Gettin' on the potty train!

My little two and a half year old. He has been ready to get on the potty for a couple of months now. I was waiting until Christmas break to really get focused on it and really get into a regime doing it. We've have had a lot of success over this Christmas break and are about 60% potty trained. Nice!

Now for all of you non-parents out there. I am sorry. You might just skip this post. But I will do my darndest to put humor into it.

Here is what I know about potty training having potty trained one kid and working on the next:

* Every kid is different! What works for one kid will backfire on another kid. I like hearing ideas from other moms what has worked for them. Because a lot of them are creative and positive. I shut down when I hear, "This works every time, you have to do this.....xyz....." With all due respect, I disagree.

* I don't care what the parenting books and experts say--bribery/reward of some kind works. This is the one exception to the above rule. You have to know your kid. My little guy loves just getting a big hug and a kiss for a success. If he does a really good thing, then he gets one gummy worm. Whatever! I know lots of people are cringing out there, but I think a little form of reward goes a long way.

* I am not an expert on this at all. I am an expert on my kids. I know what makes them tick and I use that to my advantage. When I potty trained my oldest, yes, I bought books and sought advice, then I took the book knowledge and applied it to how I know his brain ticks. That is the best way to motivate the desire to try. It also took me about seven months to fully potty train him. Remember, I am not an expert. Plus, he dug his heels in to rebel against the process, and that is the bottom of the rope in potty training.

* I have met a few parents who tell me their kids just hated diapers and potty training was a breeze. Mainly because it was "If I go in this white thing, I don't have to wear them anymore? Done!" Most of us bang our heads for a few months getting the right neurons in the toddler's brain to click in how all this new gadgetry works. We have to be careful not to hate parents like this.

* Myth, once they are potty trained, you have no worries. Wrong! Kids get lazy, and suddenly you find little messes in the bathroom, toilets not flushed, etc. I also do spot checks on hands occasionally after bathroom usage only because handwashing can become lax as well. It continues until your child develops a little bit of an "icky" factor. That is the whole germaphobe thing. They need to get grossed out by the thought of something (ie unseen germs on hands after bathroom use), not just the gross thing in front of them (ie squished bug in front of a toddler makes them say "icky!").

* Once you have a success of some kind, don't go back! This Christmas break, BH has been doing number one in his potty very regularly. It is not an option to suddenly go back. It has been made clear--this is now the expectation because he is a big boy!

* I do totally recommend a new product out there. Clorox all surface cleaner. It kills 99% of disease causing germs. It is also not toxic. If you have seen the commercials, the child is eating on a high chair and mom suddenly squirts the tray she's eating off of with this stuff--practically in the child's face. It is safe around food, pets and kids. Why do you need a good germ killing substance like this?? I promise, you will be cleaning up messes that you never thought you would. I am not a germaphobe but human waste gets zapped with some pretty hefty germ killer in my household. Trust me, you'll need a good cleaner--where there are great successes in potty training, there are some pretty nasty failures.

* You need a sense of humor. I never thought in a million years I would be standing over a plastic potty chair, jumping like a cheerleader at what is in it, hoping the neighbors don't hear/see me, and also quite glad at what is in the potty. You just need to laugh.

* Practically speaking, I am looking forward to not buying expensive diapers/pullups, I am looking forward to this summer when BH can attend Vacation Bible School, in the fall he will be potty trained long enough accidents should be a minimum at preschool, and I no longer have to think twice about what is under my fingers nails.

I wonder if CSI is ever going to do an episode where they scrape a victims finger nails and realize she just changed a diaper.....

Girlfriends! Post some of your ideas, embarrassing moments, etc!

UPDATE: Two hours after posting this post. BH ran to the potty and tried to go a few times. I watched a little mystified. On the third run, he did a number two!! WooHOO! Number two seems to be the hardest to accomplish, and he did it! Number two took a full seven months for BH's older brother. As I type this, he is wearing Thomas the Tank Engine underwear. I'll keep you posted! I am so ecstatic, you have no idea! For Child of God, we also have Spiderman as well.

Bringing Sexy Back

Let me give you some history here. Like four or five years ago, I injured my jaw in the most embarrassing way I think possible. Was I in a bar fight with a biker chick? No. Was I in a horrifying accident and saved three people's lives? No. Was I on a roof saving the neighbors cat and fell? No.

I was losing my lunch in the confines of my bathroom. I had a nasty migraine that day. Migraines make me extremely nauseous, and that was the result. During that little episode, I felt a snap in my jaw on the left side of my face. I didn't think anything of it because I was...er....busy at the time doing other things.

Within twelve hours I noticed suddenly my teeth didn't line up at all. It was extremely difficult to chew meat. After several days, I noticed I always had a low grade headache. I just attributed that to coming off the migraine.

Within a month, I was bothered. Eating was a nightmare, and nothing was making the headaches go away. I wanted to see a doctor. Okay, where do you go? Your dentist or the doctor?? I flipped a coin and went to the dentist. He immediately knew what it was and how to remedy it. His wife is an old friend of mine and has the same problem from an even more embarrassing injury. But I digress....

The solution, wearing a mouth guard at night in my mouth. Yes, the same kind of mouth guard athletes wear. He said there is no explanation for why it works, but it works in about 95% of patients. It doesn't actually fix the problem, the jaw is permanently damaged--but it does line up the teeth and makes the headaches go away. He also said it would help the wear and tear on my teeth since I clench my teeth at night. Okie dokie!

