Kristina's Soapbox

Shutting Down

2010-04-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

I just want to let you all know that I am shutting down this blog. I just don't have enough to say for one blog, let alone 3. This is my last post, here. I'm going to maintain our family blog. So, if you would like, please join me at Freedom Lovers' Academy.

Learning to Accept No

2010-03-15T01:20:00.000-04:00

I have been discussing an article about a gifted child with my brother-in-law. Now, I'm not sure what my opinion on the article in question is, since I believe that we really need more information about why the professor is denying the kid the class. There may be reasons we're not being told. However, on the surface, I am in support of this kid being able to take the class in question. Of course, my brother-in-law disagrees with me. That's no surprise, we usually disagree. I'm okay with that. If I agreed with everyone on everything, life would be very boring.

However, my brother-in-law said something that I had read in the comments of the article which, on its surface, seems like a good idea. He said that the child needs to learn to take no for an answer. For some reason, this really bugged me. Since I am one of those people who expects immediate obedience from my children, I could not figure out why this bothered me. After all, I expect my children to accept no for an answer. Why shouldn't this kid accept no for an answer?

After mulling this over for a bit, I gave my brain free reign, while I played video games. Suddenly, it hit me. We live in a country where everyone is encouraged to go after what they want, and so long as it is moral, ethical and legal, there is no reason for them to not reach for it. Yet, we're frequently told to accept no, or accept that our instincts are not as good as some other person's.

Where, then, do the achievers come from? Do you think they're taking no for an answer? How many books do you know of that are written specifically for the purpose of getting past no? In fact, there's even a book specifically titled Getting Past No. We spend all of our children's formative years telling them they have to learn to accept no for an answer, then we try to get them to stop accepting no. What a conundrum.

Pro-Choice could be Pro-Life

2010-03-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

We all know that I'm very pro-life. I'm very anti-abortion. The idea of a child's life being snuffed out, just because a woman doesn't want to have a baby, is totally outside my thought process. I just can't get past the idea that we wouldn't let her kill the baby after it was born. Why do we let her kill it before it is born? This is not a fight I fight on a regular basis. I truly believe that legislation is not going to stop abortion. T believe that it will take a change in our culture to be able to stop abortion. It will take women not being so selfish as to be willing to kill a baby so that they don't have to go through a pregnancy.

The other day, a friend said something to me that threw me for a loop. Ever since she said it, I just can't get my mind off it. This particular friend is pro-choice, but a huge fan of babies. (Like I said- culture change has to happen there.) She said, "The ultimate medical breakthrough will be when they can take a baby out of the womb of a woman who doesn't want it, and put it in the womb of a woman who does." Wow. That is so profound to me.

So, here is my proposal. What if even half the money that was spent in the abortion battle, was instead spent on medical research to make that possible? What if all the money that was spent on trying to convince pro-choicers that abortion stops a beating heart (they all know that, people), was instead spent on finding a way to transfer that baby to another woman's womb? What if all the money that was spent lobbying congress and for ads to keep abortion legal were instead spent on medical research? Would this be possible? Could we perhaps find that common ground that seems impossible right now? Could we save those lives and give women who want babies new hope?

I know it seems like a medical impossibility. But, surely we could do it. It would be worth the research.

Environmentalism

2010-02-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

So, now you know that I am anti-environmentalism. What you may not realize is that I'm, well, an environmentalist. That's right. In case you misunderstood the first post, my heartache is not with taking care of the Earth. It is with the rabid fundamentalism that I have a problem. I have a thing about fundamentalism. It takes over your whole existence. It changes who you are. It harms you, and reaches out to pull others into its midst. It is not a good thing.

Taking care of our Earth is our right, our privilege, and our responsibility. It is needed to protect this beautiful planet we call home. It is necessary to be able to walk the land that I love. Yet, I do not believe in man caused global warming. I do believe there can be a happy balance between the earth and mankind. I do believe that we can protect the earth, yet still have happy lives, devoid of erroneous sacrifice. There is always sacrifice in life, and that is not a bad thing. But, it should not come at the hand of someone else. The decision to make a sacrifice should only be made by the person sacrificing. Otherwise, it is not a sacrifice, but a deprivation. The two are not synonymous.

So, in closing, I would say to protect the earth. Hold it dear. Recycle, if you truly believe that is the best option you have. I would say, use less in the first place. But, you see, I don't hold the pulpit. Therefore, my ideas are not the ones followed. I would never think to slough off my responsibilities on someone else by buying 'carbon offsets.' On the other hand, I don't think that carbon is such a bad thing. So, perhaps I am just coming at this from a different perspective. Perhaps when people call me an 'earth mama,' they really see me for who I am, but don't know the frustration I feel with the title. I truly am an 'earth mama.' I truly love the earth, and the land that I walk upon. But, I really cannot get behind the environmentalist movement. It is just too radical.

Anti-Environmentalism

2010-02-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

I've posted before, briefly, my feelings on the environmentalist movement. As far as I am concerned, any form of extremism is a bad thing. I am all about moderation. As you've probably noticed, I do not moderate my opinions after I make up my mind. However, I strongly (hee hee) believe that believe that all things are worth considering, and each decision, and view point, should be well thought out, and then passionately held. However, I also believe that "a man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still." This is where moderation comes in. I have a lot of friends who disagree with me on the subjects of abortion, stay-at-home-moms, homeschooling, war, and yes, even environmentalism. However, I know that hitting them over the head will not make them agree with me, it will just make them mad.

The environmentalist movement tries to hit everyone on the head. They take all comers. There is no moderation. They attempt to blame global warming (now known as climate change- I wonder why?) on humans, without having proof. Then, they wonder why such a large portion of the population doesn't want to reduce their 'carbon footprint', especially since lowering their 'carbon footprint' would probably lower their electric bill, as well. They try to stop undergrowth burning, then wonder why people think they're crazy. (After all, wild fires controlled undergrowth long before man came along.)

Yet, I've always been an 'environmentalist.' Many wouldn't recognize me as such, because my environmentalism is moderated. It goes along with modern life. It is hard to live in a modern house, and not use electricity, especially when that house is so poorly built, energy wise. We have to live within our means, whether they be environmental means, or financial means. I am all about conserving gas, if only to reduce the amount of money we spend. But, I will not stop driving just because of the environment. I prefer to use renewable resources, because I LOVE the land. I hate watching Walmart build new stores, abandoning the old stores, which frequently go unused for years. I like supporting the local economy, because I support small businesses, and I usually get better service. I want to protect my precious land from urban sprawl (at heart I'm a farmer), and I truly believe that many of the people who build houses outside the city don't want to live in the country, they just want better neighborhoods and schools. I think urban renewal is much better for that. However, I don't think it's something that should be regulated by law. I think the grassroots movements in this area is where it's at. I like buying organic, because I truly believe it is better for my family and my land, but I also know I can't always afford to do so. It's a delicate balancing act. I am someone who would prefer to be completely self-sufficient, completely off the grid. Not because I don't want to use electricity, but rather because I want to be able to completely care for my family and myself. Many environmentalists, though, would snub that reason. Never mind the fact that it is just as environmentally healthy as the person who lives off-grid for environmental reasons. There are many things I want to do, but just aren't possible at this time in my life.

And, that my friends, is where the environmentalist movement looses me. You see, as a whole, it is extreme. It believes that everyone should stop all 'earth damaging' things immediately. I just can't see my way to do that. I have to think short and long term. Plus, I have to think logically. I have to realize that some of the things environmentalists call for (see burning above) are absolutely ridiculous. And, hopefully, the environmentalists will begin to see that moderation is called for.

Wow. I know that was really rambling, and probably did not get my point across, at all. It was just a stream of conscience post. I'm sorry. Please, comment so that we can talk, and maybe I can get it out a little better.

Confessions

2010-01-25T14:57:00.003-05:00

The ugly truth, as much as a lover as I am, is that I really have this desire to knock someone out, just once. That is really sad, and it is certainly not a martial arts attitude. But, it's the truth, and above all else, I value honesty.

Waiting and Grief

2010-01-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

I am not waiting. I am not grieving for any one person. So far as I know, I have no friends or family affected (other than being sent there to help in rescue efforts) by the earthquake in Haiti. However, today I read this.

Relatives of Americans Missing in Haiti Angry

It made me extremely sad. I know that they just want to know. The waiting to know is almost unbearable. But, have they not seen the utter devastation? Do they not realize that it may take months, even years, to find everyone that was covered in the rubble? Do they not realize that their loved ones may never be found? Do they not realize that Haiti is a third world country and does not have the access to the things we do, in situations like this? Do they not remember how long it took to identify bodies after 9/11, and that not all the people were found? Do they not realize that rescue crews are doing everything they can to help everyone? I know that grief can make you crazy, but expecting a miracle just because miracles happen is too much. Miracles don't happen because we're the US. Our government is not the cause of miracles. That's a huge misconception.

I am so sorry for all the loss of lives, homes, and families in Haiti. I wish that I was still nursing so that I could donate breastmilk for the babies. I wish that they needed Gary. If Gary went down there, I would feel like I was doing something. As it is, I just have to keep living my life.

Edit: And, this is what I'm talking about. There is no way, with all the mass graves, that everyone will be identified. And, truly, I feel for these families. My brother drowned 10 1/2 years ago. He was identified by tattoos and a steel plate in his hand. None of his friends or family ever saw him. Sometimes, it is hard for me to believe he is really dead, even though I logically know that he is. It will be even harder for these families if their loved ones are never found. But, it's not the government's fault. It just is.

Setting Boundaries

2010-01-20T21:49:00.000-05:00

As adults, we have to set boundaries for all the youngsters around us. I'm not just talking about how late they can stay out, and what movies they can watch. I'm talking about the boundaries of their relationships with us. We especially need to be aware of the need to set boundaries when we are dealing with teens of the opposite sex.

We see it much more often in the news than we should, men and women having sex with teenagers. When men have sex with teenagers, it is often considered child abuse. When women do it, it is not nearly as frowned upon, except by mothers of boys.

But, sometimes, this is not just a case of sex. Sometimes (often, it seems, in the case of the women), these things start out as friendship. Slowly, the friendship develops, until eventually, the friends find themselves much more than friends.

Women need to be aware of their friendships with teenage boys. They need to realize that those boys are not old enough to set those boundaries. It is the woman's responsibility. When a friendship starts to become too intimate, the woman (or man) needs to take a few steps back and throw ups some walls. It is after a relationship becomes intimate emotionally, that it becomes intimate physically.

I just want to make it clear that when a teenager tells you that you're a MILF, your relationship has become too intimate. Now, I'm not saying that you're not always someone's MILF, but when your relationship is close enough that they are willing to tell you so, you need to back off. That probably means that you missed a few warning signs that the levies were breaking. You need to throw up some walls, and dam up the holes, before the hurricane hits.

Our Stance on Terrorism

2010-01-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

It has been obvious over the last 12 months that our stance on terrorism had taken a drastic turn. The current administration is attempting to try terrorists in civilian courts. I'm just waiting for one of them to get off on a technicality. If you really believe this won't happen, you're fooling yourself.

Now, we've told Israel that if they don't make deals with terrorists, they're out in the cold. *sigh* I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason, I can't help it.

I Disagree

2010-01-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

Maine Woman Who Killed Husband Won't Go to Prison

I really don't have a problem with this woman killing her husband. After all, I wouldn't have a problem with a Muslim terrorist's wife killing him, and I would kill my husband if he ever abused our children. Quite frankly, if my husband was looking at child pornography, I would report him to police. On the other hand, I know that many women who are abused feel that they have no way to get out of those relationships. So many women are killed, even after they 'escape' an abusive relationship, that I can understand that feeling.

However, there are a few quotes that I disagree with.

Assistant Attorney General Leane Zania recommended that Cummings spend a year behind bars. Although Cummings was clearly abused by her husband, a message must be sent that "this kind of 'self-help' is severely anti-social behavior and that it will be punished accordingly," Zania wrote.

I don't consider killing an abusive, deranged husband "severely anti-social behavior." In fact, I consider it a a public service.

And, I consider this quote,

Outside of the courthouse, Amber Cummings thanked people in the community for their support. Her husband was mentally ill, she said, and she didn't want people to be angry with him.

proof that Ms. Cummings is mentally ill, probably due to the abuse. Anyone that doesn't want other people to be angry that she was abused, needs the help of a good therapist.

Sometimes, I Swear

2010-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I swear long and hard. After all, I used to be a sailor. I have the credentials for it. Usually, it is after reading a comment like this:

....the determination has been made that right now any additional transfers to Yemen is not a good idea."

No freakin' way! What, you're trying to tell me that a country that has hosted Al Qaeda (willingly or unwillingly) since BEFORE 2000 is not a good place to send Gitmo ~~terrorists~~ detainees? Whatever gave them that idea?

Then, there's the "I think the important thing to recognize here is that once this incident occurred, everything happened that should have," she said on ABC's "This Week." "We trained for this. We planned for this."

Because we all want to have to rely on the willingness of passengers/civilians to die, in order keep other people from dying. Swearing happened when I heard that quote. Yes, of course the last resort is the other passengers. But, in my opinion, if this is what they've trained for, I definitely need to become a prepper, because our country just isn't safe.

Winter Warmth?

2010-01-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

Oh winter sun,

You're so deceiving.

You look so warm,

But you're really freezing.

Yeah, Right

2009-12-23T19:18:00.002-05:00

Carter Says Sorry to Jews, Apology Not Linked to Grandson's Political Ambitions

Global Warming is Making it Snow in Texas

2009-12-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who recently came home for Christmas. She is doing an internship in Houston. Her comment? "It snowed in Houston before it did here."

Sigh. It's because of global warming.

New Documentary Challenges Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth' on Global Warming

Too bad other people can't figure out that global warming isn't happening. I really just think that global warming was Gaia's way of PMSing. I mean, her 'months' are much longer than a human woman's.

Case of Mistaken Identity

2009-12-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

Today, in an effort to see what Facebook makes available for searching on Google, I googled myself. It sounds kind of dirty, doesn't it? At any rate, I used my maiden and married last name, since they are both listed on Facebook.

My maiden name is NOT common. So, when a website popped up with my sister's maiden name as a Eucharist minister, it made me check it out. First, we are not Catholic. Second, my sister doesn't go by her maiden name. I found it funny that there was a Sally B_____ in Green Bay. Who knew?

This Could Save My Blog

2009-12-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

People Type With Just Thoughts

I was thinking, just this morning, that if I could only transmit all the blogs I write while showering directly into my computer, I would have a blog that never ended.

Sooo Stressed

2009-11-18T21:13:00.001-05:00

I really need a break. I'm seriously considering checking myself into a mental hospital. That would get me some time off on the government's dime. I could also join the Guard and take a deployment. That would get me some time away, and make the family money. Of course, that would bring more stress in a different way. OR, I could go on vacation!

I think that what I'm actually GOING to do is put my kiddos on a strict schedule, and spend less time online. I think this should suffice for all of us. We'll see. Perhaps enforced family time will make us all feel better.

