Pit Bull Puppy Problems: Dog Training Tips

There are a few different problems that are seen commonly in puppies who are six months of age or younger. These problems include submissive urination, urination when getting overly excited, and problems with nipping and chewing. If your Pit Bull terrier pup is having problems in any of these areas, don?t worry. I?m about to reveal exactly how to correct it.

If your Pit Bull puppy tends to squat and urinate when you approach him, this is a problem with submissive urination. This behavior shouldn?t be confused with a potty training problem, it is associated with insecurity if you punish your puppy or use negative reinforcements it will more than likely worsen the behavior. Submissive urination occurs when a dog is scared and feels intimidated when being approached by an individual.

To solve the problem of submissive urination, calmly approach your puppy. Try not to tower over him, crouch down so that you?re not as intimidating. If your puppy begins to urinate, try offering him a treat next time. The way to correct submissive urination is to get his focus away from whatever is causing his reaction.

If your puppy has difficulty controlling his bladder when getting excited, it is known as excitement urination. Again, never punish your puppy in this situation as it will only cause problems to get worse.

The fix for this problem is easy. Ignore it. Excitement urination usually disappears as a puppy matures and his bladder control strengthens.

Puppy chewing can be extremely annoying, especially if your Pit Bull is destroying things of high value to you (I?ve lost my fair share of eyeglasses for example). Puppies use chewing and biting as a way to ease teething pain. To solve this problem, give your puppy lots of toys to chew on instead. Kong toys are popular, as are stuffed squeakers.

If you?re having problems in these areas with your new Pit Bull puppy, have patience and take the time to work with your new buddy. He?ll get through these tough times with a little love and understanding.

To learn all about American Pitbull Terriers and how to train a Pitbull puppy, visit http://www.pitbullsrevealed.com/ today.

Social Skills Training and Rewards: Five Tips to Tailor Your System to a Perfect Fit for Your Child

If you want to improve how your kids respond to your behavior change program, you may need to fine-tune your reward system. Here are six key questions to guide you to create rewards to a tailor-made fit to your child's individuality.

1.Do your rewards have enough novelty to keep your child motivated? Even the most fun and unique rewards get old. Keep updated with rewards that propel your children and students to keep working towards a goal. Fine tune and freshen up rewards before their appeal fizzles out.

2.Are you overlooking praise as a natural and easy to deliver reward? Praise blossoms self-esteem. Praise is a compelling motivator. Kids love to hear their parents and teachers be proud of them. Praise the deed. Good job on the clean-up. I don't see a speck of dirt!

3.Are you rewarding for effort? Build success into your behavior program. Make sure your child can count on achievement. If a reward is getting an A, set it up so the child has opportunities to get the thrill of an A.

4. Are your rewards scheduled frequently enough? Remember the objective of a reward is to reinforce positive behavior. That means giving your child encouragement to keep doing the good thing. If the goal is a tougher for your child to achieve, set up your program to give little rewards or partial points along the way for effort or steps taken toward an end goal.

5.Are you keeping the focus on positive behaviors? Play down points not earned. You want your child to keep the thrill of earning in his mind and you do this by keeping the focus on building the points or accumulating the tokens. Allow your child to keep points once earned no matter how the scene may have deteriorated. At times he does not earn his points, that in itself is a penalty so you need do nothing more. Refocus on the positive.

6. Are you following through with your part? Parents, educators and caregivers are busy people and what sometimes is neglected, as a result, is their very vital role. A most common reason that a well-crafted behavior program does not work is because the adults get too busy and those essential and exciting check marks, parent initials or tokens don't get handed out. If it is impossible to be there consistently, let the tracking system be self-administering, where your child is on the honor system. You might be delighted by how he or she honors the agreement. It is okay to commit only to what you comfortably can do. And you will see, the time you give up now will pay off dramatically in the time and relief that will be your reward.

For more on rewards in your behavior change program, see companion articles:

Social Skills and Rewards: Five Tips for Tailoring your Behavior Change System to a Perfect Fit for your Child

Social Skills and Your Behavior Change Program: Troubleshooting When the Rewards Aren't Working

Ellen Mossman-Glazer M.Ed. is a Life Skills Coach and Behavior Specialist. She is the author of two on line e-zines, Emotion Matters: Tools and Tips for Parents, Educators and Caregivers and Social Skills: The Micro Steps. Subscribe for free and see more about Ellen at http://artofbehaviorchange.com/ You can take a free mini assessment which Ellen will reply to with your first action step. Over her 20 years in special education classrooms and treatment settings, Ellen has seen the struggle that children and adults have when they feel they don't fit in. Currently she works in private practice helping parents, educators, caregivers and their challenging loved ones find the tools to thrive.