I got my mouth guard, and have had it since. Let me tell you, it doesn't bring my sexy factor up wearing it at night. Plus, the first week or so, I was always on the verge of gagging on it. Now, it's nothing--and it fixed the problem within a few nights. Nice! But I have gotten lax. I wear it occasionally, if not at all. My teeth feel fine, and I have so many other things to think about at bedtime. I don't mind wearing it though, I have just gotten lazy.

Well, over Christmas, suddenly I am waking up with nasty headaches. I start attributing it to holiday stress. But it dawns on me, these headaches are very similar to the ones I had when I first did this injury. I dust off my guard and put it in a few nights ago. Yep, you guessed it. I woke up without a headache and a lot more refreshed.

So if I ever spend a night with you, be sure to ask me to model my sexy mouth guard. I really need to get back to wearing that all the time.

Christmas Memories 2007

I just took 200+ photos and pared them down to the best 25. Whewie! We had a great Christmas, and pray you did too. Wishing all of you, your family and friends, a very blessed New Year.

Connections Academy Article

In case I haven't mentioned it, I am getting more and more excited about doing this! I totally relate to the mom at the end of the article who just couldn't see herself as the home teaching mom. What I can see is driving someone else's plan. I would rather someone else being giving the assignments and tests, while I follow their lead.

Here is our local, liberal publication putting their two cents in. The only thing that alarms me about this article, Connections Academy has until 2010 until their charter runs out. What happens then? I'll need to find out.

Click here.

Christmas Eve 2007

Here are some of the things we did on Christmas Eve. First, we made some goodies. I have Google as my home page, and I have customized it so that I get a recipe a day from several resources, one of them being Betty Crocker. So here was one of those recipes. Click here for the link. It is the easiest cake I have ever made. Yes, it was cake mix and frosting out of a can, but hey, it impressed the kids and my inlaws, and that is all that counts.


This is BH carrying bags out the door for us. We are headed to Grandpa and Grandma's for Christmas.
This is Christmas Eve. We are eating at Aunt D's house. She made us pizza.

Here is BH and his cousin lighting the advent candles at the Christmas Eve service we attended. Very cute!

There you go! I have about 200+ pictures from Christmas morning to go through, so hang on while I get ready to post Christmas photos.

I have to say, our family did a fun thing this year. We celebrate Christmas with my mother and father in law, one unmarried sister in law, then another sister in law and her husband and daughter (pictured above). The kids get more presents than most third world countries. In year's past, so have the adults.

We agreed this year that all the adults would do something different. Each adult would purchase a gift for $50, then we would do some drawing/trading typical of what a lot of offices do with gifts. First thing it accomplished 1) No more extravagant gift giving. That was getting out of hand. 2) We didn't need a second vehicle to come home with all the gifts and our kids. In years past, we had to leave some gifts behind because the car was too full.

Plus, it was totally fun! I gave a beautiful handmade quilt at our church's bazaar for $50 that was so underpriced, it was nuts. My hubbie gave a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. Nice! Child of God is wishing she was related to us. I received an under cabinet radio and CD player with a remote. Nice! That is all I need. My hubbie got gift certificates to local movie theatres and a gift card to Red Robin for a nice night out. Nice! That is all we need.

We agreed to do it again next year. We have all year to be really creative in our gift giving. One thing my hubbie and I hope to drop hints for next year--one gift from each adult to the kids. You'll see in the next Christmas Day post, the gifts for the kids are a bit out of hand.

It's Christmas Eve Eve!

ME: Hey! It's Christmas Eve Eve!

JM: I don't get it. It's the 23rd.

ME: Yes, that is the day before Christmas Eve. So it's Christmas Eve Eve!!

Shaking his head and walking away...

JM: Okay, I don't get you......


Here's a bonus from a few days ago. We were out driving around and we about to go through the McDonald's drive thru.

ME: Okay, let me guess. A Happy Meal with a cheeseburger.

JM: You're right! You read my mind!

ME: That's my job.

JM: I thought your job was to say "no" all the time.

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmastime

Just turn the volume off if you just want to watch...

Have a wonderful Christmas!

My Opinion of Teen Pregnancy

Britney's little sister's pregnancy has sparked some debate that has really surprised me. Teen pregnancy is rampant in our culture, and I always just assumed people accepted it. The backlash from her pregnancy surprises me a lot.

Here is my perspective. I spent 8+ years volunteering and working in Pregnancy Resource Centers. I first volunteered in southern California. After we moved to where we live today, I was employed.

What did I do? Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRC) offers free pregnancy tests to anyone. Then, offers free information about their pregnancy with the idea of offering all options and a full description of all the options. Why? Because if a scared, pregnant woman goes into an abortion provider, that person typically does not get all the options and all the information. The provider is not legally required to give it. Did you know that abortion is the only surgical procedure where the doctor does not have to disclose the full risks of the procedure? There are risks, trust me. Women are injured and even die from messed up abortions. Even in this day and age. Whole other post as to why this doesn't make the news, but trust me, I know my facts on this one.

Anyway, that is where I worked. As an employee, I saw a lot of those young girls and women myself. For several years, I saw 60-70 girls a month. And you can imagine, I burned out in the end and then went on to work for the development department (fundraising) of our centers where I live now. It was the relief I needed and definitely still working for a cause I am passionate about. Then we had our own family, and I am quite passionate about them now.

Seeing these "clients" would raise the hair on anyone's head. We call them clients for the huge sake of anonymity. Their confidentiality, like most other medical offices, is utmost important. Of course I have seen a lot of teenagers who are pregnant. I have seen a handful of 40+ women who are pregnant. I have seen a ton of 20 something women who are pregnant. I have seen a gazillion negative tests. Most tests are negative, and that is a huge opportunity to talk to someone about abstinance. Not birth control. Why? Because I have also seen usually young teenagers or college students pregnant on every form of birth control out there--no joke. I have a whole other post I could share with you about sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) that usually will scare even older married couples into abstinance.