Here's the plan: The boys will be completely unplugged. Gary and I will be unplugged until they are in bed, then we will have 30 minutes a day to be online. We will do more things together, whether it be playing with Legos or raking leaves. Hopefully, this constant contact will improve our children's attitudes. The rudeness and disrespect has got to go. So, if I'm not blogging as much, this is why.

The Pain is Gone

2009-11-16T23:08:00.002-05:00

I had a filling replaced this morning, at 8, which is way too early! The dentist must have hit a nerve. I was in pain all day. I just realized the pain is gone. Happy dance. Dadadada!

Politics, Sex, and Religion

2009-11-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

Those are the three things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table, right? Money is high on the list, as well. But, really, if you don't talk about those things, what are you going to talk about? Even the weather is political, these days.

I hang out with a group of women that I love. Our political beliefs range from extremely conservative to extremely liberal. Our religions come in many forms. We have Hindus, Christians, Jews, atheists, and more. We have environmentalists and environmental friendlies. We have a lot that we don't have in common. But, we all get along.

I think there are a few reasons for this. One is that we all either homeschool, or have homeschooled in the past. That allows for common ground. The second is that almost all of us have had home births, and those who didn't, wish they had. Most of us are at least aware of all the stuff that our children eat. (Really, you just should not eat anything that has an ingredient list of more than 20 things, especially if you don't know what 10 of them are.) But, mostly, we all just accept the fact that we're all different.

It is very difficult to find a person with whom you agree 100% of the time. In fact, I frequently disagree with myself. When you're deciding whether or not you want to be friends with someone, you have to decide whether they are worth your while. Is there something about them that is a deal breaker? If not, can you ignore the differences? Is it worth it? If it's worth it, stop nitpicking, and start having a good time. You'll be much happier.

And, if politics, sex, or religion (or money) comes up, tread carefully. If you get your toes stepped on, forgive the other person. They didn't mean it. We all have our opinions. We love them, and want to keep them. But, they're not something to bludgeon people with. After all, friendship is not talk radio.

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2009-11-15T09:17:00.000-05:00

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My Name is Kristina

2009-11-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

"Hi, Kristina."

"It's been two days since I last blogged."

This is the conversation Gary had with himself after I mentioned that I had not blogged in two days. His little conversation with himself reminded me of this comic that I have cut out and taped to my computer desk. Enjoy.

Air Conditioner Parts

2009-11-14T08:25:00.000-05:00

When we bought our house, we got an appliance warranty as part of our deal with the previous owners. It came in handy 6 months later, when our air conditioner/heater broke. One of the things that needed to be replaced was the ac compressor. The problem was that there were a lot of hidden costs. Sure, the unit itself was covered by the warranty, and that saved us a lot of money. But, we had to pay for numerous other little things because of the contract between the warranty company and the repair company, things like disposal fees, license fees (that were actually higher than what the city charged for those licenses), and freon recovery fees, to name a few. We ended up spending close to a thousand dollars. It would have cost us more to replace the unit ourselves, or we would have dropped the whole thing.

However, if you're able to repair your air conditioner, there is a website called DiscountACParts.com that might be able to help you do so, inexpensively. All orders come with free shipping. I strongly recommend investigating all options when it comes to A/C repair.

This post sponsored by DiscountACParts.

Ditherer in Chief

2009-11-12T11:30:00.000-05:00

After months of deliberating, President Obama opted not to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

What!!!!!!!!! I swear to you, even considering how close Gary is to retirement, if he were up for reenlistment right now, I would tell him to get out. It is not safe to be in the military under this man's idea of leadership.

Veterans' Day

2009-11-10T22:59:00.000-05:00

Everything that can be said has been said before. So, today, I just want to say, "Thank you." Thank you to the soldiers, thank you to the spouses, thank you to the children. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you.

Laying it all on the Line

2009-11-10T19:03:00.002-05:00

There have been several times recently when I have been unable to ignore the news. Gary and I try to avoid the news, as much as possible. There is just too much in the news with the potential to hurt us. We read about soldiers dying much too often for our peace of mind. Since we know that we'll hear about these things, we attempt to ignore the news. The news frequently focuses on these. Or, we read about bills running through Congress that we cannot stop. OUR Congressmen are fighting, so there's not much we can do. We've attended rallies. We've written letters. We've been ignored. So, we attempt to keep it from effecting our moods on a daily basis by not reading the news.

However, sometimes something happens that is impossible to ignore, like the terrorist at Ft Hood. When things of this nature happen, we pay attention. And, we notice that Obama is not being the Commander in Chief that we need. We notice that he is not protecting the troops already in Afghanastan by ensuring they have the support they need. We notice that the only service he gives the troops is lip service. And we impotently fume. We notice that he takes every opportunity for a photo op. President Bush privately spoke to many families of killed soldiers, but rarely was this publicized. Every time Obama talks to someone in the military or related to the military, there is press on site to record his words and photograph his actions. Each day that goes by, we loose more and more respect for Obama. Finally, we have no respect for him.

You'll notice I've stopped referring to him as President Obama. I will not disrespect his office by calling him names. But, I no longer have any respect for the man.

Here is an article that expresses so well our thoughts. Obama Doesn't "Get" the Military He Commands

H/T TRO

Moving Happens

2009-11-05T19:55:00.004-05:00

I am on a Yahoo list that discusses moving frequently, because it is a military group, and we all know what the military does- it moves. Recently, we've been talking about 'funny' stories. You know, the ones involving kid happenings right before or during moves.

I don't have any of those stories, but I have my share of stories. After all, in twelve years of marriage, we've moved ten times. We have lived in this house longer than we've ever lived anywhere else- 2 ½ years. When we reach our 3 year mark, it will mark the longest we've ever lived in one state. And, it looks like we're here to stay. But, oh, the stories I could tell you...

Our first move, we didn't have much. The movers insisted on unpacking the boxes that had been packed in Greece. I, being an ignorant 20-year-old, let them. They unpacked those boxes and piled everything in the middle of the living room floor. That was not the best way for a brand new mom to move into her first house.

Our second move consisted of moving from one rental to another. That one was fun. We did it in the middle of a hurricane. Isn't that fun?

Our third move was wonderful. We bought a townhouse and, since it was only a couple miles from our rent house, we slowly moved into it, over the course of a month.

Our fourth move was organized. I took my time packing, writing down every single thing I packed into the boxes. It definitely made unpacking easier. And, mystified all the guys helping us load the truck. I also got my very pregnant self up in the back of that moving truck and organized it so that everything would fit. You should have seen the way that truck swayed as my father-in-law drove it down the road. Scary!

Our fifth, sixth, and seventh moves are unremarkable, other than to mention that Gary was deployed for the fifth and seventh moves, and I was pregnant for the seventh move. The eighth is hardly worth mentioning, except that it happened one week after Dominic was born, and I was packing boxes within a day of him being born. Plus, Gary, Gabriel and Gary's dad went golfing after the move, and Gabriel hit Gary in the chin with a club, giving Gary another manly scar.

The ninth move was remarkable for three reasons. We moved from Cape Cod, MA to Washington, DC. Gary had to leave before we were ready to move. So, I conceded to allow other people to move us. I could give you a lot of http://www.melrosemoving.com/moving_tips.html”>moving advice about watching movers, making sure you empty the trash can before they get there so that they don't pack the trash, etc, but my movers were outstanding. It's a good thing, because I really don't like having other people move me. I'm too picky. The third, and most significant reason it was remarkable is that we had a blizzard shortly before we moved. That's right folks. We had the worst storm Cape Cod had seen in 25 years, less than three weeks before we moved. That meant that we had to dig our way out to our storage shed through four feet of snow. It meant that we had to dig up our swingset. Good times.

Our tenth, and last, move was a good and bad one. We decided to pack ourselves, and load the goods onto a truck that someone else would drive. I think this was the best solution, so far. We most of the goods all loaded, when my mom called to tell me that they weren't going to let my dad leave the hospital. I promptly dropped everything and got online to get airplane tickets for the boys and I to fly to Oklahoma. That night, while I cried, Gary and I finished loading the truck. We got to the hotel at about 10. The next morning, Gary put the boys and me on a plane bound for Oklahoma. We got there on Saturday morning, and my dad died early Sunday morning. Gary got there on Tuesday, after driving our partial-dity to Kentucky. We called the truck company and asked that they store our goods for a few weeks. We called our realtor and asked that our closing date get pushed back. Everyone bent over backward to help us. When we arrived two weeks later, we closed on our house and moved in. The truck company delivered our goods the next day. It was a trying time, but if we had been driving that moving truck ourselves, it would have been much, much worse.

So, for the record, I would say that we have had pretty good moving stories. We have lost a few things, but that is normal, and none of them have been irreplaceable family heirlooms. We're not done moving. Hopefully, our next move will be to a homestead. Then, we will probably be done. Too bad. My grandmother always said, “Five moves equals a burnout. You should move every five years.” I think I've got some of her wandering blood coursing through me.

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All I Want For Christmas

2009-11-04T21:34:00.001-05:00

There are so MANY things I want for Christmas. I always have a big list, but rarely get anything off of it. Why IS that? I would totally get someone something off their list if they would JUST PROVIDE me with one! In the interest of making sure that everyone gets my list, I'm posting it here, on the world wide web. So, if you truly love me and want to reward me for all the hard work I do to keep you entertained, have at the list. Or, if you love someone else, and think they would like to get you something off my list would like to get them something off my list, have at it. To make it easier for you to decide what to get me, I've arranged things by price. You should start at the bottom and work your way up. Enjoy. Obviously, I will take anything you manage to get used or free. That just makes it all the better, especially the cow.

Out of fairness and in the interest of full disclosure, I will say, here and now, that I copied some of this list from Safely Gathered In, a blog about preparedness that I love.

Under $20
Everything knitting:
needle protectors
wooden needles- all sizes
wooden round needles- don't need size 4 or 6
wooden double pointed needles- don't need size 7
stitch counters
place markers
etc.
Fuel for our camp stove or grill
water storage containers
spices and herbs (I prefer seeds or plants, since I want to grow some this year)
seeds for the garden
bottles/jars for canning

$20 - 50
Water purifiers
Dutch oven
Grow lights (shop lights would work)

$50-100
Ready-made 72-hour kits
55-gallon drum for water storage
Chicken coop
Chicks (gift certificate for chicks!)
Cast iron pots and pans

$100-200
Rotating shelf systems (small)
Pressure cooker (large)

$200+
Rotating shelf systems (small to large)
Pressure cooker (huge)

$500+
Generators (for information on these, read a Popular Mechanics article here)
Milk cow (If someone actually gets me this, I will be their slave for a day or two.)

Mother Earth News

2009-11-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

is definitely a liberal rag. A couple days ago, I checked a few Mother Earth News magazines out from the library, fully cognizant of the fact that they are a liberal magazine with an agenda. After all, I used to read the magazine regularly when I was a liberal 'hippie' mama. But, they had a couple articles about chickens that I wanted to read. So, I checked them out.

The first one that I picked up was the December 2008/January 2009 issue. The editorial was called "Three Mountains We Must Climb." This editorial mentions three things they think are crucial in making a sustainable world. The second mountain they mention is (and this is the one that got me) population control. "We'll have to negotiate some difficult routes through political conflicts to reach the top of this mountain." Forget the first and third mountains, conservation and economic reform, respectively. Just think about that second mountain for a few minutes. The fact that a magazine that is so widely read would actually print that is amazing to me.

Next up, What Happened to Global Warming, which blames the severe weather, colder temperatures, and more snow on global warming. This is actually a joke of ours in this household. Anytime it is cold, we blame global warming. In fact, we pretty much blame everything on global warming. Too bad they're calling it climate change now, trying to trick us into supporting their legislation, control and price hikes, even though we can all see that global warming isn't happening.

But what amused me, and quite frankly threw me into a tail spin of disbelief was a letter to the magazine. Here is what it said,

I read the letter in the October/November 2008 "Dear MOTHER" accusing you of having some sort of "liberal-enviro" agenda. I can't recall reading anything in your magazine that didn't refer to gardening, homesteading and country living, etc., so I never considered you a political publication. But if advocating for the protection of the environment, our planet and its inhabitants is "liberal," then I'm proud to be in that category and you can count me among your loyal readers...

Wow! Either that person only reads the recipes and farming advice, or they are so drunk on the Kool-Aid that they can't figure out what a liberal-enviro agenda is. Geez-Louise, people! Wake up! Of course, Mother Earth News has some great information. That information is available elsewhere, though, without all the liberal, political crud thrown in.

Giftedness or In Which My thoughts Drive Me Nuts

2009-10-29T23:35:00.001-04:00

I recently took up knitting. A friend was amazed at how quickly I picked it up. She was also wondering why I do it all the time. I do it while I'm teaching my children. I take it anywhere I will have to stand in line. I mostly use it at Taekwondo, during the boys' classes. Yes, I talk to other parents, but I have to keep my hands busy.

My response to her was, "I find that if I keep my hands busy, it slows my mind down."

She just looked at me.

My brain is like a giant orchestra that mostly plays in harmony. But, when it is warming up and tuning, look out. That is neither pretty, nor restful. Instead, it is like nails on a chalkboard, vomiting, microphone feedback, and babies crying, all echoing around in my head.

Sometimes, my brain just needs to rest. Enter knitting, sewing, tapping, jiggling, dancing, kicking, or anything else that enables my brain to feed off some of the extra energy it harbors into a harmless conduit, allowing me to concentrate more fully. My oldest son listens to his iPod if he is having trouble focusing. (He once told me he was having trouble concentrating because of the window in the room he was in. I asked if he was looking out of it. He responded, "No, I'm looking into it. It's the window to my imagination." Sorry, son, it's kind of hard to get away from that one!) Dominic sings. He sings all the time. He has finally managed to stop singing during Taekwondo, but it was touch and go for a while. Xavier hyper focuses. The house could burn down around the kid when he's focused on something. When he's done, he bounces off the walls - literally.

Every gifted person needs an out from their brain. We all need the ability to shut it down periodically. This post talks more about it. It is a wonderful post that actually says something, rather than rambling aimlessly about. Sadly, it does not mention any new ideas for me. So, I'll just keep dancing on chairs at Taekwondo tournaments to get adrenaline out. Hopefully, I won't break anything.

Food Storage and Preparedness

2009-10-22T14:22:00.001-04:00

I am passionate about self-sufficiency and preparedness. Unfortunately, my passion has not translated well into being self-sufficient and prepared. Over the past 12 years, I have gone from learning about being self-sufficient, to being completely non self-sufficient, and am now back on the bandwagon. We need to be prepared when the aliens come, people!

At any rate, over the past year, I've been doing a lot of research on being self-sufficient and prepared for emergencies. One of the easiest things to do for preparedness is food storage. I follow several blogs that discuss food storage, and have recently started my own food storage efforts.

Well, today, I saw that the Preparedness Pantry was giving away a $10 gift card for trying out and blogging about their Food Storage Analyzer. I thought that was worth checking out. So, I went to their Food Storage Analyzer and tried it out. Wow! I am woefully unprepared. Fortunately, I have already started the process of getting prepared, but I've got a long way to go!

