New Year's Resolutions

Although I think it might be easier to follow Angel's resolutions, I've decided to come up with my own and actually try to put them to work.

So, as a way of opening myself up to you and letting it all hang out, I'm going to let you in on my New Year's Resolutions.

I'm doing them a bit different this year. I have three general resolutions. Each resolution is being broken down into specific things. Each month, I will work on one specific for each thing. So, there they are and what I'll be working on in the month of January.

1. I will control my anger better.
January's aspect: yelling less (this is actually for everyday yelling, too--not just anger related)

2. I will lead a healthier lifestyle.
January's aspect: exercise 3 times a week

3. I will be a better housewife.
January's aspect: bake bread each Monday

There you go. I've give you an update at the end of January!

War Paint to Hide the Hurt

These pictures are almost 8 months old. I wanted to post them because they speak so eloquently about what my family has gone through and is still going through.

In the days after my father's death, my cousin, Jerry (the man in the pictures), and my aunt, Ruth Ann (the woman behind the camera), spent a lot of time taking care of the 4 young boys that were grieving so that the adults could race all over town taking care of funeral arrangements, ordering a grave stone, etc. I cannot thank them enough. All I can say is that we were blessed to have them. Thank you so much for being there.

Alex getting painted. Alex is my nephew. My older brother died while Alex's birth mother was still pregnant with him. My parents got custody of him when he was a week old and eventually adopted him.

All painted and ready to play army tag. Xavier and Jerry already have their war wounds! We (the adults) wanted to know if army tag was where Jerry tied the kids up to a tree and left them there for the ants to eat. Turns out, it isn't tag at all, but more of a "crawling through the brush, grass, weeds, fields, tics...." kind of fun.

Dominic didn't want to have his face painted and instead chose to fall and bust his head open on the stairs for a more realistic and lasting "war" wound.

After the war, the soldiers rested. Look closely at those eyes, folks. These soldiers have looked death in the eye--and recently.


This is how my family deals with death. Grief is mixed with fun and humor. We live and laugh and love and grieve. We'll all grieve for years and in between the grieving, there will always be laughter. Slowly, the grief will fade, although it may never completely disappear. I think it is a very nice way to grieve.

My NON-Open House

So, while I was in Oklahoma visiting my family, I found out my brother doesn't read my blog. Now, the reason for this is simple, he doesn't have a computer. I really wasn't expecting him to read my blog. But, now that I know he's not, I can talk about him! Oh, come on, I only talk about people when I know they can "hear" me. Stop being so paranoid, Josh!

Speaking of paranoia, I'm being black-listed. I keep getting asked if I'm on the email loop of the spouses' wives. Well, the answer is no! They keep telling me they'll add me, but they never do. This has been going on since August, people! I know none of you have your own lives or ever forget anything, so.... I must be being black-listed. I even know why! I have not had my open house, yet!

I know, I know. You're probably sitting there thinking, "How could she!" I kept telling one of my hubby's co-workers that I'd have our open house when Gary was home for longer than 2 weeks. Well, Gary's been home since the Saturday before Thanksgiving and I still haven't had it. Gary wanted to have it in December and I said no because I thought people would be too busy. But, then another guy who got here after us had his open house in December. I was planning to have it on January 12, but last night I realized that the 12th is the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. Since this lasts the better part of the day, I realized that I'd have to put it off, again! So, now, I'm shooting for an early February Mardi Gras party! I would have had my party the following Saturday in January (when I actually wanted to have it), but Gary will be gone at a "weather conference."


Speaking of "weather conferences", I was lying there last night thinking about what they do at "weather conferences" and this is what I came up with.


1. They will come to a consensus on what constitutes "weather". (As in, "Our flight will be delayed because of weather in Detroit." Excuse me? Isn't there weather everywhere on Earth?)
2. They will decide what constitutes a "real" tornado siting. I'm betting Gary's doesn't count!

3. They will all take an "IQ" test to make sure they are geeky enough to be there. Those that aren't geeky enough will be sent home.