Pampered Pets Get Bling Therapy From Ms. BB

Daahling, Ms. BB knows that your precious pet is a star ~ a natural diva. Your dog or cat begs to be groomed and petted and showered with treats. She lives for your attention and all of the pampering you give her each day to keep her looking beautiful.

However, most humans understand that beauty is more than skin deep. Just like people, dogs and cats need to be taken care of on the inside, as well as the outside. Pets have feelings and emotions that their owners often neglect ~ not because they do not care, but simply because they are unaware. Even when one is aware, they may not know that there is a solution to the problem.

Probably more often than we realize, our poor little animals feel physically or emotionally ill. It is, indeed, unfortunate that they are not always able to communicate their distress to us. Ms. BB would like to take this opportunity to make you aware of something that will not only make your little doggie or kitty look beautiful, but may also help them overcome many of the emotional and physical problems with which they might be suffering.

Yes, Daahling, you guessed it ~ it is Bling! Imagine Ms. BB's delight to find that Bling not only makes her little FiFi look stunning, but keeps her healthy, too!

Ms. BB has learned from Michael Katz, author of GEMSTONE ENERGY MEDICINE, Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit, that after years of study, practitioners of alternative medicine and complementary health, as well as acupuncturists now recognize Gemstone Therapy as a legitimate healing art for pets as well as their owners. It is a form of energy medicine that is on the cutting edge of health care.

In a time when we are all looking for a cure, and realizing that many of the traditional treatment methods are not only laden with side effects, but simply do not work, gemstone therapy is certainly worth a try for us, and for our precious pets as well.

The colorful assortment of stones used in gemstone therapy not only look lovely, but can help comfort your pet and even relieve pain. Some of the colorful gems can improve your pet's emotional and physical stability and strengthen the connection between the two of you. Remember that your pet has feelings and memories, too ~ just like you.

Before she walked that red carpet in your life, your star may have had painful experiences that she is struggling with now. You can help her deal with it all much easier by placing healing gemstones around her neck. They will not only make her look and feel pretty, they could make her emotionally and physically healthier!

Nearly all therapeutic gemstone necklaces are suitable for animals, and treat a variety of ailments. Below you can find some of the ones most often recommended by Gemisphere, recognized world wide as the finest therapeutic gems.

Carnelian ~ Carnelian's rays encourage the mind, emotions, and cells to release disharmony and disease, and supports positive emotions.

Bloodstone ~ Bloodstone helps the body fight infection, removes toxins, and helps the cells absorb nutrients.

Dark Green Aventurine ~ Dark Green Aventurine purifies the body and vital organs

Mother of Pearl ~ Mother of Pearl repairs deep wounds and brings a feeling of love and comfort to frightened or nervous pets.

Onyx ~ Onyx works through the root chakra to ground and stabilize your pet physically.

Rhodonite ~ Rhodonite works at rebuilding a more solid emotional foundation and is good for calming and long-term emotional healing.

Lavender ~ Lavender aligns the body, helping to relieve pain and promote healing.

Light Green Emerine? ~ useful before and after surgery to soothe and relieve pain.

Citrine ~ Citrine relaxes inner tension and promotes flexibility in the body, including the cells and organs, to encourage the body to become better aligned.

Sodalight ~ is useful for post-traumatic stress.

Remember, Daahling ~ be extra nice to a pet wearing Bling ~ you might want to borrow it sometime!

Roxanna and Ms. BB have created http://BlingSpa.com featuring Gemstone Therapy, an alternative method of treating disease without harmful side effects. The Bling Spa also features exclusive Bling makeovers for you, your pets, and your home.

Also visit Ms. BB at http://BlingBlingMarketplace.com ~ where the In-Crowd shops.

Remember Daahling, A Bling A Day Keeps The Shrink Away

Please note: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a licensed healthcare professional.