One of the nice things about the Analyzer is the ability to purchase things directly from the Analyzer. If you are so inclined, you could make some of your initial purchases right then and there.

I have enough wheat to last my family for 20 days. Other than that, we're pretty much done in. So, we could live off flour tortillas for a while, if all else failed. But, I definitely want to get off my duff and get going on the food storage. I would like to have some canned meat, beans, fruits, and vegetables. I would also like to have some dry milk and rice. Gary is going to pick up the rice next time he makes it to Ft Knox, but in the meantime, I'll have to see what I can do about some of the other stuff.

If you would like to try out the Analyzer, head on over. If you would like to get a free $10 gift card, you have that opportunity, as well. This promotion ends October 28th, but the Analyzer will be available after that.

ACU Stockings

2009-10-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a Christmas gift for the camouflage lover or soldier (my 6 year old would love these), Michelle has some ACU stockings for sale. Take a look. They would be great to ship to your deployed sweetheart.

He's Obviously Not a Baptist

2009-10-21T23:28:00.000-04:00

I've got nothing against Baptists, but this bear is obviously not one. Otherwise, he would not have made such a blatant attempt on the alcohol.

Chores I Hate

2009-10-20T17:42:00.004-04:00

There are a lot of chores I enjoy. I enjoy hanging clothes out on the line. I enjoy washing dishes. I really enjoy baking. But, I absolutely hate vacuuming. Now, I must admit that the main reason I dislike it so much is because it is noisy and there is nothing for my brain to do while I vacuum. So, I could listen to my iPod. However, a friend has a robotic vacuum. I've always been curious about them, so I asked her how well it works. She said that it works great, and they now want a robotic lawn mower. First, I need a robotic vacuum.

On the one hand, I have servants children who can vacuum. On the other hand, if I had a robotic vacuum, I could be sure that the vacuuming would get done regularly.

This is a definite Christmas gift idea. If anyone wants to get me a robotic vacuum, I would be deeply appreciative!

This post sponsored by Shop.com, who also has a Wine of the month club which, in the absence of a robotic vacuum, would at least keep me 'happy' while I vacuum!

She CAN'T Take Your Man

2009-10-20T12:07:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of wandering around our local flea market. I've lived 5 miles from it for 2 1/2 years and never stepped through the doors. I can definitely say that I'll be spending many hours there in the future.

While I was there, I had the mixed pleasure of listening to old country music. On the one hand, I definitely understand how country music got a bad name. On the other hand, it gave me blogging material.

Here's the deal, ladies. Another woman does not have the ability to take your man. There are only two options that lead to losing your man. One: Your man is a jerk and leaves you or cheats on you. Two: You are a witch and drive your good man away.

Those are the two options for losing a man. Quite frankly, if your man is a jerk (as I would assume is the case in this song), you don't want to keep him. And, if your man is a good man, and you're a good wife, there's no way some hussy is going to steal him from you. I don't care how good she looks.

I've Got Bigger Fish to Fry

2009-10-15T23:58:00.000-04:00

And so do my children.

Last week, there was a problem with some children I know. Child A had thrown Child B's necklace and broken it. This was, obviously, not a good thing to do. But, Child B's mother made the comment, "What do I tell my child? How do I explain to my child why this happened?"

Recently, I've also heard this question in regard to nursing your child in public. "How do I explain what you're doing to my child? I don't want to have to answer that question."

These questions make me want to scream. I just didn't know why. I was telling Gary about it, and my reaction to it, when he said, "And I want to know how to tell a soldier's kid that his dad isn't coming home from the war."

Yup, he hit it on the head. I've got more important things to worry about. I've got friends who are deployed. I have friends who's spouses are deployed. My children have been to more funerals (for non-soldiers) in their short lifetimes than I had been to before I was 21. My children have more important things to worry about than a necklace breaking.

I have often wondered whether my children have too many things. After all, they do not seem to get near as upset if something breaks as I think they should. But, they do get extremely upset if they hear about someone suffering, someone dying, someone being abused, someone hungry... You get the picture. I have come to the conclusion that it is not lack of concern, rather it is concern about the right things.

My children have bigger fish to fry. And for all they want more and more toys, more and more stuff, they are happy with playing with boxes and yarn. They are more than willing to go through their toys to donate to those less fortunate. They gladly spend time culling and giving. They are lovers. They make me proud.

Today, if your child gets a toy broken by another child, explain to them that these things happen. Sometimes the other child just didn't understand that the toy was fragile. Sometimes the other child was mean. Sometimes the other child was just too young to be handling the necklace. Explain that life will go on. Then, introduce your child to someone who doesn't have as much as he does. Because, chances are, if you live in America, there is always someone somewhere who does not have as much as you do, no matter how poor you are. We are a rich country, where even our poor thrive. Teach your child to stop thinking about himself all the time.

While you're at it, get over the small stuff. Look around you. Understand that there is a lot more going on. Get on with your life and be thankful for what you don't have to tell your children.

Scouts not so smart or schools idiotic?

2009-10-14T14:30:00.001-04:00

I have to say that I've heard a lot of news over the past few years about Boy Scouts being suspended from school for carrying knives to school. Now, first of all, every person in the United States knows that it is illegal to have knives on school grounds. I mean, there was a girl suspended from school for having fingernail clippers with the attached fingernail file, over 10 years ago!

Having said that, I think what these schools are doing is idiotic.
Rough Road Ahead for New York Eagle Scout as School District Won't Budge on Pocketknife Suspension

This kid is being punished for being prepared. Go figure. The government spends millions of dollars producing public service announcements on being prepared for emergencies. They warn us to have water, blankets, food, etc prepared for emergencies. Most adults ignore these suggestions. Then, when a young man takes these concepts to heart, he gets suspended from school. It could, in fact, have a permanent effect on his future. West Point, where he wants to attend college, has said it may well have an effect on his application, if left on his record.

And what can a school do? You don't want students bring weapons to school, but you don't want to let idiocy reign, either.

Then, we had a 6 year old Cub Scout get suspended, and face 45 days in a reform school, for bringing a camp utensil to school to show off. I mean, reform school? For accidentally breaking the rules????? How does that even begin to make sense?

Student Who Brought Camping Utensil to School Has Suspension Lifted

School board member John Mackenzie told The Associated Press before the meeting that he was surprised school officials did not use common sense and disregard the policy in Zachary's case. The need for common sense to prevail over the letter of the law was a recurring theme among the boy's supporters and school safety experts.

"When that common sense is missing, it sends a message of inconsistency to students, which actually creates a less safe environment," said Kenneth S. Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm. "People have to understand that assessing on a case-by-case basis doesn't automatically equate to being soft or unsafe."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Common sense has gone a wandering, and apparently, we're not even trying to call it home.

Many Varied Topics

2009-10-07T23:53:00.001-04:00

I have not been blogging consistently, because my life seems to have taken off without me. I spend more time than any sane person would driving back and forth to Tae Kwon Do, sitting, watching, and kicking (that last one makes it all worth while!). I've been organizing an art appreciation unit for our co-op. We've been going to Lego League for Dominic and Xavier. And, yesterday, we started school. Can I just say that I was very happy as a STAY AT HOME MOM? All this running around wears me out.

At any rate, I have all these blog topics bouncing around in my head. They're also saved to my bookmarks bar, which makes for a messy bar. My brain can't handle all that. So, I'm going to start the clearance right now. There are a few topics that require longer posts, but this one will cover at least a few of them, and get them off my bar. Then, maybe, I can have a drink, without running into some blog post idea.

In Valley Falls, NY, they have decided to reinstate the idea of public shaming, although you'll notice that the state police have "no record of the event." hee hee This happened in Virginia recently, when a man stood outside a busy mall with the sign, "I'm a cheater." Now, personally, I believe that this kid was given, perhaps, the very best punishment he could have been given. We do not allow for pillory in most laws as a punishment, but I bet it would deter a lot of people from repeat crimes, if they knew that everyone was going to know exactly what they did. Bring on the pillories and rotten tomatoes.

EPA Moves to Regulate Smokestack Greenhouse Gases:

The EPA's announcement came hours after Senate Democrats unveiled legislation that would set limits on the amount of greenhouse gases from large industrial sources. The Senate bill, unlike the House-passed version, preserves the EPA's authority to regulate under the Clean Air Act.

Environmentalists said Wednesday the two efforts go hand-in-hand.
"You can't have one without the other if we're going to be successful in moving America to clean energy," said Emily Figdor, director of the global warming program at Environment America, an advocacy group.

I guess that Foxnews didn't get the memo. It's no longer 'global warming', it's 'climate change'. How can they suddenly change it from global warming is killing the planet, to global cooling is killing the planet? Well, they've done the opposite. Remember that in the '70s it was all about global cooling. Now, they seem to have gotten smart. If they just talk about climate change, we can't throw back at them that 30 years ago, they were claiming the same cataclysmic events due to cooling. Now, we'll never actually know what they're talking about. Oh wait, I never knew in the first place.

Why didn't anyone else do something about this? It seems that there were lots of people who witnessed this, but only one man took action? What is wrong in America? And, GOOD JOB to Cameron Aulner!

Organic Baby Farm has the best idea I've seen in a long time on how to get legislators to read legislation before signing it. Too bad there's no way we'd get anyone to sign onto said idea.

Finally, we've got another hopeful book banning. Now, you know how I feel about books. And, I have read some pretty mean sh*t over the years. And, these books would not have been available when I was in highschool. AND, there is no way I would allow my 12 year old to read something like this (but that's who these books are really marketed to, no matter the section says 'teen'). On the other hand, I probably wouldn't stop my 16 year old from reading it. Quite frankly, by the age of 16, they are men, whether they have left home, or not. However, it was not the content of this book that made me go off the deep end. It was the comment made by the librarian.

Carrie Gardner, assistant professor of library science at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, defended the coming-of-age novel, saying it may be helpful in providing "coping strategies" to teenagers.

"Our young people are living in a world full of both fiction and nonfiction situations that deal with drug use and sexuality," Gardner told FOXNews.com. "Fiction books that contain that type of information can provide young people with coping strategies."
She also said that reading disturbing material does not necessarily lead to unsocial behavior.
"People often overestimate the power of a fiction book," she continued. "People can read fiction stories and not have those stories impact us, just like many of us watch horrific stories on television news and not have a reaction."

First of all, the very fact that you are so inured to horrific stories on television shows that you are being effected by them. If you do not watch the news on a regular basis, as we do not, you will suddenly start having a reaction again. Try it sometime.

Secondly, how can she actually say that stories don't impact us? Stories impact us daily. Things we've read years ago, will sometimes come back to us at opportune times. That is why it is important to read good literature. And, if she actually thinks that it won't impact teens, why does she say that it can provide coping strategies? If it's not going to impact them, why read it? Even if the impact is only to provide comic relief, that is still an impact.

Well, that's all for tonight. Thanks for sticking around. I can clear a few things out of my brain, and off my bar. It's time for a drink and bed. Maybe I'll get around to posting tomorrow night, too. Don't get your hopes up.

Government Proves Their Idiocy Again

2009-10-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

A Michigan family may have to pay a $1000 fine for watching a neighbor's children for a few minutes before and after school... without a daycare license.

In addition to the monetary fine, Snyder was informed by the DHS that the family must take CPR training; undergo mental evaluations and have a structural inspection done on the home, before they could be approved as babysitters.

Calley said under current Michigan law, if someone watches a non-dependent child more than once consistently, no matter the duration, they must be licensed.

According to this law, if my mother lived in Michigan, my brother would no longer be able to leave his son at her house while my brother goes to school. In order to be able to do so, my mother would have to get licensed by the state. Wow. There can be no grandparents babysitting while the parents go out, unless it is done inconsistently...

My in-laws would have been in contempt of this law while Gary was deployed 6 years ago. After all, they watched the boys at least one night a week, and every other weekend for the entire deployment. That's pretty consistent.

If my next door neighbor had to go to work before the bus came, and I volunteered to watch her kids so that she didn't have to pay a day care, I would be in contempt of this law.

If my son were to babysit his brothers on a regular basis, he would be in contempt of the law.

I am always amazed at how out of whack government can get. But, it is no surprise to me, with things like this, that Michigan's economy is so bad.

MMA and the Military

2009-09-30T11:07:00.002-04:00

I want to be honest with you. I'm not into MMA. It's not because I don't think it's totally awesome. It's because I can't stand seeing blood, which is funny considering how much I like fighting.

At any rate, a couple of guys are putting together a documentary on MMA and the military. And, while I'm not into MMA, I could totally see myself as that chick beating the tar out of the other one. So, maybe I should watch a few fights, after all. This is the trailer.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2009-09-27T16:02:00.002-04:00

The sun is finally out. However, the temperature has dropped ten degrees. I know this only because the oldest boy child has informed me that it is somewhat cool outside.

I used to like rain. I love storms. BUT I am so TIRED of them! We never had summer this year, and now we're officially into fall. I used to like fall. Right now, though, I'm in denial. There is no fall. It is not here. I will experience a few days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

And if all else fails, I'll move to Arizona. I've even got Scottsdale Arizona realtors lined up, just waiting for me to make the move.

$250 Grocery Store Gift Card Giveaway

2009-09-20T12:52:00.001-04:00

Common Sense With Money is giving away a $250 grocery store gift card! This giveaway ends today, so hurry over there and enter her giveaway!

Hee Hee Hee

2009-09-14T21:35:00.001-04:00

Why I Can Never Remember Anything That My Children Ask Me

2009-09-13T23:10:00.003-04:00

By the time I was four, I had memorized the phone numbers of all my relatives, meaning my phone number and my grandmother's. My aunts and uncles weren't quite grown ups at that point. I had also memorized the phone numbers of three of my mother's best friends. I had in my repertoire the numbers of a couple little girls that lived in the neighborhood. I really liked phone numbers.

I also liked memorizing addresses, and could tell you the addresses of at least 5 different people. I know that I was only four because we moved that year and I learned a new address. It was a rural route address that promptly changed to 709 N 29 E Ave, and changed a few years later to a street named Independence and a new address. Needless to say, this was all taken in stride by the young girl that I was. All those new addresses quickly accumulated in my fertile little brain.

In elementary school, I memorized the phone numbers and addresses of all the boys I had even a slight interest in. Since that made up roughly half the population of the elementary school, I had quite the mental list going on. I'm just joking- it was only half the male population of half the grades. Sheesh. I also knew routes to get to most of their houses from mine. I memorized street names and milage markers. I knew where the closest bar was, and what all the denominations of the churches between my house and the bar were, and I lived in the buckle of the Bible belt.

You must understand that I never memorized these things on purpose. They just sort of fell into my brain. Someone would tell someone else their phone number while I was ~~stalking them~~ walking by and their phone number would be indelibly printed in my brain. I memorized routes to places the same way. I could take you to any place I had been. I can still remember maps, in vivid detail, I read while navigating as a pre-teen. I remembered street signs and the people standing around them.

