The Peanut Butter and Jelly Chronicles

Clearing Out the "Edit Posts" List

2008-08-26T12:17:00.007-05:00

I have sat down and started about 5 blog posts over the past 2 weeks, but none have managed to flourish into completion. Being a bit disappointed in myself for not maintaining my personal goal of at least one post per week, I am going ahead and posting this complete stream of consciousness entry.

So what were those other posts going to be about? Here is the low-down...

Baby Whale tried to nurse boats in Australia....brought back many memories of nursing our children. I found it very sad that this little newborn was so desperately trying to latch-on and aren't all newborns as clueless about their surroundings? Put just about anything in front of them and they will suck it; just ask any new parent's finger if this is true.

Mother Gorilla mourns dead baby .... The mother did not want to give up the corpse of her dead baby that died from a suspected heart defect. Many people doubt whether animals have any parental feelings beyond instinct, but perhaps humans are too far removed from parental instinct. It is especially evident when there are so many instances of child neglect, like this recent story about an 11-month-old that died of starvation and dehydration.

The last news story that I started to post about was (surprisingly) not about animals, but about The Recent Immunization Debate that seems to be going on day-in and day-out over at MSNBC.

Lax vaccinations causes whooping cough outbreak -- link
Vaccines cause autism -- link
Vaccines are not linked to autism -- link
(the above to articles are older but referenced heavily)

Aug. 21- Non-vaccinating causes more measles -- link
Aug. 22- Non-vaccinated kids pose a health risk to everyone -- link
Aug. 25- Our kids shouldn't play together -- link

Where do I even start with this one? I, for one, am cautiously suspicious of vaccinations, but our children have had the shots on the infant/toddler schedule. They have not had any of the school age booster shots.

I imagine that if I had been more informed about the dangers of the shots and the actual effectiveness (or should I say ineffectiveness) of immunizations, we may have chosen a different route, but either way, there is no reason for parents to be in such an uproar and battling it out over this.

Don't we all do the best we can to take responsibility and make intelligent decisions for our children? Are any of us so confident in our daily choices that we want to force our decisions onto other parents?

This is simply a great way for MSNBC to maintain their readership. Get everyone to take a side then maintain this perpetual debate.

So those are the thoughts and perspectives that have been swimming around in my head recently and now that they are out of the way, I can now post about what has been occupying my time since last Monday.

....But now I am out of time again and I need to get up and chase my naked 2-year-old!

I'll be back later, I'm determined!

"Easy" Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2008-08-13T07:28:00.009-05:00

I have never posted a recipe before, but this is an easy favorite of mine. Cooler weather will hopefully be arriving soon and soup is great when it's cold outside.

"Easy" Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

46 oz can of tomato juice
2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream*
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter*
5-6 tomatoes
3-5 cloves of garlic (add this to suit your preference)
Fresh Basil
salt and pepper to taste

* This is what the original recipe calls for. I have only made it like this two times and it was, of course, delicious, but lets get real folks, how much milk-fat does one family need?! I usually substitute half-and-half for the cream and margarine for the butter. (I once tried it with fat-free half-and-half, but it was not very good. Fat-free is mostly corn syrup.)

1. Peel and seed the tomatoes. (There is a learning curve on peeling and seeding tomatoes, but once you get it, it's not a big deal. Here is an instructional video just in case.)

2. Simmer together tomatoes, tomato juice, butter and garlic for about an hour and a half. (I often throw this into the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours. That way I don't have to monitor it and I can instead monitor the children!)

3. Remove heat and allow soup to cool. Put mixture into a blender, add 6-7 leaves of fresh basil and blend together. (This is where a hand-held blender comes in quiet handy. I use mine to blend the soup right in the cooking pot. You still should wait until it has cooled a bit because scalding hot soup splattered up your arm is not pleasant.)

4. Return soup to pot and add cream, simmer for an additional 30 minutes. (Again, you can put this together in a crockpot on low for about an hour and not have to worry about it.)

5. Serve and enjoy.

Looking over the recipe now, I realize that perhaps it is not as easy as I thought. Maybe I have just made it so many times that it seems to require little effort. Hopefully you will give it a try and let me know in the comments how it works out.

BTW - ALL of our kids, even our very pickiest eater, eat and enjoy this soup. I usually add crackers or bread to thicken-up our toddler's bowl. He isn't all that great at spooning liquids.

A Wedding, a Bit of Confusion and the Summer is Over

2008-08-11T18:25:00.007-05:00

I suppose the summer is drawing to a close. The public schools have started back and I am just beginning to see a tinge of red in a few leaves on the Bradford Pear tree that waves to our bedroom window each day.

We rounded out our very busy summer with an annual New Hampshire visit. This year we journeyed in August so that our trip would coincide with my sister-in-law's wedding.

Stacey Elizabeth Holland married Christopher Joseph on Saturday, August 2, 2008 on Bear Island in Meredith, NH. What a beautiful bride and a beautiful wedding!

But, I must admit that the ceremony's procedure created a bit of temporary confusion in our four-year-old's mind - Let me explain....

Setting: The lake side home of Barney and Bettyanne Holland, bright flowers adorn every walkway and the weather is pleasantly warm and sunny. Sunshine filters through the pines and the water sparkles.

Scene: Standing on a prominent rock, about 3-feet over the guests are the groom and his best man. The wedding music plays as the wedding party walks down a path. First, toddler Henry is lead by his daddy and brings flowers to the mother of the bride and of the groom. Next appear the two lovely flower girls, Elora Holland and her cousin Erin. They are followed by two young ring bearers, 7-year-old Corbin and 4-year-old Jacob.

The boys took their job of carrying the rings very seriously. Corby told them that if they dropped the rings, Aunt Stacey would not be able to get married. We were so happy that all of our children could participate in their aunt's wedding!

Next appears the matron of honor holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. (Yes, I was the matron of honor but I still can't get over the word matron. It just sounds so....well, you can imagine!.) Last, the radiant bride is escorted by her father and the wedding begins.

The rock we were standing on was very large, probably more than 100 square feet of surface area, so there was plenty of room to stand on, but I must admit that during the ceremony I was mostly concentrating on not falling. The rock was pretty uneven and you know I just had to wear those cute little bronze heels instead of hiking boots which would have given me a lot more traction!

Despite my balancing act, I still got a little emotional when Stacey echoed "Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay." Even now the words move me.

Back to the wedding:

The ceremony is complete and the bride and groom kiss. He escorts her down the rock.

Here is the tricky part.

The best man (Chris' friend Dave) turns and takes the matron of honor's arm (that's me) and he escorts her down the rock and follows the bride and groom. The guests are excited, but as the wedding party departs they quiet. Just at that moment the four-year-old exclaims, rather loud for all to hear -

"Did Mommy just marry another man?!?"

Poor Jacob! Could he have really thought I was getting married too! Needless to say, there were many helpful and somewhat snickering family members to help clear-up his confusion.

Despite my failed attempt to acquire a second husband (darn-it), we really enjoyed our little vacation. It was a great way to close a busy summer of swim-team and home repairs. Now it's on to soccer and school.

A Very Busy Summer So Far

2008-06-08T16:55:00.005-05:00

It's been well over a month since my last post, but we have been very busy and we remain extremely so!

In early May we spent a wonderful week meeting and visiting with my father's side of the family in Destin, Florida. The beach was beautiful and the kids loved playing in the ocean, but none of that compared to the precious time we were able to spend with family from all over the country. Who would have guessed that so many people who had never met would have so much in common and be so much alike! In the end we all went our separate ways, but I hope our reunion becomes a regular event because we miss everyone dearly.

As soon as we returned home we jumped back into Corbin's baseball season with a game the day after our drive. Uncle V. arrived a few days later for a week long stay and Elora's dance recital. The recital went very well and I was impressed by many of the dancers' abilities. This is our first year participating in the evening performance, so there were even adult dancers in some of the classes.

After our company departed for Pennsylvania, with dance class wrapped-up and baseball coming to a close we moved into the summer swim team season. This year we have two swimmers, but unfortunately the practice daily at two different times! Needless to say, I typically spend all of my weekday mornings at the pool.

While the kids focus on their sports and activities, Corby and I are working hard to fix-up our rental house in order to sell it.

People warned us that renters will trash your house but we were not prepared for some of the strange and destructive things they did to our property. Were these people crazy? I think they were trying to re-mulch our flower beds with cigarette butts and cat litter! Gross!!

We have spent every spare hour painting over nail polish marks on the walls and ripping-up pet stained and smelly carpet. We did get quotes from handymen and painters, but needless to say, nothing saves money like doing it yourself....yay.

On top of all of this, Corby committed himself way back, early in the spring, to a Shakespeare on the Mountain theater production, and because his performances start next weekend, practices are almost every night.

This all stand to reason why the PB&J Chronicles have been a little quiet, but I hope to squeeze in some blogging time this summer so keep checking for updates!

The Mosquito That Rings In Your Ear

2008-04-29T16:22:00.008-05:00

A particular news story has been ringing in my ears this week, perhaps you have also heard about The Mosquito.

A new device dubbed The Mosquito is being reported as a revolutionary teen loitering deterrent. This small box with a $1500 price tag is designed to be affixed to a location and emit a high frequency sound that is supposedly heard only by teenagers. Its makers at kidsbegone.com claim that this sound is merely annoying and drives the young, would-be vagrants to a "quieter" location.

Curious as to what this "mosquito buzzing in your ear" may actually sound like, I did a quick Google search and found a few links that are supposedly the same sound amplified by the device.
When I played the Mp3 at a low volume, I was unable to hear the sound, but after cranking the dial up I was indeed able to hear a high pitched ringing sound, that in no way resembled the sound of an insect. Imagine instead the high pitched ring that resonates in your ears after spending hours at a loud concert or perhaps after being too close to fireworks on Fourth of July.

Interested in whether my husband could hear the sound, I played it a few times more. My daughter, who is nine, could hear the sound at a very low volume as could my seven year old son, our four year old even came into the room to ask us to please "turn off the alarm".

The kids all complained that the sound was too loud and, to my shock and surprise, they said that it hurt their ears.

I understand the frustration of businesses and property managers when teenagers decide that their stoop is a great new hang-out, but using a method of control that is indiscriminate in who it drives away is a terrible idea. More importantly, we have no research into what prolonged exposure may do to young children, who are definitely able to hear this sound. Fortunately, there are other people who share this view and are taking action.

This new invention also offers us a opportunity to consider how adults and teens are interacting.

I find it a bit disconcerting that adults would prefer the anonymous communication provided by a technological sound box as opposed to an actual conversation with teenagers or their parents. I have no doubt that teens can be difficult to reason with, but perhaps they would be better suited for adulthood if we actually began to teach them to interact with adults in a mature manner when they are young.

Our society seems to view adolescence as a complete vacation from reality, authority, and responsibility. Now, thanks to this new automated dog whistle, we can add human communication to that list!!!

If you would like to listen to those high-pitched frequencies, here is a link and an article explaining a bit of the science here, but be aware that prolonged listening can aggravate your ears.

No One Said It Was Going To Be Easy

2008-03-26T20:18:00.016-05:00

Today, while reading a post about new parenting over at Cafe Asteria, I found it interesting how quickly new parents become seasoned veterans in their own right. A few months of parenting may not entitle you to write a book or give parenting advice on a daytime talk show, but after one week with an infant, there are quite a few tasks that you begin to master to perfection.

Trial and error, and repetition, and repetition, and repetition, and repetition, slowly evolve the uneasy and inexperienced parents into trained diapering and swaddling machines. The nervous insecurities melt away into confidence and proficiency. What a wonderful feeling!

But, here's the rub...

As soon as you acquire your black-belt in midnight feeding, it is time for your baby to sleep through the night. And just when you earn your Olympic gold medal in changing a diaper on your lap in a car, it is time to potty train. You can even memorize all of the names and numbers of the Thomas the Tank engines, much to your toddler's pleasure, but in a few years it won't even matter because he will have moved onto something different.

It becomes more and more difficult to maintain that wonderful feeling of knowing exactly what to do to care for a child, because the older they get, the more complicated that job becomes.

