Getting Political

I don’t usually get into politics, on facebook, with my friends,  or in any other public forum, because politics and friends don’t usually mix. I learned to keep my views to myself when I was going to cosmetology school, the number one rule, other than not turning someone’s hair purple or making it fall out, is don’t discuss politics or religion. I am also a firm believer in the freedom of speech and the freedom to have your own ideas and values. Where I draw the line is when someone tries to take away my freedoms, the freedoms that my husband, father, grandfathers, grandmother, and all of the soldiers that have given up their lives have fought for. You see, I have this “friend” that regularly posts about his wanting to become an expatriate and live in Europe for the rest of his life, he hates our social system, our education system, our healthcare, and our freedom to have weapons. He constantly posts about our not being the number one super power that “we boast about” and he goes on to brag about his great adventures in Europe and how anyone that does not live that lifestyle is not taking advantage of life. 

I think that he is a pompous ass.

His most recent post was about gun control and how our society is 2^nd class because we are 18xs more likely to be shot than a German citizen is. He thinks that we all tote guns because we are afraid ALL OF THE TIME, that if we took away the right to own a gun the crime rate would decrease in America, etc. I do not agree. I think that the “bad guys” would still have their weapons and we would be defenseless.

I think that my “friend” has this utopian idealism that is a pipe dream, but then again he also thinks that you should take from the rich and give to the lazy. That’s right, I said it… I don’t think that all poor people are lazy but I do think that our welfare system is broken and taking from a hard working person to give to someone that refuses to look for a job because they are getting a government check each month is a bunch of hogwash! I think that people on welfare, unemployment, and those on food stamps should be given drug screenings. I think that people that have committed robbery of any kind should not be allowed to own a weapon because they clearly don’t know how to make good decisions. I think that any person that is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be required to take a nutrition class, and I think that there should be a tax on junk food (ALL OF IT, fast food and store bought junk food), I think that those taxes should go to pay for the socialized medicine that is being pushed on our country, those taxes should pay for the healthcare of people with coronary heart disease that is not genetic and stems from a bad diet and lack of exercise. I think that preventative medicine should be number one on the doctors list instead of reactionary medicine.

Children should be forced to pass health and physical education classes with a C or better and I do not give a CRAP if they don’t want to get dirty or sweaty, they are in school to learn about life and get an education, not to be pretty. I think that parents need to take a more active approach in ensuring that their kids are learning the life skills they need to make this world a better place but sadly too many parents are more concerned with being their kid’s friend or trying to be the next cougar on some reality housewife show.

I could go on and on about what needs to happen and how things should be but they aren’t and the only yard that I can keep clean is my own, so I will take care of my family and teach them the tools to succeed, I will ensure that my children know how hard their family has fought to keep this country free and what it means to have the freedoms that we have, I will show my children gun safety and when it should be used, and I will make sure that they understand that life doesn’t just happen to them, they are the captains of their destiny. The choices that you make are the choices that shape your future!

1/2 Year Birthday!

Okay so I am roughly a month late with this post...

Clark had his 1/2 year birthday last month and I made him one half of a cake:

Of course I only allowed him to have a very small taste of the icing and I don't think he liked it very much.

I cannot believe that my little boy is getting so old. The time has really flown by. I wish that I could slow it down some, I don't want to miss these times and I know that they will be over in the blink of an eye. Luckily we have the video camera and can relive them over again later (I'm thinking at his bachelor party...)

It has been one heck of a busy week! Travis has been gone since last Sunday so it has just been me and the boys. The dogs have been behaving particularly well this week, I don't foresee that lasting... Clark and I have been getting along wonderfully, though I am really worn out. He is such a great baby but he really takes a lot of work 24 hours a day. I do not know how single mothers do it. My prayers are with them!

Clark had his first bout of vomit yesterday. You see my boy likes to keep everything down; he has only spit up a handful of times in the past 6 months. Literally, I can count the times on my fingers and toes. However, yesterday is another story all together. I think that the combination of it being so hot and him gagging on some milk is what caused it, regardless he tossed up every ounce that he had taken in. I mean it came out of his nose and all. He was such a trooper though, he didn't even cry or act as though it surprised him at all. I was more freaked out about it than he was. Afterwards I gave him a bath and we went on with our day as normal. Okay, not completely normal, we didn't go for a run because he was not feeling the stroller at all in the morning while it was still cool enough to get out there.