When I was a Freshman in high school, I developed a new number fetish. This fetish soon overtook my phone number fetish. Like the phone numbers, it wasn't something I was looking for. I was frequently late for school. Due to ~~staying up late at night reading~~ some unknown reason, I frequently awoke with a headache. After sleeping a couple more hours, it would miraculously be gone. Needless to say, I missed the first two hours of school a lot. One day, while I was standing in the office waiting for my late pass, I saw the locker combination the receptionist had written down for the kid standing next to me. I didn't mean to see it. I didn't know the kid. I went to a school that had over a thousand kids. Trying to find this kid's locker was not on my agenda. But, that locker combination was etched in my mind. I can still clearly see that piece of paper and it's secret combination. Suddenly, my mind had something new to toy with- locker combinations.

My brain has always liked to play with numbers. I love math and see a page full of Algebra as a beautiful thing. The logic inherent in working through a long math problem is a beautiful and almost orgasmic experience for me. Memorizing locker combinations, for some odd reason, became my brain's way of keeping busy while walking down the hall.

When I graduated high school, from a much smaller school, I had roughly 1/4 of the graduating class's locker combinations memorized. Granted, that was only 25 people. But you have to understand. I was not memorizing these things on purpose, I would overhear someone telling a friend their locker combination and *bam* there it would be, stuck in my head. I didn't even know where half their lockers were, since I only went to school there two hours a day. I didn't even use my locker on a regular basis, but I could have used theirs if I had desired to. The person that I was then had no use for all those locker combinations. Well, that person did, but was not bold enough to make use of them. If the person that I am now had been around then, those poor kids would have opened their lockers to pranks until they changed their locks. I just was not that mean in high school. Sadly, you cannot change the past.

On a slightly odd note that isn't quite in keeping with the rest of this piece but that I need to share with you, I had the same combination lock from 4th grade through high school. In fact, I think I still have it. It was given to me by a classmate, although I can't remember why, since I had a lock already. At any rate, I have not used that lock for 15 years, but I can still tell you that the combination was 15-22-4. If you're ever at my house, and you see something locked up with an old lock, and you remember this combination, feel free to check it out.

After I got my driver's license, I started memorizing something new. Don't ask me why. I'm sure it had something to do with subconscious paranoia. At any rate, I started memorizing license plates. Every car that was driving around me had their license plate memorized. I will admit here that I had already memorized, by middle school, all the license plate numbers of all my family and friends. So, I suppose this particular oddity did not exactly start at 16. And, to be completely upfront and honest with you, I still do this to a certain extent. I can't help it. It's a disease -- Licensatus Platoli-itus.

I say all this to tell you, I can't remember a darn thing that my kids want me to. I want you to know that it's not because I have a bad memory. It's because my memory is all filled up with the telephone numbers to pizza delivery services in 12 different cities, the locker combinations of 100 different students, the addresses of 50 crushes, the addresses of 14 moves, and the license tags of thousands of random strangers. It's not because I don't love you that I can't remember what your birthdate is, I just need a data dump. Can someone please invent that technology?

Remember 9/11

2009-09-11T09:46:00.005-04:00

Eight years ago, I was making breakfast for Gabriel. Xavier was playing in his walker, racing around, slamming into cabinets, tables, walls, and ankles. Gary called. He told me to turn on the tv. He worked at a t.v. store. He saw everything. At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing. Then, the second plane hit. I was in total shock. I think that I still am. I could not believe what was happening. I called my mom. My parents came over. We spent all day in front of the t.v. trying to figure out what was going on, crying. We spent weeks crying. Gary left work that day and drove to his "other" work. There, he got marching orders for his first deployment. The next day, he was on his way to work as backfill at a base about two hours away. It was not his ideal assignment. He wanted to be on the planes headed for Afghanistan. Some wives might not have understood his sentiment. I did. If I had not had children, I would have been in the recruiter's office, reenlisting. But, I had to do my part, keeping the home fires burning. Sometimes, I think that's the harder part, the waiting and watching, while all the time wishing you could be out there with them.

It just doesn't seem that long ago to me. My life has continued. My children have grown. I have not lost anyone close to me in the wars being fought.

But, I have grieved for those who have. I have agonized over my husband's grief as his friends have died. I have watched my husband put on his dress blues over and over again to attend the funerals of men who gave their all. I have watched my husband walk on a plane to go to war, and honestly never expect to see him again. I have watched my children deal with the fear of never seeing their father again. I have rejoiced when my husband returned to me whole, all the while know that it is a temporary thing, that he will leave again. I have stood proud, knowing that my husband is doing everything he can to protect us from another terror attack.

Today, we live in a country that has forgotten the terror and grief that came to us eight years ago. We live in a country that is willing to negotiate with a country that produces terrorists, supports them openly, and has no intention of giving up their nuclear plans. We live in a country that blames itself for the attacks. We live in a country that is so arrogant as to believe that WE are the world's problem. We live in a country that is so arrogant as to believe that if we would just leave everyone alone, they would leave us alone.

It is not about us, people. It is about them. It is a religion. The only way we could make our country acceptable would be to make the entire country Muslim. I'm not willing. I'm willing to continue fearing for my husband's life, and grieving for those who sacrifice their lives for my children's sake.

Never forget. Never give in.

H/T TRO for the video.

09/03/2009

2009-09-03T20:53:00.001-04:00

09/03/2009

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Homeschooling in court again

2009-09-01T23:55:00.002-04:00

Group Asks Court to Reconsider Removing Girl from Home School

Since I don't know all the particulars of this case, I'm not going to say whether or not this child should be made to go to public school. I will say, however, that it bothers me to see precedent set in this way:

"[E]ducation is by its nature an exploration and examination of new things," the court order read. "[A] child requires academic, social, cultural, and physical interaction with a variety of experiences, people, concepts, and surroundings in order to grow to an adult who can make intelligent decisions about how to achieve a productive and satisfying life."

That is getting into dangerous territory when it comes to homeschooling rights, and the rights of parents to decide how their child should be raised and educated. I hope this ruling is overturned for that reason, alone.

Caroline B. Glick: The rigged game

2009-08-29T16:22:00.001-04:00

This explains so much of the attitude toward Israel. I've never understood how people can look at the violence against Israel and say it is Israel's fault. I have come to the conclusion that the only possibility is it being anti-semitism. Are there any other possibilities? Can you help me out on this one?

Caroline B. Glick: The rigged game

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Faith Healing

2009-08-29T06:01:00.003-04:00

I have a word to say about faith healing. Really, I probably have about 2 million words to say about faith healing, but I'll try to keep it short.

I am of the belief that our bodies are amazing and wonderful things. I believe that our bodies have the ability to heal themselves in many circumstances. I believe that our bodies were made that way. I believe that it is better to allow your body to fight an infection than to give it medicine, if at all possible.

But, you see, I also believe that doctors and medicine are essential in the world we live in. I believe that when you are sick, and your body is not healing itself, you should go to the doctor. There are so many illnesses that are easily curable with a doctor's help. Take, for instance, appendicitis. This is an illness that most bodies are not going to cure on their own, but that a doctor can cure in less than an hour by removing the appendix. But, if you don't go to the doctor, that appendix will not be removed, and you will die.

So, where does faith healing fit in? Most people that believe in faith healing believe that God will heal them. They also seem to believe that sickness is a test of their faith. They believe that if they just have enough faith, God will heal them. Going to the doctor means not having enough faith in God. And this is where we part ways. My grandmother believed strongly in faith healing. She had something wrong with her eye (I believe it was a cataract) that caused her to be blind on one side. A cataract is something that is treatable by surgery. But, my grandmother went around half blind for a good 10 years waiting for God to heal her. She firmly believed that if she just had enough faith, God would heal her. I have never met someone with more faith than my grandmother. Yet, God never healed her. Why didn't he?

Time and time again, I have heard the phrase, "Unless God moves, it's just a matter of days before ******** dies." Then, there's my favorite, "God really moved last night. Today, my headache(or other common illness) is completely gone." Why must God move on a molecular level to heal you? Why can't he put in place a team of doctors to help you? Have you ever thought that the reason God doesn't heal more often isn't because your faith isn't great enough, rather it's because you won't use the avenues that he's already put in place to heal you? If you have a child and the child won't eat his food because you're not feeding it to him, yet he's able to feed himself, do you blame the child or yourself? The fact of the matter is that the child had the ability to feed himself, yet didn't, because he had faith in you to feed him.

Why is healing different than every other aspect of your life? You ask God to provide a job, but don't expect Him to work it for you. You ask God to provide food (through said job), but don't expect Him to cook it. You ask God to provide a spouse, but don't expect Him to marry the man/woman for you. You ask God to give you children, but don't expect Him to raise them for you. You ask God to protect you on your way to work, but you still drive carefully. You ask God to heal you, but you refuse to utilize the things He has put in place to heal you. You refuse to acknowledge the fact that He might have had some hand in the discovery of that vaccine or medicine. Yet, you think He has a hand in everything else in the world. Why is there such a disconnect?

And, why do you think that God is like some butler in the sky, waiting to fulfill your every request? Didn't God put you here, give you free will to live your life, and set you free? What makes you think that he just sits up there waiting to serve you? Is it that whole "God is love" thing? Because, really, I'm not seeing it. Just because I love my children doesn't mean I do everything for them. I don't even get all their bandages for them. Why should I? They have the ability and free will to do it for themselves. They don't need me waiting on them hand and foot. No, in fact, they need me to teach them to be independent. Maybe, when God doesn't answer your prayer, He's wanting you to figure something out on your own. Have you ever thought of that?

Don't come crying to me when a loved one dies while waiting for God to heal them. I'll be grieving, too. After all, I loved that person, too. But, you know what? I'll be angry at the same time. I don't believe in 'faith healing', so don't talk to me about it. Don't talk to me about how much faith this person had. Don't talk to me about how noble they were. Just let me grieve. I loved them, and, chances are, they killed themselves. Heaven will wait for you. Go to the doctor.

Texting While Driving

2009-08-27T10:27:00.002-04:00

This video is very graphic.

I Love Day by Day

2009-08-24T21:04:00.000-04:00

Things I've Learned

2009-08-23T21:15:00.002-04:00

I've learned a lot in my very short life. Since I am such an exceptionally nice person, I'm going to share some of the wisdom I have gathered over the past 32 years.

1. Do not give your dog your favorite name. Chances are, you'll have a child and want to give it the same name you gave your dog. It's not nice to name a kid after a dog.

2. There's a reason rednecks name their dogs "Old Blue" and "Old Red." That way, they can still name their kids Billy Jo, Joe Bob, and Bobby Sue.

3. If you have to go to your family tree (IE name your dogs after cousins) for dog names, you need to find another source of amusement or a better imagination. (Jack and Cindy are only names for dogs if Jack and Cindy are not related to you. ;)

4. If you're playing Monopoly and need to use the restroom, be sure to ask someone to watch your properties. If no one is responsible for your properties, no one has to pay you rent.

5. As a result of number 4, I've learned that it is advisable for landlords to always have a representative. Never leave your property unattended.

6. If you have brothers, sisters, or cousins (or really good friends) eating at the same table as you, do not leave the table for any reason without making someone responsible for keeping your glass free of foreign objects. This applies no matter what age you are.

7. If you're going on vacation with three sons, know where the nearest emergency room is. Chances are, you'll want that information.

8. Cats are slow learners. If you want them to go outside, you have to teach them that the litter box is no longer an option... by putting it outside. If you want them to use a cat door, you have to push them through it. And, if you're unlucky, they'll figure out how to get out it while you're on vacation, but not back in.

9. Boys will be boys. That means that they'll figure out at the ripe old age of 2 that farting and burping is funny, all by themselves.

10. Hair gets everywhere, and so do mosquitos.

11. Don't walk around barefoot on hot cement.

12. No matter what it is about, stereotypes don't fit everyone they're meant to explain. And, no matter what group of people it is, someone will get upset about a stereotype.

13. Deaf people are not quiet. In fact, they throw some of the noisiest parties I've ever been to.

14. If you make lists and like your things to be organized, people will assume you have OCD.

15. Everyone has their pet pathology. Some people have ADHD, some OCD, and some bipolar. But, they ALL like to apply that to half the people they meet.

16. If you watch a lot of TV, you'll feel consumed with the need to go to your doctor and get tested for all kinds of diseases. Plus, you'll feel the overwhelming need to buy a multitude of feminine hygiene products.

17. If you hate a song, someone will sing it and get it stuck in your head. This is an especially wonderful punishment for children who are annoying you. Don't let anyone tell you that you are running your very own Gitmo in your home if you choose to do this. This is a perfectly legitimate form of punishment.

18. If you answer one question, you'll come up with 20 more. This is certainly true for children, but in your own mind, too. The best option is to not answer any questions. This way, you go through life with only 10 unanswered questions, rather than exponential number of questions rolling around in your head, running into each other and driving you crazy.

19. If you do answer a question, you should do your best to give a wrong answer. For example, when asked the question, "What makes the wind blow?" a good answer is always, "The trees moving makes the wind blow." This creates perpetual confusion, causing people to always be searching for the truth, which in turn causes people to learn more. This, of course, is in direct contradiction to number 18.

20. Life is all contradiction, and if we don't have fun with it, it gets boring and long.

21. Life may be short, but only if you are having fun. So, have fun. When you get to the end, you don't want to say that life was long, even if you live until you're 200. You want it to be short.

22. Love is not a feeling, it is an action. If you're not feeling love, you need to start living love. You'll start feeling it again soon.

23. If you have children, they will make sure that you always have something to clean. They do it because they love you. They are taking action. More than likely, they think you like to clean. See number 22.

24. Don't wear short skirts to bowl in, no matter what your husband says. There will be other men there. They will notice when you bend over to bowl. I'm just sayin'...

25. Know what Poison Ivy looks like. If you have to take a bathroom break in the woods, you'll want to know.

Finally, a note about my learning experiences. I did not learn all these firsthand. That last one was learned by a woman I never knew, when I was a young child. Unfortunately, she was pregnant when she learned it. However, I have always gone by the motto of learning from others' mistakes. It's better that way. Go forth and be wise.

I Guess I'm Just Not Very Compassionate to Murderers

2009-08-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Lockerbie Bomber Freed From Prison on Compassionate Grounds

Battle for the Brain: Junk vs Good Literature

2009-08-18T20:05:00.003-04:00

Round One: The child doesn't want to read. The parent says, "Well, let's give him this ~~junk~~ easy book to get him interested. After all, any reading is better than no reading!"

Round One goes to Junk.

Round Two: The child only wants to read graphic novels. The parent says, "This is what all the kids are reading these days. We need to change with the times."

Round Two goes to Junk.

Round Three: The teacher wants the child to read a classic. The child finds a Spark Notes and cheats.

Round Three goes to Junk.

Round Four: Child graduates. He no longer needs to read.

Knock out punch. Junk Wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few questions, people. Would you feed your child junk food if they didn't want to eat, just so that they would eat? Would you encourage them to get a tattoo because everyone else is doing it? (I've got nothing against tattoos, I'm just sayin'!) Would you want your child to cheat because they've been taught to be lazy? Do you want your child to read for life, because he loves books, or do you want him to give it up as soon as possible?