4. They will have other geeks come in and teach them how to use the Internet.

5. They will swap weather stories. ie. "Man, you remember the blizzard of '05? I was there. I forcasted that, man. I was dead on." "Man, that's nothin'. I was there for the F5 tornado in Oklahoma City. That was some weather man, that was some weather." "Good times, good times."

6. They will laugh about being in warm Biloxi, MS while their wives are in cold places.

7. Finally, they will decide on what warm place to hold their next weather "conference".

Oh, they joys of being a weather geek!

I love you, Gary! You're the best weather geek ever.

Merry Christmas

We're here in Oklahoma, land of the broken trees. I'm working on dial-up, plus Gary has decided that I need to go without blogging for a week because I have a problem. What problem? Just because I obsessively blog doesn't mean that I have a problem. But, I do want to spend as much time with my family as possible, so I'm going off line for a week. So....

Merry Christmas!!!! I hope that you enjoy your week and get to spend lots of time with your family.

Product Reviews

Okay, it is almost time for me to leave for my Christmas vacation. This means that by tonight, I have to be packed, have all my Christmas presents wrapped (too bad I'm not finished making them yet!), have my Christmas cards in the mail (haven't signed them yet) and all the kiddies in bed by a reasonable time (they're actually pretty good about this, usually, so I'm not too worried about it). Then, on Friday, I have to drive across 5 states (okay fine just the tips of Indiana and Illinois and barely into Oklahoma, but all the way across Missouri!) with 3 kids and a husband. Really, it's the husband that will be the problem. The kids will be drugged because they get motion sickness and they all got "new" Game Boy games for themselves for the trip. I get major motion sickness, so I'm either going to have to drive all the way, or take drugs and the drugs knock me out. So, I'll probably drug myself so I can sleep all the way. So, I'm a bit stressed and don't really feel like posting about real issues, so I'm going to do some product reviews.

First: Dawn Foam Dish Soap
I have read some really bad reviews about it and I have to admit that I originally bought it for camping, then ran out of my regular dish soap, so I gave it a try. Here's what I found. If your dishes are REALLY GREASY (like after cooking sausage or bacon), you'll want to give them a really good rinsing before using this. Also, I actually wash them twice. However, otherwise it works great. I have stopped filling the sink with water, although it was really hard to do. I am a routine kinda person and that is part of my routine. However, it is nice to be able to just wash my dish when I've got one instead of running water. Also, my sink plug is not working right and I need a new one that doesn't do a slow drain, so it was easier for me to convert. But, my main selling point is how long this bottle lasted us. I started using it in August and just finished it up this week. For someone who goes through at least a bottle a month, this is really cool. At $3 a bottle, I do end up saving some money. Also, if I can find a coupon, even better.

Second: Life of Fred

This is a math curriculum. It starts with fractions and takes you through calculus--in story format!!!! Now, for my reader who hates math, this is a good thing. I don't think it has enough drill, but I've decided that for now, this will be a partial review. I am going to have him go through the whole book without any other supplement, then have him do his regular math curriculum to see if he learned what he needs to. If so, then we'll stick to Life of Fred forever, otherwise we'll use it as supplement. This is a really funny book, so if you've got a kid that likes humor... Also, if you have a kid that is having trouble figuring out how math fits into the real world, or has trouble with word problems, I feel that this is a good supplement. They cost $19 (including s&h) and we got it in about a week. By the way, the only place I have found to order this book is directly from the publisher's website.

Third: Select Comfort Bed

First, let me say that I have been wanting one of these beds for about 8 years. Then, let me say that I usually sleep really poorly, waking up 6-8 times a night. Then, let me say that my back ALWAYS hurts when I get out of bed. Sometimes, I dread going to bed because of how my back is going to feel the next morning. So....When we moved here and we had nothing to do while we were waiting for our house to be ready, we went to the mall. They had a Select Comfort store there and we tried out the beds and filled out a little card. In October, I got a flier saying that the bed that I had looked at was on clearance because they were redoing the model. Basically, they were using a different fabric on the liner, so they were getting rid of all the beds they had in stock. So, knowing that this was a rare opportunity for me to get this bed at almost 1/2 off, with my husband saying, "Get the bed, already" (I think he was tired of hearing me complain), I ordered my bed.