What happens when the test is positive with a teenager? Here is my bulleted opinion:

* If the client comes from a poor family, a lot of mine were, there is little support for the pregnancy. A lot of support for abortion, even against the clients wishes.

* If the client comes from a well off family, some of mine were, there is little support for the pregnancy because the client would then be throwing away her future. There is a lot of support for abortion, even against the client's wishes.

* If the client doesn't have an abortion, and keeps the baby, there is usually a little bit of support given to the baby for about a year from the client's family. Then it becomes harder. The expectations from the family is that the client needs to get on her feet and support her baby/toddler. Usually the father of the baby is long gone after the first year, and she is on public assistance. In my 8+ years, the scenario varies from this very little from person to person. I don't know how a teenager can do it any other way unless she is independently wealthy.

* Extra to the above point. The birthfather is either gone, and the state is going after him for welfare reimbursement. Or he is on the very fringe of her life so that they can have a relationship, yet still get public assistance. In other words, he can't support his child, and she tolerates it for the sake of the relationship. In my opinion, she is settling for a lot less than she deserves.

Personally, how do you know if a man is committed to a woman and her baby? He puts a ring on her finger. Period. He honors her by asking her to spend the rest of her life with him. That option is so far away from this crisis, it's sad. Ladies, that is how you separate the wheat from the chaff, and I say this from personal experience as well as 8 years in the counseling room at PRC.

* Add to the above scenario, she has the one year old toddler. She has a new man in her life or she has the toddler's father--and gets pregnant again. By now, her parents are exasperated, and she is really struggling. Abortion is definitely an option, but not always.

* Add ten years onto this woman's life now. She is in her mid to upper twenties, with two school aged children. She has probably had one abortion in her history, if not more. She has an mid level job, and is actually doing okay. Her kids are okay. The struggling years seem to have passed. She finds a man who seems to be "the one". She finds out she is pregnant, and he quickly hits the road, and obviously he isn't "the one". By now, she doesn't want to parent another child because the boat is barely on course now. She doesn't want to go through the emotional devastation (yes, it is devastating to know as a mother you have taken the life of your child) of another abortion. She very maturely considers adoption, and seeks it very earnestly. I have seen that scenario in my years at PRC, and both of my children's birthmothers fall into that scenario. Very rarely does a teenager place a baby for adoption.

* But it does happen. Mature teenagers who can catch a glimpse of the above scenario place their babies for adoption. I am thinking of one teenager I worked with. Her parents were vehemently against adoption, and I saw that a lot. The parent of the teenager tries to fix past wrongs by parenting their child's out-of-wedlock baby. It is usually a fiasco down the road when this child has to find an identity in an already messed up family. In dealing with the teenager I worked with in this scenario--I found myself saying more than once, "This kid has more maturity than her mother!" I have those same feeling regarding Jamie Lynn's parents.

* As an adoptive parent, what do I think? As a person who has parented small children, I think there is no teen out there at all prepared for what parenting small children is like. It is tough, in a committed marriage relationship. I can't imagine doing it all alone as a teenager. I know I am hearing a lot of "amens" float around as I type this. I don't know any adult parent who wouldn't agree. Babies are cute and fun. Babies also suck the life out of parents. Anyone who is in a first time teen pregnancy has not a clue! I didn't have a clue! I worked in this environment, and adopted our first child, and at times felt like asking for a prescription for something to make this all feel better. It is the hardest work I have ever had to do. More "amens".

Jamie Lynn bullet thoughts:

* No teen parent, even someone with the financial resources she has, is prepared to be a parent. I don't think she can do it. I think her 19 year old boyfriend needs to get smart quick. If he is smart, he will step up to the plate as the older of the two and start acting like a man. What does that mean? That means shooing away the paparazzi. That means keeping Jamie Lynn's parents advice to a minimum. That means keeping Britney away (the jury is literally still out as to whether she is a fit parent). In other words--protect his woman and get ready to be in a long term committed relationship with her and his baby. He needs to grow up now. I say this to all teen dads who are deer in headlights when the girlfriend is suddenly pregnant.

* Jamie Lynn should honestly consider adoption. I think I have made the reasons clear on that. She has a ton of financial resources that most birth parents don't have. But she has a very messed up family. She has the opportunity to provide that child with a family she never had. It will also afford her the future she has just begun to build with her career. She can continue to be on Nickelodeon's payroll. Nickelodeon has some hard decisions to make here as well. Do they support teen pregnancy? We'll see.

* Adoption. Jamie Lynn will have a hard time placing a child for adoption as long as the paparazzi is at her door. There are definitely confidentiality issues, privacy issues, etc. that come with adoption. The nosy paparazzi, who tends to find those things out, could really ruin an adoption. That is a crying shame. I am sure this paragraph has been discussed in that family.

* I think Britney and Jamie Lynn's parents need to sit down before the Lord and pray. I think they need to acknowledge a lot of misguided things that have caused both their daughters to have such trainwreck lives at such early ages. I know there are times I sit before the Lord and ask forgiveness for my parenting mistakes as well. I am not perfect. But in this case, we have two grown women (Jamie Lynn and Britney) and the lives of three young babies (Britney's and Jamie Lynn's) who are suffering badly. If I were the mom of this mess, I would be prostrate on the floor asking for forgiveness. The book deal would not even be an option ever again.