Please, don't get me wrong. My children read junk. I just minimize their access to junk, just like I minimize their consumption of junk food. My children understand the concept of moderation. They understand that so long as the majority of the food they consume is healthy, it is okay to consume junk occasionally. The same applies to the things they read. So long as the majority of what they read is good literature, they are allowed to read junk the rest of the time.

The idea that reading junk is somehow going to turn a child into a reader is beyond me. The only way to enjoy good literature is to train your brain to read it. You cannot teach your brain to think in short, chopped up sentences and one day suddenly expect it to be able to understand the long old English style of writing. You cannot read books that contain the vocabulary of a 6 year old until you're in high school, then suddenly expect to be able to understand the vocabulary of Shakespeare. These are things that must be built on gradually. It needs to start at birth, or even before, with good picture books, rather than junk written for mass market by authors whose vocabulary and writing style seems to be that of a kindergardener. Step up, parents! Teach your children's minds to love the English language. Teach your children the beauty of poetry. Teach your children the wonder of reading alliteration. Prepare your child to enjoy reading the following passages:

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats- the hobbit was fond of visitors.

Filled with anger Zeus who marshals the storm clouds answered her at last:
"Disaster. You will drive me into war with Hera. She will provoke
me, she with her shrill abuse. Even now in the face of all the immortal
gods she harries me perpetually.........
......And suddenly Hera taunted the Father, son of Cronus: "So, who of the gods this time, my treacherous one, was hatching plans with you? Always your pleasure, whenever my back is turned, to settle things in your grand clandestine way. You never deign, do you, freely and frankly, to share your plots with me--never, not a word!"
The father of men and gods replied sharply,
"Hera--stop hoping to fathom all my thoughts. You will find them a trial,
though you are my wife. Whatever is right for you to hear, no one, trust
me, will know of it before you, neither god nor man. Whatever I choose to
plan apart from all the gods--no more of your everlasting questions, probe and
pry no more."......
...."Maddening one...you and your eternal suspicions--I can never escape you. Ah but tell me, Hera, just what can you do about all
this? Nothing. Only estrange yourself from me a little more--and all the worse for you. If what you say is true, that must be my pleasure. Now go sit down. Be quiet now. Obey my orders, for fear the gods, however many Olympus holds, are powerless to protect you when I come to throttle you with my irresistible hands."

The Thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled-but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong."

But bid life seize the present?
It lives less in the present
Than in the future always,
And less in both together
Than in the past. The present
Is too much for the senses,
Too crowding, too confusing-
Too present to imagine.

Fill your bookshelves with Robert Frost, J.R.R. Tokien, Edgar Allan Poe, Homer, and Shakespeare. Don't forget Thornton Burgess, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, and Holling C. Holling for young children. There is an excellent list of books for very young children (pre school age) at Ambleside Online. Cut out the junk. You'll think yourself for it when your children are reading Tolkien instead of Captain Underpants.

You get bonus points if you can identify the preceding passages before I post the credits for them.

Shopping in Texas?

2009-08-18T13:55:00.001-04:00

Gotta love it!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

2009-08-16T01:39:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week, a friend posted this video on Facebook. It reminded me that my children need my patience.

Then, another friend posted about a boy being missing. This was a 14 year old, autistic, homeschooled boy who had gone camping with his father. They searched for him. Devastatingly, he was found dead in a lake, nearby. This reminded me that my children could be taken from me at any time and that I need to give them an extra hug.

Tonight, I watched "Click." I remembered seeing the previews for it, but really didn't remember what it was about. I spent about 15 minutes crying.

Is it just me, or are all the signs pointing to my needing to slow down and take the time to appreciate my family?

Please, pray for the family that lost their son. It will be an extremely trying time for them. I know what it felt like when my brother drowned, and he was 24, ten years older than this boy. My heart goes out to them.

Attention Feminists: Stay Away From My Sons!

2009-08-14T21:27:00.002-04:00

I grew up in a family where the father was a man that most, if not all feminists would consider to have been a chauvinist. He liked to tell sexist jokes. As we all know, that is the mark of a man that does not respect women. Well, that is what feminists would have us believe, anyway.

Rather, I believe that he was a man that could joke about anything. He used to say that he was intelligent by birth and a red neck by choice. The thing is, even though I grew up listening to him making comments like, "Every woman has a place, under some man's thumb," I always knew that he was joking. I always knew that he truly believed that I could do anything I set my mind to. He believed that every person in America has the freedom to make the choice to become what they want to become.

Of course we haven't had a woman president. I, however, don't believe this has anything to do with the women running for president being women. Rather, it has to do with the women being very unlikable. Plus, many of them were... Well, I'm not going to be rude. I've promised myself not to do that.

Let me get to my point. I hear feminists say things like "Dead white men" as an insult. My sons will, one day, grow up to be white men. I hear feminists say things like "Only a woman can truly understand." I guess I want my sons to be able to understand right and wrong, logic and the law even though they are white men.

It frustrates me that those same "Dead white men" that made sure to set in place a legal system that gave birth to the ability for women to have the same freedoms in this country that men have are so denigrated by feminists. It frustrates me that feminists assume that all men are unable to see that they (women) are just as capable as the men. It infuriates me that feminists may hurt my sons' own self worth in the search of their (the feminists) self worth. Why a person must drag down another person in order to make their point, or feel self worth, is beyond me. Perhaps they cannot understand the idea that they really are equal. And, that if they are equal, so are the men. Instead of being equal, they want to consider themselves better in someway. I don't get it. And, I don't want my sons to feel that they must bow before some woman in order to be a good person. I want my sons to be equal to the women they encounter in this life. And, if I have my way, they will be.

So, feminists, STAY AWAY FROM MY SONS! I'll teach them to respect you, even though you can't seem to respect them.

Navy Induced Hang-ups

2009-08-13T02:36:00.001-04:00

I was a wee bit of a rebel when I was in the Navy. I knew the regulations and I toed the line quite faithfully. I knew exactly how far I could go and legally get away with it. For the most part, I stayed just on the inside of the line.

The one line that I almost always crossed was the one leading off the sidewalk into the grass. I have always been a barefoot babe. Boot camp was the first time in my life that I had worn shoes for longer than about an hour at a time. I purposefully wore slip on shoes so that I could take my shoes off below my desk in school. I took them off in church. I marched barefoot during marching band practice when I forgot my boots. Then, I went to boot camp and they wanted me to wear shoes any time I was not actually in bed asleep. They even wanted me to wear shoes when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I thought I would go crazy. My feet need to breathe! So, the first thing I did when I got to San Diego after boot camp was go to a park, take off my shoes and run around barefoot in the grass.

For the next two months, I was consistently getting yelled at for walking on the grass. But, after two years of being unable to walk on the grass, the Navy managed to get it through my head that grass is not for walking on. Still, when I am on base, or walking through an area that has a sidewalk in public, I have a very difficult time not walking all the way around to the sidewalk and taking it to wherever I'm going, after 12 years of being out of the Navy! While we were in Florida, I actively made the choice to rebel and walk on the grass.

I'm such a rebel.

Lockerbie Bomber May be Released from Jail

2009-08-12T18:58:00.002-04:00

Report: Lockerbie Bomber to Be Released From Jail

"He is sick. He has cancer. There is no cure for his case. He told me that he wants to die among his family and friends in his country," said Abdel Atti el-Ubaidi.

Because, obviously, the people who died on that airplane didn't want to die among friends and family in their countries.

Body Image: Part 2

2009-08-12T05:48:00.014-04:00

This brings me to the reason I wrote the first post. I have a young friend. She's only 12 years old. This girl is absolutely beautiful. She thinks she's ugly. It amazes me how we take our ideas of beauty from our surroundings. I grew up in a neighborhood and school that was mostly made up of black children. As a result, my idea of beautiful is Halle Berry, Angela Basset, Tichina Arnold, Kimberly Elise, etc. To me, dark black skin the color of ebony is, in fact, the most beautiful skin color on earth. But, I was sufficiently surrounded by white folks that I could still appreciate the beauty of my own skin color. I just couldn't get over the fact that I look awful in cornrows.

This girl, however, is the daughter of Indian immigrants (the kind from India). She lives in a part of the country where she sees white people all the time. She thinks her hair is too black, her skin is too dark, and her body is too fat. She also thinks she is too tall, but since she is only 1/2 an inch taller than my 5' 4", I'm going to have to say that she is jumping off the deep end, there. At any rate, we've talked about her ideas of beauty. They all center around thin and blond.

She wants all the wrong things. My friend will probably never be thin. However, she has the body type that one day will make men fall all over themselves. She will be curvy, not thin. What she wants, though, is thin. She has skin that looks like she is always wearing makeup. Her eyelids are a beautiful shade of bluish brown that contrasts beautifully with her eyes and the rest of her skin color. But she wants pale skin and blue eyes. Her bone structure is one that will carry beauty into the retirement home, but she wants the beauty of a white European.

I wish there were some way for me to make this girl see her beauty for what it is. In the meantime, I just have to live with the hope that one day she will overcome her hang-ups and realize that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and that she should stop looking around her for signs of beauty.

Pets and Children

2009-08-09T21:08:00.002-04:00

We have three cats, one for each of the boys. However, they pretty much all belong to Dominic. There is one that is marginally Xavier's, but still looks to Dominic, when it comes right down to it. Dominic dotes on the cats. He spends a good portion of his day petting cats. He has some ~~obsessive compulsive~~ repetitive tendencies. Petting the cats has turned out to be a good outlet for these tendencies. If one gets tired of being petted, it just leaves, soon to be replaced by another cat looking for affection. So, when we returned from a week long vacation to discover that two of the cats were missing, I panicked.

You see, we have a cat door that the cats had not learned how to use before we left. While we were gone, Ron and Harry apparently learned how to use it--to get out. They didn't figure out how to get back in. Go figure. There I was, sitting in our living room half the night, trying to figure out what I was going to tell my children if these cats did not come back.

Sasha, the only female in the bunch, spent the entire night frantically searching for her brothers. She would come in, search the house, and immediately go back out to search some more. Finally, around 5, she came in with Ron in tow. That left Dominic's cat still missing. Ron came in long enough to eat. Then, both he and Sasha left again, presumably to search for Harry. They came in again in the morning, and slept for a while before going back out to search for their brother. It was amazing to me the dedication those two had in finding their missing sibling. They've never been apart before, and apparently didn't like it.

Dominic was told first thing this morning that Harry was missing. He cried and cried. This was why I had such a hard time going to sleep last night. I was up until 3, trying not to think about his heartbreak. I told the boys to play outside in the hopes that Harry would see that we were home and come back. They were outside most of the morning. Gary went out to do some work in the yard, and Gabriel hung clothes on the line.

Finally, after Dominic had been to the neighbors' houses to ask if they had seen Harry, and was all set to start making signs and knocking on doors, Harry came home. Now, grant you, he came home at about 11 A.M., which is really not that long. We were only home about 12 hours before he made it home, but it seemed like forever.

I don't consider our cats part of the family, but I know that my sons do. It would be devastating to Dominic to lose his cat. I'm so glad, relieved, happy, ecstatic that the cats are home, even though they do get on my nerves, sometimes.

Hip Hop Jewelry

2009-08-06T13:01:00.002-04:00

So, personally, I'm not into this sort of thing. But, I've got a son that when he was younger, would have loved it. He routinely wore between 5 and 10 necklaces that his grandmother gave him. It was hilarious. And, I can say that it would have been a lot easier to simply buy him some true Bling Bling Jewelry. Now, this same child is trending toward Goth. He's not a true goth, but he is trending that way. And, he would sincerely appreciate some of their belts, since he's outgrown his favorite reversable belt with the flames.

This company has great prices for 'iced' jewelry, and would be a great place to start looking when you're looking for a costume that requires it.

And, if you're wanting to brand your lady or man, I suggest their custom jewelry.

This post paid for by Hip Hop Bling.

Tae Kwon Do is Dangerous

2009-08-05T14:45:00.004-04:00

I'm not even talking about sparring. We LOVE sparring! The combination of legally hitting someone, the adrenilane rush of being hit, and the extreme fatigue at the end of it creates an amazing high!

No, right now, I'm talking about forms. This morning, I decided that we needed to practice our forms. So, we headed down to the patio behind the hotel. As a side note, I had to explain to Dominic (6) what a patio was. That was hilarious to me, considering the vocabulary the kid has. Anyway, we went to practice our forms. These are best done barefoot, so we headed out sans shoes.

Everything was going great, when we decided to practice as a group. Xavier was beside me, unfortunately. If it had been Dominic, all would have been fine, or he might have ended up with a black eye. Anyway, Xavier got mixed up with which form we were doing and turned the wrong direction just as I punched. Fortunately, we were far enough apart that I only barely touched him. Unfortunately, it was a mid-section punch, so he got a fat lip.

Never mind the peanut butter beside his mouth.

Then, toward the end of our workout, I realized that my feet were, shall we say, hot. That's right, I burned the bottom of my feet. In fact, I burned my big toe bad enough to get a blister. Yuck.

Oh, so maybe it's not Tae Kwon Do that's dangerous, so much as it's not using your brain that's dangerous. Maybe we should head out earlier, tomorrow!

Band Aids and Latex

2009-08-01T21:21:00.003-04:00

I'm mildly allergic to latex. I found out in the same way that most people attempting to keep from having a baby find out that they're allergic to latex.

At any rate, I say mildly because I've never had trouble breathing because of latex, and you'd think I'd have trouble while blowing up balloons. Instead, what I have is mostly a contact allergy. One year, I blew up (with helium) and tied over two hundred balloons. I could not understand why my fingers were hurting so bad. Suddenly, as I was tying that last balloon, I realized that my fingers were about twice their normal size and bright red. They looked like fat, red, water balloons. That's when I realized that I did in fact have a latex allergies.

Fast forward 3 years. Whenever I go to a hospital, I have to tell them I have a latex allergy. I think about it when tying balloons. And, I make sure never to buy latex gloves. But, I never thought about bandages having latex. Several nights ago, I covered an infection with Neosporin and a bandage. The next day, the infection was worse, and there were spots all around the area. So, I put more Neosporin and another bandage. This continued for several days, getting itchier and itchier until finally, it occurred to me that, duh!, these bandages probably contained latex. I read the box, and sure enough, there on the box was a warning that the bandages contain latex. *sigh* One of these days, I'll get used to being allergic to latex and actually pay attention.

Now, what Gary was saying while I was typing this: Weak genes, weak genes, weak genes. Weak genes, weak genes, weak genes. He's such an understanding husband. ;)

Body Image: Part 1

2009-07-30T20:53:00.004-04:00

I have what I now consider a rather nice body. However, until the last few years, I did not think that way. For one thing, I always thought I was too skinny. In fact, I was repeatedly teased by other girls who were not as thin as I for being so skinny. I even had to have a weight waver when I joined the Navy because I was too thin.