When it came, my hubby was away at jump school. So, while he was jumping through the clouds, I was sleeping on the clouds. I slept through the night for the first time in probably 4 years. I am waking up feeling rested and my back doesn't hurt when I get up. Finally, after Gary came home and slept on the bed for a few nights, he told me he hated the bed because, "I don't want to get out of it in the morning!" What better endorsement can you get?

The only thing I have to say about this, though is get the attached adjusters. My kids were playing with mine one day and set my bed on 100 (I sleep on 20!) and I had to wake up 2 of them before I could find my cordless adjuster.

A little Chritmas Cheer For You!

To order t-shirts, mugs, etc... visit Bulldoze the ACLU.

Your Vocabulary Score: A

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

Diversity...Take 2

Okay, so what sparked the whole diversity post was the Boy Scout thing. Then, a couple days ago, I saw this news article.

This is an article about a business owner, once again in the "Cradle of Liberty", having to defend his right to tell customers to order in English. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations filed a discrimination complaint against Joe Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks. The commission is complaining about a sign that says "This is America, when ordering, Please speak English." The commission is saying that this is about intimidation. I personally don't agree. While I think he could have been a bit more polite, I don't think he is discriminating or intimidating. Not speaking English is a handicap for immigrants. Keeping these immigrants from learning English by constantly making available their birth language is not helping them at all.

The other day, I was at the hospital with son #2. He had broken his arm and we were sent to the local children's hospital for a more knowledgeable opinion. While waiting to be seen, I noticed a Hispanic woman. She was trying to get help for her baby son who was running a fever. Now, I speak Spanish. I grew up in a city where there were a lot of Hispanics. I had Hispanic friends. They all spoke Spanish at home and English everywhere else. There were no employees at this large hospital in a large city that spoke Spanish. Now, that in itself is odd to me. After all, I just moved from Washington DC where English does NOT seem to be the spoken language. Some people will say that the hospital should provide interpreters. The only problem with this is that this was the ER. For the hospital to have on staff interpreters in every possible language, in every possible dialect, at all hours of the day, 365 days a year..... you see what I mean. This woman was crippled and fearful because she did not speak English. The only English word I heard out of her when I was listening and talking to her was "hot". It made me sad that our country is disabling these people so efficiently.

Then, today, I saw this news story.

The gist of the story is this. In Greenbay, WI, city hall put up a Nativity Scene. This prompted a request for a festivus pole. Now, my husband and I found this a bit humorous because throughout our search for our religious home, Gary's best friend has always called him and wished him a Happy Festivus. But, again, I don't get it. Here's my view. You displaying your beliefs and honoring them and the city honoring them, does not change my beliefs or make me feel oppressed. That is what the "separation" of church and state is about. It is not about taking religion out of government. It is not about suppressing Christians. It is about not forcing people to believe a certain religious belief. (Which is impossible, anyway. They might pretend, but they wouldn't actually believe.) So, if someone wants to put up a Nativity Scene, I can admire the spirit of it for what it is. It is a celebration. It is NOT about non-Christians at all. Rather, it is a celebration of the Christian faith and the birth of Christ. People really need to get over themselves and realize that, for the most part, people don't do things just to offend them. Look outside yourself and realize that America is a huge country full of a huge conglomeration of people. We must respect the need for us all to celebrate. If that means that in a town that has always put up a Nativity Scene, or has a majority Christian population, or one person in the town asks that they put up a Nativity Scene, then they should put it up. It is a celebration! Get it right, people!

Blogging

84%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Now, I have to say that this does not surprise me. I'm totally addicted. I mean, I have 3 blogs. Granted, I only post to 2 of them regularly, but still...




This one was interesting. The reason for it is that I said sex 3 times, death twice (well, I was talking about it!), and torture 1! I thought for sure I said it more than that! Granted, I wouldn't want my kids reading this blog because I DO think that it is too mature for them, but on the other hand, I am REALLY protective of my kiddies!

Confessions of a Christmas Control Freak (my husband's title for this post)

***First, let me say that no matter what I say in the rest of this post, I really do appreciate people putting up Christmas decorations for my children and me to enjoy. So, even if you are guilty of some of these transgressions, please continue to decorate to your heart's content!