Create a Baby Website for Your Baby: Part II

In Part I of this article we discussed the options available to you if you wish to create a custom website or baby blog for your baby. The conclusion reached in that article was that it is best to go with any online service like babyblogger.com, which lets you build a custom web site for your baby. In doing so, you get a complete customizable baby website with great features:

• Custom Baby Home Page - share the latest baby photos, journal entries and email alert sign up
• Baby Journal - online diary or baby blog all about your baby
• Baby Photos - unlimited albums for your digital baby photos
• Baby's Vitals - baby's height, weight, birthday, first steps, first words, etc.
• Baby Guestbook - your invited guests leave their thoughts and wishes as often as they like
• Email Alerts - friends and family sign up to be notified of new baby photos or journal entries
• Password protection security
• Custom features and professionally designed templates
• Advertising free
• Prices as low as 50? a week
• No special computer skills required -- point and click simplicty

Buyers Beware

If you decide to go with an online service for creating your baby website, remember that all baby website services are not created equal. Here are somethings to look out for:

• FREE Baby Websites - like the old saying goes, You get what you pay for. Many *free* offerings are insecure, poorly designed and lack any real features, like unlimited photo albums, password protection, etc. These *free* offers typically have ulterior motives:
• Bait & Switch - the free site is to get your attention, but you'll pay to upgrade for unlimited photos, email alerts, and no advertising.
• Shell Game - the free site is often a promotion (distraction) to sell some other baby product or service.
• Ad Game - see next item!
• Advertisements - many services which offer web sites for babies will run ads on your baby's site. If it is a free service, you can almost guarantee it. They have to make their money some how. If you don't mind subjecting your family and friends to an unrelenting barrage of ads across your baby's site, then it shouldn't be a problem.
• SPAM - unsolicited email is a major problem that just about anyone with an email address can relate to. Beware of any baby website offer, especially the free ones, which require that you and your guests enter your email address, but don't offer a privacy policy or opt-in/opt-out option. It is very likely that in addition to your free baby web site, you will get spammed without mercy.
• Security - websites which leave your baby website open to the public cause several problems. First, you may not want millions of strangers and search engines finding thoughts and photos of your baby. Second, if your site has a guestbook and/or contact page, you are likely to have negative experiences. Unfortunately, there are people who have nothing better to do than leave unwanted comments in your guestbook or use your contact page to send spam.

Conclusion?

Shop wisely when looking for a web site for your baby, and be aware that many services place their advertising concerns above the security of your baby's site, features you receive, and ease of use.

Michael is an expert-level web designer and Internet marketing professional. His baby website creation is called

2 Ways to Safely Transplant Rose Bushes of Any Age

You will occasionally want to move a rose bush from one location to another, but fear shocking the bush too much and having it die. However, here are two effective ways to minimize the shock to the bush so you can successfully move it to another, more suitable place in your flower garden.

The first, and simpler way, is by driving a spade down vertically to its full length of blade about twelve or fifteen inches from the bush and repeating the process in a circular form until all lateral roots have been cut. This should be done in June or early July and the bush should be moved two or three weeks later.

Dig a sloping hole leading to the vertical spade-cuts on one side, remove some of the surface soil round the bush to reduce weight, drive the spade under the plant, and gently lift it in a ball of earth. The ball can be made more adherent by wetting and dabbing the outside of it. Slide it into its new hole by way of another sloping cut, fill the spaces round the ball with friable soil and water it heavily. The bush must be pruned and all leaves carefully clipped off to reduce loss of moisture and consequent shrivelling.

You see, by cutting any strong root at a reasonable distance from a plant, it forces the growth of many smaller ones of the feeding type. Roots feed only through their terminal points, and so the greater the number of small fibrous roots the better a bush can feed from the soil.

The second, and less simple way, is to prepare the rose for the move by digging a trench in early spring in a semicircle round the bush at a radius of a foot, or slightly more, from the stem, depending on the size of the plant. This will cut the roots in that part. Fill the trench with loam that is of good quality but does not contain fermenting manure of any type. A network of fibrous secondary roots will form and permeate the rich new soil. After three months, about Christmas time, complete the circle in a similar manner. In the autumn, about four months later, the bush can be lifted with a good ball of earth held together by a mass of fibrous roots.

The rose bush has been safely root-pruned in either method of transplanting, and will reduce shock ensuring the plants survival. You may be wondering why you would need to use that second, more involved method, when the first method is so simple. Well, the only time it is necessary is when moving a very large old rose plant.

So now you have 2 great methods for successfully transplanting rose bushes. Although you don't want to do it very often, feel free to get your flower garden just the way you want it! Happy planting.

FREE information, articles and tips on how you can grow
better roses than everyone else can be found at Sir Jon
Weaver's web site How to Grow Better Roses. It's FREE!
Click here: http://www.HowToGrowBetterRoses.com

Sewing With Leather

Sewing leather and fur do not differ too much from sewing other types of material. The key to sewing leather is to always try your stitch on a piece of scrap before you start the actually sewing and then make sure you have your pattern accurate for the piece you will be sewing. The reason this is so crucial is that once you have stitched leather, if you make a mistake and need to undo the stitch, the leather will be weakened and you will be left with holes.