Moms and dads struggle to stay on top of the ever changing parenting terrain by learning new tricks, adapting old techniques and forgetting some skills all together. We fight the early childhood battle of "just keeping them alive" and later move into the vast gladiator arena of trying to "teach them to be good people without screwing them up".

Parents must constantly gauge and assess their children in order to figure out what to do next. We read books and research. We ask questions and try new things. We attempt to manipulate any available aspect in life for their benefit, but it never feels like enough.

For me, that wonderful "good parent" feeling is nothing more than a distant memory, only replaced with uneasiness and doubt.

I look back on the infant era of colic and projectile spit-up and think "those were the good ol' days". Back then you knew where you stood with a child. If they were fed and asleep, you knew you had done your duty and you deserved a pat on the back.

Now when I go to bed every night I wonder, what strange and perplexing problem I will have to adapt to in the morning? What disturbing, unexplainable thing will I find broken, smelly or altogether missing? What questions will they ask me about life and what questions will I have to ask them? What if they don't tell the truth or if I catch them in a lie?

Each day brings new challenges, but perhaps what is even more worrisome than my infinitely imagined scenarios, is the idea that what if tomorrow is the day that I won't be able to figure out what to do?

You Know You're a Parent When...

2008-03-19T08:51:00.002-05:00

...you find yourself questioning a four-year-old as to why he was stashing two weeks worth of apple cores behind the couch.

You Know You're a Parent When...

2008-02-28T09:20:00.003-06:00

...nothing says good mornin' like a size 10 foot in your face!

The Grieving and Acceptance of My Health

2008-02-21T08:17:00.013-06:00

Yesterday, I was prescribed a medication that I will most likely have to take for the rest of my life. This morning I took that first pill and it went down quickly and easily, but my acceptance of this health condition has been a much harder thing to swallow.

After going to my general practitioner last fall with complaints about heart palpitations, I was tested and it was revealed that I most likely had hypothyroidism, an endocrine disorder. Since then I believe that my feelings about this illness have progressed through the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief.

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

Denial - When it was first suggested that I may have a thyroid problem, I was completely unconvinced. The author and patient advocate Mary J. Shomon wrote that most people have a vague idea that the thyroid is somewhere in your neck and that,

"...when malfunctioning, [it] makes you gain weight and develop a goiter."

I just couldn't accept that I was being diagnosed with the same illness that relegates people to a 300 pound body where they are so weak they have to ride the electric cart at the grocery store! I decided that the blood test must be wrong, or maybe I was just having an off day. When my doctor suggested I start taking a hormone replacement (the standard treatment) I flat out refused and he agreed that since my numbers weren't that bad, I could come back in four months and be tested again.

I knew the test results just had to be different then.

Anger-During that period of waiting, I began to research the causes of hypothyroidism and I began to get MAD.

It seems that just about everything in the world, and more specifically things man made, have been linked to endocrine malfunction. Cosmetics, household cleaners, artificial flavors in food, food emulsifiers that enhance processing, wireless frequencies from cellphones and computers, fluoride and other chemicals in the tap water, all of these things have been shown to harm thyroid function.

I believed that I had been wronged and I wanted someone to pay.

Bargaining - I then decided that I was going to take control and fix myself.

I thought that if I could change my diet or start the right exercise routine, than perhaps I could make this all go away. I started trying to lose weight (which is supposedly very difficult for someone who is hypo). I was able to bring my weight down from 160 to 145. I just knew that I was going to make everything better.

I would cure myself of hypothyroidism.

Depression - Last week, on Monday, I returned to my doctor for a new blood test. The nurse called me on Wednesday to tell my that my numbers were MUCH WORSE. I could hardly think on the phone when she told me that I would have to go on medication. I think that she sensed I was stunned and said she would schedule a consultation in one week and I could discuss my prescription with my doctor.

So, for the past week I have been mopey and dismal. Frequently suggesting to my husband that I was probably not going live into old age. Asking him bleak questions about whether he was prepared to raise our children alone.

I knew in the back of my mind that these assertions were unfounded, but my feeling was just one of general loss. I suppose I was mourning my youth and the more disturbing realization that I only have a limited amount of control over my health.

Acceptance - Tuesday, the day before my doctor appointement I decided to quit whining and empower myself. I started reading websites and forums that discussed living with a thyroid condition (instead of just looking for a cause or a quick fix as I was before). I bought a book and read until 1 am. I prepared myself with questions to ask my doctor about the medication and outlook.

I am very thankful to have a wonderful general practitioner who was willing to spend 15-20 minutes discussing things with me yesterday. He answered all of my questions and I can honestly say I feel good about the future.

Postscript: While researching online I discovered that Oprah did a feature about hypothyroidism in her November magazine, as well as an entire television show because she has it. I guess now instead of telling people I have that weird thyroid disorder that sometimes makes you obese and develop a bulging goiter in your neck, I can just say, "I have the same illness Oprah has". Perhaps that might put it in a better light.

I Hate the Cat, I Hate the Dog....Oh wait, they're o.k. now

2008-02-08T08:38:00.001-06:00

As I was walking through the bedroom this morning, I was awoken from my morning stupor by the cold, wet sensation of cat, hair-ball puke slipping under my barefoot. I was surprised at how calm I remained as I scraped the offensive goop from between my toes and dutifully returned to clean the carpet.

It then dawned on me that I have finally stopped hating our pets.

"Hating your pets? How could you!?", you may ask, but it was not always that way and I now believe that I have come full circle.

When Corby and I were a child-free couple, we had many cats. One summer, after a litter of kittens were born, we housed seven cats. Over the years we gave a few away and some ran away, but we always had 2 or 3 at least. The cats were our children, until I became pregnant for the first time.

While pregnant, I was surprised at how quickly our beloved cats went from fluffy balls of love to the most disgusting things in the world. The cat hair, cat puke, cat litter and the occasional "your laundry basket looks just like my litter box" accident all offended me to the point of wanting to get rid of all of the cats.

After Elora was born, things seemed to settle down a bit. I think that cats can sense stress and really don't like the sound of a baby crying, so generally they all gave me a wide berth. The only remaining annoyance was that all those cozy, soft baby blankets looked just as cozy and soft to all of the cats. Countless times I would find a stack of newly washed baby items (we had no washer and dryer, so we used a laundromat) covered in cat hair, and that usually sent me over the edge.

About four years later, living in a new house with a fenced yard, we decided to get an adorable puppy for our two children. Things were good for a while until I became pregnant with our third child. No one tells you that while pregnant you have a increased sensitivity to odor. I didn't even want to be in the same room with our dog now, who had grown to a hefty 70 pounds. It didn't help that our 1200 square foot house was beginning to seem a bit cramped.

After Jacob was born, the amount of dog hair shed around the house quickly became the bane of my existence. Dog hair gravitates and adheres to snuggly, terrycloth baby sleepers especially as the baby squirms and crawls across the floor. I must admit that I am not the best house-keeper in the world, but the amount of hair our dog could produce was no match for our vacuum, in fact, we went through two vacuums during this time.

I eventually trained our very smart, obedient dog, who had in many ways become the neglected step-child of the family, to not go into certain rooms of the house. Things were better because the hair wasn't everywhere, but when I became pregnant with our fourth child, I seriously thought that we should consider making the dog an "outside pet".

Finally, a year and a half ago, we finally upgraded our house to one double the size. We now have about 2200 sq.ft. and a large fenced back yard. The dog stays in the kitchen and entry hall even though there are no gates to keep him out of the other rooms (I think that he has incurred my wrath over the years enough to know that it is better to stay under the radar). We have only one cat now, because when we moved our other cat decided to run away and return to our old house. We retrieved her once, but she ran away again and we couldn't find her thereafter.

The pet situation has settled down now, but I guess it was never really a "pet situation" at all. I mean, the rest of the family always maintained a loving, fair relationship with all of the animals in the house. I suppose it was my crazy prenatal or postpartum hormones that made me so animal intolerant.

If you take a minute to think about it, there is probably a primal explanation.

I imagine that in primitive societies, animals posed a serious threat to a new baby. Those domesticated wild dogs and feral cats that kept company with the cavemen would surely not think twice about picking off a tiny human if times were tough and they were hungry. Perhaps my abhorrence of animal odor and my desire to protect the children from a mass of pet hair is only a latent remnant of an innate instinct for survival.

What do you think?

Blub-blub is a 13-year-old, striped tabby who sometimes forgets to keep her tongue inside her mouth and Nog-dog is a rotund, five-year-old, pound-puppy.

You Know You're a Parent When...

2008-01-30T12:49:00.000-06:00

You are painfully aware of the futility of trying to maintain or repair ANYTHING in a room shared by young boys.

This torn wallpaper is actually worse behind the dresser! I probably would have taken it a lot harder had I been the one to decorate this room, but it came this way when we bought our house. It will serve until the boys are old enough to want to change it.

Notice that this ceiling fan is not only missing a blade, but it's light globe is also long gone.We should have known better than to put the boys' bunk-bed under the fan, but the room is pretty square and it was going to be within reach where ever we put it. The popcorn ceiling is also a daily casualty of the bunk-bed. Those little white buggers are all over the place; you would think it was snowing indoors!

Postscript: One of our three sons is solely responsible for the wallpaper, ceiling fan blade and the ceiling popcorn removal (breaking the light globe was a joint effort). Those of you who know our boys can probably guess which one has done all of this damage, those of you who don't know our sons can refer to this post to draw your own conclusion.

Take These Broken Dreams!

2008-01-24T12:54:00.000-06:00

Christmas, a Florida vacation and then the flu, I certainly have not been able to keep-up with everything with so much disruption in life. So, it came as no surprise to me when strange movies began to appear in the mailbox as a result of a long, neglected Netflix Que.

Haven't we all done this before?

I am sure at some point in my Netflix organizing, I had a good reason to put The Secret of My Success in my que, but I can't seem to remember why!

Watching a few of these golden oldies from the eighties got me to thinking about how our culture used to view the corporate business world as compared to today.

Secret of My Success, Trading Places, Working Girl, Wall Street, Baby Boom, just to name a few, are all examples of the idealism in which we once viewed the suit-and-tie, corporate boardroom lifestyle. Hollywood told us that anyone could make a fortune in the business world with just a little common sense and an assumed identity!

Do they even make movies like this anymore? I am hard pressed to think of any modern movies that similarly create the illusion of a "Get Rich Quick" corporate world.

What kind of fortune making schemes do Americans aspire to today? My best guess is that young people have transferred their adoration of the yuppie business world, to an adoration of celebrity life. Movies released over the past decade often revolve around the lives of celebrities, some fictionalized, for example: Notting Hill, Almost Famous, Americas Sweethearts, and American Dreamz. Not to mention television reality shows like American Idol.

In both of these cases, whether it is in a corporate office or on a stage, singing in front of thousands, the general theme is that fame and fortune can be easily acquired.

Isn't that the whole underlying idea that appeals to us lazy Americans?

Americans want it all, but they shouldn't have to work too hard or sacrifice anything.

Here is my list of 80's Businessman Get Rich Quick & Easy Movies

Wall Street
Trading Places
Risky Business
Working Girl
Secret of My Success
Baby Boom
Big Business
Big
Mr. Mom (Teri Garr is a mom turned tuna fish advertising genius)

Please let me know if I forgot any!!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2008-01-14T11:41:00.000-06:00

We are all trying to get back into our normal routine this morning after spending last week in Florida, camping and visiting Disney World. We all had a wonderful vacation; thank-you to Grandma and Grandpa Holland for the perfect Christmas gift!

Eight of us shared a campsite in the Disney park at their Fort Wilderness and we visited 3 of their 4 theme parks: Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. The weather was beautiful, the crowds were light, the lines were short and the food was delicious (just ask my bathroom scale!).

Now I am beginning the difficult task of getting everything back into functioning order here at home. The kids have resumed their schoolwork this morning and there is swim practice and theater later this afternoon. There was very little downtime during our holiday break and this morning I have had to hit the ground running despite feeling a little groggy and hungover from the excess of fun and relaxation.

Here are some pictures from our visit. Enjoy!