Okay, people, I have a confession to make. I spend all December grumbling about peoples' Christmas decorations. Now, I know you're thinking, "why?" So, I'm going to show you my major pet peeves.

I was driving home from Curves, tonight, and I started noticing all of my Christmas light pet peeves. So, I stopped at home, got the camera, and took some pictures to use as examples in my little lesson on the correct way to hang Christmas lights. Please be aware that it was misting and raining during my photo session and some of the pictures have light bouncing off the rain to add to the confusion.


1. Make sure the lights are straight. This is my number 1, all time "favorite" pet peeve.

Now, these people did a pretty good job of getting those lights around the top of their building straight.

These people did not. See what I mean? Totally off-putting. Especially when the crooked is right next to the straight. Ugh!


2. I can't stand blow up Christmas/Halloween/Easter/Thanksgiving thingies. They are almost as tacky as those little light up plastic things (I don't have a picture of those, so just use your imagination).

I have to admit, though, that my children love them.


3. See number 1. If you're going to hang icicle lights, make sure they're straight. Otherwise, they just look trashy. Straight and elegant.




Crooked and trashy. See the bottom row?

4. Colored and white lights. Get it together, people! Pick a theme! I love all white lights. That is my favorite. However, all colored lights look good, too. What drives me bonkers is when the 2 are mixed haphazardly.
These people actually made several fatal errors in their decorating plan. Or, maybe, they just didn't have a plan. I've seen that before, too. Notice the multi-colored lights on the left and the white lights on the right.

5. Lights that look great at night and awful during the day.



I love these lights at night. They have symmetry. They go in perfect little circles around and around. They are great. Of course, they had to go and ruin it by putting the colored with the white (see number 4). Anyway, the main problem is how they look during the day.



And, you're going to have to wait until I can get out during the day to take a picture of them. Anyway, they're these bright white plastic things that are sitting in front of a really nice house. How tacky! Now, if they were copper or some other pretty metal, that would be cool.







Here, is an example of what makes a really nice "tree" decoration.

At night, they look like this. They are very elegant and symmetrical. Plus, during the day, they look like this. Still elegant. Imagine that!

6. Lights that go only halfway up the tree. I don't have a picture of this, so you'll just have to use your imagination. I love lights on trees. I think they look beautiful. Indeed, I even like to look at them only halfway up. But, it just irks my well-ordered brain. Or, maybe it's that my brain is so dis-ordered that it needs major order on the outside.



I actually had a neighbor a few years ago that exemplified all these transgressions--in mass! His yard was overflowing and it was my kids' favorite house on the block. I guess I'm raising rednecks, too! Too bad I don't have any pictures of his yard. I tell you, it was wondrous in it's tackiness. There was no planning. He just took his lights/decorations out there and stuck them wherever they fell. Indeed, I believe that he put the creche on top of the carport. Oh well.

So, if you see on the news that some crazy woman in Kentucky has been arrested for vandalism and the police find out that she was going around straightening people's Christmas lights, you know it was me. And, if I show up in your yard and straighten your lights... Well, they should have been straight in the first place. Maybe I should start a reality show... "Straightening out the world, one strand of lights at a time."

Merry Tossmas

In light of my diversity post, I've decided that you really ought to view this. Besides which, it's really funny. I can't find a way to post it to my blog directly, so please feel free to go view it.

Merry Tossmas

Our Decision to Homeschool

Warning--Long... I've tried to leave out the superfluous stuff, but I do like to go on and on and on.

Our decision to homeschool was a very difficult decision to make. I know that some of you do not like the fact that we have decided this. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I would like to make some things clear about why we have made this decision. I hope that you take the time to read this with an open mind and heart.