Stitching

Another tip is that depending on the thickness of the leather or fur, you want to lengthen your stitch to three or more. Obviously, the thicker the seam will be, the longer you need to make the length of the stitch. If you make your stitch too small, what happens is that the leather is punctured too close together, causing tears.

Another important tip is that you should always leave long threads at both the start and end of the seams so you can tie them off by hand. The only time you would use a backstitch is when the seam will be encased or crossed over by another seam. You can keep the seams together simply by placing a very small, strong in the seam allowance when sewing leather.

As you work with patterns, you will discover that leather garments have the same interfacing in the same locations just as you would find with other types of material. If you need to fuse your leather, an excellent product on the market called Leather Fuse is made specifically for leather. With this solution, the leather is fused quicker and at lower temperature settings, as not to damage the leather.

Now keep in mind that if you need to press an area of a pattern down, you can by using a small amount of steam. Since leather goes through a quality tanning process, there is no need to worry about shrinkage. Just be sure you place a brown paper press cloth in between the iron and the leather and never leave the iron sitting on the leather for very long.

If you are sewing leather with thick spots, you can use a rubber mallet to pound them out. However, you will need to protect the leather by covering it with paper or cloth to ensure you do not scratch or dent the leather.

If you are sewing leather that is more casual, you can use lapped seams. Simply topstitch to hold the seam allowance and then with a single-hole throat plate, you can stitch, which will keep the stitching nice and straight.

As you are sewing leather garments, you might experience skipped stitches. If this happens, do not stop stitching, just keep going. What you want to do is when you have finished all the machine stitching, go back, and stitch over those skipped areas by hand. Start by anchoring the needle between the layers of the garment and then bring it up through the first skipped hole.

Now, pass the needle over the thread of the floating thread that was skipped and then pull the needle back through the hole. Be sure you pull the stitch tight and do this for each skipped stitch. This way, you keep the integrity of the machine stitching in tact while providing reinforcement.

Materials

If you are interested in sewing leather clothing, crafts, or upholstery, you will need specific items that include the following:

Presser foot

Leather needle for the machine and Glover?s needle for hand stitching

Thread that is 100% polyester ? do not use cotton or cotton blend because the chemicals in the leather from the tanning will cause the thread to rot

Rubber cement or two-sided adhesive tape

Rotary cutter to cut clean edges

Wax chalk to use for marking

Cold tape

Rubber mallet

Patterns

When sewing leather, you do not need a special pattern. You can simply choose a fabric pattern that you like and use leather instead of other fabric. Just be sure you choose the pattern carefully since some patterns will have multiple seams that do not work well when sewing leather.

Additionally, if the pattern has large pieces, chances are you will have to do some custom work in that the leather pieces will probably not be as large as the pattern. For example, if you were sewing leather pants, you would have to piece two hides of leather to create one pant leg. Now this can be done but just keep in mind that depending on the pattern you choose, you might need to get creative when sewing leather.

Always keep in mind that when sewing leather, muslin is crucial. The reason is that once leather has been stitched, letting out seams or making alterations is very difficult since the original needle hole will still be visible. By using muslin, once the alterations are complete, you can take it apart and then create a new pattern using a heavy type paper.

Sewing leather is not really that difficult but most people feel a little uncomfortable with it. If you want to create something using leather, you can always start with a small project first. Rather than starting out with a pair of pants or shirt, choose a simpler pattern such as a sleeveless vest. Once you have accomplished that, you will feel more confident and be ready to try making something a little more involved.

Skins

When sewing leather, choosing the right skin is very important. Be sure the leather is soft and supple. Each type of skin will vary somewhat as you will see below.

Cowhide

Since this type of hide is typically large, you will find that they are most often divided in two pieces called Sides. Because the hides are so large, they make a great choice for many patterns. The only drawback is that cowhide is tough by nature and therefore best suited for outerwear.

Pigskin

Pigskin is another type of leather that is typically found in larger pieces. With the leather being a good medium weight, this makes a great choice for many pattern types.

Lambskin

For lambskin, the leather is smaller and therefore is best used with smaller patterns. Because the leather is very soft and lightweight, this makes a great choice for skirts, jackets, and tops. The only thing you need to remember is that because lambskin is lightweight and thinner, it can tear and rip so use care when using it for sewing.

You will find that skins sold for sewing are pre-measured and sold by the square foot. For price, it will depend on the type of skin you choose as well as the tanning process used. Typically, a supplier will lay out a number of skins, sorting by color, texture, and size. If you visit a supplier in person, you will be able to choose leather skins that match best.