But, it was not my thinness that I really hated. It was the not so thin top half of me that I hated. I stopped growing when I was 12. As a preteen with a large chest, school was not easy. But, what made my life really miserable was my pastor telling me that I needed to cover my already well covered breasts with a larger shirt to keep the boys from lusting after me. At the time, I thought it was all my fault. Since I didn't want boys to be able to discern my body shape, I wore shirts that were about 5 sizes too big. Now, I realize that my pastor probably had his own problems and I should not have worried about it. But, he made me feel very guilty.

Over the years, I came to realize that my body was my own, and there was nothing I could do about it. Yes, I wear my shirts tighter, now. That's how Gary likes them. But, I'm no longer ashamed of my body. I would not change it. I just wish that people in a position of power had not made me feel so worthless because of a part of my body was larger than what they liked. Or, maybe it was because they liked it. Maybe they felt guilty for lusting after a pre-teen girl who had no control over the shape her body had taken. For whatever reason he did it, he should not have. To this day, I detest him for that.

There are girls out there who are being made to feel that their bodies are bad. They are being made to feel that their bodies are ugly. They are being made to feel that because of the way their bodies are made, they are one thing or another. They need to be made to feel that their bodies are beautiful. They don't need to feel beautiful in a sexualized way, rather they need to feel beautiful because they are beautiful. They are beautiful inside and outside. They have the ability to be beautiful, no matter what they look like. And, they should be made to feel that.

Legs, Legs, L-E-G-S, Legs

2009-07-29T12:57:00.006-04:00

Have you ever seen the Green Eggs and Ham movie? If not, check out the beginning of this movie. You only need the opening song. That's the song that kept going through my head while I was writing this post. That's what comes from being a mother!

At any rate, I wasn't able to workout for about a month due to an injury. Last Monday, I started back in. Tuesday, I had a hard time laughing thanks to the pain in my abs. Oddly enough, we didn't do any ab work that day. This Monday night, we were told that if we had been gone for a while, Tuesday morning we would know that we had worked out Monday night.

Yesterday, I told Gary that it was a cake workout. I was in no pain. Ahem. Today, I attempted to bend my leg to put my pants on and my leg said, "No!" It was not buying this cake workout idea. My thighs are killing me! But, in the end, it's all worth it. I love my workouts and they love me. Without further ado, my legs.

Our Decision to Homeschool

2009-07-24T14:49:00.004-04:00

This was originally published in December of 2007, a few short months after we started homeschooling. I decided to drag it back out and update it. I hope you enjoy it. Updates are in blue, because blue is easier on the eyes, in my opinion.

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. Accepting 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.

We still struggle to find friends for our younger boys. Gabriel has a very close friend whom he will be sad to see move. Most of the children we have met and become friends with in Xavier and Dominic's age groups are girls. This is not really a problem, but it would be nice for them to be able to have sleep overs. We started Tae Kwon Do in November of 2008. This has been a boon to the entire family. The boys are slowly building friendships, but class is not really the place to make friends. We will start competing this fall, and that IS conducive to making friends. We are looking forward to it. Also, we have joined a chess club, which Xavier loves. Xavier will also be joining a robotics team this fall. Hopefully, he will find that kid he clicks with. Xavier tends to be a one friend only kind of kid, while Dominic is willing to play with everyone. As a result of this personality type, it is harder for Xavier to make friends.

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.

This has really turned out to be a non-issue for me. The only thing that I would be doing different at this point, is that I would already be back in school. However, I plan to make that happen within the next year, so I don't consider it a big draw back.

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.

4. Homeschooling can get expensive.

If you were working before you started homeschooling, you might lose part of your family's income. That can contribute to the cost of homeschooling. If your child would have gone to public school, homeschooling can be more expensive. There is the cost of books, curriculum, field trips, extra classes, tutors, co-ops, etc.

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.

Ah, sex ed. Gabriel did do sex ed through life science that year, and he told me that it made him lose his appetite. Raising children is so much fun!

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.

After fractions, Gabriel's math took off. He finished the next year's math work in 6 weeks and moved on to pre-algebra, at which point, I slowed him down. Dominic has taken two years to go through the first grade math book, which if fine, since he's only entering first grade this year. This was a developmental slow down. We would go over a concept, he would mull on it for a couple weeks, then come back to me when he understood it (usually without any more interference on my part) and we would move on. This has proven to be a blessing. He was ready to learn the math, but not at a pace that would have been used in a school setting. Math may take him twice as long as his brothers, or his development may catch up with his enthusiasm. Regardless, we're able to take it at his pace, which ensures he understands what he is doing.

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.

This has been an amazing thing to watch. My children have always been close, but homeschooling has brought them even closer. As I watch other families deal with siblings that barely know each other, I am doubly glad for the closeness that my family has.

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.

We don't do school the way we did in December of 2007. In fact, we have pretty much changed everything we did (we still use the same math program). Now, my children have less say in what they study, but they are all much happier in what they are studying.

4B. Time to explore their own interests outside of school time. Since we changed the way we do things, my children are typically done with school by noon. This allows them to explore both the outside world, as well as explore 'academic' interests not being followed in their course of study. For Dominic, this means that he reads and watches numerous books and videos about the human body. For Gabriel, this means consuming book after book about mythology. For Xavier, this means tripping over a book that is on the floor in the library and reading it. Pretty much, if I want them to read it, I just need to pull it off the shelf, and they'll get around to reading it on their own. This is a wonderful benefit, to my way of thinking.

As they get older, they will also use this time for volunteer work, and for manuel labor, which is very necessary, in my opinion, to their development.

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.

Out of all the benefits we got from homeschooling this past year, this was the highest on the list. Gary went to a school in Florida for 3 months. During that 3 months, my uncle died. We dropped everything and drove to Oklahoma for a week. Then, we drove down to FL (which was already planned) and stayed at the beach, in a condo, for 6 weeks. We did school while we were there, in the morning, and spent the afternoon at the beach. In the evening, we were able to see Gary. It was wonderful, especially considering the fact that Gary deployed in November. When Gary got home in May, we took a month off from school. If the boys had been in public or private school, they would not have gotten out of school for the summer until Gary had already gone back to work. I think it was very important for them to have this re-bonding time with Gary.

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.

If This is What Good People Do, Save Me From Good People

2009-07-22T21:00:00.003-04:00

Wisconsin Man Gets 50 Years for Kidnapping, Gay Sex Assault

Lanphear's attorney told the judge his client was not a "monster." Lanphear, a longtime paper mill worker and divorced father, has no previous criminal record and is a dutiful son, Gary Kryshak said.

"Quite frankly, Ed Lanphear is a good man who did a very bad thing," said Kryshak, who recommended a prison sentence of 20 years.

A good person who does a 'bad' thing is someone who kills another man because that man did what Lanphear did to the killer's children. Lanphear has no claim to being a good man. That's all there is to it.

We Don't Have the Time or Freedom to Get It Wrong

2009-07-20T13:53:00.002-04:00

Obama Administration Sets Out on Heath Care Reform Blitz

President Obama keeps saying that we need to hurry and get this health care reform bill passed. He seems to want to pass this bill before we have an opportunity to read it and decided whether or not we actually want it. I believe that even those who support this bill, perhaps they more than others, have no idea what is in it.

Health care needs to be reformed. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that health care in America costs too much. There is much wrong with today's system. I think a lot of what is wrong has to do with the fact that America is such a litigious society. The amount of money that is spent on lawsuits is amazing. Even when the lawsuits are dismissed, there is a lot of money spent on them. It's a ridiculous waste of money.

The American people deserve a system that is fully thought out and done right. Our political leaders should not have the freedom to throw things together that will affect America's future for generations to come. Instead, they should be forced to take their time and do it right. They should not do things for political gain. They should do what is right. We need them to take their time.

My Next Son Will be Named Alec

2009-07-19T15:09:00.000-04:00

Global Warming or Climate Change

2009-07-16T23:22:00.001-04:00

Has anyone else noticed that you rarely see anything about 'global warming' these days? It's all about climate change, now. Eventually, people will forget that it was all about global warming and start talking about global cooling. Or, if they're smart, the environmentalists and other whack jobs will make sure to keep the term climate change. That way, they can use the term for any weather that comes along. Sadly, many people will be fooled by this.

What Makes Homeschoolers Different

2009-07-14T19:15:00.004-04:00

Depending on who you talk to, you'll hear all kinds of generalizations about homeschoolers. So far, I haven't heard even one that was universal. Yet, they are all taken as universal when they are spoken. Here are a few of my favorites:

Usually spoken by homeschool parents:

"Homeschoolers are more polite than 'schooled' kids." I'm falling off my chair laughing.

"Homeschoolers are kinder than 'schooled' kids." Oh really? Then why did that kid at the park hit that girl with a stick?

"Homeschoolers are more respectful." Sometimes. It all depends on the situation and parents, and quite frankly, the children.

"Homeschooled children have no problem talking to adults." Well, I only have to look at my oldest child to dispel this myth. He tends to giggle when he talks to adults, until he really gets into whatever he's discussing. Then, he forgets and just carries on a normal conversation.

Usually spoken by non-homeschool parents:

"Homeschoolers are socially inept." Yes and no. Obviously, some homescoolers are socially inept. See oldest child as an example. Some homeschoolers have no problem with the whole social scene. The fact is that most homeschoolers are what they would have been, socially, whether they homeschooled or not. On the other hand, they are usually more comfortable with who they are when they are homeschooled. (Another generalization, with the caveat that, obviously, this is not always true!)

"Homeschoolers are smarter than 'schooled' children." Sometimes

"Homeschoolers are behind their 'schooled' counterparts." Sometimes

"Homeschoolers are crazy right wing lunatics." Sometimes :)

"Homeschoolers are crazy left wing hippies." Sometimes

See, the problem with generalizations about homeschoolers is that homeschoolers are an amazingly diverse group of people. There are conservatives and liberals. There are people from all religions, of all sexual persuasion, of all races, from all economic backgrounds, and all different professions. So, what does make homeschoolers different? Is there any one thing that defines homeschoolers, aside from the fact that they homeschool?

On my family blog, I frequently post what I call 'isms'. These are things that my children say that I have found amusing. Yesterday, I posted something that Xavier said. A friend commented on it, saying, "That's a homeschooler." And, suddenly, I realized that she is right. There is one thing, that in my opinion, is almost universal among homeschoolers.

Homeschoolers internalize the things they learn. There are many theories about why homeschoolers do so well on standardized tests. Most people believe that it has to do with the small 'class' size. I'm sure that has something to do with it. However, I would say that it has much more to do with the fact that homeschoolers tend to integrate what they learn into their lives. If they are studying the fall of Rome in history, they might have long discussions about this at the dinner table. If they are studying nouns, they tend to see nouns all over the place. Once they learn a math concept, they begin to see how math is used in life.

As a result of all this 'using what they learn' and actually internalizing the information, rather than learning it for a test, homeschoolers are able to use that information when it comes time to take a test in the long term. Most homeschool parents are just not worried about tests. And, when they are, it is more of a guideline for them to know if there is an area their child is struggling with that they were unaware of. As a result, the parents just teach their children without regard for a test. In fact, many homeschool parents do not administer any kind of test to their children throughout the course of the year. (I am one of those parents.) Yet, when it comes time for homeschoolers to use the knowledge they have acquired, they are more than able.

The fact is that no matter the method used in homeschooling (and there are as many ways of homeschooling as there are for cooking chicken), homeschooling has something schools don't have. It has life. It allows children to live their learning. And these children, have a tendency to relate everything they learn to their lives. As a result, homeschoolers frequently seem weird. There just aren't that many 'schooled' children that talk about ancient Rome as though it pertains to their lives (which it does). And, you know, not all homeschooled children know as much about ancient Rome as my children do. My children are passionate about Ancient history. But, the things they have learned, they have learned and made a part of themselves. And that is what is different about homeschoolers.

And, can someone please tell blogger that 'homeschooler', 'homeschool', and 'homeschooled' are all one word words so that spellcheck will stop trying to tell me that I misspelled them?

Teen Pregnancy

2009-07-13T23:00:00.003-04:00

There are many theories about why there is such a high rate of teen pregnancy. There is the theory that many teen stars have gotten pregnant, given birth, and are 'mothering' their children, thus making pregnancy a part of pop culture. There is the vague permission that sex education gives. "Don't do it, but if you do, wear a condom." There is even the old, "Society is losing all its moral fiber." But, the other day, I discovered the real reason for teen pregnancy. It's all Discovery's fault.

I rented 'Human Body: Pushing the Limits' by Discovery from Netflix. The boys have really enjoyed watching this. Xavier especially liked the surgery portion. But, the other day, Xavier came upstairs and asked, "Mom, did they have to take your eggs out and fertilize them, when you had us?"

That is when I had my epiphany. Teens are getting pregnant because they don't know sex causes babies. They think you get pregnant by in vitro. Obviously, all that sex ed is failing and we need to step it up a notch.

Oh my gosh! I just saw this over on The Reluctant Optimist. Apparently, you can get in vitro in the pool! That's why so many teens are getting pregnant!

note: Netflix is great for a lot of "school" related things. It is amazing what they have available for rent.

A New Family

2009-06-25T22:28:00.003-04:00

Tae Kwon Do has had a lot of unintended side effects. The biggest two are the facts that I am in amazing shape (And if Gary gives me permission, I'll show you pictures of my legs. Wow! I'm just sayin') and that I have a social group that I see on a daily basis. It's almost like being back in school, only better.

Of course, since I hurt my leg (we think it is a sprained ligament in my shin, but since my doctor sucks so bad, we're just guessing) 2 weeks ago, I've been getting a lot of grief. (Grief is one of Dominic's reading words this week. I'll have to let him know I used it on my blog. He'll be happy. Can you tell I have ADD? Oh, did you see that bird? Wow, I need to shave. Think I'll check my email. What? I'm blogging. Sorry...) Anyway, I've mostly been catching it second hand, since all the moms are very sympathetic and I was not there most of last week.

Gary took last week off to stay home and take care of me the boys. Gary has been doing Tae Kwon Do for about a month, and he was still attending classes last week, while I sat at home and wallowed in my misery. Each night, he came home and told me what various people had to say about my 'injury'. My favorite is the 15-year-old boy who said, "Tell her she needs to quit milking it."

He really is my very favorite 15-year-old boy, so I'll let him get away with it. But, really, I haven't caught this much slack since I moved away from my family. I feel like I have found a second family. It's wonderful. (But don't tell anyone I enjoy being made fun of, or I'll never hear the end of it. Never mind that I'm telling the whole world. That's not the point. That I know of, only two people from Tae Kwon Do read my blog. So, I think I'm relatively safe. Ahem.)

We Should Stop Grouping Children by Age in School

2009-06-24T23:36:00.003-04:00

As part of Xavier's homeschooling, I am reading Understood Betsy by Doroty Canfield Fisher to him. First, this is a delightful book that we both enjoy very much, and I highly recommend it.

Yesterday, I read something that said, much more clearly than I've ever heard before, why we shouldn't worry about what grade someone is in, and just let them learn:

"Why - why," said Elizabeth Ann, "I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?"

The teacher laughed, "You aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in? And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication table?

"Well, for goodness' sakes!" ejaculated Elizabeth Ann, feeling very much as though somebody had stood her suddenly on her head.

"What's the matter?" asked the teacher again.