First, let me make this clear. Our decision to homeschool was made because it was the best thing for our family. It is not a reflection on anyone else. We examined the pros and cons of homeschooling and decided that the pros far outweighed the cons. I must admit that, as you'll see, most of the cons were in regard to my life, not my children's lives. When I decided to accept the responsibility of having children, I also accepted the fact that while I am raising my children, their needs will be weighted at a higher level than my own needs. Understand this helped me to understand that in weighing the pros and cons of homeschooling that my children's needs in this were weightier than my own. In a perfect world, each child would get the education he needs through a mentor. That mentor would be different for each child based on that child's needs. That mentor might be the child's mother, tutor, teacher (meaning a professional educator), a craftsman, etc. This, however, is not a perfect world. I do not see it ever being a perfect world for the simple reason that people are not perfect. Since this world is run by people, it would be very difficult to make the world perfect. However, I will do whatever I can to make my children's world more perfect for them. Now, on to the pros and cons.

Since many of you are most concerned about the cons, I will address them first.


1. There is that difficulty of forming friendships and learning to integrate in society. For a lot of homeschoolers, this is not a problem. They spend a lot of time in the real world, more in fact than most traditional "schoolers". They go to church and play sports. This is actually a problem for our family. "Why?", you might ask. The reason it is a problem is that I am a bit of an introvert. I prefer to stay home and do things. Meeting people is outside my comfort zone. So, this is a con for me. You see, I am willing to step outside my comfort zone for the sake of my children. Indeed, because of this willingness, I am meeting a lot of other moms that I really like. I am spending time chatting with other adults on a more regular basis than I usually do. The kids are having a lot of fun meeting other kids with similar interests and we've gotten to do some really cool things that we otherwise wouldn't have done.

My children are learning to function in the real world in a way that spending 6-7 hours a day with a group of children their own age would not accomplish. They are learning to deal with children of all ages and indeed to speak to adults in a fashion that will help them later in life. They are seeing the world in all it's glory. It is quite amazing, actually.

2. I don't have time to do some of the things I want to do. Okay, I have to admit that before I decided to homeschool, I was considering getting a part time job to spend some time outside the house. The primary goal in this was to meet new people and make friends. After all, we had just moved here and like I mentioned before, I am a bit of an introvert and making new friends is hard for me. However, I decided that my children must take first priority in my life. I am finding that I have actually been happier this year than I have been in a long time. I am enjoying spending time with the boys in a way that I never did before.

3. The responsibility is all ours. When you send your child to school, you have the limited ability to choose which school to send them to if you can afford private schools. You also have the limited ability to live in the school district you want them to go to school in. However, once you choose, and you send them off, your part is "done". Of course you help with their homework. You make sure that they are behaving in school. You volunteer in the classroom. BUT, your choices have been made. The curriculum choices are the responsibility of the school. Whether or not to teach something is the responsibility of the school. When you homeschool, all that responsibility falls on you. It is an awesome responsibility. Sometimes, it can keep you up at night. Knowing that you are totally responsible for your child's education can be a bit disconcerting. There is a flip side to that that I will discuss in the pros section.


I'm sure there are more cons and I just can't think of them right now. So, I'll move on to the pros.


1. I get to decide what my children learn. (See? The flip side to con #3!) I decide when they are ready to move on. I decide whether they are ready to take sex ed. Gabriel would be taking sex ed in school this year, I'm sure. It seems that 5th grade is when schools like to introduce it. We'll hit on it this year since we are studying the human body, but it'll be in a purely biological way because he's not ready for the emotional side of reproduction, yet. See? I'm able to look at my child and decide what he learns. You see, a parent knows their children best. I am able to discern what they are ready for and move on to it, then.

2. I get to pick the curriculum. Now, I know that just reading that sentence is enough to make some people go over the top. But, after reading this explanation, perhaps you'll understand why I consider this a pro. I have the benefit of only teaching 3 children. I have an intimate knowledge of their progression and the ways they learn. If one curriculum's style is not working, I can change it or change my teaching style for that curriculum to make it work. I also know quite quickly if something is or isn't working. It makes it easier for me as their teacher to be able to have this flexibility. What many people don't understand is the long process that homeschool parents go through to decide on the curriculum for their children. For the most part, the curriculum that I use has been written specifically for homeschool. This means that it is easier for me to teach. Quite frankly, I believe that some of this material could be adapted quite well to the classroom. I also love the curriculum that I am currently using and would recommend it to anyone.