Additionally, when buying in person, you have the opportunity to look for damage caused by thin spots, tears, holds, folds, flaws, and so on. If you do buy from an online supplier, chances are you will receive quality leather. However, just to be on the safe side, it would be best to always buy from a supplier that offers a refund on uncut skin should you find it does not match or is damaged.

If you are not sure how much leather to buy, you can use the following formula to convert the traditional 45-inch fabric measurement:

Take the yardage required for the pattern and multiply it by 1.25 Then, add 15% for waste. If you are not sure you are buying enough, ask the supplier what their rule of thumb is.

Cutting / Marking

The way leather works is that the grain runs along the backbone of a skin. If you buy whole skins, you will find this grain running in the center of the skin. If buying a side piece of leather, then the grain would be located on the cut edge.

It is important to remember that the lengthwise grain of leather is not the same as with other fabric. For one, it will not stretch as much but it will be stronger. Therefore, be sure you always place the center fronts and backs along the grain. When you lay out your pattern, be sure you work with the finished side of the skin, facing up.

By using masking tape as a way of attaching the pattern pieces, you avoid poking unnecessary holes in the skin. Then with a rotary cutter, you will get a nice, clean edge. Just be sure you do not leave the masking tape on the skin for very long, as it can take off some of the finish.

For the markings, they can be transferred easily. For instance, for the notches and darts, clip very tiny pieces into the seam allowance. Then to mark the hem allowances, darts, pockets, buttonholes, and so on, simply use wax chalk, testing it first on a piece of scrap.

The dart points should be marked on the wrong side of the skin, piercing the pattern with a pin. Be careful that the pin does not go through the leather skin or you will have an unwanted hole. Now, gently lift up the pattern, make your marks with the chalk, and then draw the dart line for stitching with chalk and a ruler.

Notions

If you are working with a soft type of leather, you can use an invisible zipper to create a clean look. Just be sure you use a narrow piece of fusible interfacing as a way of securing the zipper. Rather than baste seams closed, you can tape them together and then just baste the zipper using rubber cement before you do the top stitching.

Another great idea for sewing leather is to use covered buttons. Often, by using an exposed button, the leather can be scratched. Choose a metal toothed button so that as you stretch it over the skin, it will grip and hold. Then to sew the buttons on, you can use dental floss, which will stop the button?s metal shank from cutting through regular thread.

Once you have completed your first sewing leather project, you'll be amazed at how fun and easy it is. The key to success is working with the right type of skin, using the right type of tools, and taking your time so holes and tears are avoided.

*** Hey! Want To Make Something Out Of Leather? *** Discover How To Make Leather Crafts for Fun and Profit Click Here ==> Sewing Leather Crafts

Homemade Lawn Fertilizer: A Great Alternative

You may not be aware, but using homemade lawn fertilizer is an effective alternative to store-bought mixtures.Not only will it save you money, homemade lawn fertilizer helps protect the environment and your family. Let?s take a closer look.

Like Green? It Will Cost You

One thing is for sure, regardless of whether you hire a professional lawn care service or whether you tackle lawn care yourself. The green lawn that most people desire comes with a pretty high cost. Lawn care has become a multi-billion dollar industry and through massive advertising efforts, consumers have been led to believe that using chemical-laden lawn fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides is the only way to keep their lawns green and healthy.

But this is far from the truth. Heavy dependence on these products is costly and a large number people believe such widespread use is beginning to damage the environment. That?s probably why use of homemade lawn fertilizer is becoming popular among those individuals looking to lower costs and better perserve the environment while still gaining the benefits of a lawn that?s the envy of the neighborhood.

What ingredients are used in homemade lawn fertilizer?

The two key ingredients in several homemade lawn fertilizer ?recipes are Ammonia and Epson salts. Epson salts help to aerate the soil and make it less compacted. This also promotes root growth and is better able to absorb important nutrients and water.

There are other beneficial organic ingredients that can be used to make homemade lawn fertilizer such as bone meal, blood meal, seaweed compost and compost ?teas.? Shreded leaves, alfalfa, and compost also lend important nutrients. If the soil is far too acidic, adding ground limestone can aid in bringing it back to proper pH balance.

Along with using homemade lawn fertilizer, it?s a simple task to create safe, non-toxic weed killers. Consider this recipe. Mix two tablespoons of salt and five tablespoons of vinegar into a quart of boiling water and pour the hot mixture directly on weeds. Another one is a combination of milk and water. It acts as an effective natural fungicide. Mix together 1 cup of milk and 9 cups of water and apply with a spray bottle every other week.