I feel so sorry for this scared 16 year old in all of this. I hope she gets her head on straight, quits listening to bad advice, and finds a solution. I hope her boyfriend becomes part of the solution and not more of the problem. I pray this baby has a balanced, well adjusted, future. I think we all need to pray that way for all teen pregnancies.

Let me know if you want me to post future posts on such topics as these 1) the cost of fatherless children to our culture 2) STD's 3) Abortion statistics. I avoided those only because this post would be beyond huge if I did. But I am happy to cut them up into bite sized pieces.

What do I think of Jamie Lynn knowing what I know and what I have shared?

I am pro life. Period. I support teenagers when they find themselves pregnant. If I don't support teen pregnancy, I am then supporting teen abortions, and I truly think that is much worse. Two lives are forever shattered.

Because teen pregnancy is not something any of us strive for--I support abstinence outside of marriage big time. Not birth control, but abstinence.

If a teen finds themselves pregnant, I support the pregnancy. I support Jamie Lynn for having the courage to keep her pregnancy, not have a secret abortion, and to take loads of flack she has received. Pretty tough girl to take that. I also support life change, maturity, not taking the road most traveled, not settling for status quo, etc. when a teenager is pregnant. I support a teenager at least considering adoption, so many times they don't when they should. I support Jamie Lynn for the courage she has shown thus far.

I will close with a quote from Lisa Whelchel. She was a teen star back in the 80's, has two teenage daughters, and has authored 12 Christian family books. She has an opinion I respect.

"I'm so proud of Jamie Lynn for stepping up and being courageous and taking responsibility for her choices, and I believe she's being a good role model – a good role model in that situation, to choose to have the baby (not abort), and I am supportive of her in that situation," said Whelchel.

Advent Poetry

I have only recently added this person to my list of blogs I watch. I have never met him but found his blog through other blogs, and so the addiction to blogging goes...

Anyway, he is a thoughtful thinker and he offered up some great poems for this season.

Please click here and enjoy. They have focused my mood a little better this evening.

Bathtub Liftoff

Okay, you ever wondered what that devilish eye is that all us parents talk about?? The first part of the above video, he's oblivious I am filming. Then he looks up, smiles, nods, and tosses the water. They he lays in the water and kicks enough water to splash me and the camera.




And this is how noisy two year olds can be. It is also fun to listen to the counting. I am taking votes if he is saying "lift off" or "blast off". Post your response when you have a minute.

How Smart are You?

I am on Connections Academy email list. I just got this cute quiz from them. Try it out and see how good you are. Post your score--I was a bronze. There are a few zingers in there. What is so silly, I got the zingers, it was the easy ones that got me!

Click here.

Then post your gold, silver or bronze status!

PS Also, please wave and say "Hello!" to the Connections Academy home office in Baltimore, MD! Hello everyone! Whenever I post a link of theirs, they make sure I am not doing anything wrong, which is understandable, and there are suddenly lots of hits on my blog from them. But I also want to make their visit to my very pro-Connections Academy blog a pleasant one. Hi everyone!

Merry Christmas

It's days like today that I find it hard holding back how much I love my kids. We did our Christmas Pageant this last Sunday. Now, if you have never been a parent involved in such a production, there are pro's and con's.

Cons are:
Stress making sure your child knows his or her lines, has the right costume, etc.

Stress if the child fights you about either of the above issues.

Stress if you have any props, costumes, etc. you are in charge of. Luckily, at our church we don't go extravagant at all. I know some places use live sheep, etc.

Stress if you do use simple props like camels heads on the ends of broomsticks, like us. Those sticks become light sabers if you're not careful.

Extra stress in general. But it's worth it.

Pros are:
When the production happens, you get to watch your children act out the Nativity story. How cool is that?

As you watch our production, what also makes it fun is to watch for the ironic. Shepherds playing peek a boo with sheep, King Herod comforting baby Jesus, kings drinking a Starbucks hot chocolate, etc.

FYI--my apologies to those who have been waiting patiently for this. This file is so huge, blogger choked on it. So did YouTube. Artistically--I can't change it! It's perfect! Please know that all kinds of privacy is added to it. Only my friends and invited family can see this. Same for my blogger spot, only if you know about my blog through my friends and family can you see this. Translation--this video won't be on YouTube's website for the world to see.

Please Pray

I am about 99% certain I know the victim of this senseless beating. Click here.

If my memory serves me right, he is the son of a college classmate of mine from the college right across the freeway from where this beating took place--less than a mile away. When I knew Sage, he was twelve years old. I have a few phone calls out to friends to confirm, but how many Sage Herron's are there in the world?

Please pray. One newscast of his injuries tonight said he may not survive his injuries. If Sage's father is who I think it is, I am sure he is on his knees right now praying to God to save his son. Please remember him in your prayers if you think about this.

If I can, I might make a trip to the hospital tonight. I can't imagine what his family is going through right now. Please also pray the culprits are caught.

UPDATE: Sage is my friend's son. I went to the hospital tonight and the family wasn't receiving visitors, understandably. One news report said that Sage's injuries are so bad homicide detectives were called to the scene.

I may not be able to visit the family, but I can pray. Lord, watch over this family. Take ahold of their hearts and keep them. Please give Your mighty healing to Sage. I thank you, Lord, that he knows you. Please provide comfort and strength to Sage's parents and siblings. You have ordered Sage's days, You are the Giver and Taker of life. We ask that you heal Sage and give him life. Please send the support and help to this family that they need. Because of the news coverage they are understandably being private. I pray You allow those people into their privacy that can give what they need right now. Only You can heal and fix such a situation, and I look to You to bring that to us now. Thank you Lord!