Corby and the kids ride to the swimming pool with Grandma

We were surprised by how much Henry loved the Disney Characters

Grandpa and Elora riding the bus back to camp for the little boys' naptime.The boys wait for the Epcot fireworks showI think the little boys ended up riding this over 10 times.All the kids loved Thunder Mountain Railroad, although Jacob did not want to ride it again because it was too wild. (click this photo for a better look at Jacob's expression!)

The Case of The Smelly Trash Cans

2008-01-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

During the course of an average day at home with four young children, there are often strange mysteries that arise. Parents must often tap into crime-solving skills residually learned from watching the X-files, Law & Order and perhaps even the Spielberg classic Young Sherlock Holmes.

Each day I am left wondering:

Where did this come from? Who started this fight? How is this getting so dirty? Why does this keep getting moved? What is this thing?

One of my proudest moments as a mommy sleuth involved a cellphone that had been missing for a few days (long enough to lose its charge) and a curious light left on in a closet. With no adult explanation for why the coat closet light was on, I knew that something was not quite right. After digging way back under a nest of jackets I discovered a three-year-old's cache of stolen items to rival any pirate's buried treasure, cell phone included.

While I do spend most of my time trying to deduce who, what, when, where and how, there are rare times when I get to witness a criminal in the act. Last night was one of those nights.

A few days ago, my suspicions had been aroused when I noticed that our bathrooms were particularly pungent. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a great house keeper and with so many little boys in the house, there is usually a urine smell that underscores the overall odor of the two bathrooms that the kids use. But this smell was particularly strong, so I checked for the usual culprit, urine soaked underwear left on the floor after an accident. I found no such thing - Hmmmm, curious.

I noticed the following day that the trash can seemed out of place, but only a bit. Very suspicious.

Last night I was really clued in when I found the bathroom trash far from its cubby next to the toilet, in fact, it was in the middle of the floor. Upon further investigation, I discovered that there was pee (and a whole lot of it) filling the trash. AH-HA!

My oldest son was getting ready for his bath and I immediately went into my line of questions.

Me - "Have you been peeing in the trash can?"

Corbin - "I don't think so. Maybe when I wasn't paying attention." (Corbin has a very short attention span, and I sometimes find him in the bathroom, totally engrossed in something, with his pants down, oblivious as to why he even went in there!)

Me - "This isn't a little bit of pee. This isn't an accident. I don't think you could have done this without paying attention."

While questioning my first suspect I had little time to pay much attention to our second oldest boy who had trotted into the bathroom to get undressed for his bath. In mid-interrogation, with the smoking-gun trashcan right in front of me, Jacob walked right up to it and calmly began to pee in the trash like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Caught in the act!!!

Looking back, I can relate to the gratification felt by wildlife biologists who spend years studying animals and then finally witnessing something never seen before.
"Researchers have long speculated about the wild gorilla's mating habits, but now for the first time in history, scientists have seen...."

This morning, Jacob proudly exclaimed, "Mom! Mom! I went to the bathroom and I didn't use the trashcan!" I am so proud.

So, The Case of The Smelly Trash Cans has been closed (yes, trashcan is plural, this was happening in more than one). But despite getting a full confession, I never was able to ascertain a motive. Why was Jacob peeing in the trashcans? We may never know.

Sweeney Todd at Monaco Pictures

2007-12-22T08:47:00.000-06:00

There is a brutal, uncomfortable cold making its way around our house. Henry has already had it and I am on my second day of stuffiness. Corby is just beginning to feel sick. We almost canceled plans we had made to go out last night, but at the last minute we decided to go ahead and see a movie.

We have been wanting to visit the new Monaco Pictures at Bridge Street in Huntsville, so we decided to go "all out" and paid online for the VIP balcony seats ($12 per ticket+$2 online fee). It was neat ordering on their website because their balcony seats are numbered and assigned just like in a playhouse. We choose AA4 and AA5.

Though this was the first time I had ever been to Bridge Street, I really didn't get to walk around much because, as usual, we were running a bit late for the movie. I could see the lit Carousel and bridge from where we parked, but I didn't see much else. I will go back for shopping some other time.

Monaco Pictures was definitely a unique theater experience. Downstairs in the lobby was a restaurant with a huge bar that glows red from underneath. An outside seating area included two fire places surrounded by modern, IKEA style sofas. A huge staircase winds toward the door, and upstairs is the Prive VIP area.

We made our way upstairs where we found another lit bar (this time blue) surrounded by more lounge-type furniture. We each ordered a drink, popcorn and Corby was a bit hungry so he ordered an appetizer-like chicken dish. All of this is allowed in the theater, even the alcohol (all of the upstairs seats are for ages 21 years and older) and since we were a bit late we went right in.

The seats in the balcony give you a large amount of leg room and the leather rockers are much wider than normal movie seats. Because we didn't quite know how to pick our seats, we were seated with a little wooden table between us, but if we had planned it right, we could have sat with a movable armrest in between us that would convert our seats into a love seat.

Overall, we had a great time. We saw Sweeney Todd, which we both loved, but would certainly not recommend to everyone.

After all was said and done, we ended-up spending around $60, which is actually about twice what we usually spend for a night at the movies. Next time we will try the "cheap seats"at $9 each, my guess is they will be just as good.

Long time, no blog!

2007-12-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

It has been such a long time since I last blogged! I must admit, feel a little guilty for petering out during the school year, but we have been very busy. Starting today, the kids are officially "off" from school for Christmas and I have a little more time than usual. Also, all of the kids' activities are on holiday hiatus, so that means no swim practice, dance class, theater, chess club, scout meetings or soccer. Hooray!

I still have much to do to get ready for Christmas and our upcoming trip to Florida. I have to report that (again) our family yearbooks will not be finished in time for gift giving, but I assure you that I am still working on them and will make sure everyone who wants one gets one. (For those of you who are wondering what the yearbooks are, just imagine a year-in-review magazine featuring just our family.)

A few topics to note:

Elora and Corbin did very well in their first scholastic team chess tournament this school year. Corbin's primary team (K-3) finished in third place overall and Elora won every single one of her games, despite it being her first year in the elementary bracket (4-6) plus she played first board.

The boys had their first theatrical performance last weekend and I must say that they did a great job. The director was a little nervous about what the outcome would be, seeing that Jacob tried to play duck-duck-goose on stage during the dress rehearsal, but fortunately he pulled through for the actual performance.

Corbin as Sniffwhiskers and Jacob as Tripalong in The Mouse That Didn't Believe in Santa Clause

Corby and I were able to attend the annual Margarita Ball at the VBCC this November. This is a charity event that collects Toy-for-Tots in exchange for a night of dancing, food and free margaritas. Since we almost never get to spend a night out together, this was a real treat. Thanks to those who made it possible with tickets and babysitting!

Before leaving for our night on the town

A brief Holiday warning:
For those of you visiting us for Christmas, I just wanted to warn you that our Christmas tree experienced a near topple, multiple items volleyed into it (mostly shoes by Jacob) and a near fire (Corbin playing with the lights) all in the first week of putting it up. It has since had three strands of lights go out (I was able to replace two with solid blue strands we had on hand, but the third is still out), and the bottom branches are sagging nearly to the floor. Yes, Christmas is still on as planned, but you will have to excuse the half-lit monstrosity in the corner. It is still standing, but it does look the worse for wear.

Lastly, I have received a few comments that I perhaps should lay off the political blogs, and I apologize for sometimes voicing my opinion so loudly. I am thinking about starting a separate blog for such ideas. In all likelihood, it would just sit idle most of the time, but when that disgruntled political mood stuck me, I would have a place to release it! Does anyone have any comments or suggestions? What do you think?

Corbin and Jacob riding the Ron Paul float in the Madison Christmas Parade.

Gaming: It's Mental Candy That Rots Lives

2007-10-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

When I was in fifth grade, I remember being envious of the little girl down the street who had a Nintendo. I would fervently try to be her friend in hopes of being invited over so that I could try-out her games. I didn't get to play often, and my brother and sisters and I spent most of the afternoons playing four-square or hide-and-seek.

About a year later, my father bought us an 8-bit Sega. I have many memories of playing Hang On and Astro Warrior. We played from the moment we woke-up until it was bedtime. Deep-down I knew that it wasn't healthy to spend so much time playing and I always felt a little remorse when the sun set and I realized I hadn't been outside all day.

During adolescence I played less and less, but if ever I had a homework assignment I was avoiding or a paper I didn't want to write, there was always some sort of video game to distract me. I was able to submerge the guilt of many failing grades by simply immersing myself in some sort of game.

In college I discovered online gaming and my husband and I admittedly played side-by-side in virtual worlds. I knew it had to stop after our first child was born, and although I was able to quit without too many relapses, it was years later before our house was completely game free.

This history explains why we now maintain our home as a game-free zone.

Although we do have a computer, we do not have a gaming console in our house, and even though the children have asked for gameboys, they have been told that we don't ever want them in our house.

Recent news reveals the various dangers of gaming when taken to an extreme. Just last week a 10-year-old boy killed himself by jumping out of his 19th floor apartment window because his parents grounded him from playing computer games, another 10-year-old killed a 3-year-old after mimicking a violent game he played excessively. Not to exclude adults who play too much, this summer two babies in Nevada almost starved to death due to lack of care while their parents both obsessively played a computer game.

I am sure that these stories are not as rare as one might think. It makes you wonder why the American Medical Association recently rejected a proposal to recognize video game addiction as a psychiatric condition.

When our children ask "Why can't we play video games?" I explain to them that they are a waste of time and there are better things to spend time on. But my husband usually adds that video games are "too fun" which is really the most dangerous thing about them.

The pure fun of playing these games creates a pleasurable disconnect with reality that makes any pain or discomfort felt in the real world irrelevant, just like alcohol or narcotics. Thankfully people are figuring this out for themselves despite an official addition designation. There are countless websites that offer support for gamers and family members. Hopefully, our society is not far from a general awareness that might someday save a life in more ways than one.

Helpful Links:

www.smithandjones.nl, Amsterdam clinic with a gaming addiction program.

www.gamerwidow.com, for partners of gaming addicts.

www.olganon.com, On-line Gamers Anonymous forum.

www.netaddiction.com, includes online tests for Internet and gaming addiction.

www.addictionrecov.org, Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery.

Am I the Only One Concerned?

2007-09-29T13:49:00.000-05:00

For some reason I can't seem to shake my concerns about the current status of our democracy.

I just started reading the letters of correspondence between John Adams and his wife Abigail during the American Revolution. I am impressed by the degree of thoughtfulness toward life and purpose that these two individuals express. They seem to be continually concerned about the well being their community and society. They discuss the prospects and education of their children along with the future of a nation.

While studying the development of the Constitution, it was interesting to discover how widely discussed and considered it was by even the most common and poor Americans. When it was first published, every newspaper printed the extensive document and everyone read it. Our country, as a whole, began an open dialogue discussing opinions and possibilities that related the framework for the new nation. One historian said that there never was, or will there ever be again, a time when a nation was so aware of the value of a human being, individual rights and the laws that protect them.

So what do we have now? Is this what our founding fathers intended?

Most people do not even know what their rights are nor do they care if they are taken away. As long as the population remains in a general state of comfort; the nation is pacified by whatever leaders do to maintain that comfortable state. Most of us know that the government is corrupt and incompetent. A recent Gallup poll found that trust in the federal government is now lower than it was during Watergate.

I think that most of us do not find this surprising, but shouldn't we be shocked and appalled?

Please watch this video about voting by Texas lawmakers.

Why do we tolerate such a digression of our democracy? Could it be that we have all been lulled into complacency? Perhaps the satisfaction from buying a new pair of jeans or finding that Pottery Barn lamp on sale for 30%-off has put us to sleep. Or maybe we are living dreamily awaiting the release of a much anticipated movie or computer game.

I wonder if it even matters to people that our leaders are liars. Does it matter that they knowingly break laws? Do you personally care that dishonesty is the rule rather than the exception? I am curious to know, comment please!

Teaching the Constitution - maybe I need to rethink this

2007-09-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks we have been studying the American Revolution. The kids and I just finished off a 6 part PBS series called Liberty which, in its last part, discussed the Constitution.

I must admit that I am not as familiar with this document as I should be, but after browsing the internet I managed to find the complete text.

Then I entered the twilight zone.

I found a strange string of articles that seemed to point to the US Constitution as being somewhat controversial.