This time Elizabeth Ann didn't answer because she herself didn't know what the matter was. But I do, and I'll tell you. The matter was that never before had she known what she was doing in school. She had always thought she was there to pass from one grade to another and she was ever so startled to get a glimpse of the fact that she was there to learn how to read and write and cipher and generally use her mind, so she could take care of herself when she came to be grown up.

Hence the reason that my children (and I) have no idea what grade they're in. If you ask Xavier what grade he's in, he'll reply with something along these lines...

"Well... I'm doing 4th grade math, 2nd grade reading, and I hate writing." And, that about sums it up.

Our New Gas Guzzler

2009-06-23T19:53:00.003-04:00

When Gary got back from Afghanistan, he promptly traded in our little truck for a nice, shiny 4x4 gas guzzler. I was in full support of this. In fact, I attempted to do this before he got home, but had no luck finding a truck I wanted. We got an amazing deal, and I am quite happy with our new vehicle.

It came at a good time, since it has a bench seat in front and I've needed to keep my left leg straight the past couple weeks. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep your leg straight in a car? It is almost impossible. I tried it a few years ago when I feel down the stairs. We had a van, then. I got an immobilizer put on my right leg, then left for D.C. from Kentucky the next day. It was NOT comfortable. There I was, hopped up on drugs, my leg propped up on top of 3 pillows, and my foot barely clearing the bottom of the dash. Even though I am one of those people who are immediately knocked out by most drugs, I still uncomfortable enough that I could not sleep. So, having that bench seat has been wonderful. And, it has made me realize that all vehicles should have a bench seat in the front. Besides, no vehicle should have less than 6 seats. That's just all there is to it.

Then, there's the fact that we now have more room when we go camping. Although Gary has been trying to convince me to do minimalist camping, we are not anywhere near there yet. We would like to do it within the next year, but not as a regular thing. So, the extra cargo space is nice. And, quite frankly, the cab of our other truck just would not hold the 5 of us. Jump seats are not meant to be ridden in by full size people for longer than about 5 minutes.

Next, there's the fact that we're doing a lot of yard work this year. So far, we've put up a flag. It is absolutely beautiful. Plus, we've bought the cement, sand, and posts to put in a fort. We've also bought enough sand to put in a patio. The previous owners of our house were kind enough to leave us a stack of about 2,000 bricks. So, we're going to put in a, mostly, free patio. There is no way our old truck would have carried the weight of the sand and cement. We also want to level out our yard a little to make it easier to mow. That will take a couple loads of fill dirt. Fortunately, we have a good truck for that, now.

Plus, there's the towing capabilities. I just want everyone out there to understand that I do appreciate towing capabilities. Just think of the possibilities... Motorcycles, boats, jet skis, RVs, trailers, horses...

Oh my gosh, and winching. Truck winches help enable offroading. Is there any more basic fun thing for a family of boys to do than go muddin'? Every boy should go muddin' at least once in his life. Ah, I love my our truck.

Home Improvement: The Workout Room

2009-06-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

When we moved into our house, one of the things we had big plans for remodeling. Unfortunately, Gary has been gone a lot, and the only thing done, before now, was adding a small deck. With the advent of Tae Kwon Do in our lives, it became obvious that we would need some place to work out. Previously, we had a small area in the huge shop that we used to workout. However, it was not sufficient to do our forms or sparring. So, Gary and I decided that we could take the space that we had originally planned to make a 'man room' and transform it into a workout area. This particular project would be fairly inexpensive and easy to accomplish. We had to remove two doors and two walls, cut a new door through the laundry room into the shop, put a door in a new spot for the workout area, and add a wall between the shop and the workout area. Gary started working on it within a week of being home.

The area designated as our future workout area consisted of about half the shop, part of the basement hallway, and our old schoolroom. Our basement is cut up into small rooms and hallways. It included a long, unfinished portion under our kitchen and dining room. We were using this portion as a shop and for storage. It was approximately 30' by 18'. Since Gary does not do as much woodwork as he would like to, he really did not need the entire thing for a shop. Then, there was a small room that was 8' by 7', a long hallway that ran almost the length of the basement, another room that is 14' by 17', a bathroom in the middle of the finished side, a laundry room (with the furnace and water heater) in the middle of the basement with the stairs running down the back of that. There is also a family room that is approximately 24' by 15'. It is quite a large basement. It just was not cut up in a good way. So, we are starting to re cut it. :) Eventually, it will be much better.

Right now, this is what we've got going on. Gary tore the walls out of the room that was 8' by 7'.

And used the wood he took from those walls to build a wall halfway through the shop.
That left him with two doors. He cut a whole for a door in the laundry room, which backs up to the shop. This set up is much better than it was before, since it allows a straight shot out the basement door for larger woodworking projects.

He will be adding the other door at the bottom of the stairs to enclose the workout room.

We got used mats from our dojang. All we really have left to do is add the sheet rock, paint and hang the door. It is already usable. And, it is being used every day. Thanks, Gary!

Personal Responsibility

2009-06-22T19:24:00.000-04:00

"Why'd you let me drink so much?"

"Why'd you let me do that?"

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"Why'd you let me go home with him?"

"How could you let me............?"

"Why didn't you make me.............?"

"Why'd you let me................?"

These are questions I hear all the time. Why have the adults in this country given up their personal responsibility to such an extent that they actually rely on their friends to make all their decisions for them? Why are so many adults dependent on other people to decide how much to drink? Why are so many adults willing to give up control over their actions to other people?

I really do not understand this. I can, sort of, understand the need to blame other people for my actions. However, when you blame other people for your actions, you are giving up the ability to make your own decisions. That I cannot understand.

My Not-So-Secret-Passion

2009-06-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

As just about everyone knows, I love children. I love them to the depths of my soul. I bleed for children that are unwanted. I wish I could adopt all the teenagers out there without homes. But, my true love is babies. I love babies. And, I love everything to do with them.

Only one of our children had a 'nursery', although each of them started out life in their own room. However, since we were renting those houses, I never got around to decorating much. And, I have always wished I could do so. If I had a baby now, that baby would sleep in our room until it left its crib. So, it would not have a nursery, either. However, I am at peace with that. I realize that the whole nursery thing is probably a little overrated. On the other hand, I do love looking at baby bedding. After all, even though the crib would be in our room, the crib would need baby bedding sets. As I keep telling my husband, a crib and rocking chair would fit very nicely in our room. So, although I no longer lust after the beautiful nurseries in Pottery Barn Kids, I do still peruse the baby bedding occasionally. Some day, Gary will want another baby (ha-ha!) and I'll be ready for him!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:18:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

Enterprise and Ebates Hook Up

2009-06-20T20:19:00.004-04:00

Okay, I know I've talked about Ebates A LOT! However, today, I got the opportunity to write about them for money. So, I thought I'd have a go at it. Besides, they're wanting to highlight something that I took advantage of recently.

Ebates is a website that allows you to shop through them and get money back for the shopping you were going to do, anyway. I have found that I can use online coupons, in addition to getting the money back. Dominic shops through them for Legos at least once a month. Whenever I have to do shopping online, I always go through them, first. They have a ton of stores that allow you to get cash back, or have special coupons for free shipping, money off, etc.

When we went to Florida to pick Gary up, we needed to rent a truck. I went through Ebates, where they had Enterprise Coupons. Enterprise was the only company that rented the size truck I needed. Plus, they had a local shop and were willing to let me park my car at their store or come pick me up.

Check out Ebates. If you do, please, use my email address as your referal. gmpklp at bellsouth dot net. Thanks. By the way, Ebates is free to sign up for. They will deposit your money via Paypal. Plus, they're extremely easy to deal with.

Happy Father's Day to My Love

2009-06-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Twelve years ago, you entered fatherhood at a time in your life when you were not even thinking of children. Suddenly, you had a wife and a child. Although you had never before thought about having children, you jumped into the life of a father with both feet. You became a wonderful father. Yes, I know I profiled you. Why else would I enlist you to help me babysit? But, you have outdone my wildest dreams.

I never could have imagined what a wonderful father you would make. You are loving, kind, and thoughtful. You take the time to listen to our sons. You understand them and love them, all their quirks included. You accept them where they are and help them grow.

You listen to Gabriel talk about superheroes for hours. You play chess with Xavier day after day. You tickle Dominic and laugh at his jokes.

You support me in my motherhood. You love me and make me a better person, in turn helping them.

I love you. Thank you for being all that you are.

Hummingbirds Make Me Think of Nonnie

2009-06-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

Nonnie was my grandmother. She was like a second mother to me. We lived two blocks from my grandparents and I spent a lot of time at their house. One of Nonnie's favorite things to do was watch hummingbirds. When we lived in the city, there was a hummingbird feeder on her back porch. Her house was set up in such a way that the den, kitchen, and dining room made a U shape around her patio. As a result, you could watch the hummingbird feeder from any of those three rooms. Plus, she had a porch swing that we frequently sat on and watched for hummingbirds.

When Nonnie moved to the country, one of the first things she had Grandpappy do was set up the hummingbird feeder. Now, Nonnie loved watching any birds, but hummingbirds were her favorite. Over the years, I came to associate hummingbirds with my grandmother. Every time I saw something shaped like a hummingbird, I thought of Nonnie. Every time I saw a hummingbird in art, I thought of Nonnie. This has kept Nonnie close to my heart, even though she has been gone for 3 years, now.

My boys have not yet discovered the fascination that hummingbirds hold for millions of people. They have not found out, and been intrigued by the idea, that a hummingbirds wings move so fast they are a blur, or that they can move backwards. It is summer time, again. I think that I should plant a hummingbird friendly garden, and in meantime, put up a hummingbird feeder. My little birdwatchers, Xavier and Dominic, would be thrilled.

To Ma'am or Not to Ma'am

2009-06-19T08:09:00.004-04:00

Update at end.

One of the things I have always wanted my children to do is say, "Yes, Ma'am" and "No, Ma'am," "Yes, Sir" and "No, Sir." Call me old fashioned, but I have always considered it just a tad bit more polite. However, it has been difficult to get them to say 'sir' and 'ma'am' because so many other adults don't want to be called 'sir' or 'ma'am,.' I have heard so many reasons for this. The main reasons are these: It makes them feel old. They don't want the child to feel inferior.

Now, personally, I want my children to continue calling people 'ma'am' and 'sir' after they are adults. To me, it is not about superiority, it is about respect. It is not just about respecting the other person, it is also about respecting yourself. When you respect yourself, you should show respect to other people. It is about manners and being polite.

Since starting Tae Kwon Do, where we are all expected to call people 'sir' and 'ma'am', the children and I have begun calling people 'sir' and 'ma'am.' I noticed this within a week for the kids. I noticed it last week when I was in the emergency room. I called the nurse 'ma'am' and she gave me the funniest look. Now, I can tell you, I did not call her 'ma'am' because I felt inferior to her. In fact, she was getting a bit annoying. But, I do try to be respectful when speaking to people. It just sounds a little better than the typical southern 'honey'. This form of respect has fallen out of fashion. Well, really, any form of respect has fallen out of fashion. But, apparently, this particular form of respect has to leave the Senate.

Boxer, the U.S. Seantor, Chides Brigadeier General for Calling her 'Ma'am'

Senator Boxer, ma'am, may I respectfully say, you're being ridiculous!

There are many people who are saying this is an issue of Senator Boxer disrespecting the military. Quite frankly, I think that is ridiculous, too. I don't think this was about the military, at all. I could be completely wrong. It could be about the military. But, I don't think so.

Mom Power

2009-06-18T21:58:00.002-04:00

I have often told my children about adrenaline. Adrenaline will allow a person to lift a car off another person. Adrenaline will allow a person to swim further, run faster, and jump higher than he could normally. Adrenaline may save your life. Adrenaline may save your child's life. However, adrenaline alone cannot do it. You have to want to save your child's life. You have to want it bad enough to be willing to sacrifice your own life in the process. This woman was willing. As a result, she was able to save both her child's and her life.
Mom Fights Off Cougar Attack on 3-Year-Old Daughter
It never ceases to amaze me that some women are willing to do anything to save the lives of their children, and some are not willing to even disrupt their lives long enough to give birth to a child. The ability to love, care for, and even save your children is there. You just have to value their life more than your own. In a society such as our, as selfish as ours is encouraged to be, it is assumed to be hard to find women like that. However, I do not believe it is a rare quality. I just think it is a quality that has been hidden and dissuaded. If we all stood up and took a stand for our children, we could show the world that children are worth the effort. We live in a society that wants all people to be selfish. But, I don't believe we are all selfish. We just need to let out that side of ourselves that is not selfish. We'll all have a much better life as a result.

I've Seen it All, and I Don't Want Government Run Health Care

2009-06-16T13:23:00.006-04:00

Okay, so health care is next up on the Democrats' agenda. In fact, Democrats want to take us to a single payer system. Many people try to scare people by calling this socialized medicine. I'm not saying that it's not socialized medicine. In fact, the very definition of socialized tells me that a single payer system is socialized medicine: from Merriam-Webster:

2a: to constitute on a socialistic basis <socialize industry> b: to adapt to social needs or uses
3: to organize group participation in <socialize a recitation>

The word socialistic is defined as: and adjective describing: one who advocates or practices socialism.

Socialism is defined as:

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods (the US auto industry except for Ford)
2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state (the US auto industry)
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

We could really get bogged down in terminology. I don't want to argue about whether or not what the Democrats' are demanding is socialized medicine. I just want to let you know why I'm not interested, and I don't think you should be, either.

In America, we already have several forms of government run health care. I have personally used all but two. One of those, the VA, I have experience through my husband, brother, both grandfathers, and several great-uncles. The other, Medicare, is so closely related to SCHIP, that it is almost indistinguishable from it. However, SCHIP pays for medication and Medicare does not. The forms of health care I'm talking about today are: military health care, military insurance used through civilian providers, Veterans' health care, Indian Health Services, Medicare, and SCHIP.

First, military health care: There are some people who will always tell you the bad stories. I have plenty. I have already told one, here. I could go on and on for days about bad military health care. However, I will acknowledge that there are sometimes golden eggs among the dragon eggs. Getting to them, without being killed by the dragon, can be a problem.

Military insurance, on the other hand, is very much like any huge HMO. It is a blessing to have it, but is a pain in the rear to use. It can be very difficult to get a referral. Getting approval for tests can be a nightmare. However, those two things pale in comparison to the problems I have had with getting bills paid due to billing errors. The system is so excruciating to navigate that many doctors have major problems submitting their bills to Tricare. As a result, the patient ends up spending hours on the phone attempting to get bills paid. In fact, sometimes the patient ends up having to pay these bills to keep them from ruining their credit, while they are waiting for the problem to get fixed. If you do not pay careful attention to this, you can have major problems. I'll give you one example.

When I was pregnant with Gabriel, I got a pre-approval for his care after his birth. The approval was for "baby P". The hospital submitted one of the bills as "Gabriel P". Tricare refused to pay it. After a couple years of wrangling with this, we wanted to buy a house. The bill had gotten put on our credit report, and we were refused a mortgage until we paid it. Since the hospital refused to resubmit the bill, again, we had to pay them. Then, we were required to submit the bill, with full documentation of all services, to Tricare. After three years, this was almost impossible to do. I finally gave up on getting repaid.