3. I have the flexibility to slow down or speed up with my child's learning. So, while this should be an obvious pro, it might not be to all people. I'll give you an example. Recently, I realized (through review) that, while Gabriel has a strong grasp on the concept and mechanics of long division, it takes him way too long to actually accomplish the work. So, I was able to halt his fractions and take him on an intensive review of long division. Because I was able to sit with him and do every single problem with him, he was able to go from taking 45 minutes to do one problem to taking at the most 5 minutes to do one problem in just 3 days. Then, we were able to pick back up with fractions where we had left off. If Gabriel had been in a regular school setting, I would not have realized this need. His teacher may or may not have realized it. If she had realized it, she may or may not have communicated this need to me. If she had communicated the need to me, I can guarantee you (from past experience) that Gabriel would not have allowed me to help him with it. When Gabriel goes to school, he refuses to believe that I know what I'm talking about. At one point, I even had to prove to him on the calculator that the answer I was getting was right before he would believe me. He's got a bit of the sceptic in him! At any rate, this is why this is such a pro for me. It gives me the ability to speed up his learning. As in the case of his reading, which I have written extensively about and do not feel the need to repeat.

3. My children become very close. Because of constant proximity, there will always be fighting. However, there is a closeness between my children that would not have been there were they separated for 6-7 hours a day. I treasure that closeness and hope that it endures throughout their lives.

4. Educational freedom. My children have the ability to change their course of study within the guidelines I have provided for them. For example, this year, we are studying biology. Throughout the year, we will study animals, the human body, and plant life. Within that framework, they are able to pick what they want to study. This is a major plus when it comes to motivation.

5. Physical Freedom. We have the ability to take our vacations when it is best for our family. We are able to visit the zoo and museums during the week. We can go on vacation when it is cheaper and less crowded. We can also plan our learning around those times. Also, and most importantly in our family, we can schedule school around Gary's work schedule. Gary has been gone a lot over the last 3 years. Since we moved here in May, he's been gone a total of 15 out of 30 weeks. The ability to schedule school breaks around his time off has been a real blessing.

6. Sleep. Okay, this may seem like an easy one to overcome to some people, but it was very difficult for Xavier to get enough sleep when he was going to school. Gabriel was no problem. But, we were sending Xavier to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 every night, and he just wasn't getting enough sleep. Now, he can sleep late and still get his work accomplished. It has really helped him.

7. Eating. Another easy one, right? Well, Xavier needs to eat on a regular schedule. While he was going to a private school, this was not a problem. The teacher called me on the 2nd day of school to find out what she could do to help Xavier acclimate to the classroom. It really was a simple matter of making sure he ate every 2 hours. Unfortunately, this could not happen at our local public school without an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Going through the process of getting an IEP is a bit much, in my opinion, just so that the kid can eat regularly. So, that is another pro for him.

8. No busywork. I don't think this needs elaboration.

9. I am getting to be really close to my children and enjoying it. Now, you would think that I already had this as a stay at home mom. I, however, am not one of those moms that derives enjoyment from just "hanging out" with her kids. I don't really enjoy playing little kid board games and reading the same book over and over again. I can't stand playing computer games with them and video games give me a headache--serious motion sickness there, people! Now, though, I'm learning with them. If you know me at all, you know that my biggest joy in life is learning new things. I'm also re-learning things I already learned and saying, "Oh, wow! I had forgotten that!" I figure that by the time I've taught it to 3 kids, I'll probably have it down, at least most of it. I can't wait for them to be old enough for me to go back to school. No, I have no intention of getting a job. I just love learning. Our local university, has a classical language program that, after beginning Latin with Gabriel, I am dying to go through.

10. Gabriel is happier now than he has been in years. Yes, I know that he'll still go through ups and downs. But the confidence that he is exhibiting is wonderful. It makes everything and every day worthwhile.

Finally, the main reason we homeschool is because we love our children and want what is best for them. After many sleepless nights, much research, and even more discussion (mainly with myself) we decided that homeschooling is what is best for our children.

7 More Things About Me

Okay, so I got tagged back! I guess that April really wants to know all about me. So, here goes.

The rules are in this post. I'll not be tagging anyone else, but feel free to tag yourself!

Here is what I'm going to try to do with this post. I am going to try to think of things about myself that I consider unusual. So, here goes.....