It even seems that law enforcement officers are informed that quoting the Constitution is reason to believe someone is a terrorist! The following law enforcement brochure informs officers that:

If you encounter any of the following call the Joint Terrorism task force.

The brochure goes on to list various terrorist warning signs. Included among the terrorist characteristics are making reference to the Constitution and defending the Constitution. Here is the front and back of the police handout.

I am sure that this is just a rough outline for officers to follow and they would use common sense when choosing who was actually a terrorist threat, right?

But after seeing this video shot earlier this week of a woman being arrested for reading the second amendment in front of the capital building, I am beginning to rethink my assumption.

If you watch the video you will notice that the women being arrested are not Arabs, skin-heads or hippies. Nor do they even look threatening--more like grandmas actually! They appear to be wearing cheerfully pink "red-hat society"-like clothes.

Oh, well, I guess this is their fault for not keeping their old lady traps shut! They just need to shut-up and start loving this war like everyone else!

Perhaps I should not teach the kids about the US Constitution, it seems that the knowledge of such a document may be dangerous to them.

Or maybe I just shouldn't bother teaching it to them because the Constitution is about as useful as a piece of toilet paper these days.

Food For Thought

2007-09-13T15:58:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, things have been very busy around here. I came across this poem today and wanted to share it and perhaps provide everyone with a little food for thought.

When the American imperialists came for the Muslims,
I remained silent;
I was not a Muslim.

When they tortured innocent foreigners,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a foreigner.

When they locked up a defense attorney representing Muslims,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a defense attorney.

When they arrested a man for simply telling Dick Cheney that he disagreed with his policies,
I remained silent;
I have never spoken with the Vice President.

When they shattered a reporter's elbow for asking too many questions,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a reporter.

When they said an entertainer should be killed because she questioned 9/11,
I remained silent;
I wasn't an entertainer.

When they arrested people for insisting that the President follow the Constitution,
I did not speak out.
I wasn't there.

When they broke a minister's leg because he wanted to speak at a public event,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a minister.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Inspired by the poem by Martin Niemöller:

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."

When I copied this poem, the links copied too. Some of the websites are admittedly far from mainstream, but I left the links as the original author had them.

You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-09-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

...every morning you get to watch a tiny, crispy-bearded, bald guy eat breakfast.

(Actually, you really know you are a parent when you are the one who has to clean it up!)

Breastfeeding...Where's the profit in that?

2007-08-31T07:58:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post reports today that our government department of Health and Human Services, in 2004, caved in to lobby pressure and changed ads promoting breastfeeding. The formula manufacturers were "grateful" for intervention which stopped health officials from "scaring expectant mothers into breast-feeding."

The original print ads displayed asthma inhalers and insulin syringes topped with a bottle nipple; bluntly insinuating when you feed formula to an infant, you are feeding them asthma and diabetes. These ads were never shown in the United States, but here is an international ad with similar imagery.

The pressure from formula companies caused the U.S. health organization to abandon the scary, shocking ads for softer, less assaulting suggestions that plainly inform parents of breastfeeding benefits. The Human Health and Services department was informed beforehand that these ads would be ineffectual, but they spent our money on them anyway. Current reports show that the number of breastfeeding mothers is decreasing.

Is anyone surprised? After all, infant formulas are manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry and big drug companies are known for their powerful influence and generous spending in Washington.

I imagine pharmaceutical companies would not only lose money from the decrease in formula sales, but later on, sales would be lost by the fewer number of people taking diabetes and allergy medication.

Why do we allow these companies to make decisions about our health?

I am sure we would not let a company who makes money per every high school drop-out decide how we educate our children. Doesn't it seem just as logical that an industry that makes money from sick people should not be pulling the strings in our government health offices?

Everyone should take an interest in our government's soft promotion of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is more than the premiere bonding experience for mother and baby, it is the only way newly born human beings were intended to be nourished.

All mothers should breastfeed, plain and simple.

If a mother's health or physical limitations prevent her from doing so, fortunately formula is available as an artificial substitution. Keep in mind that this substance is a man-made chemical solution that is industrially manufactured. This should not be a mother's first choice for her baby.

In our society it seems acceptable for mothers to opt out of breastfeeding because it is an inconvenience.

If cooking dinner for the kids become too much of an inconvenience are we going to insert feeding tubes with a liquid supplement into each of their bellies? I'm sure they would all "turn out just fine", but really, it's just not an option!

Some parents believe that because their own mothers used formula and they turned out o.k., then that is what they should do too.

I guess that makes sense for some, but I was never able to look at any of our newborn children and maintain the philosophy of only trying to provide what is "good enough".

You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-08-30T18:36:00.000-05:00

You find yourself cleaning an excessive amount of glue from your preschooler's forehead, resulting from his six-year-old big brother's plan to glue his head to his desk.

The funny thing is, the four-year-old "victim" was completely compliant because he thought that this was a pretty neat idea, too.

(Another great day of homeschooling!)

Diaperless Parenting - Are you trying to make me feel bad?

2007-08-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a homeschooling challenge for our family. I had a dental appointment at 8:00am and struggled with a very numb mouth for the remainder of the day. We all worked hard to stay on schedule, but the kids were understandably distracted a bit by their mom's sagging lip and unintelligible speech.

"Tomorrow will be better," I vowed. But, I am only more aware of my parenting short comings today after reading that I should have potty trained my toddler over a year ago!

That's right folks, the latest and greatest coup de grâce in the "Who's the best mommy?" death match is diaperless parenting!

Reports reveal that there is

... a growing “diaper-free” movement founded on the belief that babies are born with an instinctive ability to signal when they have to answer nature’s call. Parents who practice the so-called “elimination communication” learn to read their children’s body language to help them recognize the need, and they mimic the sounds that a child associates with the bathroom.

Wow, I really have fallen short on this one. I wouldn't even know what grunt to begin with!

Although I pride myself in trying to interpret and anticipate the needs of my children, I will be the first to admit that I am no where near passing this parenting test. With the daily challenge of just keeping up with the location of each of our children, I have very little time for maintaining a constant "poop-watch" vigil for anticipatory grunts and body language.

I'd be lying to say that I never notice the signals of the secret language of poops, but seeing that this communication is usually very subtle, I regrettably concede that I am much more in tune with the not-so-secret odor of poops.

There are days when we are so busy that even the odor goes unnoticed for a while! (But as you can imagine, that's not often.)

After reading a bit about this potty training idea, I began to wonder why this story is considered newsworthy?

I seriously doubt that this technique is really an option for most parents. The experts and doctors both seem to agree that there is no scientific or medical basis for the belief that infants are even able to be potty-trained.

I guess they need something to report on... but come to think of it, aren't we still at war?

Don't we face an environmental crisis with global warming? Not to mention the our dwindling energy resources, rampant government corruption and an economy that continues to teeter on the brink!

I would imagine that these things would all be great topics for the aspiring investigative reporter, but I guess most people think it is more interesting to read about a 12-week-old infant pooping on a potty.

Actually, it is pretty interesting!

My Secret Obsession: Etsy

2007-08-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Chronicles have suffered this week because I have developed a minor obsession.

This past week I have spent all of my internet "free-time" visiting and revisiting one website. This website is an eclectic artists' market, www.Etsy.com.

Have you heard of it?

My sister introduced me to it a few months ago, but I had only glanced at it a few times until this week. This website showcases handmade items from all over the world. The depth of creativity realized in this one site can be overwhelming, but the site designers have devised a lot of interesting ways to showcase each artist's work.

The only thing that seems to be lacking from Etsy is an advanced search filter, but the items are so much fun to browse, it doesn't really matter much.

I must admit that viewing the ideas of so many thriving artists has stirred my own creativity. My long neglected art training seems hard to ignore and I find myself wanting to rediscover those forgotten skills.

Because time is so scarce, and my days are so busy, I know it will be a challenge to squeeze anything new in, but I am going to try. Even if it only means carrying along a tiny sketchbook so I can scratch out a few drawings while waiting for soccer practice to finish, swim practice to let out or dance class to end.

Why This Soccer Mom Supports Ron Paul

2007-08-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

You may have heard a bit about the Iowa straw poll in the news the last couple of weeks, but it is unknown to many that other states also have straw polls that are never recognized by mainstream media sources.

A Republican straw poll was held in West Alabama last week and you may be surprised at the results. Ron Paul, a much ignored, neglected and often smeared libertarian-republican, came in first place by a landslide. Here are the results.

I must admit that I usually lean to the left in politics, but gosh darn it I like Ron Paul! Let me tell you why.

If you are a parent of more than two children you have probably experienced the whining, grabbing, and the cruel crossfire that ensues between two siblings who are vying for the same toy. I would estimate that at least once a day I have to resolve some sort of fight over something the kids want at the same time or don't feel that they can share.

This is much like our political system.

Republicans and Democrats squabble and bargain for their share of tax money. Sometimes they agree to share, but mostly they just whine, grab and harshly shred the opposition. If I have to choose a side in this "who gets the money?" battle, I usually side with the Democrats, but the whole system makes you feel bad because the end often does not justify the underhanded means.

That is why Ron Paul is an alluring candidate.

Any good parent knows that when kids continue to incessantly fight and argue over one stupid toy, and the brawling disrupts the house and begins to destroy their relationship, there is only one thing to do!

Nobody gets it.

I can't count the number of times that I have had to take away something, sometimes even throwing it in the trash, because no matter what, it was going to cause a fight.

And maybe that is what needs to happen in Washington with federal spending, the eternal squabbling needs to be put to a stop by simply declaring, nobody gets it.

Ron Paul wants to send most federal programs back to the state level. He actually believes in a smaller federal government that limits itself to upholding the constitution.

This could be exactly what our country needs. Perhaps we wouldn't be as divided if most decisions were made on the local level. Citizens would feel like they could still play a part in the political process and our individual needs, unique to each area, would be taken into greater consideration.

The idea of reducing federal control and spending is obviously taboo. Large corporations, political action committees and even foreign interests have a lot invested in our current way of doing things. They know how to pull strings and make things happen, all of that is threatened if the states were given decisions that are now made in Washington.

I think that it is pretty safe to say that the mainstream media has mostly ignored Ron Paul, but hopefully that will change. Fortunately, many people do not have to rely only on television, radio and print. Citizens are now able to seek out ignored information on the internet.

Ron Paul has a very strong following on the internet. Some people have even taken to calling all Ron Paul supporters fat, pimpled-faced computer geeks that sit in their parents basement and spam online polls.

I certainly don't fit that description and these people don't either.

If you would like to learn more about Ron Paul, here is his official website.
There are also countless interview videos on Ron Paul's YouTube channel.

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You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-08-15T19:38:00.000-05:00

...you've realized that the most effectual way to get poop out of a bathtub is to scoop it quickly with your hand before it breaks into smaller pieces (the bath soap is close-by for afterward, so don't hesitate).

Remove the children first and then get the poop out before the water drains, while it is still floating, or it will smear onto the bottom of the tub.

By-the-way, I don't think Henry's body knows how to digest grapes.

"Pop!" Goes the Nursemaid's Elbow

2007-08-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, around 11:30, I started our nap-time routine by herding together our two youngest boys.

Being three, Jacob is old enough to dread his nap, and he began to protest, while Henry, 18-months, held my hand and climbed the stairs next to me. In playful retaliation, the J-Man, decided to grab hold of Henry's leg during our climb. Trying to prevent a serious fall, I was forced to maintain a firm grip on our toddler's hand while the full weight of our 3 (almost 4) year-old son threatened to pull everyone down the stairs. The end result of this tug-of-war was the sound and vibration of a firm "pop" from little Henry's arm, followed by crying.

He cried for a good 15 minutes, but was very tired and fell asleep for a short bit. About half and hour later, Henry was awake again and crying. He held on to his left arm and would not move it. For a while I was able to distract him as I called and consulted our pediatrician's office. The nurse advised me to bring him to an Urgent Care clinic or the ER so that he could be X-rayed.

While waiting for my husband to drive home, I carefully observed our injured toddler, so that I would be able to answer any questions the doctor might ask. I noticed that he was holding his arm slightly bent and perfectly still, almost as if it were in a sling. He was in good spirits and even smiled and tried to play. If he forgot about his injury and tried to move his arm he would flinch or cry.