Veterans' Health Care: Quite frankly, if you need any documentation on why veterans' heath care sucks, you weren't paying attention to the news while Bush was in office. The news has backed off this a lot since President Obama was elected. But the fact remains that the care is not the greatest by any stretch of the imagination.

Indian Health Services: First, I want to know: Do you know why Indians receive free health care? I always thought it was a form of welfare and socialized medicine. In actuality, it is in repayment for Indians' help during World War 2. All Indian Nations are just that, nations in and of themselves. When you are a member of an Indian Nation, you hold a dual citizenship. That is why Indian businesses are not required to pay taxes. They are autonomous of the federal government if they are on reservation land. Now, back to health care.

When we lived in Oklahoma, we did not have health insurance. After the first 6 months, we could have afforded health insurance(it just would have been tight). However, we were all covered by IHS or the VA, so we did not choose to get health insurance. Going to the Indian hospital was like going to the emergency room on a really bad day. If you wanted to see a doctor, you had to get there early. You had to get there when they opened, and you would still be there for at least 3 hours. These were routine visits. Quite frankly, if all health care was like going to the Indian Hospital, I bet we would cut way down on routine doctors' visits. I once spent 3 hours at the Indian Hospital waiting to get a flu shot. This place is not my idea of somewhere to spend a day. On the other hand, I did learn that Gabriel knew his left from his right at the Indian hospital. So, it holds a special place in my heart. I'm just saying that I am glad I had a home birth when we lived in Oklahoma.

SCHIP: Okay, people, I understand the need for SCHIP. I do. However, it should be totally reserved for the desperately poor. And, it should only be used for emergencies. Please understand, I think the things SCHIP covers is ridiculous. But, here are my main gripes with it. SCHIP causes unnecessary tests. When we were covered by SCHIP, the boys were required to have lead testing just because we were in an income bracket that was covered by SCHIP. Even though we did not qualify for the test by the screening (IE the questionnaire that asked where the children lived, played, etc.), they were required to be tested. They were also required to have anemia tests, even though they didn't need them. So, because we fell into an income bracket in which many children live in houses that contain lead paint, or have horrible diets, the boys were subjected to unnecessary blood tests, and the tax payers had to pay for them. The fact is that if you want the government to pay for things, you give up control over those things, in this instance, your health care.

I don't think you need me to talk to you about Medicare. If you think Medicare is the bomb, you need to go talk to some senior citizens.

A Typical Republican

2009-06-14T06:40:00.000-04:00

H/T to the Reluctant Optimist

Back in the Saddle

2009-06-13T05:33:00.002-04:00

Wow! I've been gone a long time. It's been a busy, but happy, time for us. Gary got home May 9th. That is the main reason we've been busy, and I've been absent.

Gary arrived in Florida (where the command he deployed with is located), and we made the decision to go pick him up the day before he arrived. So, we spent all of Saturday driving to Florida. We got there about 2 hours before he did. We spent Sunday there, and drove back Monday.

After we arrived home, Gary immediately started tearing down walls in the basement. We now have a workout room. It only needs sheet rock and hang the doors. It already has the mats down, so we can work out in there. This is great because we really needed a place that was dedicated to Tae Kwon Do practice. The higher forms can get really long, and we were having to practice them outside. Gary was able to use all the lumber from the old walls to build the new walls, and we'll reuse the doors. So far, we haven't had to pay for anything except the mats, and we got those used. We'll have to buy the sheet rock, but we only have to sheet rock one half a wall, right now. So, it's a pretty cheap project that will get a lot of use.

The second week after Gary got back was the culmination of a year's worth of drama. The boys were going to be in a play on the 23rd, and had practice an hour and a half away twice that week. That was a busy week because of the play. We had last minute costume things to do. I was in charge of the costumes. Saturday, the 23rd, was the play. It turned out great. The boys did great. All the kids did a great job. There was a lot of ad libbing, which turned up some really great lines. This particular play, the kids all wrote, edited, produced, and performed, themselves. They did a great job. Of course, they had adult help, and a lot of it, but they still did a great job. Xavier lost his costume. Fortunately, he had on shorts underneath it. So, he won't get slapped with a public indecency charge.

The day after the play, we drove down to Pigeon Forge, TN. We rented a cabin there for 5 days. We had a really good time. It rained every day we were there. But, that was okay. It didn't rain when we wanted to be outside, so the rain didn't hurt anything. We played a lot of darts. The boys played a lot of pool. We spent time in the hot tub, and I whipped everybody at Monopoly. We went for a walk in a creek. We also went to the Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg. Our favorite attraction was the aquarium. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies was awesome. They have a ton of sharks. Plus, they gave a great military discount!

After returning home, Gabriel and I started working on organizing and cataloging the library. I think this is funny, because it seems a common theme, right now. Unlike Michelle, though, I catalog all our books. We are still not done with this project. Dominic and I are reading through all the picture books to decide which ones to keep, get rid of, and box up for future generations. Right now, we don't have enough room on our shelves for all our books. I completely reorganized the library. It is now categorized. It was amazing to me how few books we have about the ocean and water animals. We have a large selection on land animals, a descent selection on geography, a good selection on ancient and medieval history, a descent biography section, and a huge historical fiction section. We could use some more science fiction and good novels for kids. It's been interesting, but I'm ready to get the library back to normal.

Then, last week, Gary started back to work, and we started back to school. It's been crazy. I have to say that we are all happy with our school play. We switched to a Charlotte Mason type approach, using a modified Ambleside Online, in March. It has turned out to be a really good fit for us. I am very pleased with it. It incorporates all the things I like about classical education, and cuts out most of the things I didn't like about it. So, it all works out well. We've actually been supplementing with Son Light's year 3 for American History. This works out well, since the boys are such good readers. The Ambleside was very easy for them. This schedule is still much lighter than what we were doing before, but includes American History more in depth, which I was missing for them.

Now that we are back in the swing of things, I should be able to visit here more often. We shall see. The demands of a husband are different than those of children. I can't be online after the boys are in bed, because that is couple time. So, I'll have to figure out a new blogging schedule.

PayPerPost: Take 3

2009-06-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

This post sponsored by PayPerPost v4.0. First, let me say that I refuse to turn my blog into one big advertisement. However, I don’t mind making some money off it. When I discovered PayPerPost, I was very happy. I can choose how often I want to take opportunities, and what those advertisements are about. If there is nothing I care about, I don’t post about anything. However, I can usually find something to post about, when I’m in the mood to make some money.

This is a very easy way to generate a little added income. If you are willing to post more often, you can certainly make more money than I have. It is a very easy venue to navigate.

To date, I’ve made approximately $280. After this post, it will have been $291. They have recently launched a new version of the website. This particular version allows you to set how much you want to make. That can be a good thing, and a bad thing. You may have to play around with that a bit in order to get a good price for your blog. However, if you’re looking to make money off your blog, this may be a good place to start.

Radio Disney and New Jersey

2009-05-20T23:42:00.000-04:00

Every year, Radio Disney does free concerts. This year, they will be having a concert series starting at the end of June until the end of August, at Morey’s Piers, in Wildwood, New Jersey. If you’re looking to take a vacation to New Jersey and you’ve got young ones, this might be a good idea. You could combine a Jersey Shore beach vacation (Morey’s Piers is a great place for one) and check out some of the New Jersey attractions, with a free concert that the kids are sure to enjoy. After all, it’s Radio Disney, people! And, who wouldn’t want to see Radio Disney? Well, I’m not sure the boys would. But, recently, I have not met a girl that wouldn’t. Those girls are ga-ga over all those Disney artists: Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers (can I get a swoon out of all the tween girls?), Raven, the High School Musical Cast… You could even hit some New Jersey water parks or amusement parks. Ah, that’s the life.

Beauty in the Back Window

2009-05-20T23:03:00.003-04:00

Today, I was driving home from Tae Kwon Do. The Jeep Cherokee (an SUV) in front of me was filthy. I think it helped that it was. The back window had a swath of clean area, where the wiper had run. Through the window, I could see a girl or woman, I'm not sure which. This girl was sitting in the back seat. She was leaning toward the front seat, her every movement highlighted by the sun. They must have had the windows rolled down, because her hair was blowing in the wind. She was talking avidly to the man sitting in the front seat. Her hair was flying. I could see her bangs waving in the wind and she frequently reached up to brush her long hair from her face. Her hands never stopped moving. I could not really see her. It was her silhouette I was seeing. But, she was beautiful. She was full of life. She was excitement embodied. She was life, and life is beautiful.

Online Savings

2009-05-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

Most of us are trying to save money, these days. One of the easiest ways to save money is to use coupons. Something else we’re all doing is trying to save time. An easy way to do that is to shop online. I have mentioned Ebates before. Now, I want to recommend GoGoShopper.com. They provide coupons for more than 2000 online retailers. If you’re going to shop online to save time (and gas), you ought to take advantage of all the great deals you can get with online coupons. This can be especially useful to get free shipping. Many stores have coupons for free shipping if you know where to look. This is one site that groups online coupons by store. They’ve got coupons for just about anything. Click here to check them out.

Why Should the Military be Godless?

2009-05-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

What an excellent post: This is no Holy War

Home Improvement

2009-05-18T22:49:00.003-04:00

Well, it has started. We have started 'improving' our home. Gary got home from a six month deployment and promptly started ripping down walls. He also took down all our exterior shutters which I am happy about. They were cheap, plastic, ugly, and didn't fit the house well. Plus, we'd had several fall off because of high winds. Now, I have to find new ones. In the meantime, the house looks better without the old ones.

And They Want a Two State "Solution"

2009-05-18T21:35:00.002-04:00

Holocaust Denial Widespread Among Israel's Arabs

What kills me about this is that Muslims sit in Israel's government. This is not a country that does not allow citizens of other religions freedom. In fact, they are very respectful of other religions and those religions' religious sites. Yet, many Arab nations and many Muslims want to "run the Jews into the sea". Even Israel's own Arab citizens don't like there being a Jewish state. "More than 40 percent of Israel's Arab citizens say the Holocaust never happened, and barely one half think Israel has a right to exist..." Yet, it is all our fault that Iran hates us. It is all Israel's fault that the Palestinians (Israel's land that they've given over to the Muslims) bomb Israel constantly. Yes, Israel is a peaceful country that agrees to all peace treaties offered them, even though they know it is just an opportunity for the terrorists to rearm. *sigh*

Xavier's Going to Need Some Motocross Gear!

2009-05-18T00:40:00.000-04:00

Xavier is my wild child. He’s also a lot of fun to be around. Last summer, we watched a co-worker of Gary’s do motocross racing. Xavier fell in love immediately. Gary’s friend fell in love with Xavier because he was busily throwing rocks in the ditch full of muddy water and rolling down the hill toward said ditch.

At any rate, Xavier has since decided that he would like to pursue motocross racing. I always knew this would be a big pull for him. After all, he much prefers to ride his bike in the ditch than on the road. He’s not a ‘tame sport’ kind of kid. He loves things that are loud and fast.

In fact, when he was just a little tike (2 ½), he had an invisible motorcycle. I’m pretty sure he had modified it so that it didn’t have a muffler, because it was extremely loud. It also didn’t have any brakes. One day, I told him to park it because it was time for bed. He told me that the brakes weren’t working. “But,” he said, “that’s okay, because I have this parachute that will deploy and stop me. I’ll just push the button…. Sorry, Mom. There must be a malfunction. The parachute didn’t deploy.” Sigh.

So, now, I am researching motocross gear. It’s not cheap, but it sure is fun! And, my boy’s going to love it.

Oatmeal Isn't the Answer

2009-05-07T21:51:00.002-04:00

Ever since I started Tae Kwon Do, close to six months ago, I've struggled to find the delicate balance between eating too close to class and not eating close enough to class. Recently, a friend suggested oatmeal, to be eaten a couple hours before class. I thought that was a good idea, so I tried it yesterday. That oatmeal was delicious. It really was. But, it made me so sleepy! Oatmeal is definitely NOT the answer! I'm back to the drawing board. I'm finding, though, that a 'half' meal, that includes equal parts carbs and protein, eaten 2 hours before my class, seems to work well. Now, I just have to figure out what to do on those days when I am at the dojang for the 2 or 3 hours immediately preceding my class.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

2009-05-01T23:29:00.003-04:00

Warning: Spoiler If you have not read this book, and mind it being spoiled for you, do not continue reading this post.

This is my favorite and most hated Harry Potter book. This book, every time I read it, makes me cry. In fact, since finishing the Harry Potter series, I have avoided reading them, again. I just can't stand the pain of getting so attached to characters, and then having them ripped away from me by an author who just can't seem to give Harry enough pain. And, I loved Sirius. He was such a good bad boy, and he was Harry's family, the only family he had left.

Xavier has been listening to the Harry Potter series on CD. Harry Potter is what got Xavier reading. He went from not reading at all (outside of doing phonics lessons) to reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Then, he decided that he wanted to listen to the rest of them. Unfortunately, that means that I've been listening to them, as well.

So, now, my emotions are running wild (like they weren't before). I'm sure it doesn't help that Gary is due home soon, but we don't really know when. But, really, did she have to kill off all my favorite characters? In the end, only one of my favorite characters remains, and I'm not even talking about Harry. Oh well. It is an excellent series. I do love it. I just wish that all the people I love didn't die in it.

Kindness and Understanding are SO Important

2009-04-30T22:14:00.001-04:00

I just had to share this post with you. It really warmed my heart.

A Cup of Cold Water

Nice Guys Aren't My Thing

2009-04-30T21:33:00.002-04:00

All my life, I have loved bad boys. They were always the most attractive to me. During my "dating" days, I exclusively dated bad boys. In fact, I distinctly remember a conversation with a very nice guy, and very close friend, about why I would not go out with him. My reply was along the lines of, "I don't want to hurt you. I am not interested in a relationship. You're just too nice. I'd rather stay friends, and chances are I'll lose that friendship if I date you."

One day, though, I started dating a guy before I realized he was a nice guy. In fact, I fell in love with him and married him. The first nice guy I dated, I married. Then..... I promptly changed him into a bad boy. I ask you, is it me?

In my opinion, I found just the right combination. He's all that I could ask for in a husband and father (the nice guy side) and he's also fun, adventuress, and crazy funny. I found a nice guy that was also a bad boy: the perfect combination.

Wonderful Mothers

2009-04-29T00:59:00.002-04:00

North Dakota Mother Charged With Child Neglect, Allegedly Breast-Fed Baby While Drunk

The problem I have with this is that if you report a pregnant woman for doing drugs or drinking while pregnant, there is nothing the police can do about it. After all, until the baby is born, it is not a child. Never mind the fact that alcohol abuse during pregnancy causes permanent brain damage in children. Using drugs while pregnant also causes major problems for children. Yet, these children are in no way protected, because until that child is born, it is not a child (according to the law). Yet, the children have to pay for it for the rest of their lives.