Stay tuned...

This picture is an initial "fitting" of the shepherd's costumes I made late last night. I am pleasantly surprised how nice they turned out. When I was first roped....er....asked to do this, I pictured purchasing two brown bath robes.

I am also thankful for my grandmother in this project! She passed away almost ten years ago. I, as her only granddaughter, received all of her sewing things. I have bins and bins of sewing notions. What are sewing notions? Those are all the little things you need while sewing like buttons, seam tape, thread, snaps, hooks, etc. Whenever I have a project like this, and I need a little "something" I just pull out bins, and manage to find embellishments that are perfect. I also can't help but think how old some of those things are, like 25 years plus. So, when you see the final project later, and you see anything that isn't the color of the brown and sage pillowcase, remember to thank God for putting such a great woman like my grandmother on this earth. She was a great lady.

The pageant is today at church. There will be quite the fun slide show coming soon.

Answering the Headlines

Do you ever find yourself skimming headlines online, in magazines and newspapers and answering them in your mind?

I do all the time. My response may very well be misinformed in that the headline may not at all capture the truth about the ensuing article. Here are some of my initial responses:

"Jennifer Love Hewitt: 'I am not fat!"
ME: I wish I were as "fat" as you. (I am not a single digit size like she is, if she is fat, I wanna be like her!)

"Canadian Man Hit With $85,000 Cell Phone Bill"
ME: Where are your teenagers?

Linday Lohan: "It Was Time To Grow Up"
ME: It was, and you have drank more in your lifetime than I have in mine.
(I am mere months away from 40)

"Hulk Hogan says he'd like to see a Gladiator pummel Rosie O'Donnell"
ME: Interesting picture in my mind.

"Compromise Reached on Climate Change"
ME: Mother Nature speaks?

"Bush says steriods 'sullied' baseball"
ME: This is timely news?

"Panel Says Cold Medicines Work"
Duh! That is why I use them. Who spent money finding that out?

"Katie Holmes Tells Mag What Turns Tom On"
TMI! TMI! TMI!

Bananas

Many times in the rush to get out the door in the morning to take JM to school, I hand BH a banana to eat in the car. He is such a picky eater, sometimes he eats, most times he doesn't, many times he hands me half of a banana. I am glad when he gets something in him that is as nutritionally packed as a banana.

Yesterday, we are on our way to JM's school. Suddenly this conversation happens.

BH: Momma!
ME: Yes?

BH: Where da banana?
ME: I don't know. (Translation in my head--when we get home, we'll need to get the upholstery cleaner out and wipe up banana.)

BH: Momma!
ME: Yes?
BH: Here id is!

I look into the rear view window and the picture above of BH is the picture I see in my rear view mirror.

You're kidding, right?

Here's the headline that caught my eye yesterday on Fox News national website:

"Clinton official: Obama's Drug History Could Hurt in November if he is Nominee"

Click here for the full story.

Okay, I know it was awhile ago when Bill Clinton ran his first successful campaign as President. I was in my early twenties. I am now quickly approaching my early forties. So, let me indulge the younger crowd here.

I remember very distinctly Bill Clinton's youthful drug experimentation being a point of contention during that campaign. Back then, voters did expect candidates to be exceptionally perfect and have no youthful mistakes in their past. I think now, we can all agree, that is unreasonable, and we are looking for the turned leaf in a person's life.

Of course, twenty years ago, Bill Clinton lied, because that is what he does. No, I didn't vote for him, can you tell? Here is how that famous lie was excused away when questioned about marijuana use, "I didn't inhale." And yet, the American public still voted for him. I didn't think the marijuana use was bad, but the lie was inexcusable. I also think the American public learned their lesson--you can't spoon feed us lies like that and expect us to just say "okie dokie!" like the public did in the early nineties.

The outtrage! They are throwing rocks at Obama about drug use! You show me anyone who has ever taken a drag on a joint of pot and not inhaled. The hypocrisy is very Clinton-esque.

Now, Barak Obama has been very candid and honest that he did do drugs in his past. He has listed them. Marijuana and "cocaine if I could afford it." He has been honest. Obama also knows his personal life will be rifled through looking for inconsistencies in that story.

As the election gets closer, I won't post a whole lot on it. There is usually so much political buzz that it truly is deafening, and I don't need to add to it. I will do little tidbits like this.

I can tell you this. I won't vote for Hillary. I don't like her. As a woman, I just stood by and watched for most of the nineties as her name got dragged through the mud by her philandering husband, culminating in Monica-gate in the oval office. I don't like that she took that like a mouse. I don't like women who tolerate infidelity from their husbands.

I also don't like that I am having flashbacks of the preposterous Clinton campaign lies that we were fed in 1992! It is stupid!

You're right, I am talking as though Bill and Hillary are the same person. Politically, they are. If there is one thing all of us can agree on during the 90's, they work and move the same politically, and we're seeing that in the "Smear Obama" statements.

I also won't vote for Obama. He has no foreign policy experience and his blanket statements on the current Middle East situation tell me he hasn't got a clue. He is very critical of Bush for putting us in the current war. I know this war has been messy. But anyone who blames Bush for it, hasn't got a clue. Extremists started this war by plowing passenger airplanes into our buildings on our soil.

From what I can tell. If he were President, he'd yank all the troops all at once and sing Kum By Ya. Want more planes to crash into towers?

Condie Rice said it best, "They were at war with us before we were at war with them." They started it, and Bush responded.