These are only a few examples of known methods to make homemade lawn fertilizer and other useful lawn care products. If you need more information on making homemade lawn fertilizer, visit your local library or search the Internet. Get on it now and in no time, you?ll have a yard you can be proud of!

Dennis Frank is an Internet Entrepreneur and Author of many fine websites such as FertilizerSmart Please visit the website for more related articles and information about Home Made Lawn Fertlizer

Orthopedic Dog Beds

Many people consider their dog to be part of their family, and want to ensure his happiness and comfort. As dogs get older, they experience the same problems in their canine bodies as humans do. Arthritis in older dogs, especially males, is quite common, though sometimes hard to detect since your dog can?t complain about the aches and pains he?s experiencing. He?ll slow down when walking and running, he won?t leap for that dog treat as quickly as he used to, he?ll shorten those evening walks and he simply won?t sleep as well on the same bed he?s been using for years.

There are, however, many ways you can help him. The first step is to consult with your veterinarian, who will probably make adjustments to his diet and perhaps even prescribe some medication to be mixed into his food. Your vet may then suggest that you invest a few dollars and buy him one of many orthopedic dog beds to help him sleep better. The more comfort you can give to your dog with this problem, the more he?ll enjoy his declining years.

Orthopedic dog beds are quite common these days, and even if your veterinarian does not know where you can find one in the town or city where you live, he will likely be able to direct you to a number of mail order companies or websites that specialize in them and be able to help you make the best choice.

In general, older dogs, those recuperating from surgery or accidents, or handicapped dogs will get the most comfort from some kind of foam bed, since they are firmer and easier to get into and out of. If your dog likes to ?nest?, (kneading the fabric of his bed before he lies down), a MiracleLoft-filled bed will be the best for him.

Baffle beds, that is, beds designed with polyfil-filled tubes of fabric sewn together, are also an excellent choice, as they tend to be firmer and to provide more support where the dog needs it most. They are designed to create a non-shifting liner, so the shape of the bed does not change over time and the dog can get into a similar position comfortably and easily each and every night. Quilted foam orthopedic dog beds are probably best for dogs with severe arthritis, as the foam is of a medical grade, created for humans with similar problems, and provides the most support for painful, arthritic joints. Take your dog with you if you?re lucky enough to have an orthopedic dog bed supplier in your area and let him decide. After all, it?s his bed now, isn?t it?

Dog Beds Info provides detailed information about small and large dog beds, as well as designer, orthopedic, and discount dog beds. Dog Beds Info is the sister site of Bird Cages Web.

Preservation Of Voice Recorder Sound To Digital

If you have one of those old voice recorders..and it's too late to record the data that you now have. That is, loved ones have gone on and this is all you have..the following may help.

Start with the voice recorder.

First of all, get new batteries. Replace the ones you now have since they are probably about 5 years old. Clean the record and playback head in the cassette recorder with a small amount of alcohol and a cotton swab. The record head is located in the area that opens to put in a cassette. It is the only item in the area that looks like a silver or black box with either a 1 or a 11 looking marks. These marks are actually the record and playback heads.

On the side or front of the cassette player, you will find an input for mic/earphone. You will find it difficult to find an audio output cable to match the RCA phone plug or pin plug input for you digital recorder. If you do, congratulations! You can use this specialty audio cable to plug into you digital recorder.

Otherwise, do this! Build a sound insulation jury-rig. Take a dry wash cloth and surround the front of a standard dynamic mic have placed the cassette speaker against the front of the mic. Carefully wrap masking tape around the entire area about three times. Make sure that the controls, that is, the play, record, rewind, etc. buttons are not wrapped up in the tape. You have to be able to start/stop your cassette.

It is best to be in a very quiet area when recording. The microphone will pick up additional noise, if loud, from the surrounding area.

You are ready to transfer the old, noisy analog tape to the CD.

Plug in the audio cable to your CD. You might want to play a little of the cassette to see if the volume level is satisfactory.

Initial recording. Put in a blank CD. Follow the instructions for your unit for recording. Always start CD before pressing play on the cassette. When finished, follow the instructions to finalize your CD.

Why do this?

Your analog material will just get worser and worser as time passes. The voices of the past will fade. Your efforts will preserve for others what has been.

This is a great project for seniors who are tired of hanging out at fast food malls and for teenages who are tired of hanging out at fact food malls.

Good luck to all of you. Pleasant Memories!

Gene Smith is an E-Zine writer from West Virginia. He has released his second book, a Thriller, Call of the Defiled and is a long time song-writer. He runs his own recording studio and is listed in Who's Who in America, 2005 and Who's Who in Health Care, 2006.