1. I think math is beautiful. I love the logic of it. I love to play with numbers and see the way they move around on the paper and in my head.

2. I love to do my budget. I have it on paper and on the computer. I do it over and over. It is just so much fun. I could really leave it alone. It's not like I actually change it. I just like to play with it.

3. Tax season is my favorite season. I love doing my taxes. And no, it's not just because I get money back. I have actually reduced our income tax "contributions" to an amount that means we don't get much back at the end of the year, but I do love playing with those numbers. My husband would like to note that I start on next year's taxes as soon as I finish the present year's taxes.

4. I have a very even personality. By this I mean that I go to both extremes. I am, at once, both extremely messy and organized. I am an extrovert and an introvert. I use both the right and left sides of my brain. And yes, I am on the extremes of all those things.

5. I am a rabid Rush Limbaugh fan. My children are not allowed to talk during his show. (I'm just joking people, but it's a close run thing.)

6. I have a room in my house that is actually called the library. And we have filled all the shelves. And I have not stopped buying books. So, we are now stacking our books on the shelves to make more room. It will work for a while.

7. And one that is not so unusual, just tends to get "hidden" by the perpetrators. I am a huge fan of historical fiction romance. (Gary says, "It's smut!") Yes, I read that stuff. And you know, the time period that I read the most is the time when England had a Prince Regent (also known as Regency) and you would not believe how easy my history class in college was because of it!

That's it. All my big bad secrets are now laid out on the table.

Diversity-A Different View

So, I had been considering posting my view of "diversity" when I came across this post. First, I have to say that I love Quaffs and Quibbles, especially his views on sports. Now, on to my post....

We have, in recent years, been inundated with political correctness. We are told about the separation of church and state. We are told to be tolerant. We are told that we need diversity. Well let me tell you how I feel about diversity, political correctness, the liberal's idea of separation of church and state, and tolerance.

First--the separation of church and state: I believe that the government has no place telling people what to believe. However, they can and do tell how those beliefs can be followed. For instance, while the government cannot tell you that you can't believe that you should make human sacrifices, they can tell you that you cannot actually make them. However, them main reason for the "separation" is that there not be a state run church. Remember that when America separated from England, The Church of England was extremely powerful and had it's hands in all the pies, or was it the other way around? Perhaps it was that the King used the Church of England as a tool. Either way, if you did not agree with the Church of England (and before it, the Catholic Church) you were in big trouble. The "separation" of church and state is to prevent that from happening here in the US. It is NOT to keep God out of government. By that, I mean that if a politician believes in God and is religious, he should be able to follow his faith and do what he believes is right and good. If you don't agree with him, you can vote against him. In that way, you have control over the religion in politics.

The separation of church and state has nothing to do with public schools. It has, however, been used to take Christianity out of public schools. Now, as a non-Christian, you would think that I would not have a problem with this. Quite frankly, I don't have a huge problem with it. What I do have a problem with is the fact that while Christianity has been taken out, everything else has been put in. While my oldest son was in kindergarten, he learned about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan (that year, they all fell in December). What they did not learn about was Christmas. But, you say, this is America. Everyone knows about Christmas! Not so. Did I mention that 5 of the 19 students were Muslim refugees from Somalia, 4 of whom did not speak English before the beginning of kindergarten? I can almost guarantee you that they were not being taught what Christmas is. But, we were all learning about the other holidays of December, and actually celebrating them. That's not separation of church and state. That's separation of children from Christianity.

Second--tolerance: We are told that it is intolerant to speak ill of anyone. Never mind the fact that the person is evil. Is he black? Is she a woman? Is he/she a homosexual? Is he Hispanic? Stop! Don't say it. Those people are protected! Oh, I'm sorry, I should say "we" are protected. After all, I am a woman--and legally a Native-American. However, I have chosen to forget the fact that I am a woman, and drop the hyphen and just call myself an American. Period. We have hate crimes that have elevated sentences just because they were perpetrated based on hate. I personally plan on hating evil--no matter who's body it is in--whether that person is black, white, red, or green! Oh, yeah, and you know what? I should be able to talk about it without fear of prosecution for intolerance.

