush their teeth daily, may have learning challenges, may not trust others, may be depressed and sad or angry, may have never been swimming before or seen the ocean before, but all children are worthy of love and a summer filled with activities and laughter. If my children can play a small or large role in making a child's life brighter even for just one week, then I've done my job in creating the best summer of all.

To learn more about United in Harmony and their Camp Harmony program, please visit http://www.campharmony.com/ Seeing a child smile & be happy is the greatest gift we can give.

Day 14 & 15: Erasing the Stigma

On Friday I attended the annual Erasing the Stigma fundraiser produced by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. I always leave this event inspired by remarkable people who have overcome great odds to make significant contributions. And I am uplifted by the folks who perform outstanding work to help erase the stigma of mental illness. It's always fascinating when the Emcee asks who in the audience knows a person suffering from mental illness and every attendee stands! The truth is we are all affected by those we love who are challenged by their illness.

This year did not disappoint. There was the young woman who shared her story about her older brother who committed suicide in his senior year of college. The experience led Alison Malmon, a college freshman at the time of her brothers suicide to launch an organization committed to young people. Active Minds encourages young adults to talk about what's going on in their lives. Active Minds is committed to talking about suicide and erasing the stigma of mental illness. If young adults are ashamed to talk about how they are feeling they won't seek help.

Last year 1,100 college students committed suicide in the United States. My son Brandon is a freshman at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. A small liberal arts university and a school not immune to suicide. A student at Willamette took his life this year. I remember feeling so sad when I heard this news. All the promise his parents had had for him and now they would have to retrieve his body and return it home with so many questions unanswered about what he was dealing with that led him to take his life. Thank goodness this young woman Alison Malmon founded an organization where maybe more students can become aware of the signs of potentially suicidal students and encourage them to seek help.

I attended the Didi Hirsch event with my beautiful 17 year old niece Olivia Bernstein who had never been to a charity fundraiser before. She is an inspiration in her own right as a Teen Line Counselor and Camp Harmony mentor. Teen Line is a program offered at Cedars Sinai Medical Center where teenagers are trained to field calls from their peers who are challenged by a host of issues ranging from conflicts with their parents, to child abuse, to their sexual identity, and yes thoughts of suicide. Thank goodness young people like Olivia give of their time to talk to other young people going through a difficult time. And a big shout out to Cheri Yousem who dedicates her time & energy and has for many years to the Didi Hirsch organization and its important mission. She co-chaired this year's event and it was inspirational.

If you know someone struggling with a mental illness please help erase the stigma by directing them to Didi Hirsch http://www.didihirsch.org/ or if you know a young person who needs to talk, please direct them to Active Minds http://www.activeminds.org/.