A Mom Grows Up

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. Robert A. Heinlein

Our harsh winter appears to have left us for good-at least until November-and the veritable heat wave we're experiencing now has left us with a supreme case of Spring Fever. Folks are outside gardening, children are scootering, and shoppers are-once again-strolling throughout downtown.

And Little League has officially begun.

We are brand new to Little League, my husband and I. We've got the soccer thing down pat, and the basketball, lacrosse, and tennis thing, too. But none of our kids have ever played baseball. My oldest expressed interest some ten years ago-and actually played a season's worth of T-ball-but having never been one to enjoy sitting on hot bleachers while pregnant-as seemed to be the case every other Spring-we never particularly encouraged the sport. But funny how mellow one becomes with the fourth kid. Call it him needing to discover a sport tackled by no older sibling, call it him trying to carve a unique niche in the family. or call it late fortysomething parents who are letting the fourth kid practically raise himself: we have become Little League parents now whether we like it or not.

And what a glorious celebration of the sport we had this weekend! With temperatures soaring into the 60's, blue skies, and none of the rain we've endured all week, several hundred moms and dads arrived at our high school stadium early on Saturday morning to experience Little League's Opening Ceremonies. Kids met their coaches and team managers on the parking lot ramp to assemble into teams; parents made their way into the stadium, finding shaded bleachers to enjoy quick chats with neighbors and friends, their early morning Starbucks and-if they were lucky-a brief read of one section of The New York Times.

In true New England small-town style, we rose for an invocation led by a local minister, patriotically recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and stood awestruck as a Little League mom sang one of the most magnificent renditions of the National anthem I'd ever heard. All in the name of America's favorite pastime.

Teams paraded onto the field, one by one, with coaches' and managers' names announced via megaphone, kids waving to moms and dads in the stands, and parents cheering wildly for their hometown-business-sponsored-kid's team.

But if the kids were cute at the kick-off, they were utterly adorable at their games. These little boys, unable to run upstairs at bedtime, ran quickly and aggressively from base to base as if their little lives depended on it. These same boys, who couldn't run a comb through their hair in preparation for church on Sundays, had their heads all figured out with perfectly situated caps, proudly worn, as if a badge of American honor. Some of the boys, having played for a couple years, handled the ball with finesse well beyond what one would expect from 8-year-olds. Batters hit home-runs, mid-fielders-with mitts facing skyward-caught well-hit balls, and little boys, barely able to recite their times tables, recited the number of runs by each team perfectly.

It was with middle-aged wisdom that I watched dads shouting out commands to their sons. Thumbs up! or Steal to third! screamed the guys next to me. Still trying to get a baseball head on my shoulders, I would only humiliate myself confessing to you my lack of knowledge of the game. Don't get me wrong: when Victor batted a great ground ball, I screamed like every other mom: Run...run! But as an older-O.K., perhaps the oldest-parent in the stands, I brought not knowledge or experience to the game. That I certainly didn't possess. I brought to this fourth child of mine's game the ability-finally-to sit and revel in his enjoyment in playing a sport. In learning something new. With no preconceived notions of how well he should perform. Or how he stacked up to other kids his own age. Of how coordinated or uncoordinated he was. Or of if he'd ever be able to get into college on this.

I brought to this game the quiet resignation that this was going to be my life for possibly the next ten Springs. But I also brought to those bleachers joy previously encumbered by baby's nursing schedules and toddler's nap schedules. Joy that never fully blossomed with my other kids because I was too busy for it.

This weekend I was able to see it exactly for what it was. And allow it to take hold of me. Exactly how it was supposed to.

I brought to my other kids' sporting events exhaustion, frustration, and apprehension. But for this fourth and youngest, I was able to bring pure unadulterated delight. And that, for me, is growth.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to ?encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.? Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com.

Potty Training Tips For Girls

Parenting Question

?My older daughter turns 4 in a few days and still has very little interest in potty training. Initially, I was waiting for her to lead the way by showing interest. Her sister was born when she was 27 months old, and I didn?t feel that either immediately before or after the birth was a good time for either of us to start potty training. Time dragged on, until I started finding myself getting angry about changing her dirty diapers just after she turned 3. One day, I decided it was time for her to start using the toilet. The first few mornings, she threw a tantrum about wanting a diaper, but then she accepted wearing underpants. I made up a chart and let her put stickers on it for going in the toilet. There was some success, but as time went by, the success rate declined. She became more and more resistant to reminders to go to the toilet.