Merry Christmas, baby Gabriel

I have been posting about this adoption case in our state for the last few months. See my posts dated 10/8/2007 and 11/13/2007 for background. Especially the one on 10/8 gives a full background. Child custody case in our state's foster care system, where the child would be sent to a country he's never known, to people he doesn't know, taken from the only family he's ever known. Plus, he's an American citizen and our state system has footed a lot of money for his biological parents in jail, Gabriel's foster care, etc. It's time for him to be with a family that won't rake the system anymore.

I have been on pins and needles with this for the last few days for two reasons.

1) A state mediator was assigned to this case to find a solution. I don't have much faith in anyone working for the state in a situation like this.

2) The paternal grandmother of this little boy flew in from Mexico for a sit-down to fix this. I was worried that would not go well, and heels would start digging in.

I thought wrong. The sit down went well. In fact, Gabriel is staying in the United States, to be adopted by the brave and courageous Brandt family. Click here for the details. Congratulations to the Brandt family!

The terms of the adoption are fairly typical open-adoption kinds of things.

a) Gabriel will keep in regular contact with his paternal grandmother. Part of that will require him to learn Spanish, and the Brandt's have agreed to get that going.

b) Regular visits to take place in Oregon, not Mexico. Smart family, those Brandts! Why is this point important? Mexico and the United States do not have a child custody kind of agreement to return children taken by parents, etc. So if Gabriel left the US for a visit to Grandma's and she suddenly decided to not return him, etc. Mexico has no agreement or obligation to return Gabriel to the US. Smart! I saw that one coming, and I am glad the Brandt's did too.

I am in tears and so happy for them! I was ready to hear yet another news report giving adoption yet another black eye. Plus, this little boy will continue to grow in the security of his home and family that he has always known.

God bless you, Brandt's, and Merry Christmas!

Von Trapp Family Pillowcase Silliness

Here they are! Two sage green pillow cases and two brown. I am actually quite startled when I look at the picture of them spread out on my disgusting linoleum how much the brown matches the linoleum. But I digress....

Okay, sing the tune "Raindrops on roses, and warm woolen mittens. Bright copper kettles and whiskers on kittens...." Now just hum it in your mind for a minute.

I am making shepherds costumes out of these pillow cases!

Hummm....hummm...."And then I don't feel so bad!" As I jump on my bed! Ta da!

Christmas giving

The hostess I had for my Sunday evening candle party is a gem!

She is renting a truck and taking supplies to Vernonia! She also made her candle party a canned food drive. We had planned that before the flooding, and the canned food people brought will now go to Vernonia. I think she is great!

I also gave her some household items to take to them. I have had a queen size air mattress that hasn't been used in years, and none of the charities will take it! I am thinking that if I were in a flood and I had to clean out my house of mud soaked things, the mattress would be the first to go. That mattress is going to Vernonia!

I also included a bunch of children's books and clothing. All of those things that people have owned got tossed into the dump pile because they are no good when they are flooded with muddy toxic water.

I love this kind of initiative and I love joining this kind of initiative. So if anyone in my area has household items or canned food donations that you want to include in her truckload in the next few days, send me a post and we'll get it going.

My understanding is that FEMA has now arrived in Vernonia. Residents have been getting a steady stream of supplies. That is great! From the sidelines, it has been heartwarming to watch the Pacific Northwest rally around this sleepy little community.

T Minus Two Candle Parties!

I am dying! Well, not quite, but I am fried. I love my job, I really do. I need a break.

The worst was over today. I had a double header today, and did two candle parties. I have done three in a day, and I don't recommend it. It makes for a 16 hour day.

I have bunco with the girlfriends tomorrow. Sounds fun? It will be but I am also making two candle deliveries on the way there and back from that fun evening. Tuesday, I have a candle party. I am also picking up a return on the way home from that one. It's all the details of returns and exchanges that is about making me nuts this year.

On Wednesday at 9 pm Pacific Standard Time, please don't call. I will be quietly sipping a bottle of wine to myself and looking for an episode of CSI that I have missed. I might even be holed up in a closet somewhere.

But that won't make my week easier. I love the Christmas pageants the school and church puts on for our kids. I do! I love how it directs them to the real reason for Christmas. I just got roped into making two shepherds costumes by next Sunday. I can do it, but it will cut into my sipping wine time. I think if I just take two pillow cases, cut a head and arm holes, and slit the sides, etc. Needle and thread folks know what I am talking about. So, I'll need to make a trip *gulp* to a store.

We also have our giving tree at our church. We take ornaments off of a tree that have labels saying what needy four needy families near us need. Our church does a stunning job of absolutely showering a family with a full Christmas dinner and full round of gifts for all kids. The night we do the wrapping and giving for that puts me instantly in the Christmas spirit. I shopped for those gifts tonight, and realized I should have gotten the pillow cases....gr!

JM has a pageant this Wednesday night for his school that I will miss. The hubbie will do a great job of being the parental representative. When I miss those sorts of things, yes I have the pang of guilt. But I also pat myself when I make it to almost every single other thing he has during the year.

Next Sunday is the church pageant, which I will fully be involved in. So get ready for a slide show from that. The cuteness factor alone watching toddlers with lamb ears on is worth that! In fact, for sheer fun, I'll post last year's pageant. So cute!



After church, I have invited a few friends over for our annual showing of "A Christmas Story" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Those are family staples for our family. I never watched them until I married my husband. We've been married 15 1/2 years now, so it's definitely a tradition. We have them memorized. I also have a turkey I bought at Thanksgiving, so I am thinking I'll cook that and do a basic turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and vegetable dinner. After doing it a few times, I do think a turkey dinner isn't too bad. It's all the extras that make it overwhelming.