It is amazing to me how resilient children are, because for all little Henry knew his injury could have been permanent but despite this grim idea, he continued to play. When he encountered a situation where he wanted to grab something but could not because his right hand was full, he would stop and carefully calculate what to do.

"Ok, I've got my Thomas train in this hand, but I want to grab that tricycle. Hmmm, what can I do....well, that other hand is no good anymore, so let me think.....I can try to grab both in the same hand...no, no, that doesn't work....this is the only arm that moves, so I need to find somewhere safe where I can put my train down and then I can grab on...."

All of this seemed to play-out in his head as he held his useless left arm firmly paralyzed at his side. It was a very, very sad thing to watch, but I was amazed at his ability to adapt to the situation!

After Corby arrived home to stay with the big kids, I was finally able to leave for the ER. Worst case scenarios accompanied by visions of little Henry toddling around in a cast played out in my head as I drove into Huntsville.

When we arrived at the Pediatric ER, the administrative nurse look doubtingly at Henry, who was all smiles in his stroller. While I described what had happened to him she calmly stated,

"It sounds like Nursemaid's Elbow."

We were admitted without a wait, but there was no urgency. Next the triage nurse assessed Henry,

"Probably Nursemaid's Elbow."

No one seemed surprised or worried. The doctor came in and I began to explain what happened. Before I could even finish, while holding Henry's arm and twisting inward, he said,

"There, it's fixed. It was Nursemaid's Elbow."

Wow, it really was fixed!

No x-ray or cast needed. He was diagnosed and cured in an instant of something I had never heard of before.

It turns out that Nursemaid's Elbow is a common injury to children whose arm has been pulled too hard. The doctor said that once it occurs it is more likely to happen again, up until the age of 6 or 7. Needless to say, I had the doctor show me how to "pop" the elbow back into place.

Henry began to use his arm almost immediately after the "fix" and never showed any sign of residual pain.

I guess having the experience of parenting three toddlers doesn't show you everything there is to know. Does anyone ever get to the point of being a hardened parenting veteran with encyclopedia like knowledge?

Maybe these parents.

Power Outages. What, Me Worry?

2007-08-12T09:09:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday it was so hot. How hot was it? It was so hot that my daughter's soccer practice was cancelled at 5:30 for fear of the heat, and I have heard from parents with children in school that the kids are not allowed to go outside for P.E. All of the children are relegated to the gym.

The temperatures seem to be maintaining their triple digit streak, and there has yet to be a sign of it letting up in the forecast.

With it being so hot, and everyone cranking up the A/C, it was reassuring when Huntsville Utilities informed customers that "there's no need to conserve energy... despite the summer-time peak" and usage that "tops the charts". (link)

Whew!

I was starting to suspect that our local power infrastructure would be susceptible to the same failings of similar power companies in similar heat conditions. Within the past week outages attributed to the heat have occurred in:

... Arkansas,
... Missouri,
... Texas,
... Virginia,
... West Virginia
... Georgia, ..and again in Georgia.

I suppose we are lucky to have our power provided by the far superior and indestructible Huntsville Utilities, but my excitement was short-lived. Yesterday I received a call from my sister in Huntsville.

Uh-oh, her power is out along with a large portion of the city.

Even on University Drive, a commercial shopping area, the power outage has forced retail businesses to close, and on a Saturday no less!

Is this an early indication that global warming is beginning to rear its ugly head and show us what kind of discomfort and inconvenience we have to look forward to?

Could it be that our energy resources are not capable of exponential growth and as our population continues to grow, they will only be more scarce and hard to maintain?

Are our power infrastructures aged and more susceptible to the strains of demand than our utility providers would like us to believe?

We need to answer all of these questions, and hopefully this power outage will be the catalyst for the consideration.

Lets see...

Today the Huntsville Times reported on yesterday's power outage:

About 30,000 customers of Huntsville Utilities sweated out a power failure in 99-degree heat Saturday afternoon when a switch failed.

At 4:30 p.m., a delivery point that disperses electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority power grid shut down, the utility said. Crews restored power to about 23,000 customers by 5:18p.m.

Crew completed restoring power to 7,500 customers in the Nick Davis and Old Railroad Bed area by 6:35 p.m.

The heat, weather conditions and the heavy load of electricity usage this past week were not responsible for the failure, the utility said. (link)

Oh, silly me! I got myself all worked-up and afraid for nothing!

My local, friendly utility company, Huntsville Utilities, said the weather and heavy usage was not a factor, and I know they only have my well-being and comfort at heart!

I am sure they would tell us of any problem they might be having, even if the public response would be negative and against their best interest. Even if the reality of a situation were to reveal evidence of global climate change or the inadequacy of their own resources, they would surely tell us!

Wouldn't they?

Hey Kids, What's In It For Me?

2007-08-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I took our two oldest children to the Sci-Quest science museum in Huntsville for homeschool science labs. Both of the kids had a lot of fun learning about light, prisms and rainbows.

During their hour-long class, I walked among the exhibits with our two younger boys and met many homeschooling parents. I ran into a few friends who use our cover school, and also met other families who I had never seen before, many from nearby cities like Decatur and Athens.

Not feeling in the least bit shy after encountering so many pleasant homeschooling parents, I approached a father with three young boys. Although it is uncommon to meet a homeschooling dad, it is not unheard of, so I decided to strike-up a conversation.

When asked if he had children attending the homeschool science workshop, he grimaced and quickly retorted an emphatic "No!". He followed with, "Is that what this is?" gesturing at the many parents and children playing and exploring the museum. I told him that all of the school-age kids there that day were probably homeschooled because the public schools had already started. He quickly informed me that he was from Birmingham (as if an excuse was needed for being ill placed). He said his kids started back to school next week, then he added that he couldn't wait for them to go back and he looked forward to the day when school would be year-round.

This miserable parent and his anticipated release seemed to fit a pattern I have long observed.

Ever since our first child was born I have come to realize that there are two distinct groups of parents in the world. Those who genuinely like to spend time with their children and those who tally every minute alone with them like a prisoner in a jail cell. I can recall mothers telling me, when our daughter was only a toddler, that they could never stay home with their kids because they "wanted a life". Come on, give me a break! I have a hard time considering the pursuit of selfish and material gains an equal trade for the rare and priceless opportunities offered fleetingly to a parent.

Can you think of any way that you could ever influence any other human being more than the influence of a parent to a child? Why do so many parents repulsively thwart spending long periods of time with their kids?

Some argue that they need quiet time; time to do grown-up things. But children aren't young forever. Is it too much to sacrifice a little of that "me" time for them? Don't they deserve that much?

You might think that the idea of feeling obligated toward children is what perpetuates the attitude of unhealthy entitlement that so many adolescents seem to exhibit. But I would argue the opposite.

Children model their behavior after their parents and when they see that Mommy and Daddy are constantly preoccupied with a "what's in it for me?" mentality, then of course these children will grow-up asking that same question.

I think that children of selfless parents are less likely to only think of what they have to gain in each situation. Having a parent who gives you respect and values you enough to give you his or her precious time will go much farther to build character than a special preschool and any amount of fancy toys and gadgets.

Be sure, I am not in any remote way suggesting that parents deserve no time for themselves. But, I do think that our society tends to diminish the value of selfless sacrifice, while heralding the rewards of selfish pursuits and the general disregard of others. We only need to turn on the television, open a magazine or read a newspaper to learn of the many ways you can achieve more for yourself, whether you are accumulating fame, power or stuff.

The attitude of "I sure can't wait to get rid of these kids" will only be more and more common until parents realize that they have a lot more to gain by actually giving it all away.

McDonald's and the No-Hold-Bars Marketing Smackdown of Preschoolers

2007-08-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

A new study has revealed that children surveyed at a Head Start center in California preferred the taste of food wrapped in the McDonald's logo over the exact same food unwrapped. Some of the foods were common-place snacks like carrots and milk.

Researchers are balking at the overly successful effects of McDonald's strategic marketing toward children. Psychologists are lining-up against MickyD's while others choose to blame the parents.

So, whose job is it to monitor what children are seeing and consuming?

As parents, my husband and I have always taken it upon ourselves to try to filter and educate our kids about advertising. We are a very non-commercial family. We hardly ever watch commercial television, in fact, we do not even have cable. The few times I have seen advertisements geared toward the kids, I have taken time to explain to our children what the ad is trying to accomplish and how it is trying to change their minds about what they are selling.

Marketing towards children is ruthless. There is nothing a corporation will not do to instill those warm, associative feelings toward their brand early in children. (Even our own government knows how to play the game.)

I have to agree that parents must beware.

But, does that mean that advertisers can do whatever they want? What else can we learn from this study?

It seems to me that it is evident that children in poorer, low-income families are more likely to report this way. In fact, I wonder if the study knew ahead of time that they would be able to produce these results by surveying a Head Start center. (Head Start is a government provided preschool for low-income and welfare families). I think it is plausible to expect low-income families and immigrants to be naive and uneducated of the harmful affects of television.

A study released last month reports that children with more educated parents watch less television. I do not think that it is safe to assume that this survey would find similar results in children from a more diverse background.

Educated parents may begin a sigh of relief, thinking "My kids sure don't watch that much television and we never eat fast food", but not so fast. Even I, an admitted television nazi, am concerned by the broader ramifications of this study.

The health and eating habits of low-income families should be a concern to us all. These are the people who are being supplied Medicaid by our tax dollars and will potentially not have insurance in years ahead. Being a society that attempts to provide care for all citizens, we cannot forget that the exploitation of the disadvantaged is an exploitation of us all.

Just because we know better than to eat McDonald's poison, doesn't mean that we are not feeling the toxic affects inadvertently. The "If you don't like it, don't eat it" mentality only works for adults. I don't remember being able to go out and grocery shop for myself when I was 4-years-old. Do you?

You Have The Most Powerful Tool For Change, USE IT!!!

2007-08-03T11:35:00.001-05:00

Are you dissatisfied the with direction of our country? Do you want to change the level of global environmental concern?

Despair no more!!! Now is the time to cast your vote and change the world!

I know you may be thinking "It's not November yet!", but the kind of voting I am talking about has nothing to do with the government. This vote is more powerful than any ballot you can cast in any political election. It is actually the most powerful vote in the world, and the most amazing part of all is that you have more than one to cast, actually probably hundreds. And, if you cast your votes carefully, you can change anything about this country you may not like. Anything.

The secret is to vote with your dollars.

Every day of your life you should view every dollar you spend as a powerful tool and every purchase as an opportunity to send a message.

It doesn't matter how much money you have, anyone can participate. You may be wondering, "What sort of message can I send with my money? How can a dollar be a vote?" , here are a few simple examples:

If you believe a large retail corporation unfairly treats their workers, don't shop at their stores.

If you want to tell the producers of animal by-products that antibiotics and hormones are not what you want in your food, then buy organic.

A particular television show or cable channel may repulse you, so don't buy the products advertised there.

If you feel that too many U.S. jobs are being lost overseas, make an effort to buy American.

I admit that sometimes this may add to the cost of the goods or services you are shopping for, and I agree that even our finances limit what we can do, but it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

For example, I prefer to look for products sold by socially, environmentally and organically conscious companies, but their products are usually higher priced. I will often buy 3 of the cheaper "regular" products and just 1 of the more expensive "conscious" brand. Every little bit helps, even if you cannot commit 100%.

To look at our political system as the solution to all if our problems is a flawed mentality. Nothing will change unless we start to really pay attention to the message we are sending everyday with our dollars.

Money, more than any other method available to the average citizen, has the potential to change the world. Take time to research where your money is going and take advantage of every cent.

Ultimately, this is not about what you get to bring home with you in your shopping bag. This is about trying to envision and cultivate a better future.

Begin making responsible decisions today, tomorrow, the next day, and every day from here on out.

Everyday is election day!

Probably Overscheduled, But What Can I Do?

2007-08-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

The public schools are starting. Today Madison County schools had their first day, and next week Madison and Huntsville City schools will start their year off. Despite being a homeschooling family, I still feel a tinge of stress and anxiety when the schools get started because I know that kids' activities are soon going to start.