Thursday we went to our first ever meeting of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs), and had a lovely time. Our neighbor invited us to go with her so that I could meet other mothers that are moving to the same town that we are. The meeting was not the usual get together, it was really more like a hail and farewell to the old and new board members but I still got to meet some lovely ladies and I am hopeful for the next few years. This in and of itself is a change since I've really been dreading the upcoming move. I have really been slacking in my fellowship, and in my studies of the bible. I am glad to head back in the right direction.

I think that GOD is really calling out to me because not only did I get the invite to MOPs from my neighbor but I also received a package, from one of my favorite aunts, of children's books from the christian book store. Isn't it funny how we can get lost in our daily lives and yet the lord will seek us out and remind us that he still loves us and is waiting for us to call on him?

So anyway, Travis is home today and we can resume our regularly scheduled programs. YAY!!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and remember to take a moment to remember the lives given for our freedom!!

Unannounced Visitors

Buddy Frazzled...

As I finished cleaning my kitchen this morning, after already doing the laundry, dusting, feeding the baby, skyping my mom, and sneaking in breakfast, I wondered to myself “why doesn’t anyone just ‘drop by’ just after I’ve made my house spotless?”  Why must there always be an unannounced knock at the door when my house is absolutely disheveled?  Granted, my house doesn’t stay spotless for long after I clean it because something about a tidy kitchen makes me want to bake and then there is no telling what it might look like. Really though, my house is spic and span right now and there won’t be a soul knocking at that door.

Yesterday the house was blitzed and there were two different unannounced visitors. What happens when they show up? Well that is when I start to sweat excessively, my hands get clammy, and I start to apologize uncontrollably for the mess that they are walking into. It goes like this: “Hey, how is it going? Come on in, please excuse the mess, we were just…” There is no telling what will follow the just… Usually something about starting to clean or in the middle of cleaning, but if I were being honest with them I would say, “ignoring the mess that has encompassed our kitchen, dining room, living room, and well basically the rest of the house and we were hoping that it would magically clean itself because it is Sunday and we would rather be screwing off than cleaning, we’d rather be getting it on than getting to work, ya know?”

Then I start to wonder, why do I find it reasonable to apologize to people for my “messy” house when they show up unannounced? They are the ones that are presuming that we are available for their entertainment or are just dropping in to borrow, beg, or steal. Not that I’m totally against people coming over, I just wish that they would call first. You know, give the ole heads up. I mean really, what would they do if I answered the door in my birthday suit with a whisk and broom in my hand and said, “now isn’t a good time; we’re in the middle of something.”

I find myself ashamed when people just drop by and the house and I aren’t in a magazine ready state. I’m sure that this is just a personal insecurity but it does interfere with my mental state when people drop in. I should just remember that in reality, my house is lived in. I haven’t swept because I have been playing with my son, my face isn’t perfect because my five month old is much more fun to look at than the mirror these days. I’ve decidedly stopped caring if my eyebrows aren’t arched…

I should not be the one apologizing anyway! If someone has just dropped by without invitation and without a heads up then guess what, they are getting the real deal. If they don’t like it then they can just keep on driving. Ha! Yeah right! I am sure that I will continue to apologize and make excuses and get frazzled because I feel inadequate but I am going to try and reduce the apologies and the angst that I feel when it happens.

Do you get frazzled when people just ‘drop in’ on you?

Life and all that comes with it

My last post was about me trying to figure out a schedule,finding the ability to juggle being a mommy, a wife, a homemaker, and a blogger… Well, all of that came screeching to a halt because I had to find time to be a daughter. My Father passed away last week;I am devistated by this. In order to be able to deal with this loss I have thrown myself into projects to keep myself busy, I’ve baked bread, had friends over for dinner, made meals that I’ve never tried before, gone to the movies, started working on a Christmas tree project, and have started reading a new book. I’ve managed to keep from thinking about my pain for almost a week now.

I certainly never thought that I would deal with my pain in this manner. Maybe I am still in denial, that if I don’t think about it, it didn’t really happen. Who knows. I do know that taking care of Clark keeps me grounded; he makes me smile and brings me the greatest joy in the world. They say that life is for the living. Well, I plan on making the most of this life. I will celebrate the life that my dad had, I will celebrate the blessings that I’ve been given; to include being able to visit him prior to his death so that he could meet his grandson. I will do my best to make each day count!