After next weekend, I would like to take the kids to some of the cool light displays near us. We saw one last week. It was beyond cute as BH watched lights going by in his soft little toddler voice, "Momma! So pwetty! Wow......." His voice carrying off. It wasn't squeals of excitement, it was awe. Score for the parents, the desired affect occurred.

And in year's past, I used to take a whole day and make Christmas stollen. It is a German sweet bread, and I love it! My friends and family who get a loaf love it too. It is a whole day to make this bread because it has two rising cycles. Plus it is a small fortune to buy the ingredients. I love to make it, eat it, and give it away. I also need a full day when the hubbie is home so I can have child care. We'll see if it happens this year. I'll keep you posted. My dad keeps asking me for it because I usually send him a loaf. The last couple of years I haven't pulled it off. He's missing it.

So as the candle biz winds down for my season, I fool myself thinking I'll get to watch a soap opera (which I wouldn't do anyway, give me "Dirty Jobs" anyday!) and eat some bon bons. I have things to do that are slowly eating up my attention. But I shouldn't say it so negatively. These are all the things that make this season so fun. I guess I just wish it didn't have such a deadline on it! Can't we just do Christmas all year long?

Gum on my shoe!

The wannabe-pedophile-weirdo is back! This is like a bad nightmare! Click here for the article.

Anyone who lives near me, please study his face. If you ever see him near where your kids are, please call the police non-emergency line. If you have read my past posts on him, the police are keeping close tabs on him. But let's help them out.

This idiot is complaining there is no where for him to live. Sure there is! But those places don't have schools, parks and skating rinks where kids congregate. Plus as long as he is foolish and keeps putting his face in front of a media outlet, we'll all make sure he doesn't live near us.

Make no doubt, he is a sex offender waiting to happen. I wonder if his weird desire to shine the media spotlight on himself is a sick cry for help. He knows he'll do something and needs to be monitored in a weird way.

If you want to get a glimpse on how sick this man is, see my posting on 11/13/2007. There is a link to his website there. Please also heed my warning I posted as well--his website doesn't have anything illegal or explicit--but the language is incredibly offensive, but also a learning tool to see what a sicko he is. I put a link there once, I don't need to give him anymore attention than that. But you will see, he isn't the victim he claims to be. He definitely hunts for young girls, and shares some of his sick thoughts about them. I certainly don't want to be someplace with kids, see him and wonder what is in his mind at that moment.

Anyway, I hear there is some great land way north near the arctic circle he might like.

Noisy sleep

JM sleeps on the top bunk. BH sleeps on the bottom bunk. Many times daddy falls asleep with BH on the bottom bunk. Tonight, I can hear Daddy snoring loudly.

BH: Daddy.....DADDY! You're being noisy!

Germ A Phobes

Okay, the results from my little poll last week are in. One hundred percent of my reader's consider themselves to be balanced, not too worried about germs, and live by the Ten Second Rule.

Just to refresh our memory, that is the rule that if you drop food, you have ten seconds to pick it up and be okay with not getting germs. In fact, you can feel safe and comfortable that you can eat it, and do. That really applies in your own home and even property, mainly because we are all immune to our own germs in our own home and we know intimately how clean our homes are.

Places where the Ten Second Rule does not apply:

1) Anywhere there are animals, not in your home. Such as the zoo. This is very applicable in case you are eating a sack lunch with the kids at the zoo and they drop a potato chip. I do not know what animal walked by with a keeper after hours in that area and left something behind. Ten Second Rule does not apply there. Leave it for the next lemur who comes through to get.

Also applies to pet shops and animal shelters, but who is eating there?

2) The bathroom. I say this because kids don't understand this fine point. It is not cool at all to bring food in the bathroom, let alone drop it and apply the Ten Second Rule. This needs to be explained delicately to children.

3) Personally, for me the Ten Second Rule does not apply in our chicken coop. Again, who is eating out there?

I only say this because I could see my two year old, next summer with a popsicle in his mouth, walk out to the chicken coop with me, drop a chunk of his popsicle and pick it up and eat it. See why we have to teach our kids the exceptions?

What other Ten Second Rule exceptions can you think of?? I am sure there are a few more. But remember, we are not germ a phobic. We are reasonable. So before you think up one, make sure you aren't crossing over into the whole "must bleach, rinse with soap and water, then apply Purell" kind of thinking.

It feels Biblical!

Many of my long distance friends have asked if we are okay in the flooding that has happened here in our area. We are fine and our day to day life is business as usual. Nothing in our city has any problems. If our home were to flood, considering where we are located, it would be disasterous. We are on a high spot in our city, and there would be a lot of devastation before we flooded.

Now, Chehalis, WA, which is right up the freeway from us, and is on the main route to Seattle. It is a major shipping route and runs on the I-5 freeway. You can take the I-5 freeway from British Columbia to Mexico. It's been closed since Monday, with it not opening until this weekend. That is huge!

I talked to a friend who visited Seattle, and she is now trapped there. She could fly home or take Amtrak, which just opened. She only budgeted for gas money, not extras like those would be.

But what is worse. Just like most disasters, the worst news comes later. The people of Chehalis, WA, in the middle of the night this last Monday, were under four feet of water that was moving at about 3-4 knots. That is enough to whisk you away, even in your own living room. During the night, the Air National Guardsmen, reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina, were plucking people off of roof tops with fast water lapping at their feet. It was dire. Homes are gone.

Why? A levy broke in Chehalis, WA. Yes, very reminiscent of Katrina.