I must confess that our kids are moderately over scheduled. There are many articles written by psychologists that enumerate the disadvantages of enrolling your child in too many activities, but I'm not sure how much of their logic would apply to the homeschooled child. Many doctors say that kids are stressed by being away from home and family, first all-day at school and then in sports and other extracurricular pursuits afterward. But, our kids are home all day long and are always excited about their out of home classes and sports, and that is the problem.

Our kids want to do everything!

Last year Elora participated in Brownies, soccer, multiple dance classes, chess tournaments, swim team and piano lessons. Corbin also played baseball in addition to soccer. We are also involved in classes and field trips with our homeschool cover, and we try to maintain some involvement in our church's children's activities.

Corbin has been begging all summer to get involved in tennis and basketball, and Corby would really like for the kids to be involved in some classes at the children's theater.

How do you decide what to do? You certainly can't do it all!

There is always the cost to consider. Dance classes, theater classes and tennis lessons are billed monthly, our piano lessons are free (Thanks John!). Chess class is also free, but it can cost anywhere from $20-$40 for a tournament registration, and if that tournament is far enough, you pay travel expenses. The sports through the city recreation department (baseball, basketball, soccer, and swimming) charge a up front fee of about $90 each. Scouts are relatively cheap, but then you have the inevitable fundraiser where all the kids are pitted against one another to see who can sell the most cookies or popcorn.

Another consideration is logistics. Piano lessons are the easiest because they are at our house during the day at a convenient time. Our Friday homeschool classes are also in the morning, which is not a conflict because we do most of our school Monday through Thursday (The one-on-one teaching actually goes much faster than classroom learning, and we use Friday for tests, review, make-up work or fun stuff.)

All the other activities the kids are involved in are in the afternoon, because they are open to school age children, so they take place after school is out. Tennis and swimming are at a very nearby park, while baseball and soccer are a bit farther away. Dance and scouts are very close, while theater would be the farthest away activity.

I am trying to weigh all of this information, but I haven't even received a complete schedule for most of these activities. What about the time conflicts? Elora would like to join the winter swim team, but they practice 3 days a week. That certainly limits the amount of time she has available!

You can see how all of this may be a little stressful, and I am sure it seems a little ridiculous. Part of being a parent is knowing when to say "NO", but I have a hard time refusing the kids experiences that I myself enjoyed as a child. You are probably wondering, "Why do kids have to participate in so much stuff?", and believe me, I wonder the same thing. Can't we just decide on few things and eliminate the rest? We are finding that decision very hard to make.

We really need some feedback on this, so I am adding a poll for you to offer up your opinions. Please leave a comment if you have the time, every little bit helps!

Starting School Today

2007-07-30T16:26:00.001-05:00

We started school today. Hopefully I will be able to keep up the posts. Here is a pic I took of our school room before the kids woke-up this morning.

Out of the Pool and Into the Frying Pan

2007-07-30T07:28:00.000-05:00

When looking back at childhood, I think that every memory tends to take-on a particular slant. Sometimes positive, sometimes negative, these memories are forever painted in dramatically vivid colors that tend to outshine the more recent additions to your biographical record.

Childhood sports and activities distinctly stand-out in my mind as completely positive, fun, and exciting experiences. Some of my most fun times were on summer swim team; perhaps that is why it was so important to get our kids into the pool as soon as possible.

This is Elora's second year being on the Madison Dolphins summer swim team (incidentally, this is the exact same team that I swam on in high school, with the same head coach that coached me, believe it or not!). This is the first year that she qualified for the state swim meet which was held this past weekend. We were very lucky that this statewide competition was hosted by our home team this year; last year it was a 6 hour drive away in Dothan!

It has been a fun summer watching Elora improve and compete, but I have also learned that being a swim parent is not the completely positive, fun, and exciting experience from childhood; it is much harder, maybe even borderline grueling!

The state meet takes place over two days. An ample amount of time to provide many stressful experiences!

On Friday Corby couldn't come because, duh, it was a work day, so I had bad odds to begin with. The first dramatic development reared its head in the afternoon. Our medley relay was grouped together outside the bullpen, unfortunately, too close to a fire-ant hill; their butterfly swimmer was stung nearly 20 times. Elora was only stung twice, but made-up for it with an extreme amount of complaining. Despite her itchy wounds, she was still able to swim her lap and their relay finished second overall.

Afterward, the process of trying to get out was a nightmare. It would be easy if it weren't for all the stuff (you have to bring the stuff...chairs, cooler, blankets, towels, toys, games plus I had a stroller with baby included).

So, while I struggled with the folding chairs in a sea of mini-camps and swim squatters, Jacob decided to wander away. When I turned around to look for him, I could see that he was crying amidst a crowd of friendly fellow parents who were trying to help him. I finally reached him and I asked why he had walked away. He told me he had lost his sock. I looked down and noticed that he had taken off his shoes and was carrying one sock, after pointing out that the other was still on his foot, he brightened and came along. He walked all the way to the car wearing only that one sock.

Calm relief eased its way into me as we crossed the threshold of the parking area, only to be shattered when Elora declared that she had left her flip-flops behind and we would have to go look for them. Glancing back at the hordes of tents, concession stands, parents and swimmers, I informed her that nothing could drag me back in there, especially not a $4 pair of very worn and dirty blue flip-flops, that no one would ever take home with them!

Saturday was easier. Corby there to help, and after finding those lost flip-flops the day seemed to be rolling along nicely. If only it weren't 98 degrees outside with 85% humidity!

By the end of the meet, as the free relay neared, dark storm clouds began to roll-in. I crossed my fingers and said many a prayer to forestall disastrous thunder and lightening, in which case the meet would be paused for a half-hour. Much to our relief, the 8 and under relays were completed right before someone heard thunder and we were able to scramble for the car with smiles on our faces despite the fact that we were being drenched in a summer downpour.

Oh, how I felt sorry for the parents that we hurriedly left behind! I try to ignore the little voice in my head telling me that as the kids grow and move up in age groups, that will surely someday be me waiting. Whatever happened to the good ol' days when I got to be the swimmer and the whole world revolved around me? Swim team certainly looks different from this side of the pool deck.

Link to results.

Elora after warm-ups.

Elora watching from the coach's table.

Elora's 25yd butterfly (she is in the farthest lane on the left, she finished 9th overall)

Girls 8 and under medley relay, Elora swam the final lap of free, they were in lane 6 and finished second. You can't really see anything, but you can get a feeling for the hysteria.

(Actually I found out later that they finished third because another team had a soft touch. Also, looking at this video objectively, most of the people watching look pretty sedate, not at all hysteric. I guess my feeling of roaring chaos came from a combination of being in such a big crowd and feeling very stressed.)

Poisoning Our Kids? Thanks, President Bush.

2007-07-25T07:25:00.000-05:00

I didn't intend on blogging about Bush so soon after last week, but I must make an exception.

Bush is soon expected to veto a ban on mercury in vaccinations.

Mercury is poison. If you ever broke a mercury thermometer as a child you might recall how much fun it was to watch the tiny, liquid-metal droplets roll across the floor. Perhaps you even played with them, allowing them to separate and then forcing the drops to jump back together. All of it was fun until you mother found you and harshly lectured about the toxicity of mercury, after which you would forever look apprehensively at any mercury thermometer placed in your mouth.

Recently mercury has been linked to brain damage and learning disabilities including autism.

Parents have been warned to limit the frequency in which they allow their children to eat fish because it contains traces of mercury. (By-the-way, mercury does not occur naturally in fish. Mercury pollutants released into the environment by factories and power plants filter into our water and then leach into the fish that live there. Read more about mercury pollution here.)

With this knowledge, you may wonder why drug companies continue to use mercury as an ingredient in thimerosal, a preservative used in immunizations. This chemical variant is outlawed in most countries, but not the United States. And, to add insult to injury, in 2002, a mysterious piggyback on the 2002 Homeland Security bill freed drug companies of liability in lawsuits regarding thimerosal.

To any parent this is disturbing news, especially to those who feel a pang of guilt when forcing their cheery, trusting, unsuspecting baby into a position to feel the painful prick of a shot. Now there is the additional worry of unintentionally poisoning our children.

Although our pediatrician assures me that all the shots given to our toddler are mercury-free, it just makes me wonder, "Why wouldn't Bush make sure that all parents have the same assurance?." Especially since there are certainly families that do not have the awareness to inquire about such a thing, or the means to find alternative health resources.

Is there any way to tell Bush that we value our health and the health of our children? Does he care that most Americans no longer support him and view his policies as outrageously foul?

You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-07-23T20:11:00.000-05:00

You feel relief for your 3-year-old after learning from Poison Control which "DO NOT EAT" preservative packets are dangerous.

The ones with clear, kosher salt-like contents are O.K.; the ones that are darker and packaged with beef jerky are dangerous (they have iron in them).

Staying Up Late with Harry Potter

2007-07-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

Last Friday our family adventured the the land of Barnes & Noble for a magical Harry Potter: Deathly Hollows book release party. Elora, who is eight, has read the entire series but we have never participated in one of the all night events. Since this is the last book, and thus our last chance, we decided to take all of the kids.

Around 7:00pm Corby arrived at the store straight from work and stood in line to receive a bracelet. Each bracelet would designate the order in which you could go to the register at midnight and buy the book. The line stretched from the front door of the bookstore and far around the side of the store.

I didn't arrive with the kids until 8:00pm. We had strategically planned to drive two cars and all the kids were showered and ready for bed (they youngest two wore their P.J.s).

At the party there was a costume contest and although we didn't participate, we enjoyed seeing children and adults dressed as the various characters from the book. Surprisingly, there were not that many dressed as the namesake, Harry Potter. Here are a few favorites.

The kids were all able to enjoy activities including: hatching dragon eggs, making their own wands, a puppet show and trivia. At 10:00pm I brought all of the boys home and Corby and Elora stayed to be sorted into their "houses" and mix their own potion (with colored sand).

At 1:00am father and daughter arrived home with the new book in hand.

Elora fell promptly to sleep, but read the first chapter before she got out of bed the next morning. She is currently on chapter 9 and is very proud to have stayed up so late with all the die-hard fans.

I am so glad that the kids had an opportunity to see so many people enthusiastic about a book.

I don't have a single memory from my childhood to compare it to! I can vaguely recall reading Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books as a child. Back then, many girls were really into The Babysitter's Club series, while most of the boys preferred the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. There was no literary achievement that transcended so many lines as the Harry Potter series.

My mother compared the book fans to the late 70's early 80's fervor associated with the Star Wars movies, but then again, the whole point is that this is a book. Hopefully this excitement about reading will make an impression on the boys, even though they have only seen the movies and haven't read the books for themselves. Eventually, I hope they will read all the books and perhaps they will remember that they were there that night.

Why'd Ya Do It George? Say It Ain't So!

2007-07-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

Who says George Bush isn't trying to cut federal spending?

On Wednesday Ol' George showed his frugal side with his plan to cut the $420 million federal subsidiary for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes federal subsidies to PBS, National Public Radio and hundreds of public radio and television stations.

Cookie Monster and Barney needn't worry though, the house voted down the bill, 357-72.

We don't have cable and rarely watch television, but when we do, PBS is our channel. Personally, I think it is the only channel worth watching. NPR is also one of our favorite, although I rarely get to listen nowadays because the kids prefer Jack Johnson's Curious George Soundtrack (which, I must admit is great).

Well, this certainly doesn't help my (dis) approval rating toward the Prez.

I was glad to see that all of the Alabama representatives voted against this bill. You can check to see who voted to kill Elmo and Big Bird here.

It is also worth noting that PBS now has one of the best
shows I have ever seen for elementary age children called Fetch!, but our kids call it Ruff-Ruff. They absolutely love this show. It airs at 4:30pm in Huntsville and is sort-of an amazing race premise geared toward children, where the challenges are educational. Take a look, it is really neat.

Stop Looking in Caves and Under Bridges, Trolls Are Everywhere

2007-07-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

In my last post there were a few people who commented on the story about the mother and toddler who were thrown off an airplane. The original article is here and Grandma Bettyanne provided a link to the article's comments here.