Earlier this year, our family decided to move house, and I could see this was causing my daughter some stress. After talking to other moms, I decided to remove the potty pressure?so I asked my daughter whether she would like to wear diapers or underpants. For a while, she chose to go back to diapers. After three weeks, she asked to go back to underpants. I tried be neutral about her decisions and to keep my input low-key and supportive. My husband and I praised her verbally when she succeeded. But the same thing happened.

I know my daughter is very bright, strong-willed, and likes to push my buttons. She is also very sensitive and cautious. She is genuinely afraid of sitting on toilets without a child?s potty-seat on top, but we don?t make her do that if she doesn?t want to. We either take her potty-seat with us to friends? houses, or allow her to choose to wear pull-ups when we go out. Occasionally, we have gotten so frustrated that we have coerced her (for example, no lunch until you sit on the potty)?despite knowing that negativity should never be part of the potty training process.

I did some research and found that the only way of eliminating resistance is to eliminate whatever your child is resisting against. So I've tried being completely neutral about the whole thing and to show no negative reaction to 'accidents'. Maybe I haven?t tried long enough, but the accidents just seem to go on and on. Eventually, I can?t start showing disapproval and getting angry again. This week, she is back in diapers because I am so tired of dealing with the wet and dirty clothes (to be honest, the seemingly pointless resistance bugs me much more than the laundry). Obviously, my behavior is enabling hers and together we are creating this cycle, but I don?t know how to change it. Help!?Mom Seeking Potty Training Tips for Girls

Positive Parenting Tip For Potty Training Girls

Dear Mom Seeking Potty Training Tips for Girls:

Phew! I am tired from just reading about your experience, so I can imagine how frustrated you must be! The good news is that potty training tips for girls are essentially no different from potty training tips for boys.

Firstly, good for you for doing some research on resistance. I do believe your daughter is resisting?but not what you think she's resisting. She's actually resisting growing up. You?ve brought a new baby into the home and, to an oldest child who used to be the only child, this can be traumatic. Your daughter is faced with the fact that she is no longer the baby. When this happens (especially when you have two children close in age and of the same sex), the oldest child may:

? Find a way to continue to act like the baby of the family by wearing diapers.

? Look for ways to keep you and your husband busy with her (and not her sister), including the sticker chart and the back-and-forth resistance you are experiencing with potty training. Negative attention is better than none at all.

Effective Potty Training Tips for Girls Who Resist

Consistently use these five effective potty training tips for girls who are resisting and your potty training situation will turn around relatively quickly. Be patient and plan for things to take some time (especially during the first couple of weeks).

1. Have Faith that She WILL Learn ? No matter how resistant your daughter is to potty training, she will learn (everyone does). Potty training is one of the key skills preschoolers need to learn, and they do learn it?be patient and know that some learn slower than others.

2. Stick with Your Decision to Forgo Pull-ups and Diapers ? As you know, accidents (many of them) will happen. But when kids aren?t given the opportunity to experience the natural discomfort that comes with wet clothes?by using pull-ups that soak it all up?this can prolong the time it takes for potty training.

3. Stay Away from External Reward Systems ? You don't need stickers to reward your daughter for her success. The rewards of potty training should be the internal rewards she experiences from feeling good about learning a new skill that comes with growing up. Continue to encourage her when she remembers to go to the washroom.

4. Get Her to Help Clean Up When Accidents Happen ? Continue to not make a big deal out of accidents. Let go of the many external reminders (verbal and visual) all together. The next time she has an accident, have her help you do the washing and thank her for it. Be consistent with this and allow her to learn from the experience of wet pants.

5. Give Your Daughter More Responsibilities Around the House ? The more your daughter can do around the house to help, the more she'll feel good about her position as ?big sister?. Look for ways for her to help you with the baby and ways for her to help you out with the housework. Then thank her! Give her the opportunity to pass on what she learns to her ?little sister? and your situation will improve even more. All this can go far in boosting her sense of contribution, responsibility and her desire to grow up.

I also suggest finding a way to let go of your own anger around the potting training issue. It appears you have a very strong-willed daughter on your hands who is pushing back. The more anger you feel (even when not outwardly expressed), the more she will resist and push back. Unfortunately, parents who get into this type of emotional tug-of-war lose! If you start to see her accidents as quality time you can have together doing laundry, you might feel a shift. I would also highly recommend reading Chapter 7 (?Secret to Solving Sibling Rivalry Once And For All?) of my book When You're About to Go Off the Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids with You, so you can quickly nip any other future sibling-related issues in the bud.

Kelly Nault, MA author of When You?re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don?t Take Your Kids With You inspires moms to put themselves first?for the sake of their children. She shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well behaved, responsible and happy! Sign up for her free online parenting course here.

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