People in Vernonia, OR didn't have the fast moving water, just complete flood damage. The heartbreak as you watch retired people just sobbing because they have nothing now. They were living out their golden years in their homes. The folks there have made an impromptu dump in the middle of town where they are dumping all of their belongings to prevent mold. It is horrible. Homes are gone.

So we are fine. And we are counting our blessings. Others are not. If you want to help, just add the Red Cross to my list of charities. Here is a link where you can specifically give to help these folks. For those who live here, you can drop off immediate supplies at this place. Click here for that. Water, fuel, diapers, toiletries, canned food, household supplies, etc.

I can't believe what happened in just one stormy night!

Difference of a day

The flood waters are receding. The coastal towns of Oregon are not recovered by any means. But the chain saws are chopping up fallen trees, electricity is starting to be restored, as well as phone lines. The weather has stopped and recovery is good. The coast line towns really got the hit by winds and rain, mostly winds.

You might see on the news about the itty bitty town of Vernonia. They got hit hard by all this rain. That town is nestled in the woods, at the base of a valley, with a lake and river going through it. The river flooded and it's been a mess. Most of the footage on the news is out of that town. They actually got stranded without a way in our out due to the flood. No electricity, phones, fuel, water, supplies, etc. The National Guard made it in with some special equipment to rescue people from their homes in rafts. It was horrible. The waters there have really receded, and should be continuing to reach normal levels in the next day or so. Thank God! I have several friends who live there, and I haven't been able to reach.

In all of that gloomy news--we awoke to a normal Pacific Northwest morning. Thick fog. It's actually very pretty and crisp on mornings like this. I looks like a postcard. We need some picture postcard weather around here for a change.

Then I look at Kristina's blog in Minnesota! I don't miss driving in snow at all!

Gloom and Doom

If you have watched the news, the Pacific Northwest is getting pounded pretty hard with a rainstorm right now. I know, what does that really mean? I have lived here since 1991 and I hear weather forecasters say "showers today, rain tomorrow". What is the difference between the two? To this day I don't know what the distinction is.

Well, we are getting torrential rains this time. Usually it's lots and lots of just drizzly rain. Here is what I know:

1)The Christmas party I planned with my working colleagues was a bust last night because of this rain. One gal was sandbagging her parents house because they live by a creek and the creek was "kissing the back porch." Another gal couldn't get out of her driveway because the water was so high on her street.

2) It is very warm outside.

3) If you are going to Seattle from Oregon, good luck. The freeway is closed at Chehalis, WA in both directions. My friend who is a flight attendant out of Seattle is looking to have some time off, and loving it.

4) If you are in central Oregon or Washington, good luck getting to the coast. Many of the roads that take you to the coast are close, and only seem to be opening intermittently. The coastal range is getting the hardest hit with winds. Many many power lines are down and many roads with low areas have flooding. My understanding is that phone lines and cell phone towers are affected too.

I feel blessed that my home is doing just fine!

My only selfish complaint is the gloom is here. It gets so overcast and gray on days like today that it feels like evening at 7:30 in the morning, see the picture above. It's doesn't change. So for the most part....I just feel gloomy. I feel like the weather.

But I am thankful that I have power. I have my family and home. I know there are some folks who are very scared right now with flooding waters or being stranded. My prayers to them, and please think to pray for them if you can.

I need to light some candles....

Morning Greetings

This morning, before church, I have a breakfast meeting. So I am meeting the family at church. It's an extra early day for me. Remember--I am not a morning person.

I get up this morning, and get dressed right away. I didn't head to the living room in my pajamas. I walk into the living room, dressed, and here is why my two year old said:

BH: AAAGH! It's Momma! She scared me!

Pay It Forward

I mentioned this in my last post. My aunt specifically asked me to not send a Christmas gift, but instead, if we wanted to give her something to donate the money we would have used for a gift to a favorite charity. She listed several of her favorites. Luckily several of them are favorites of ours.

Today, I made a $50 donation for part of a cow to Heifer International. It will pay for a third world community to have a cow. It is amazing what one cow can do for an impoverished community. It provides nourishment, industry, fertilizer, etc.

I am hearing inklings more and more of this kind of giving this year more than any other year. I like it, and I like it a lot. I hope we can grow this idea more and more in our family in the future.

So, in light of that, I have made a list to the left of my favorite charities. I encourage you to just look at Heifer International. It is amazing what just a goat can do for a community. Again, provides gallons and gallons of milk for a community. Leftover milk is made into yogurt. Same for sheep. Milk is used and wool becomes a money making endeavor for the community.

I also listed Maranatha Ministries, the orphanage we support in Haiti. They do a great work that literally can be the difference between life and death for children there.

If anyone is up for it, I would be happy to do one of my formula drives for Maranatha this year. Typically I just ask for donations of money, baby formula coupons/vouchers, or actual formula. I gather all of that together and ship it to the director of Maranatha Ministries. It is used immediately.

Baby formula is worth it's weight in gold in Haiti. Picture this. Malnourished birthmother gives birth to a low birth weight baby. Birthmother's milk does not produce because she is malnourished. Baby formula is expensive. Birthmother's health is at risk, and baby has no way of being fed. Many times birthmother's perish in childbirth and many times, so do the babies.

If you're interested in helping with this, just post and we'll get it going. I can purchase two huge can of Costco baby formula for $20.00. That is a great price and my youngest was raised on that formula. I think it's good stuff. My gift to this is, of course, some formula and paying the cost of shipping it to Haiti, or to Florida to be taken to Haiti. They also use macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, and personal hygiene products. I like to do the formula, but won't turn anything down. Want to help?

I like the idea of giving a gift that has life changing, life giving and heart warming qualities to it.