If you glance at the story's comments you will notice that many people applauded the flight attendant's actions. For example:

If this person sues it will be in federal court. She and her lawyer should pray that I do not sit upon the jury. Bratty kids should be quiet but, as is obvious here, the parents are the ones responsible for their continued unacceptable behavior.

But one particular comment, noted by Anonymous, really stands out for its idiocy:

God Bless this flight attendant. This mother sickens me. Take the child away from her before more damage is done. And put the the little brat on Ritalin. It is SO CLEAR that he has a behavior problem and guess who is to blame. This pathetic excuse for a mother. GOD BLESS AIRLINE ATTENDANTS. AND GOD BLESS GEORGE W. BUSH.

Now, as you may know, I am a very skeptical person, and I have a hunch that this is not even a real comment.

Let me introduce you to the idea of trolling.

A troll is a person who gets their kicks from scouring the internet for controversial topics, and then posting outlandish things in order to cause a stir. Often these people post a view that they heartily disagree with, but by arguing the point in a pig-headed, outrageous and ignorant manner, they are able to do more damage to the position than good. For more information on trolling, read Wiki here.

I have a suspicion that the above comment was written by a troll.

You might think that my suspicious assumption is unfounded. Perhaps you believe that everyone on the Internet is honest when they present a point of view, and for the most part I want to believe this too, but, when viewing comments or other information on the internet something should be kept in mind.

People have been using various traditional media to spread disinformation for a long time.

Read here about Black Propaganda.

It seems that the idea of misrepresenting the source of information is a classic strategy used by governments or other organizations when trying to manipulate a group of people. The internet is only the most recent avenue used to influence public opinion, and this time anyone and everyone can participate.

Now, I must admit that my stomach begins to sickly, churn when I think of George W. Bush, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would post such an idiotic comment. I would bet that the person who posted this feels the exact opposite of what they wrote. When confronted with so many of the other heart-felt, moderately stupid, negative comments toward the mother, they probably decided take the point-of-view to an extreme plus throw in a little stab at Bush.

I certainly don't know this for sure, and there are very likely many people who wouldn't hesitate from writing something as absurd as this, with full belief that they are right, but trolling is real so we shouldn't take every comment at face value.

By-the-way, I know someone who likes to do this, and that is proof enough to me that this is a factual activity for some people's amusement.
If you are reading this now, my trolling friend, make sure you don't leave any of those troll comments here!!!

Another Place Where Kids Are Not Allowed? How Inconvenient! It Makes You Wonder Why People Even Bother Having Children.

2007-07-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

I thought that nothing could top our grueling air travel experience from earlier this week, until I read this article about about a mother and her toddler getting kicked-off an airline for the 19-month-old's incessant baby talk. In contrast, on our flight, our toddler was not repeating the cute "bye-bye plane" baby-talk, our baby was repeatedly screaming at the top of his lungs.

I'm so glad that our attendant only went as far as indignant complaints and dirty looks.

All of this got me to thinking...

Is it just me or does it seem that more people are becoming increasingly intolerant of the needs and behaviors of children?

Could this be a symptom of a society that marginalizes children and exiles them from reality?

Daycare services admit children as young as 6-weeks-old and from that point on there are an amplitude of services that allow parents to temporarily free themselves from their burdens. When children turn 5 (and in some areas 4), public education devours kids and institutionalizes them until they are of competent working age.

As a homeschooling parent I can attest to the fact that many adults are visibly uncomfortable with the mere presence of a child. I have endured many hostile glares when I have occasionally ventured out with my school age children before 3 pm.

Why does our society treat children like an inconvenient necessary evil, only to be pacified and occasionally praised when they make their adult counterparts feel good about themselves?

Perhaps we have forgotten that children are people who are capable of more than we give them credit for. Our ancestors were thankful for each new little human being that was added to their family because they knew that they had worth and could contribute to the livelihood of a household even at a very early age. (Even a toddler can be taught how to snap beans and carry a bucket!)

Awaiting the day when they can flip-a-burger or open a checking account, American kids are locked away from the rest of society, placated with toys and electronics.

It is no wonder that once out of their parents house they find themselves ill-equipped for reality, in a downward spiral of partying and debt; never truly becoming well rounded adults until their late 20s or early 30s...

or never at all.

My Family Spent The Night in Reagan Int'l And All I Got Was This Lousy Blanket!

2007-07-11T18:48:00.000-05:00

Well folks, we are finally home!

As always, our yearly vacation to New Hampshire was a wonderful retreat. Despite very little swimming weather, we still managed to have fun canoeing, kayaking, hiking, jet skiing and (of course) cooking s'mores by the campfire.

But our time spent in transit was far from pleasant, and kicked hard against the border of misery.

On our flight out we connected in Charlotte, NC. Although the first flight from Nashville was easy, the connection flight trapped everyone helplessly on-board only to alert us minutes before departing that we would be taxiing back to the runway for maintenance. Seems that one of the engines wouldn't start and it would be 45 minutes to install a new starter. I balked at the idea of waiting a extra 45 minutes in a plane with four children. How horrible!!! I was more than a little steamed when we arrived, but was able begin our vacation in fairly good spirits.

Little did I know that this was just a small, dainty appetizer of discomfort preceding the gut wrenching experience of our returning flight home.

Yesterday, we boarded our return flight in Boston aimed at our connection in Washington D.C. at Reagan International. I should have guessed bad things were ahead when the flight attendant rudely commented that my baby was disturbing too many passengers. I must admit that our 18-month-old only has 2 volume settings, quiet and spine-tingling, shrill scream, but honestly, what did she suggest I do? So I asked her "What do you suggest I do?", I think that this response took the young, obviously childless, woman back and her smug look melted into defenseless puzzlement. A few moments later we had an ample supply of airplane snacks and thus, he was much quieter.

Nearer to Reagan, we were informed that lightening had struck the building and their communications were out. No alarm, the pilot planned to just circle the airport patiently until....

We ran out of fuel.

(Or at least we nearly did.) We had to leave Washington to fly to our back-up landing location for a refill. I still don't understand why, but our designated back-up was in New York at Laguardia Airport. This was going from bad to worse! This airport is notorious for delays.

Refueled and ready to fly, we quickly proceeded to the tarmac to begin our three hour wait for take-off. The pilot informed us that the weather had prevented a slew of flights from taking off and landing. I imagine our plane was of little overall significance, but it sure felt significant to us and to every other traveler within earshot of the screaming, whining, jumping, arguing and crying of our four tired, hungry and trapped children!

We arrived at Washington at a 7:50pm, seven hours after initially boarding the plane. For a few brief minutes when we entered the airport, I had hope that there might be a remaining flight out that we could catch, unfortunately the departure screen revealed nothing. We were stuck, along with hundreds of other travelers.

Because the kids had not had anything to eat since noon and because every vendor was beginning to close, we hastily found a restaurant and ate. Every US Airways ticket counter radiated lines of stranded businessmen, grandmothers, college students and families. Everyone was desperate to get where they were going. And, to top it all off, there would be no vouchers because all of this was attributed to weather.

We avoided the lines and called the 800 number, our flight would leave at 8:40 am and we would sleep at the airport until then.

Few people know that a magical thing happens in the middle of the night at an airport. When the clock strikes midnight a khaki-colored fairy driving an electrically powered cart visits the marooned travelers that are tucked into every chair and quiet corner. This fairy bestows blue bundled gifts that are unfolded to reveal the warmth and softness of polyester fleece. The piles of stranded sleepers become uniformed in their appearance of rolling mounds of new fallen snow.

Cuddly, bright blue polyester snow.

Beautiful.

We made our morning flight and soon were home. We have 5 blue blankets to show from our journey, plus the miserable memories of heinous travel.

*sigh*

To end on a positive note, here are some pictures of the kids at the lake. (Click to enlarge)

Off to New Hampshire for a Much Needed Vacation!

2007-07-02T14:52:00.001-05:00

We are leaving for our yearly visit to Bear Island on Lake Winnipesaukee. Don't expect any posts for a week or so. I should be very busy swimming, boating, hiking and keeping the kids from drowning!

DVD Players in Cars May Be Leading Kids in the Wrong Direction

2007-07-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

A few years ago a mommy friend of mine, lets call her Janice, purchased a brand-new Toyota Sienna. Complete with an "I'm a Soccer Mom" magnet, this gold colored van had the most luxurious trim package with leather seats, electric remote-controlled everything, and a DVD player for the kids in the backseat.

Standing in the parking lot after girl scouts, I would watch Janice as she would buckle in her four kids, carelessly flick on a video and peacefully pull away in the impenetrable silence of mesmerized children. Perhaps I was a bit envious as I drove home amongst the bickering and incessant whining that accompanies four children crammed into a 1990 MPV (probably the smallest minivan ever!).

Unfortunately our quaint little MPV met its ill-fated demise last fall and we decided to take the $380 per-month plunge into a new van. We went in knowing that we could only afford the very cheapest, most basic trim, and since the DVD combo was a $3000 add on only available in the highest trim, I resigned myself to more driving under the influence of frustration and aggravation due to travel-tired kids.

(Actually, I secretly enjoy our drives together, and traveling affords us more time to talk, play games, and sing together. It really isn't that bad.)

Video entertainment using VCRs was first installed in minivans in the late 90's and factory installed DVD players were released in 2002. Because of this, many kids are growing-up without experiencing the "Are we there yet?" blues, and most parents probably think that is a good thing,

unless...

On Friday one of my daughter's teenage swim coaches confided in me that she was nervous about getting her driver's license. She relayed countless horror stories experienced by many of her friends about getting dramatically lost (for example, trying to drive to the mall and ending up in TN). She said that she wasn't too worried though because she never had a DVD player in her parents' car. I asked her if that made a difference and she said "yeah" (as if!).

It seems that a whole generation of driving teenagers are emerging without any sense of direction. The car was always just an extension of the living room, a magical portal that somehow got them from here to there.

On heightened awareness of my kids' directional capabilities, I let them tell me which turns to make to get us home from Huntsville, and with the exception of our three-year-old who still doesn't know left from right, they knew the way perfectly.

(He actually knew the way home too, I just had to look in the rear-view mirror to tell which right his little finger was pointing toward.)

I guess those parents who are now appreciating peaceful driving thanks to a screen in the backseat are really only exchanging it for the peace of knowing that your teenage kids will be able to navigate their own car a few years later.

Perhaps it is just as well, the directionless children who are used to watching Sponge Bob while driving to the grocery store will have no problem watching a GPS direct them to that same grocery store when they are old enough to drive.

**I found the photo above online, none of the children are my kids or kids we know.

Peanut Paste Today, Diamonds Tomorrow

2007-06-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

An article from BBC News reports that scientists have discovered how to make diamonds out of peanut butter.

Finally, those stuffy science geeks are moving away from all that global warming junk. I thought they would never shut-up about it! It's about time we through out all that new-agey garbage; lets get back to some good old-fashioned alchemy!

Here is my summary:

Scientists at Edinburgh University used a stiletto heel to magically change oxygen into red crystals and peanut butter into diamonds. They hope to change hydrogen into metal (seems that they are working toward some fine diamond and gemstone jewelry). This will help them find the Holy Grail after which they will use it to concoct a supernatural medication that we can take when we visit the surface of the sun.

That's the best I can do to understand it. If you feel like you need to read the original article, here is the link.

**Side note - This article refers to peanut butter as a paste. I was just wondering, would anyone actually buy a product called Peanut Paste?

Tomorrow I will offer the kids a Peanut Paste and Jelly sandwich for lunch.

Book Lovers Should Try LibraryThing.com

2007-06-27T07:19:00.000-05:00

Walking through our home, the idea might hit you that our family loves books.

Over the years we have worked to build a library of some of our favorite novels, non-fiction books, and reference books. Most of the childrens' books are abused to no end, but I try to make sure that the classics and the kids' sentimental favorites are kept in good condition.

We have collected, and continue to add to, a large library of children's non-ficiton and reference books that we use for homeschooling. This year we will utilize the recently discovered website, LibraryThing.com. This website allows users to catalog all of their books into a personal online library. Each book is tagged by the user and the catalog is searchable. You can also network with others who own the same book and the library can give you info about books that people with similar libraries owned. The interface is easy to use and it is fun to see how many book you own.