Third--diversity: If ever there were a misnomer... I believe that we should accept people based on what the are, not on the color of their skin or their sex. So, on this premise, I'll tell you a little story. When I was in high school, I went to a school where I (as a white girl) was in the minority, not a huge minority, but a minority. My mother was going to school to become an interpreter for deaf people. I was babysitting for deaf people and thought it would be a good idea to learn more sign language. There was a high school in town that offered sign language as a foreign language and also had a deaf immersion program, so I would get to meet deaf teens. I asked for a transfer. I was told no. The reason? I was, point blankly by the principal of my school, told that if I was black the transfer would have been approved. But, the other school was primarily white and our school needed white kids for the numbers. Let me tell you, that did not sit well on this teen's shoulders. I didn't understand. If we were all the same, why were we being judged based on the color of our skin?

The full tilt race toward "diversity" has been unavoidable (meaning I try to move out of the way, but I keep getting run over) in recent years. For instance, the idea that while you don't have to supply your race to a university when applying for admission, it would be good for you if you did. After all, they not only take into account your academic history, but also your ability to provide "diversity" to the school. So, what if I am a black student, adopted by white parents, that grew up in an upper-middle class home and goofed off at school. Will my being "black" help me get in? Or what if I'm a white student, living with my family, in a poor, minority-rich neighborhood. Perhaps my family could barely keep food on the table, but I worked hard and did well in school. Does the fact that I'm white damage my chances of getting in?

Our schools have been damaged by busing. Here is my question. When I move to a neighborhood, I expect my children to go to the school that I chose for them to go to by moving there. What right does the government have to bus my children an hour away for diversity? Especially since busing has not actually improved the quality of the schools. All it has done is provide our children with playmates of a different color.

Let's get real here, people. "Diversity" is not about diversity at all. True diversity means acceptance diverse opinions and peoples. Diversity does not mean making everyone the same or suppressing one opinion in favor of another. While I do not agree with white supremacy, if you say that you want diversity and equal rights, you have to allow people to believe what they will. So long as they don't hurt anyone else, they're within their rights. I'm also within my rights to send my children to school where I want to (or to homeschool as I am doing). Students are within their rights to associate with and make friends with, whomever they please. You cannot force people to true acceptance through "diversity". The only way people will have true acceptance is by seeing people for what they are and if they agree with what that person agrees with, they will accept that person.

Okay, that's it. I know it was long and rambling. I know that I will never be politically correct. However, just like being a lady, it's not high up there on my list. As a matter of fact, it is way below being a lady. And for what it's worth.... Happy Hanukkah!

7 Things About Me

I've been tagged!

I've never been tagged before. So, now I get to participate in that mysterious blogging thing called tagging.

Here are the rules.


Seven Facts You Don't Already Know about Me

Directions:
1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself that you think most people don't know.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here goes....

1. I love to talk about myself--my feelings, my thoughts, my beliefs... you name it, I'll talk about it!
2. Janis Joplin is my favorite singer. (I was so impressed when my new boyfriend had her cd, only to find out years later, that he'd bought it to get inside my head.) It's the wailing!
3. I used to be a... gasp!... Democrat. I was going through a rebellious stage (that lasted 5 years). Yes, after I was "grown"--go figure. The only real reason I was a Democrat was because I thought that making abortion illegal was a dangerous idea-- Thanks "Dirty Dancing". Gosh, how naive and impressionable we are in our youth. This is one reason I am so very strict and picky about what I let my kiddies watch.
4. I didn't really learn to swim, until I had been out of then Navy for 8 years (my hubby says, "until we were in the Air Force.")
5. I can't stand Sponge Bob. I don't like it. I don't let my kids watch it. I just can't stand it.
6. I burp like a trucker. I get it from my mom!
7. I would do anything my dad dared me to do. Money was an extra incentive. I stuck my hand in a rat trap, jumped off a diving board when I could barely swim, and jumped off a swing and broke my arm.


Of course, I forgot that I needed to tag people! So, here goes. I tag....
Sally, April, Stina, Shannon, Cris, Michelle... Yes, I know that's only six... I can count... Oh, well.