The real challenge for me will be locating the book that I am looking for!

Here is a fun little quiz for you. Can you guess where you might find each of these bookcases in our house?

*Hints - The family room, homeschool room, Elora's bedroom, and the Boys' bedroom have one each. Two are from the computer/music room.

** Extra Hint - We encourage three-year-old Jacob to help put books away in his room!

Just Another Big Loser? I Guess I Am.

2007-06-26T09:09:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to shed those post-pregnancy pounds (yeah, I know 18-months is far beyond the postpartum days) I have decided to try a daily exercise routine facilitated by my personal trainer.

Oops, did I say personal trainer? I meant to say a wide range of arbitrarily chosen fitness DVDs.

Yesterday I received a DVD from Netflix called The Biggest Loser: The Workout. I honestly admit that I have never seen the reality show that this workout is based on, but I had heard of it and the majority of reviews on this DVD were positive.

The DVD has a variety of different routines, and you can combine the elements you like to make your own custom routine. I decided to use a default program (duh).

I found that the exercises were challenging and the trainer was only moderately annoying. But my favorite part of this video by far are the people who are doing the exercises alongside the trainer.

Instead of the typical 2% body fat, California super-trim, exercise models, this video had normal looking people. During the workout, these former cast members occasionally made mistakes that any normal person attempting these exercises might make. One guy could not get in sync with everyone else. If they were all going right, he was going left. Another guy kept getting the stance wrong and despite the trainer trying to move his feet into the right position, he continued with his legs too far apart. Finally the exasperated trainer said "that's a little better" and went on to something else. The women made less mistakes, but near the end of the workout, they both started whining. I'm right there with you girls!

As I watched them struggle I thought to myself "Hey, I'm doing pretty good. Look at that poor guy!".

Why aren't more fitness videos created like this? Do I really need to stare for half an hour at a 24-year-old trainer who's whole life revolves around exercise and nutrition? It doesn't motivate me with a "this could be you" mentality because in reality my husband, four kids, homeschooling, swim meets, soccer practice, dance class, chess club, baseball, girl scouts, housekeeping, grocery shopping, yard work, one dog, one cat, one hamster-life would never allow it!

I will most likely do the second workout on this DVD tonight and I can't wait to see who will screw-up this time. I know I will be there making the same goofy, uncoordinated mistakes that those of us with little dexterity and physical prowess are repeatedly destined to make.

You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-06-26T06:09:00.000-05:00

.....your six-o-clock wake-up call rings to the tune of an 18-month old who is ready to play.

Damn, I wish I could go back to bed.

Antibiotics Cause Asthma? Just Another Reason to Breastfeed the First Year

2007-06-25T12:48:00.001-05:00

All babies get sick from time to time.

If you have an infant you can wisely choose to breastfeed and thus ward off almost an entire year's worth of varying ailments. I breastfed all of our children past the first year, and we never had a sick child younger than 11 months.

But breastfeeding may not be an option for some mothers who have difficulties with their health or are on medications. And as sad as it may be, despite mountains of medical research that proves the vast advantages to breastfeeding, some women just prefer to formula feed.

Either way, if your infant gets sick you may want to consider the latest research that shows a possible link between antibiotics given within the first year of life and the development of asthma.

Our pediatrician knows that we are minimalists when it comes to medicines, and we have rarely had our kids on antibiotics and only when it is absolutely necessary. Many parents believe that a doctor will speak-up and give them all the available options when treating an illness, but often this is not the case. Doctors sometimes do not inform parents that children can recover from many illnesses without the use antibiotics and other medications.

This latest antibiotic study reveals the adverse affects of "pill pushing" on children, and my suspicion is that more discoveries will surely follow. Or, perhaps not! Most medical research in the United States is funded by the drug companies and they most certainly wouldn't want those facts to get out. It should be noted that this antibiotic-asthma link is being widely discussed in Europe, Canada, New Zealand....have we heard much about it in the US? Hmmmm?

If you are pregnant, read more about breastfeeding before deciding to bottle feed. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that all children be breastfed the first year, and studies show it increases intelligence, reduces the risk of infection, reduces the likelihood of diabetes and obesity, minimizes allergies, helps prevent SIDS, prevents ear-infections, and now, inadvertently, asthma...best of all it is ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

Bush Visits; Cramer and Sessions Laud Nuclear Benefits

2007-06-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

President Bush was in North Alabama today visiting the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Athens, AL. Bud Cramer, who accompanied President Bush, commented on the complete reopening of the Browns Ferry unit in late May:

"Nuclear power is a safe alternative source of energy and TVA has spent five years and over $1.8 billion to refurbish and enhance Browns Ferry to meet our region’s needs."

Senator Jeff Sessions also was quoted in May, responding to the reopening:

"The restart of Unit One at Brown's Ferry is an important milestone in our nation's transition to utilizing more nuclear energy production. The increased baseload capacity will help TVA meet the demands of a growing economy in the Valley, and the clean, safe and affordable energy is good news for ratepayers."

I feel a little confused about all of this, because I grew-up with a healthy fear of nuclear energy. My childhood memories are littered with end-of-the-world, doomsday television specials about reactor accidents and fallout, not to mention the hundreds of references made via Mr. Burns' powerplant on the Simpsons.

Now, it seems that I have nothing to fear! It all sounds so grand! It's clean! It's safe! It will even save me money because it is affordable! Lets all cheer together!

Clean and safe! Clean and safe!
And it will save you money!

I suppose I should rejoice in the miracle of nuclear, but I have a creeping feeling that something is not quite right.

Shouldn't we be concerned about the nuclear waste?
What about the radioactive isotopes the reaction creates?
Isn't there a concern about the high cost and excessive amount of energy that it takes to create enriched uranium?
And let's not forget the ecological affects on fresh water source used for the reaction. (for more distasteful facts about nuclear power view this article)

I guess we should all stock-up on potassium iodide.

You can only expect to hear more of this nuclear chant as politicians scramble for a way to appear green, without actually encouraging a real change.

You Know You're a Parent When...

2007-06-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

.....chocolate pudding vomit hurled at high velocities in your living room doesn't phase you.

As a mater of fact, you already have a procedure developed for such scenarios.

Uh-Oh Thomas!

2007-06-20T07:54:00.002-05:00

They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight,
Shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Red and green and brown and blue
They may all cause cancer too.

In case you haven't heard, a list of Thomas and Friends wooden trains have been recalled. The Chinese manufacturer failed to consider lead paint a bad idea for coating children's toys.

If you have little boys in your household, you probably know that:

Thomas is the cheeky one.
James is vain but lots of fun.
Percy pulls the mail on time.
Gordon thunders down the line.
Emily really knows her stuff.
Henry toots and huffs and puffs.
Edward wants to help and share.
Toby, lets just say he's square.

Our boys love Thomas trains. They also enjoy Thomas videos, Thomas books, Thomas stickers, Thomas clothes, Thomas blankets, Thomas lunch boxes, Thomas puzzles...the list goes on and on.

Although I usually shy away from surrounding the kids with character merchandise, I have always made an exception for Thomas because the train stories went beyond entertainment to teach determination and integrity, working hard and perseverance. All of the Learning Curve train sets are high quality and mostly wood.

I am thoroughly surprised that these products do not meet safety standards and I regret that I will have to tell the children why we are sending their Sodor Smelting Yard and cargo car back in the mail (as if I don't have enough to do already).

I guess Thomas might remind us all that Accidents Happen!

One more anecdote--- I had to printout the recall form twice because Jacob wanted to keep the first one; it had pictures of trains on it! Also, the above video is Henry's absolute favorite.

Happy 30th Birthday.....to me?

2007-06-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today I turned 30.

I have to say that I did a terrible job preparing myself for this day.

All of my life the age of 30 has been a vague, blurry destination far, far off in the distance. I don' t think that I ever actually believed that I would someday be 30. This mythical birthday, draped in malformed ideas about wisdom and maturity, resided in my mind in the neighborhood of the peppermint forest and gumdrop mountain.

Today I find myself standing firmly on the not-so imaginary birthday feeling not-so wise and not-so mature.

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You.... Enlist the Kiddies!

2007-06-13T16:24:00.001-05:00

I just got back from taking the kids to see a summer movie. We went to Carmike Theater in Huntsville for the matinee of Surf's up. I didn't get to see much of the movie because Henry wanted to run back and forth through the aisle and dump popcorn all over everything. I think the movie was just o.k. though, the kids weren't that impressed.

But this blog post is not about the movie.

What I found very appalling is that before the movie started, during the previews, there was a very long military propaganda video shown. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!!! Emotionally charged video clips were interspersed with short phrases recalling honor, pride and adventure. All of this was shown while a heroic fanfare trumpeted in the background. And, this was not a quick little 15 second blip, it seemed to drag on and on for 3 or 4 minutes. I honestly sat up and turned around, wondering if anyone else thought this was a little weird, but all the other viewers just sat mesmerized, munching their popcorn and goobers.

I have heard of Army recruiting videos being played at Chuck-E-Cheese and was astounded at the rumor but I had never seen these brainwashing tactics in action until today.

Wake-up everyone!

The government is selling brands, and those brands are ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES. Anyone in marketing will tell you that the younger you get a child to positively identify a brand, the more likely they will be to develop good feelings about it.

I have never been tempted to throw anything at a movie screen until today. I will definitely remember this the next time we are considering taking the kids to a movie.

Geographical Karma

2007-06-12T21:53:00.001-05:00

How can the tragedy of a few scarring experiences taint your opinion of a place forever?

My friend recently explained to me that she refuses to shop at Kroger and avoids going there at all costs.

Kroger!? I practically live there! Not only is it nearly walking distance from our house, but they have improved their organic and natural food section to encompass nearly two aisles. Usually things work out fine when I shop there.

She related to me a number of horror stories that included turkey blood down the front of a white blouse and another about being pinned under a shopping cart with a broken leg in the parking lot with her children in the buggy and no one helping her. **GASP!** It doesn't get much worse than that. She concluded that it must be written in the stars that Kroger is not meant for her. She shops at Publix.

This all got me wondering. How many people have places that they have sworn to avoid after a barrage of catastrophes? Is there some sort of geographical karma at work in the world?

As for us, the only place we avoid is Chuck-E-Cheese. Every time we go there the kids get sick a few days later. I honestly thought it was the same for everyone. Perhaps cosmic forces are at work, or maybe someone just needs to Lysol those play tubes.

The Job of a Lifetime

2007-06-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

In 2001 when our second child was born, I left the workforce to begin the real work of my life, mothering. At first I didn't dedicate much thought to staying at home with the kids, probably because my mother worked for most of my childhood and I had no distinct memories of having a mom at home. I began with no concrete ideas about what I was supposed to do each day so I started by focusing most of my energy on the adult things that I needed to do. I was used to fitting my parenting time around a job schedule, so I began by fitting mothering in around chores and errands.

I soon figured out that a bit of planning and preparation went a long way in making our days run smoothly, and as the kids grew, I realized how impressionable they were.

One day it dawned on me that I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape our children. To lay down a character framework that could benefit them for the rest of their lives. A few years later this realization led us to homeschooling.

Today, I try to keep all of my efforts within sight of the fact that life is unpredictable and there is no way I can plan or prepare for every situation that we will encounter. Despite this reality, I have promised to never let myself off the hook by imagining that everything is out of my control. There are so many aspects of childhood that a mother can affect and those seeds of influence continue to grow for a lifetime.

What is this blog? or The Beginning

2007-06-07T18:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome-- I am starting this blog in the hopes that I will be able to maintain a sort of journal or diary of thoughts, happenings, observations, questions and perhaps even share lessons learned with others. Many of my posts will relate to parenting and women, for obvious reasons, but considering that my interests are varied, the posts could be about anything.

Somehow the act of publishing thoughts on the web makes me feel like my ideas are more valid. I know that this is surely a psychological trick I am playing on myself, but I think I can accept that and choose not to care!

I hope that if you do read this blog and enjoy the posts, that you choose to comment on them. I strive to be open-minded and never pass-up a chance to learn from others.

I know I will enjoy hanging a few out there, meeting new people and discussing ideas, so without further ado, I pronounce this blog started!